Career Advice

Robin Ryan, Career Coach

Worried about your job security? Unhappy with your current position? Hoping to get a raise or promotion? Time to review your career management strategies to be sure you are in top form to move up or on.

In today's changing workplace, the average worker will hold more than 11 jobs during their working lifetime. Since career management is now your responsibility, learn where you stand with this brief check-up.

Have you established your career identity?
Your professional reputation -- what bosses, co-workers, associates think about you -- is more important than your resume. It's others who decide your fate when it comes to raises, promotions and determining who to hire. So this year work on your strengths -- the natural talents you excel in. Results from an exclusive CEO survey we conducted advise people to create a reputation of being very good at something (i.e. writing, sales, designing, client relations, etc.) to advance and insure lifetime success. Foster your growth by networking, the top executives advised, both inside your company and with peers in associations and professional groups. Networking is the best way to get noticed and insure a future with many career opportunities beginning sent your way.

What new skills will you pick up this year?
"Life-long learning is essential to keep yourself marketable", recommends CEO and How to Work Smart author Melinda Howard Erickson. If more education isn't in your plans, it may need to be. Employers demand highly productive workers that bring a contemporary skill set. You need to continuously add to the skills you can sell to an employer. Too many workers let this extra effort slide, only to see promotions go to other, more better trained and adaptable workers. If you are job hunting, you need to be able to jump back into the workplace with marketable skills employers want. Important ones to perfect are technical and computer skills, good writing and public speaking, leadership, sales, negotiations and managing budgets, are particularly valued.

Did you advance your technical competence?
Employers want you to improve your job knowledge. To do so, take courses in your field offered by associations, colleges, and e-learning training programs. Read trade journals, stay up on trends, industry changes, and advances. Doing so makes you a more desirable employee to retain or hire. Join a professional organization. They provide needed education and resources to keep you current in your field. Through active participation you'll develop an important network of contacts. These people can become mini-mentors, offering guidance when you face work problems, share new ideas and advice helping you to perform better on the job.

Are you ready when opportunity knocks?
Is your resume updated so you can send it on in a minute's notice? HR Manager Melinda Combs, who's hired hundreds of professionals, revealed HR offices sort resumes with a quick 15 seconds glance to determine if they should take a closer look, and eliminate 80 percent or more. Resumes get noticed when you describe specific results and accomplishments. Note what you have increased or decreased, how you saved money and contributed to productivity and the bottomline. By adding a "Summary of Qualifications" section with five to six sentences highlights your experience and top selling points to do the job, you will stand out.

Safeguard your future by planning out your professional goals for the next year - today.

---

Hot Jobs in a Cooling Economy
As the economy struggles with the impact of mortgage defaults, staff cuts in financial services companies, and the possibility of a recession, are there still areas of job growth, employment and opportunity?

Seven Famous Career Switchers
So great is the number of celebrities who try to make the transition between movies and music or modeling and acting that the trend has become somewhat of a Hollywood cliche...

I've Been Fired! Now What?
According to Business Week, the average employee has a one-in-three chance of getting fired. Here's what you'll need to know in the event that the ax falls on you!

Land Your Dream Job
Walt Disney once said, "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." But what about dream jobs? Can we truly love what we do and get paid for it?

Is Your Dream Job Really Out There?
Having a dream job doesn't necessarily mean not working hard. But it may not be as elusive as you think.

Time For A Career Checkup?
Worried about your job security? Unhappy with your current position? Hoping to get a raise or promotion? Time to review your career management strategies to be sure you are in top form to move up or on.

Q&A: Is it Time For a Career Change?
If money were no object, what kind of work would you love to do?

"Getting Fired Was the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me!"
Five True Tales

---