The Smart Animals – Un- Or Underemployed? Building Skills Through Self-Education

As pointed out many times on this blog, the employment market is a jungle where only the strongest survive. Just like living in a jungle, there will be times of plenty and subsequent times of material want. Smart animals anticipate these not-so-good times by saving and storing. Conversely, when the going gets tough, they anticipate better times by preparing adequately. If you find yourself currently un- or underemployed, consider the advantages of using your time wisely, so that when success finally comes, you’ll be prepared. Aside from spending your time looking for a new job, spend considerable time building a diversity of skills. Here are a few tips for doing just that.

1. Work for free.
I know this tip sounds a bit counter-intuitive. How would working for free enable you to acquire a new job? For one, it gives you something productive to do with your time, such that when you finally do land some interviews, you can explain to your potential employer what you’ve been doing during employment holes in your resume. Whether it’s designing a website for a non-profit organization or tutoring at-risk students after school, virtually any volunteer work will be personally fulfilling and will have the added bonus of adding weight to a thin resume.

2. Read more.
Even if you do have a job currently, anyone can benefit from learning by reading. If you find that you are lacking certain skills necessary for a job that you want in the future, read up on the industry as much as you can. Figure out what computer software you need to be familiar with or what industry news you need to be aware of, and set up a routine in which you educate yourself. Whether it’s reading a “For Dummies” book, or finding all the necessary information on the Internet, self-study will keep your skills and knowledge current.

3. Surround yourself with those who currently work your desired job.
If you know precisely the kind of job you’re looking for, be sure to connect with others in the industry, even if they won’t be able to help you get a job in the future. Just being among people with your desired career will give you lots of insight into what you’ll be doing on a daily basis, and they will, at the very least, be able to give you tips on how they got to where they are. Network through friends and family, or involve yourself with communities on the Internet to find a social group that can give you the inspiration and motivation you need to keep learning and keep hunting.

4. Step out of your comfort zone and try something new.
Maybe you’re applying for a certain type of job without even knowing why. You tell yourself that this is the career you envision, but if you haven’t tried several options, you really won’t know what it is that you actually like. Step out of your comfort zone and try applying for jobs that you wouldn’t have initially considered. Volunteer in a capacity that you previously thought you were unsuited for. You’d be surprised by how multidimensional your skill set actually is if you lay aside the mindset that you’re only good for a certain industry or job type.

The most important thing to remember while looking for a new job is that you can improve yourself and career prospects without actually earning money. Many are eager to jump into the job search and make that their 24/7 pursuit. Of course, finding a job requires lots of time, but make sure to utilize your remaining time to educate yourself, to grow, and to seek new experiences.

This guest post is contributed by Alisa Gilbert, who writes on the topics of bachelors degree. She welcomes your comments at alisagilbert599 @gmail.com.

If you have a great idea for a jungle-themed post, let us know! Guest writers or requests are always welcome!

Tags: advice, education, experience, guest, networking, preparation, resume, skills, tips, tutoring, underemployed, unemployed, volunteer

The Spider – Trapping The New Year Job

You can find a wide variety of spiders in the jungle. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms. To catch a meal, spiders have evolved to be very creative predators. Some spiders jump, others chase or fish, a few can create traps in the ground or leaves, and many can even mimic other insects. The most common image of a spider is one who has woven a web to catch their prey. There are hundreds of different kinds of webs and ways that spiders use them. But to be a successful web-weaving spider, you have to have a plan!

Without establishing what your goals are, specifically, it’s hard to set a plan in motion to achieve them. Just generally knowing what you want to happen isn’t enough, the minutiae of the goal helps spur you toward success.

Consider the tenets of what has become known as SMART goal setting when planning your job search or catching the spider’s lunch:

To achieve your goals you need to think ahead, set a logical path, make it attainable, and hold yourself accountable. SMART: Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely

Goals should straightforward and emphasize what you want to happen. This will help you focus your efforts and achieve what you set out to accomplish.

As goal setting relates to job search, an example of a Specific goal would be:

I am going to find a new job in my industry by creating a target list of companies I’d like to work for that hire people like me.

If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Choose goals with measurable progress, so you can see the change occur. Be specific! Use numerical values and give dates for those values to be attained. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of accomplishment that impels you on to continued effort required to reach your larger goals.

A Measurable goal that is imperative in job search could be one that pertains to networking:

I am going to increase my sphere of influence to help me find a new job by attending one new networking event a week in my industry.

When you identify goals that are the most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achieving your goals. If you set goals too far out of reach, subconsciously, you will be less likely to commit to achieving them.

An Attainable job search related goal:

I am going to use LinkedIn and Facebook to find ten people a week that work at companies on my target list.

Devise a plan which makes the goal realistic for you and where you are at the moment but be sure to set goals that you can attain with some effort! Too difficult, and you set the stage for failure. Too easy and the goal will not help your growth. Set the bar high enough for a satisfying achievement!

A Realistic goal:

I am going to contact every referral I am given in my quest to find a new job.

Putting an end point on your goal gives you a clear target to work towards. If you don’t set a time, the commitment is too vague. It tends not to happen because you feel you can start at any time. Without a time limit, there’s no urgency to start taking action now.

A Timely goal:

I am going to find a new job before the end of the year that is appropriate for my experience and interests.

Motivate yourself. Believe in yourself and make yourself accountable! Don’t despair if you get off track; find a way back on track! Post your goals in conspicuous places, share them with others, and solicit their support. It’s ok to adjust your goals but make them SMART!

Think of the cunning spiders and weave your own webs for success!

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider

Tags: attainable, goal setting, goals, Job Search, measurable, plan, realistic, SMART, specific, spiders, support, timely

The Binturongs – How To Become A Keystone Species In Your Work Environment

The jungle is full of animals that play different ecological roles. Some play more critical roles than others, and there are some animals, known as keystone species, that actually maintain the structure of their ecological communities. Without them, communities become unstable and can even start to die off one species at a time. The loss of a keystone species often sets off a chain reaction that ends in a community’s destruction because it’s impossible for the other animals to replicate the functions performed by the keystone species. To get a better understanding of how a keystone species becomes so important to an entire ecological community, let’s take a look at the following example.

The Indispensable Binturong

Binturongs, or Asian bear cats, are now a target species for conservation because of their important role in sustaining the rainforest environment. They perform a task that can’t be accomplished by any other animal, which makes them an asset that the community can’t afford to lose. Binturongs are the only known animals on the planet that have digestive enzymes capable of softening the seed coat of the Strangler Fig. So what? Well, the Strangler Fig also has an indispensable role: without it, the rainforest canopy is unsustainable. And without a canopy, everything growing on the forest floor is exposed to excessive amounts of sunlight, resulting in diminished plant life and a quickly evaporating food supply for herbivores. This chain reaction can go so far as to kill entire rainforest communities if binturongs are not reintroduced.

Becoming the Binturong in Your Rainforest

So how do you become an irreplaceable employee? It’s a growing concern in this economy, with layoffs removing many species from the rainforests and jungles. But there are ways to make sure that your boss won’t even consider eradicating you: become the binturong with these tips.

1. Increase your productivity – If you were a binturong, you’d be busy all day long eating those Strangler Figs and distributing seeds. Find out what needs to be accomplished in your own environment and make sure that you’re the one getting it done. Of course, you can’t do everything, but delegating and building yourself up within the community’s hierarchy will get you on your way to becoming a keystone species.

2. Adapt to meet demands – Binturongs are focused on survival, which keeps their ecological communities alive as a result. Start thinking about your ability to survive without your company. Chances are that you’ll develop some skills that can be used to elevate your status at work. For example, stay updated on technological developments that can increase workplace efficiency, identify and improve weak skills, and join professional organizations so you can attend workshops and conferences. By listening to your survival instincts, you’ll be improving and sustaining your entire ecological community.

3. Interact with key species – Even if you’re a keystone species, you still have to answer to your boss. Let him or her know how invaluable you are by increasing the amount of time you spend together. Isolated species are seldom community keystones, so increasing your interaction with the animals around you can make you appear more integral to the sustainability of your environment. Help colleagues and superiors to recognize your importance by becoming more visible and giving more face time while maintaining a high level of productivity.

Guest post contributed by Alexis Bonari. Alexis is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She spends much of her days blogging about Education and CollegeScholarships. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

If you have a great idea for a jungle-themed post, let us know! Guest writers or requests are always welcome!

Tags: adapt, communities, conferences, critical roles, delegating, employee behavior, guest, Indispensable, keystone, networking, productivity, professional, role, skills, workshops

The Animals – Sharing Office Space: Is It A Jungle Or A Zoo?

Do you share an office space? Are you swimming in a cubicle environment or crammed into an office with more than one person? Is office etiquette different when you are closer together? Yes! When you do not have your own space and your own door, you have to realize that you are around other people and that is where manners need a little jungle taming!

As a contractor on site at a client, I work in the field and share space with 2 other consultants. The quarters are tight and you have no privacy whatsoever. It’s a tough environment to work in, but even more challenging when:

1. Speakerphones! I have often run into this issue and I’ll bet you have too! Even if you are working in your own office space, the polite thing is to close the door so as not to disturb your co-workers. It does not matter how often you have conference calls, who you are calling, the reason, or even what you think you have to do simultaneously (surfing personal internet sites? = not professional), you do not have the luxury of putting a call on speaker when you are in close quarters.
Resolution: If this person is you, give up the speaker! If you have a speakerphone problem person, speak up and politely, but sternly, ask the person to not put their calls on speaker as it disturbs the productivity and personal space of others. (Or just nicely tell them it’s annoying!). Perhaps suggest to that person that they borrow a separate office space or go outside on their cell phones. Most companies can issue a laptop and have wireless internet available if they can plan to move to a different area.

2. Bodily Functions. (Ew!) Miss Manners would say in ANY environment, a gentleman or lady should not burp loudly in front of another person – or any other strange noise emissions. (However, in a work environment, I would venture to say that it’s more inappropriate.)
Resolution: If you are someone who burps loudly, a simple “excuse me” or an apology is appropriate (not: “well you’re in for a real treat today because I forgot my Gas-x.” I can’t make this stuff up!). The offense has already been committed; a slight effort towards damage-control helps co-workers think better of your manners. Burping is natural, but your response to it can make or break relationships. (No joke!). Faced with a burping co-worker, don’t encourage them and be proactive in setting an example for behavior.

3. Food. I can go in a million directions with this, but here are a couple of points: You should not try to cut a whole watermelon at your desk (or do any sort of food preparation outside of the kitchen beyond some condiments) and if your lunch has a very strong odor, not everyone may appreciate it, so please save it for home.
Resolution: Bringing lunch is great and cost-effective, but bringing the farm or sharing the wafting aroma with the entire office can send some people running or gagging. Cold food is typically safe as it usually has less of an odor. Anything that can be packed into Tupperware or comes in its own container is appreciated. Rule of thumb: if you can’t buy it in your building’s café, stop to think about how it could look/smell to others before you pack it for the office. Take it outside or try eating in a less-populated area of the office if you aren’t sure. And always keep your workspace free of lunch-leftovers! NO ONE wants to share a sticky, stinky office with a little critter or a hundred…

Keep these few things in mind and the jungle may seem a little less like a zoo!

Guest post by Michelle Cecchett

If you have a great idea for a jungle-themed post, let us know! Guest writers or requests are always welcome!

Tags: animals, calls, conference, consultant, cubicles, etiquette, manners, office, office space, proper behavior, rant, speakerphone

The Lioness or Tigress? – Woman in the Workplace

We’re called the fairer sex, but when it comes to the workplace, there are certainly no discriminations that favor the female of the species. You can count on looks for some jobs, but for the most part, it is talent and sheer tenacity that count. Look at the feminine aspect of the jungle, more specifically, the lioness and the tigress. Undoubtedly two of the most powerful creatures in the wild, these two females may belong to the same cat family, but they’re like chalk and cheese when it comes to their profession. So the question is – as a professional woman, are you a lioness or a tigress? How do you know which species you are?

The lioness is brave, audacious and single-minded; she hunts down her prey with precision and skill; and her family means more to her than anything else. She is loyal to the point of docility, a trait that shows in how she waits for the lion to eat her kill first, after which she and the cubs eat their share. So if you’re a lioness, you’re very good at your job, extremely committed to your organization, determined to be the best at what you do, and willing to go to any lengths to achieve your company’s goals. But on the downside, you don’t stake claim to your victories; rather, you allow your boss or immediate supervisor to garner the glory while you’re happy with the scraps they throw you. You don’t like the limelight, even when you know that you deserve to be in it. And you don’t mind staying in the shadow all your life, even though deep down you long for your place in the sun.

The tigress on the other hand is a beast that prefers solitude. While she’s protective of her cubs and willing to share her kill with them and the father, she does not take too kindly to other tigers from intruding on her turf. She is neither dependant on the tiger nor subservient to him. She decides if she wants to let him share the kill or not. So if you have a tigress in you, you’re a team player even as you still retain your individuality. You don’t brook any nonsense, from your coworkers or your superiors. You demand acknowledgement for your achievements, and you know that you can do anything as well as the male of the species, even though you’re smaller in size.

So now tell me, would you prefer to be a lioness or a tigress? The answer is obvious – so if you’re a lioness, it’s time you started morphing into a tigress. It’s not that hard if you set your mind to it – the basic characteristics are all similar, it’s just your attitude that needs to change. All you need to do is to take pride in what you do and stand up for your own rights at your workplace; demand what you deserve, be your own person instead of being content to stand a few steps behind other people, and you’re well on the way to becoming a regular tigress.

This guest post is contributed by Anna Miller, who writes on the topic of degree online. She welcomes your comments at her email id: anna.miller009 @gmail.com.

If you have a great idea for a jungle-themed post, let us know! Guest writers or requests are always welcome!

Tags: acknowledgement, ambition, Anna Miller, attitude, career, characteristics, coworkers, degree online, family, guest, individuality, interactions, job, loyalty, personality, powerful, pride, professional, supervisors, team, women, workplace

The Breeze – Cool Summer Job Tips For Students

No one wants their kids to grow up too quickly. We can never have time back from when we were younger, but let’s face it; our kids ARE growing up more quickly. They are more technologically savvy, they have larger vocabularies and many have traveled the world before they even leave high school breezing through a more connected world.

The generations that have wanted to make their kids lives easier have succeeded. But this is actually making job searches tougher for these young people as competition for entry level jobs has dramatically increased.

Consider these tips for high school and college students-

High school summer jobs introduce us to a hard day’s work. That’s how you make money- you go to work, do a good job, and they pay you. High school is a great time for fun summer jobs where extra help is needed like camp counselors, lifeguarding, babysitting, caddying, amusement park work, landscaping, pet sitting, waiting tables, or catering.

As the college students arrive home this summer, our inclination is to let them cool off and have a break from their studies and enjoy their “free” summers (before they have to work full time.) Unfortunately, they will be at a huge disadvantage if they haven’t had a college sponsored internship or some other position giving them the chance to try out professional work before they have to work full time.

It’s easy for college students to revisit their old high school summer jobs for some extra cash, but 3 or 4 summers later, those skills aren’t going to be the ones employers are seeking. Sure, they will have shown dependability by being on time and they’ll have learned to be individually accountable for their actions, but unless they have assumed responsibility for managing, scheduling, preparing correspondence for the company, and doing some basic bookkeeping or payroll using Microsoft office including word and excel, it’s possible the skills they’re building won’t be suitable for a professional entry level job after graduation. College students should have one or two internships under their belt or in the bag by their sophomore and junior years.

Many colleges have companies that solicit interns for formalized programs. Motorola, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Ebay, Microsoft and many other large corporations have formalized internship programs. If your student is interested in pursuing that type of work you can research the company websites and call human resources for information on the educational requirements for admission. These programs are very competitive but often yield job offers for participants.

Remember, over 80% of employers are small businesses. Ask the merchants you patronize as well as people you know personally if your student could interview for a 6 or 8 week assignment while they are home from college. Your local business journal or chamber of commerce are great resources to use when researching small businesses in your area.

Support your students by planning your summer vacations so they can work a meaningful 6 or 8 week program. Help them prepare their resume but show them how to research information to follow up on themselves and set up their own interviews. If they are juniors or seniors you could enlist a few sessions with an executive coach to help them hone their interview skills before sending them out to apply.

Tags: advice, company programs, competition, entry level, internship, Job Search, jobs, local businesses, parents, school, small businesses, students, summer, technology, tips

The Ocean – Jumping In

In the summer months, the centers of continents heat up, drawing moist air from the cooler ocean leading to the most significant rainfall on the planet. In the spirit of the symbiotic relationship between the ocean and the jungle – this summer I am taking a huge leap (and hopefully a splash) into unfamiliar territory – television.

I know there is a truly interested audience out there for a show that can follow average and not-so-average Americans in their search for work. One of the hottest topics since 2008, resume building techniques and job searching tips are some of the most talked-about items in the news and on the internet.

Imagine a talk show that focuses on this very theme including: job search, negotiation skills, promotion techniques, improving communication issues in the workplace, and exposing corporate hiring practices to the world so that Joe/Jane Job Seeker can better understand what happens behind the scenes to get his or her resume to the right person and not in another incoming email pile. A potential one stop forum for people needing assistance with any and all workplace conflict resolution, career advice, interview preparation, resume writing…anything and everything relating to career development. A place where successful celebrities and business personalities from chefs, to creative entrepreneurs, to CEO’s could share their stories of success and maybe even uncover some of the things they might have done differently. A completely different category in the talk show world where you can learn how to get any job or move up in the one you have and access a personal career coach right on your computer or television.

On the heels of the release of my third book, TEN SECRETS TO GETTING PROMOTED, I put on my life jacket, fins and oxygen tank (no pun intended) and have entered the Oprah / Mark Burnett contest for my OWN show on her new network.  CAREER CONFIDENTIAL

If you share my vision, please, take time to vote…as many times as you can! …and share this link with your friends and family that could benefit from a show like this making it to a regular time slot. 

Come join me for a swim into the vast ocean of career development. YOU have the ability to help me help them (and you!), so please…link, listen, VOTE and SHARE!

http://myown.oprah.com/audition/index.html?request=video_details&response_id=2386&promo_id=1

Oceanic facts from: http://oceanmotion.org/html/background/climate.htm

Carolyn Thompson

Tags: Career Confidential, career development, careers, coaching, communication, conflict resolution, internet, interviewing, Job Search, jobs, negotiation, news, Oprah, OWN, promotion, resume preparation, resume writing, show, skills, success, talk-show, techniques, television, unemployment, work

Career Confidential

Climbing out of the jungle and into the spotlight! Vote for Carolyn Thompson to have her OWN show on the Oprah Network. See these topics in action! Follow the link! Carolyn’s Audition

http://myown.oprah.com/audition/index.html?request=video_details&response_id=2386&promo_id=1

Tags: advice, Career Confidential, careers, coaching, interviewing, Job Search, Oprah, OWN, resumes, skills

The Old Dog – New Tips (Tricks)

Old dogs CAN learn new tricks! Every day, we are challenged with new issues which are opportunities to learn something about ourselves. 

As a seasoned recruiter who has trained thousands of people, I had a meeting today about time management purely because I felt like things were slipping through the cracks and I needed to grab hold before everything collapsed around me. (It’s not just me, right?)

Whether you are a job seeker planning your personal marketing strategy, a business person trying to gain market share, or an executive recruiter looking to capitalize on the resurgence in the hiring market, remember these tips when planning your day:

1. You need to plan!  Fail to plan, plan to fail! As a member of the Pinnacle Society (www.pinnaclesociety.org”) we discuss our business strategies for success openly and the number one indicator of success is your ability to plan!

     o   Where will you call and why?

     o   What do you have that is of interest or need for someone?

     o   Who should you contact or ask for and why?

          §  Find names on linkedIn

     o   What’s in it for them?

     o   Don’t forget to ask for referrals!

2. Block out your activities in one or two hour chunks.

     o   Your calls will sound fresher if you are remain interested and are not bored with your subject matter.

     o   Work all the angles you need to work each day, not one per day.  For example, if you are a recruiter that works job orders and makes marketing calls, do some of each every day.  You’ll find you’ll cover a lot more ground with renewed enthusiasm if you get to the end of the first page of calls and can check that off your list and move onto your next one.

     o   Only plan 75% of your time. 

          §  You need to be flexible to deal with interruptions and the results of your hard work!

3. Think outside the box!

     o   In my office we look for CPA’s every day.  Sometimes, looking for the names of CPA firms turns up candidates we didn’t find doing a search for “CPA”. 

     o   If you are looking for a job, don’t just search for job titles; create a list of target companies and research them for related positions they may be advertising.  If they have ads for positions in and around your field, they would likely have a job for you somewhere, sometime…you just need to find out who reviews the resumes for that department and mail them a copy of yours via priority mail.  They will get it!

4. As a business person looking to expand your client base as the economy begins to recover, start with your clients from the past three years before trying to earn someone’s trust you’ve never worked with before. 

     o   A check in call is a powerful thing.  Find out how they are doing and how your services may be of assistance in their economic recovery.

Even if you aren’t an old dog, it is never too early to pick up on what the slightly wizened canines have to offer! Visit my website www.carolynthompson.net for webinars on these topics!

Carolyn Thompson

Tags: business strategy, candidate search, check in call, clients, economy, executive recruiter, executive recruiters, flexibility, follow up, hiring, Job Search, job seekers, job titles, lnkedin, mail, marketing calls, new tricks, recruiter, searching, success, time management

The Seasons – Wet and Dry

Season’s Greetings from the Jungle!

This week I did two interviews about holiday job search, which got me thinking about the seasons of the jungle. Follow the links to see more.

http://watch.ctv.ca/news/top-picks/holiday-jobs/#clip243570 
http://money.cnn.com/2009/12/04/news/economy/job_seasons/index.htm

A little research turned up that the jungle has two distinct seasons; wet and dry. During a dry season, the days are hot and sunny, the vegetation becomes sparser, and watering holes dry up forcing animals to look elsewhere. Conversely, during a wet season, the air quality improves, freshwater quality improves, and vegetation grows significantly. The wet season is also referred to as “green season.”   

Today, I got a call from one of my long time coaching clients who has been working two part time jobs to make ends meet since her husband’s death a few years ago. She has gone back to college to complete her degree and worked very hard to obtain the necessary computer skills to compete in today’s job market.  She has an excellent background in customer service, community project management and has been working diligently to network and expand her personal sphere of influence. Exactly the right things to get that competitive advantage in your job search!

For the past year, she’s been on many interviews and has been passed over for countless positions she was well qualified for; moving from one dried up water source to the next, not because she couldn’t do the job, but because she has over 20 years work experience in total, and was considered overqualified.  Many of the jobs she applied for required a bachelors or “equivalent” experience, and she lost out time and again to recent college grads with less life experience than she had, but she kept plugging away through her dry season. 

TODAY, I got the call I’ve been waiting for. She got a job offer!  In the salary range she was targeting! With benefits!  I was so proud of her! Her comment to me was that once someone else showed they believed in her, she began to believe in herself.

She was the last person on my mental list of people who have been looking for some time that would be great employees! Now she will be enjoying the prosperity and growth of her green season. 

If you have friends or family out there looking for work, let them know you believe in them.  It will really help them find a new job!  

For information on personal executive coaching, visit my website www.carolynthompson.net.  I have a spot open now that my client found a job today!!!

Carolyn Thompson

Tags: believe, coaching, computer skills, continuing education, dry, economy, education, education vs experience, Job Search, networking, overqualify, success