5 Ways to Keep Loving Your Job

5 Ways to Keep Loving Your Job Throughout your career journey, there are likely to be plenty of stops along the way. While you may not have your dream job just yet, today’s lagging economy means there are still plenty of reasons to be appreciative of the job you do have! In 2014, make a resolution to take significant steps to love your job dream job or not. Some minor tweaks and attitude changes can save you from getting stuck in a career rut or feeling unmotivated as the new year dawns. Check out these five ways to love your job in 2014: 1) Get motivated: Every day, vow to focus on the positive aspects of your job rather than the negative ones. Maybe your job allows you time to have a fulfilling social life. Maybe one of your coworkers is also a great friend. Or maybe you’ve completely mastered your everyday tasks. Keep your work life in perspective by ensuring you’re focusing on fulfilling activities when you’re out of the office, tooâ€"consider volunteering or joining a community club you’re interested in. RELATED:  How to  Motivate  Your Employees and Foster Innovation 2) Keep your eyes peeled for new opportunities: Too many people feel they have little control over their career once they’ve landed a job. Even if you’re not working at your dream company, there are still plenty of opportunities you can seize to keep your industry knowledge fresh and learn new skills. Take advantage of workshops, webinars, networking events, company social gatheringsâ€"anything to get you out of your comfort zone. In your career, any new opportunity can be a chance to learn valuable skills and glean new insight. 3) Vow to network more: Just because you have a job, that doesn’t mean you should stop networking. In fact, people who stop networking just because they’re comfortable in a job may end up hurting themselves if they’re back on the job hunt later. Be proactive about your networking efforts â€"attend networking events, reach out to professionals whose work you admire, invite longtime contacts out for coffee to reconnect â€" anything you can do to keep old relationships strong and seize opportunities to forge new ones. RELATED:  Is Networking a Selfish and Self-Serving Process? 4) Challenge yourself: Taking on new projects can be a great way to show your boss you’re adaptable and a valuable asset to the company. Offer to step in where you normally wouldn’t have responsibilities. Or, ask your boss if you can shadow a colleague in another department to learn how various aspects of the company work. Your boss will like to see you taking initiative to beef up your skills â€" and this can also reflect well on you come promotion time. 5) Ask about telecommuting: Determine if you have a job that would be suitable for working at home. Do you have all the necessary software? Can you keep to deadlines? Can you turn in projects electronically? Will you be able to keep your boss updated on your progress? Take advantage of our technologically-connected world by asking your boss if you can do a test run working from home one day. If it works out, you may be able to snag a few additional days each month during which you can telecommuteâ€"and this will do wonders for your work-life balance. Loving your job often takes nothing more than a slight attitude change and a motivation to seize new opportunities to help you grow. Consider these tips as you gear up for your career in 2017. Good luck!

Rejection Has No Power

Rejection Has No Power Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'ehGRvLfYR91bHqN_9Sv3gg',sig:'b_IE811RNJm4--SpqIo-q0SuQcfEj2v7jcBcIg8mjDU=',w:'491px',h:'350px',items:'544487861',caption: false ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); In his book Rejection Free: How to Choose Yourself First and Take Charge of Your Life by Confidently Asking for What You Want, Scott Allan says that one of the lies we tell ourselves about rejection is that it’s about us. Most often, it’s not personal at all. “You think it is you, when in fact, it is really the other person or the situation that is driving their choices at the time,” he writes. Fear of rejection drives us to ask for less and settle for less. What if you could deâ€"sensitize yourself to rejection? What if you could hear “no” and not feel pain or shame? What would you pursue if you didn’t fear failing? (Notice I didn’t use the trope “if you knew you couldn’t fail.” No one can know that. I’m talking about knowing you might fail and trying anyway.) Learning to fear “no” isn’t something we’re born with. If you’ve spent any time with a young child, you’ll see single-minded persistence personified. Children aren’t afraid to ask for what they want, and a firm “no” doesn’t faze them. They’ll ask over and over until they wear you down or get sent to their room. It’s only after we learn to feel ashamed for asking that we stop asking. As I’m crafting this post, I think about the times I’ve said or heard an adult say “It never hurts to ask.” You’ve said it before as well. How do you feel when you say those words aloud? The times I’ve said them, I felt confident, buoyant. I knew I’d be OK, even if the answer was a flat no. I’d bob cheerfully on to the next idea or the next request. But some requests are fraught with fear and shame; I think it’s because they (in my mind) reflect on my basic worth. Asking for a raise, asking for a networking meeting, interviewing for a job. These interactions feel different somehow, and rejection felt like a referendum on my value as a human being. Scott Allan writes that we each have plenty of reasons for not asking for what we want. Here are some reasons we don’t ask, he writes: The answer will be a definite NO (so why bother). You will be embarrassed or humiliated if rejected. You fear that if they say YES you’ll be expected to return the favor. We undermine our own confidence, believing that we are not worthy to receive this. Pride gets in the way when we associate asking with begging. Low self-esteem issues: my needs are not that important and I can do without. I might be judged for being poor, for not having this already. The only way to get past these fears is to practice getting rejected more often. Exposure is the cure for fear. The first time you do something, it’s terrifying. The next time, merely scary. The 50th time you do it, it feels routine. Allan suggests that you make a list of all the things you’d like right now â€" big and small. Help on a project. A discount on the sofa you’re thinking about buying. An apology from your sister-in-law. Next Friday off.  Allan writes that you’ll have to ask and be rejected regularly for your desensitization to take effect. “You won’t be cured by getting rejected once, but by doing it continuously. It acts as a major boost of confidence and pushes the power of rejection right out the door.” Soon: A plan for getting rejected as often as possible.

A Blog Branding Interview With Classy Career Girl

A Blog Branding Interview With Classy Career Girl Recently I was asked to be part of a Professionals With Strong Brands interview series on the blog  Professionality. This site is published by Dawn Stanyon, a personal brand expert. Her company, Professionality Consulting, brings soft skills leaders and corporations together for outstanding training. Dawn and I go way back because she was my very first networking challenge interview! You can watch or read the interview here. (I have now done 31 interviews since Dawns interview a year agoWOW!) There were a lot of fun questions, so I thought I would share  the interview with Classy Career Girl! Dawn: Tell us what your “profession” is (i.e. What’s your day job?) Anna: Which one? Just kidding. I have multiple day jobs to keep my life interesting. I am a Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton, a Professor at DeVry University, and Blogger and Career Coach at Classycareergirl.com. D: Did you think this was what you wanted to do when you grew up? A: No way. I would never have imagined that I would be a writer or a Professor just five years ago. I hated writing when I was younger and used to be terribly scared to present in front of a room full of people. Never ever would have imagined my life taking this direction but I love it now! D: What has been your professional path? Any bumps in the road? A: I had a long period of time where I felt terribly stuck in a job I hated. It took me a long time and a lot of self-assessment tests to realize that I was in the wrong role for my personality, motivations, and interests and the role just didn’t fit me at all which is why I was so unhappy. Now I get to help other young professionals who are also stuck get unstuck like I did and help them through that process. D:  Would you share any of your professional goals with us? How important is goal setting to you? A: It’s a must! My goal for this year is to focus on balance so actually this year I am trying not to set too many goals for myself. My goals this year are just to focus on a few things that are really important to me, which are teaching, writing a book and blogging. My goals are also to make sure I have a lot of downtime in my schedule and to not work too much! ?? D: What do you consider your top three attributes/strengths? And how do you consistently project them? A: My top three strengths are: Consistency â€" I have hardly missed a blog post on a weekday in three years! Listening â€" I love listening to people and helping them get through a tough decision or problem. Time management â€" I don’t know really know how I do it but I am able to get it all done. I am really good at focusing on one thing at a time, which I learned while getting my MBA while working full time for three years.   Focusing and prioritizing are a strength of mine. D: What advice would you give a new professional (if they asked for it, of course!)? A: Don’t think that there is anything that you can’t do. If you have a dream or big scary goal, just put a plan in place and start talking to the people that are already in that position you want to be in. It’s amazing how doors will start opening once you set your mind to do something and start telling people about it. D: What advice would you give to a professional looking to make a change? A: Take action. Do something small every day. Make sure you do something besides staying miserable in a role that you hate.   Life is too short to be miserable. D: When you’re having an “off” day, what do you do to kick yourself into gear? A: Crank up the music and do something I enjoy (usually working out or blogging). Also, if I have been working too hard, I have to remind myself to relax. Those are the times when I just lay down and read. I have to remind myself not to always go-go-go and to relax every now and then. That is when my best ideas come! When I am not doing anything related to work. D: What makes you laugh? A: My husband. He’s my comic relief. D: What are some of your favorite blogs? A: I love looking at Kendi Everyday and Cupcakes and Cashmere. I actually try not to read too many blogs in the career niche because if I do that, I find I start trying to make my blog like their blog.   Instead, I want my blog to be totally unique and not like anyone else’s. Do you have more questions for Classy Career Girl?  Put them in the comments and I will do a follow-up post!

Treat Them Mean, Keep Them Keen But Not Your Customers

Treat Them Mean, Keep Them Keen But Not Your Customers Running your own business can be hard enough, and thats without any complications coming to the surface. But how about your customers? Do you have a good relationship or do you not have one at all? Its important to realize that the lack of customers you have the lack of business, because lets face it youre nothing without them. But what if your customers arent being very kind? How do you give them a great service when theyre being impolite and rude? Heres how. Remain calm. As difficult as it may be at the time, if you have a customer screaming at you or being rude dont react, just stay calm. They will soon realize that you arent willing to communicate with them until they calm down. So that gives the person one of two options. Either carry on yelling until theyre blue in the face and dizzy, or calm down and have a proper conversation with you or another member of staff. The most important thing is that you dont allow yourself to lose it, because quite frankly, its not worth it. Go to the professionals Sometimes it may be the right time to ask for help. Maybe you feel as though youre lacking some training in certain areas, or in fact, you just want to go over some things that you may have forgotten from the past. Well, there are plenty of courses on how to be a Master of Human Resource Management. This will cover so many different areas, but it will be rather fitting to teach you the best techniques to remain professional while dealing with an unhappy customer. Use your best listening skills. When a customer is annoyed or has lost their temper, the most common way for them to react is to let it out, and the only way for them to do that is by having someone thats willing to listen to them, so lend an ear and let them speak. Sometimes the act in itself is enough to calm the other person down, and you didnt even have to say a word. When the person has eventually stopped talking, try ending the conversation on a positive, or at least a sense that the problem had somehow been resolved. Make sure that your body language is deemed open and caring, and always keep eye contact. Take a few minutes on your own. When the scene is over and dealt with and the customer has left go and take five minutes out to compose yourself. Even if you feel okay, your face and body language may be saying otherwise, and you dont want any other customers reading that as this may affect their own experience. So go outside for some fresh air, have a glass of water, go and splash some water from the tap over your face, retouch your lipstick and youre good to go. Remember that although you will most likely encounter some awful people throughout your job thats only about five percent of the people. So have hope. Theyre not all like that.

Key Points to Remember While Writing Resume

Key Points to Remember While Writing ResumeKey points to remember while writing resume. The resume is the most important thing that you will have for applying for a job and the one which should reflect your skills, capabilities and experience. It is best to use a resume that is unique and stands out among the rest of the resumes in the hiring process.The resume should be conversational and should easily catch the attention of the employer when read. It should also provide enough information on how it is possible for the candidate to do a good job in the specific job that you are applying for. You should be able to provide a summary of achievements and skills that the candidate could bring to the table.When it comes to the resume you should include several key points. These key points should be unique and should be able to stand out from the rest of the candidates. These key points should be included in every section of the resume.One of the key points that you should consider while w riting the resume is the resume title. It should be a title that attracts the attention of the employer. You can go with the popular resume titles such as 'Career Objective', 'Employment History', 'Skills, Proficiencies, Experience' etc. It all depends on what you feel comfortable with.The next key points that you should remember while writing resume is to always include the contact number on your resume. This is because people who want to hire you might not even be aware of the phone number of the person who would be hiring you. This is why they will write down the contact number in the section titled 'Contact Information'. The contact number is important because it is needed when you need to contact the employer. You can call him through this number if you need to verify or ask any question.Another key points that you should consider while writing resume is the section of the resume that is going to focus on your professional skills. You can go with an example that talks about you r previous job titles, certifications and jobs. It is important to write the experience that you have had in the past so that you are able to show the employer that you are able to do the job that you are applying for.Finally, the key points that you should remember while writing resume should include your strengths and the traits that would make you the best candidate for the job. The employer would like to know what he can get from hiring you. It is best to write down your strengths in this section. You can share a story about something that you have done that helped others. The important thing is to demonstrate how you have made a difference in someone's life by simply helping them.Key points to remember while writing resume should include your strengths and your job-related experiences. You should be able to write down how you would be able to make a difference in the life of the employer. Lastly, you should be able to identify your job-related talents so that your resume will s tand out among others.

Summary Sunday Interviewing and Social Media Tips

Summary Sunday Interviewing and Social Media Tips Everyone needs job interviewing and social media tips!  Thats what I cover in this summary, oh, plus an article on what to do when you are starting a new job.   What you probably end up doing is surfing the net for answers to your job search questions. How do you know the information is good? Or even appropriate for your situation? You dont. But, if you begin bookmarking the sources Ive mentioned in past Summary Sundays or look at 40 top job search resources for 2015, youll be equipped with a solid collection to start with. Each industry, occupation, and company has its own set of rules- written and unwritten, so  be sure you are aware of those. You can do this by researching people who write about your specific niche. Interviewing Help Job Interviewing | Job-Hunt.org Job-Hunt.org is one of my favorite resources. It is a one-stop destination for all your job search questions written by the top professionals in their area of expertise. This interviewing page contains articles about How to Answer the Common Job Interview Questions Succeeding at Different Types of Job Interviews How to Manage the Job Interview Process-  First, Getting Ready for Your Interview Second, Doing Your Best in Your Job Interviews Last, Following Up After Your Job Interview Theres even a free ebook.  Poke around and I am sure you will find the answers you are looking for. Social Job Search 45 things successful job seekers do on social media  | USA Today by The Muse I dont think youll run out of ideas on how you can use social media to gain attention during your job search. Career 5 Tips To Turn Your Job Into What You Want  |    on Switch Shift by Nigel Purse If you are starting a new job, here are five tips you need to pay attention to.

How tech incentives increase employee engagement

How tech incentives increase employee engagement Employee engagement was identified as one of three top priorities contributing to business success in a recent study conducted by Harvard Business Review Analytic Services. Companies have tried everything from pet-friendly policies, lunchtime yoga sessions, and branded company tote bags to connect with their employees. The trouble is, not everyone knows how to build these connections and measure their impact. This Harvard study found that many companies struggle to measure engagement and how it impacts business performance metrics such as customer satisfaction. I spoke with Peter Gossin, product marketing manager on the US Windows and Devices Team at Microsoft, about how to find and provide the tools that employees need to do their jobs effectively and that also resonate with them on a personal level. “I have a drawer full of pens and paperweights and other dust-collecting objects that were meant to recognize a company milestone or contribution, but they never created any connection or provided any lasting benefit,” says Gossin. “With all the cool, affordable technology out there, it would be so nice to receive something that keeps you connected to the things you care about.” Gossin believes companies are missing a huge opportunity to connect with custom-branded technology and apps. Moderately priced tablets, many under $100, can be branded with a company logo and be loaded with customized content. He offers three examples of winning strategies using technology to increase employee satisfaction and engagement. 1. Connect more closely with customers Westgate Resorts is one of the largest resort developers in the world. Until recently, all of the company’s nearly 80,000 annual closings proceeded along a paper path, requiring agents to print, review, sign, and ship more than 40 documents. Preparing these documents took time, which slowed down the process and tested buyers’ patience. Automating this process and then providing buyers with a branded and customized tablet during the closing made the connection stronger because the signing process was easy and Westgate had a way of engaging with their customers after the sale. 2. Celebrate major milestones in style A regional bank had just reached a major milestone and wanted to celebrate in style. To thank its employees for their contributions, the bank selected branded tablets and Bluetooth keyboards. Distributed at an annual holiday party, the gifts were presented in specially-designed packaging with customized content that complemented the experience. The employees were delighted because the gift showed that the bank put effort and care into selecting something truly valuable and useful for them. 3. Recognize and reward employees â€" and make it meaningful Employee gift-giving programs of the past were generic and usually reserved for holidays and work anniversaries. Time to go beyond the mug by recognizing what is most meaningful to your employees. Royal Caribbean knows its crew members are at the heart of the great vacations the brand delivers. It also recognizes the level of commitment it takes to live aboard a cruise ship, so they decided to invest in technology that made it possible to stay in touch with friends and family. Now they can talk face-to-face with loved ones via Skype, share photos, and send and receive email. The boost to crew morale was so high, Royal Caribbean is giving branded tablets to its more than 40,000 crew members. The Harvard Study found: “There has been a shift toward investing for growth and away from cost reduction. Twenty-four percent of responding companies now say they are investing for growth in the coming year, while only 16 percent said they were doing this over the past three years, representing a significant shift toward investment.” Gossin agrees, and says that because they are more affordable than ever, it makes good business sense to invest in tablets as part of customer reward or employee incentive programs. When people are empowered to work from anywhere using today’s smart devices, brands can affordably delight their employees and customers and enable memorable experiences. Says Gossin, “You build employee and customer engagement by going above and beyond what’s expected.”