Career Lessons Learned

While there is no blueprint or roadmap to career success, many job candidates have learned some hard lessons over the years.  Each person’s journey through their career is their own and unique to them.  In fact, what you want out of your career in your 20’s will be vastly different than what you will want in your 40’s or 50’s.  Here are some of the most common lessons learned in choosing a career/life path:

• Education – your education should never stop.  You will constantly be learning new techniques and new skills throughout your career.  What is important to remember as you transition through your career - make sure that your education will provide your path to any changes you wish to make.  Whether you attend a class, take an online class, or learn a new skill, it is important to always be learning something new.  This will allow you to keep your career fresh and interesting.
• Network – call them friends, colleagues, or acquaintances, it is critical that you network throughout your entire life/career.  Someone you meet in your 20’s may not become important until you are in your 40’s, but having meet them earlier and staying in touch will prove to be beneficial.  Take the time to build lasting relationships and mentorships with multiple people.
• Values – never give up your values.  Your goals and values make you who you are and will drive you to succeed in your career and life in general.  It is important that you stay true to your values and beliefs throughout your career.  Potential employers will see this as a great asset to their company.
• Goals – while your goals will shift and change over the years, it is important to constantly review your goals.  Make changes and adjustments, but always work towards your goals.  Working toward your goals will give you purpose and drive, and keep you on track to finding the job of your dreams.

Choosing a career path can be a challenge and may seem difficult to many, however, when you follow these simple lessons above, you will soon be on track to the career you have always dreamed of.

Copyright: crazymedia / 123RF Stock Photo

Including Your Team in the Hiring Process

Today, culture is extremely important to the success of a business.  Hiring managers have learned that hiring for skill, as well as, cultural fit is beneficial in more than one way to a company.  In fact, most successful hiring managers have learned that involving the team in the hiring process is key to finding the right fit.

Including your team in the hiring process has multiple benefits.  When the team is involved in choosing their next teammate, they will look for someone that will be a cohesive fit, and will work towards the common goal.  Here are a few ways which you can involve the team in your next hire:

• Job Description – it is best to allow the team to draft the job description for the open position.  They know best the exact qualifications and skills that are needed, which will help improve the applicants you will receive for the position.
• Interviews – while many hiring managers will argue that interviewing is a skill, and should only be done by experienced hiring managers, other successful managers will tell you that conducting team interviews is most productive.  These people will be working with the hired individual, so who better to get a feel for the right fit than your team.
• Recommendations – allow the team to make recommendations.  This may be a recommendation they know for the position, or a recommendation from the interviews they participated in.  Take their recommendations seriously, as they will feel they have chosen the best fit.
• Onboarding – it is important that even after the hire, the team is involved in the on boarding of the new employee.  Allow them to help with the training schedule, and determine when and how to move the new hire through the training process.

Allowing your existing team to be a part of the hiring process can result in you finding the best employee.  Not only will this make your team happy, but will help in the retention of the new employee.  This will strengthen your company culture!

Copyright: olegdudko / 123RF Stock Photo

Strengthen Your Resume Now

Job searchers are constantly looking for ways to improve their resume and stand out from the sea of candidates applying for jobs.  However, there is so much information available on how to write the perfect resume, how do you know what will work for you?  If you are looking for ways to strengthen your resume and help you find the perfect job, you should consider these things:

• Errors – the number one reason of having your resume immediately tossed aside, is typos and grammatical errors.  In today’s technological world, there is no reason to have either on your resume.  Make sure that you read through your entire resume, multiple times if needed, to make sure there are no errors.  In fact, if you know grammar is a weak area for you, have someone else proofread it for you.
• Headline – most hiring managers and recruiters spend an average of 8 seconds glancing over a resume before deciding to review further or toss aside.  Having a headline that will capture you and your skills could mean the difference of making it in the further review pile.  Your headline should change with each position you apply for, and clearly state the solution to the company’s vacancy.
• Format – make sure that your resume format is clean and easy to read.  The best received resumes are typically those that are simple, clean, and easy to read.  If your resume is cluttered, with small print, you should consider revising it.  If you are unsure if your resume is formatted cleanly, ask someone to look at it for you.
• Accomplishments – including your daily operational skills is one thing, but listing accomplishments you have in each skill is more valuable.  Include some of your best skills and the accomplishments you have achieved in those skills, such as you increased sales by 10%, or you implemented new processes.

These basics will help you stand above the rest when your resume is reviewed.  Stay away from the personal stuff and stick to the professional, clean resume to land the job of your dreams.

Copyright: iqoncept / 123RF Stock Photo

Are you Wasting Time with the Wrong Candidates?

When asked, hiring managers often will admit their biggest time waster is the wrong candidate.  With competition so fierce in the job market today, hiring managers often find themselves spending countless hours, chasing after candidates, only to discover they are wrong for the job.  Are you wasting time with the wrong candidate?

Most likely, you answered yes to that question, but what can you do about it.  Consider adopting these techniques in your hiring process:

• Learning to focus your attention on the high probability candidate is often the best way to save time in your hiring process.  People who are advancing within their current job, typically take too much time to “woo,” and those that are beating down your door, are typically underperformers.  When you can identify these candidates, you can then focus your attention on the perfect candidate.  The one who is reasonable, a great performer, and will consider another position when asked.  
• Prequalifying candidates can save valuable time.  There are many ways in which you can accomplish this – assessment tests, pre-interview questions, and social media and reference checks.  When you complete the prequalification every time, you will suddenly find yourself spending time with the candidates that will be a fit, instead of wasting valuable time with those that are no fit.
• Track your resources used to attract candidates.  This is important, as it will help you determine which resources are most productive and successful.  This will allow you to devote your time and budget to the most appropriate areas.
• Similar to tracking your resources, develop ways to measure your hires.  Measuring the quality of your hire, will help you again determine which methods you have used work best.  Performance appraisals are often useful in seeing which candidates are producing the best results.

Copyright: limbi007 / 123RF Stock Photo

By following these techniques, you will find less time wasted with the wrong candidate.  This will leave you more time to devote to candidates that are right for the job and your company.