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The Harvest – Taking Stock

Posted by Carolyn Thompson on Dec 5, 2011 in Career Path

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In the retail jungle, the holiday shopping season is traditionally followed by yearend inventory counts.  On the farm, it happens right after the harvest. As professionals, we should also conduct our own yearend inventory and update our resumes with our most noteworthy accomplishments of the year. 

As illustrated in my book, TEN EASY STEPS TO A PERFECT RESUME, you want to have a good description of your company, role, and primary responsibilities as well as a brief list of your most significant accomplishments. Accomplishments are separate from your job description, what you or anyone else would be doing in your position, and they are what most set you apart from others. Accomplishments are details about what you made, saved, or achieved that are special. Relevantly describe how they, and your role, relate to the overall company structure.  Include projects you designed, led through development, and took to completion.  Describe initiatives you were involved in on a team or awards and recognition you received that show you went above and beyond the call of duty.

When describing your accomplishments it’s important to use numbers, percentages, or other quantitative descriptions to show your contribution to your role and the company as a whole. You may have found budget cuts of 10% that increased company profits by $50,000, or you led a software implementation that created efficiencies in reporting and reduced your monthly close by 2 days.  Whatever your situation, show the metric, or key performance indicator (KPI), that you affected through your outstanding performance.

Some people have a hard time bragging about themselves, so try answering these questions as a start:

    • What change occurred in my company this year and how was I involved in that?
    • How has my department and/or role evolved this year?
    • What were the major projects I worked on and how did they affect the division/ company’s performance?

Your answers should spur your train of thought about what increased or decreased and what your part was in that change.

This process can also help you with your goal setting.  Perhaps, after you see your accomplishments on paper, you’ll realize there is a fundamental intellectual challenge that you are lacking or something you really wish you had been involved in that would have offered you personal and/or professional growth. 

Even if you are content with your current role and/or employer and not considering a job change next year, it’s important to keep your resume up to date.  Companies change over time, people take on more responsibility and taking stock of the harvest at the end of the year will make it much easier to update your resume when you do need it. Remember, your resume should be an accurate reflection of the experience that you intend to carry forward, not everything you have done, so choose your examples wisely.

Related Article: Setting Goals

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The Parrot – Jungle Courtship: 4 Networking Tips

Posted by Carolyn Thompson on Jun 20, 2011 in Self Improvement

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Summer is upon us as the spring has drawn to a close. Although mating season varies from species to species, it usually lasts a few months starting in mid spring, especially when it comes to tropical birds, of which I am a proud pet owner. Although my parrot (an Amazon) does not as yet have a mate, watching its mating rituals reminds me—believe it or not—of networking. Here are a few tips for networking on the job, based on observing a jungle denizen, my parrot.

1. Make eye contact.
Although you probably can’t do the crazy eyes like my parrot does in which his pupils will dilate back and forth very quickly, you can at least look someone in the face when talking. I know this sounds like clichéd advice, but it makes a huge difference because it shows that you care and are paying attention. My parrot dilates his eyes whenever you talk to it, because it is concentrating carefully in order to repeat what you say. In the wild, crazy eyes are part of the courtship process.

2. Show off. False modesty never got anyone anywhere.
In the wild, it is always the birds that are the most ostentatious that attract the most desirable mates. My parrot will strut his stuff whenever he can by stretching out his wings, and generally making lots of noise. While you don’t necessarily want to go the obnoxious route, don’t be ashamed of your accomplishments. Own them and be proud of them while networking.

3. Don’t be too aggressive.
While a little bit of assertiveness goes a long way out in the jungle when looking for a mate, going too far will serve only to turn off your potential partner/business connection. As such, make sure that you establish your networking strategy as one that is give-and-take. You must learn when to be upfront and when to be more passive and accepting of someone being neutral or undecided.

4. Once you’ve made a good business connection, be loyal and follow that connection for as long as you both shall live.
One of the most impressive things about parrots in particular is that, despite their impressive mating rituals, they are monogamous once they settle down, and they are fiercely loyal to their mates, both males and females. In the world of networking, loyalty goes a long way, too. Once you’ve made a business connection that is genuine and strong, be sure to be grateful and to help out your connection in return whenever you can.

In the end, the most important take-away about networking is that it is a natural process, like mating, that should not be pursued with too much anxiety or seriousness. If you are good at talking to people and getting your stuff out there, then you will be successful, no matter what.

This guest post is contributed by Lauren Bailey, who regularly writes for best online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: blauren99 @gmail.com.

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

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The Core – Digging Deep to Differentiate Yourself In the Interview

Posted by Carolyn Thompson on Mar 22, 2011 in Interviewing Skills

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We’ve had interview tips here in the past (search and you’ll find them! >>>)  But last week I was reminded how much more complex interviews have become since the economy has turned, which requires people to dig deeper to show value in why they should be hired.

The interior of the earth is commonly divided into 5 main layers: the crust, upper mantle, lower mantle, outer core, and inner core.

Just as there are many layers to the earth there are just as many layers to you and your experience.  Companies don’t want to hear what I call the “beauty pageant answers” anymore.  When the interviewer asks “What are your strengths?” responses like: “I work well in teams or on my own” or “I am a quick study and hard worker” just won’t cut it in today’s competitive interview environment.

Let the earth break it down for you: The crust of the earth can be traits that anyone could have or want. You are a hard worker and you are eager to learn. That tells little about your personality or your measurable skills. Let’s dig deeper. The upper and lower mantle is beneath the crust and can stand for your hard, measureable skills such as the software and systems you know, the breadth of your experience, or your certifications and education. The mantle is the thickest layer of the earth and it could have a lot to say. The core is the very center of the earth and should say something about your specific value. What beyond your likability, your assets, and your experience can you bring to the job? What specifically makes you stand out? The core is the deepest part and may not be evident on your resume. The outer core is the hottest liquid in the earth and should be boiling out of you in the interview! The inner core is thought to be solid and rotate at a different speed than the rest of the earth. This is true of your experience as well, for the most valuable experience probably took the longest to gain and may take some introspection to synch with the rest of your experience and skills.

Give the interviewers more substantive information about your technical expertise as it applies to your work.  Your character traits should shine in the answers you give and you can intertwine concepts about your more subjective skill sets.  A better answer to the question above for someone who is, say, a financial analyst might sound like:  “I work well in teams, am a quick learner and have advanced skills in excel including macros, pivot tables, and V-look ups. I aided in an extremely valuable acquisition to the company and helped it grow in a dynamic and unprecedented direction that continues to be a significant contribution.”

Whether you are a bartender or CFO, everyone has quantifiable/measurable skills as well as abilities and accomplishments.  Dig deep to identify what yours are.

Take this list of standard interview questions and try them on for size interspersing your hard, measurable skills combined with good examples that show work ethic, dependability and other subjective characteristics.  

  • Tell me about yourself.
  • What are you looking for in your next position?
  • Where do you see yourself in 3-5 years?
  • Why does this job interest you?
  • What lead you to leave your current job?
  • When would you be able to start?
  • What is your anticipated salary?
  • Why should we select you for this position?
  • What do you see as your strengths and how would you utilize them in this position?
  • What would you consider an area that would offer you growth, or is a weakness?
  • What changes would you have made, if you could, in any previous job?
  • What did you like best and least in your most recent job?
  • Tell me about an assignment or goal from your last job which you failed to achieve and why.
  • What did you like best and least in any supervisor?
  • Tell me about an occasion in your career where you exceeded your employer’s expectations.  
  • Describe how you organize and prioritize.
  • What is your approach to customer satisfaction?
  • Tell me about a situation where you had to make an important decision with limited facts.
  • What was the toughest decision you have ever made and how did you arrive at it?
  • Describe the most challenging ethical decision you have made in the workplace.
  • Describe when you anticipated potential problems in a previous job and developed preventative measures.
  • What are some of your significant accomplishments in your career?
  • When have you had to support an idea or project that you were not in favor of?
  • Have you ever improved on an existing process or work area?
  • How would your previous supervisors/peers describe you?
  • What if you get a counter offer?
  • Do you think you are overqualified for this job?
  • Where did you tell your employer you are today? 

 

Suggested correct answers to all these questions are intertwined here throughout our blog.  Feel free to send in your own unique situations and interview questions you need help answering and we will reply here for you and everyone else to learn from.  Use the 5 layers of the earth to help you think of the perfect answers that will make you stand out in the interview.

Happy Interviewing!

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