Career Chaos

SURVEY PROJECTS 2008 EMPLOYMENT TRENDS

As I read the results of CareerBuilder.com's recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive, certain numbers jumped off the page at me:

• 32% of all employers want to hire more permanent full-time workers in 2008
• 45% of employers in Professional and Business Services and Information Techonology will lead the hiring trend
• More hiring will take place in the South and West than in Northwest and Midwest (Midwest is at the bottom of the group.)
• 80% of employers plan to increase current employees' salaries with 69% expecting to issue raises in first quarter
• 45% of employers currently use online search and social networking sites to research job candidates (Beward of your digital dirt!) and 19% plan to add these activities to their searches
• 85% of employers will be looking for bilingual candidates, and 48% claim Spanish is the most important second language to English

Take a few minutes and read the entire survey results. There's a lot interesting data here gathered from November 13 through December 3, 2007. Hope it helps you with making your career plans for 2008.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

NEW JOB SEARCH TOOL

Want to cut down on the time it takes to search for leads and post your resume? Take a look at this cutting-edge, online tool that can help:

MyJobHunter.com

CAREER CHANGE - WHAT INFLUENCES IT?

Have you heard the news? Gas prices are rising, the housing industry is in crisis, health insurance premiums are soaring, visitors from abroad come to the U.S. to do their holiday shopping as the dollar declines in value. And the cost of food continues to skyrocket! (Milk, eggs, and cereal are almost beyond the reach of the average household.)

So, how does this all impact you? Just stop and reflect: When was the last time you got a cost-of-living raise? Is your salary keeping pace with your everyday expenses? Surprisingly, the so-called employment index appears steady - people aren't losing their jobs - yet. But are workers thriving or barely surviving?

If you find yourself barely surviving instead of thriving, what will it take for you to make a career change in 2008? Don't stay stuck in "business as usual" just because it's familiar. If you're not getting anywhere, take a chance - even it means an unknown change. Familiarity may feel comfortable, but it's not always better.

Take this quiz to see what gets in your way of career change. For more info, contact meg@abilitiesenhanced.com.

HOW TO CHANGE CAREERS

There's a lot of advice on the Internet about how to change careers. Who can you trust to give you the true scoop? Check out this reputable source offering a 10-Step Plan to  Career Change.

JOB SEARCH TIPS

Wouldn't it be nice if job search was easy? Unfortunately, it isn't. It's hard work that takes a long time to see its rewards. Here are a few tips to make it a bit more manageable:

Job Search Is a Numbers Game

Throughout your job search, ponder this - You must collect your share of "No's" before you get your "Yes." And it only takes one "Yes" to get a job!

Ready My Lips

Interviewing is not just a question and answer session with a potential employer. Body language plays an important role, too. Shake hands with the interviewer, sit up straight, look the interviewer in the eye and SMILE! Smiling relaxes your facial muscles making you appear at ease and receptive to what the job interviewer is saying.

Grab more job search tips on the Abilities Enhanced resource page.

EMPLOYED? WHY YOU STILL NEED A RESUME

People are changing jobs at a rate many times faster today than they did only a few years ago. Your updated resume ensures your readiness when the right career opportunity arises. The worst time to try to write a resume is right after you find out that you are being terminated or laid off. Most people cannot emotionally handle the resume writing task at this time.

Companies continue to change and grow. When your time comes for review and promotion, your current resume becomes a documented record of your accomplishments, not to mention actual job responsibilities. (Have you ever had a boos ask you to write your own job description since he hadn't a complete understanding of what you actually do during the normal course of a workday?)

In your present position, your current resume could be requested for a variety of reasons unrelated to job search activity:

1. Perhaps a civic organization is seeking information about you for consideration to a special board appointment.
2. Maybe you are preparing to expand you business and need an up-to-date biography as part of your loan application.
3. Is it time to begin work on your post graduate degree? Schools might request a resume as part of the application process for admission.
4. Public speakers often must present a biography before scheduling an engagement.
5. Have you ever volunteered your time to a non-profit organization? A resume is helpful in presenting your qualifications and special interests.

So, get that resume written! Keep it on your home computer, not just at work! Be ready for any eventuality that pops up. Be ready when someone asks, "Do you have a resume I could look over?"

Take a look at some resume samples at Abilities Enhanced to get you started.

SO, YOU WANT TO GET PROMOTED?

You’ve been working long hours and lucky to get your 3% annual pay increase. Living expenses keep outpacing your raise. How can you ever get ahead financially? A promotion seems the answer, but your boss doesn’t seem interested in considering it – what’s up? You know your work is valuable and necessary to the department – doesn’t anyone care about what YOU need?

If this sounds like your situation, listen up. “People don’t get promoted as a reward for a job well done. They get promoted as part of the company’s total strategy – otherwise known as succession planning.” Huh?

It’s time for you to get strategic in your thinking about your career path. Remember, at work it’s all about “them” and not “you.” You have a job because you provide value to your company; you are contributing to your company’s overall profits. In order to get a promotion, not only do you have to contribute more value, you have to do it in such a way that fits into your company’s long term goals.

As you create your promotion strategy, dig into your company’s valued competencies and determine how your personal attributes align with them. Map out your plan for how you can boost your involvement to get recognition from the key management responsible for your promotion. It’s all about building relationships, building bridges, and spotlighting your achievements. Status quo won’t get you promoted – embracing change will!

Here's a book to help you - Power Tools: Top Executive Coaches Put You on the Fast Track to SUCCESS! Check it out! Read my chapter, "Careers in Motion: Hang on for the Ride!"

NEW AMERICAN WORKPLACE

Gotta get the book, The New American Workplace, by James O'Toole and Edward Lawler. The authors presented a webinar today based on their book (sponsored by the American Management Association) where they analyzed the changes, consequences and choices of today's organizations. They also traced the evolving history of work in America. Their book is based on serious research.

Some items of interest from the webinar:

1) Every individual has to manage his own career as companies won't accept that responsibility anymore.

2) Companies are less willing to make long term investments in their employees' professional development.

3) Although there are several companies out there that encourage participative work environments, many large companies resist this mode as it would limit executive pay checks.

What can an employee do?

SIGNS YOU'RE DUE FOR A CAREER CHANGE

Remember when you first started your job? Everyone and everything was new, different and full of promise and hope. You were excited about all the possibilities and eager to get started solving the problems of your company.

Today, perhaps only a few years later, everything's changed. You may have a new boss, or new team members, at the very least. Systems have changed, perhaps company direction has changed, and you're beginning to wonder what you ever saw in this position anyway.

If any of this rings true for you, you may be ready for a career change. Want to find out if it's time for you to move on? Get my free report, "The Top 17 Signs You're Due for a Career Change and What You Can Do About It!"

BUILDING AN ONLINE NETWORK

Whether you're looking for a new job or just trying to manage the career you already have, it is common knowledge that networking is the key to success. But if you're like most people, networking takes a lot of time and energy - commodities usually in short supply.

Linked In provides an online solution for strategic networking. The popularity of online networking is growing in leaps and bounds. Now's the time to get involved. Check out my Linked In button under my picture on this blog. See what a difference a few connections can make to your being found online.