Finding A Mentor

Posted on February 20, 2012 by E. James

Mentor In centuries past, skilled labor was learned through apprenticeship and guild systems in which younger workers were apprenticed to a master. This system is ostensibly long-gone in many, if not most, fields, but the principles still apply. No matter your field, you still need a grand master to guide you and a guild to support you, especially when you are in the early stages of your career. Here are some tips to find their modern equivalents:

Finding a mentor: These days, finding a mentor usually means identifying a more senior-level worker whom you admire. In most cases, experienced workers are flattered that you are taking an interest in them and asking for their advice. Try approaching the one who impresses you the most, and offer to do something for him or her in exchange for his or her advice. For example, you might say, “Mr. So-and-so, I really admire the work you do. As someone still in the early stages of my career, I could really use some advice from someone with your level of experience, and in exchange I’d like to take you out for lunch [or coffee, drinks, etc.]” If your potential mentor turns you down gently, ask if there’s another colleague they’d recommend that you ask.

Finding a community: Most professions have trade organizations of one kind or another. They may be unions, professional groups, industry organizations, etc. If there is no such group in your field, you can still join loosely affiliated groups or even your local Chamber of Commerce. The point is to acquire the support and expertise of a network in a related field.
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Writing Cover Letters

Posted on February 20, 2012 by E. James

Cover letters are one of the many gate-keepers that can end your job search before it even begins. To ensure that you don’t make a mistake that can put you out of business, check out our latest cover-letter advice:

1. Know your reader. This advice has several components. First, in the literal sense, you should know who will be reading your cover letter. Do not use generic company addresses and “To Whom It May Concern…” Instead, do your homework and address your letter to the individual person who will be reading it. Knowing your reading also means knowing what he or she is looking for. Simply tooting your own horn and expressing how much the job means to you is a technique that fails to see it from your potential employer’s perspective, and can sink you before you even meet. Instead, think about what the job means for the other party, and then work backwards to present your case for how you can provide it. For example, if you are applying for a management-level position with highly demanding organization skills, it’s not enough to write that you are organized. You should instead write about how the workplace will be improved by hiring someone with your excellent organization skills.

2. Proofread. This advice comes up frequently because it’s so crucial. Even one typo can send your application into the trash, so be sure to triple check it. Two supplementary techniques for proofreading are to ask a friend to read it, and also for you to read it backwards, that is, starting with the last word and reading backwards, word by word, for spelling errors. Both of these techniques will diminish the chance that your eye passes over a mistake because you are too familiar with the material.

3. Follow up. Make your contact information clear, professional, and up-to-date. If you don’t hear back, take the initiative and contact your interviewer.

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How To Apply When You’re Overqualified

Posted on February 15, 2012 by E. James

One problem that has increased dramatically throughout the recent recession is the epidemic of high-level workers who have lost work and have not been able to find lower-level work because they appear to be overqualified. If you find yourself in this difficult position—where you have to convince your interviewer that you’re looking to stay when in fact you regard the position as temporary—then consider our advice:

Redefine your presentation. The trick here is to match what you have to offer to what the hiring manager needs, rather than to fluff yourself up with all of your degrees, honors, and awards. You should certainly mention your work experience and your education on your resume, but put the focus on what you can do, not on what you expect from your prospective employer. This will certainly require preparing a new resume for each and every job you apply for.

Show off your versatility. Present your interviewer with specific examples of jobs where you demonstrated the flexibility and teamwork required to work in a variety of positions. Since you’re obviously downgrading your career, flexibility and teamwork will be major concerns for your prospective employer. The burden is on you to prove that you work well with others in a variety of positions. Always connect your qualifications to concrete job experiences and illustrate how well those experiences would carry over to the work you are currently applying for.

Expect less. Being overqualified means, by definition, that you’ll be getting paid for less than you’re worth. This is a painful and unfair situation, but in order to make it work, you must convince your interviewer that you understand the compensation involved and are nevertheless completely dedicated the job (even more so than another, younger worker, for whom the work would be a step up).

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Networking Tips (Part 2)

Posted on February 13, 2012 by E. James

Everyone seems to agree that networking is an essential ingredient in landing that next big job offer, but there is persistent confusion about what exactly networking is and is not, and how to go about it. Here are some practical tips to set you straight on your path to successful networking (continued from yesterday).

3. You are always the product, but you don’t always have to be the salesman. In essence, you should make yourself as presentable, professional, and accessible as possible, but don’t push yourself too aggressively when asking for favors. Instead, state clearly who you are, what your professional goals are, and how you intend to meet those goals. This is different than directly asking for something, and is best suited for potential contacts who do not owe you anything and may not even have anything to offer in this moment. Rather, if they respond favorably to you, they may connect you with other contacts or call on you when they have positions available for you in the future. Being the product means that you should always present yourself in the best possible terms. Even though you are not selling yourself, you are very much seen as a product in the workforce, and you want to come across as always as the most valuable product possible.

4. Keep your doors open. Sometimes you make a great contact even though you’re already locked into your current job contract. That’s ok. Keep the lines of communication open in a casual, friendly way, occasionally writing to check with your other contacts. There’s always the chance that something will open up in the future. Part of this process is the way you manage to hold everyone in the best possible light. Never speak badly about your current employer (or anyone else for that matter). Just let potential hiring managers know how valuable you are, and make sure you’re on the list to find out when something opens up.

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Networking Tips (Part 1)

Posted on February 11, 2012 by E. James

1. Networking is a web, not a straight line. This model has several implications. First of all, it’s a two-way street. Often, approaching a potential ally is easier and more successful when you have something to offer them, rather than simply breaking down their door to ask them to help you. If there’s nothing that you have to offer a potential contact, for example if you are reaching out to someone who is much more established than you, there are still ways you can keep things mutual. At the very least, offer your services in a humble manner, and honor the other party for his or her expertise. Secondly, networking is community building, not simply trying to get things out of people. You will get much further if you ease yourself into a community by confidently, yet kindly, asking each contact if there is anyone else they can recommend to help you to attain your professional goals. Again, barging in and asking for something might close more doors than it opens, as will taking favors without offering anything back.

2. Make your presentation clean, clear, and professional. You’ve probably heard of the 30-second elevator speech, and it’s a great place to start. Make sure you can introduce yourself and make your pitch to anyone, any time, in under 30 seconds. Next, make a professional business card and a website that shows off your skills, portfolio, and CV. Without these basic components, you’re not yet ready to network.

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Finding Freelance Work Over The Internet

Posted on February 9, 2012 by E. James

The internet has been a boon for freelancers of all kinds: designers, writers, computer programmers, etc. While there are many websites that broker freelance contract work, two of the most prominent are elance.com and guru.com. However, before you quit your day job and dive in to the exciting and challenging world of freelance, there are a few things you should consider first:

Expect to start slow. Remember, clients choose their freelancers based on their online reputation (this process is similar to the rating system used on eBay). At the beginning, you will not have any reputation, so you’ll want to bid low and work extra hard, delivering a product that’s probably worth a lot more than you paid for, so as to insure that you’ll get good ratings. This is parallel to a startup factoring in advertising and promotional costs. Regardless, the net effect will mean less money for you, at least at first.

Find a niche. While the money can be plentiful for freelancers, so is the competition. You are almost certainly going up against other experts in your field from all over the world, and some of them inevitably come from developing nations with much lower living expenses. There is no way you can undersell everyone. Instead, focus on what makes you special and valuable, and cultivate a niche marketplace for what you have to offer. If you work in a specialized field, for example coding a particular computer language, search for freelance websites that only focus on your skill, which will bring you into a niche network much faster.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. No matter how good a thing you have going on one site or with one client, always try to diversify over different sites or even different kinds of media. Maintain a good website, blog, or about.me site where a potential client can see all of your activities in one place.

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The Rise Of Service Work In The U.S. Economy

Posted on February 8, 2012 by E. James

portrait of a male pharmacist at a pharmacy Recent economic studies prove what many people are seeing all around them: traditionally middle-class jobs in manufacturing and office work are rapidly disappearing to outsourcing and computerized systems. While there is a miniscule uptick in highly skilled work such as technology engineering, much of the workforce is being pushed into the service sector. Whereas manufacturers such as GE and GM used to be the largest American employers, they have long since given way to service companies like Wal-Mart and Target, which now employ more Americans than an manufacturer. As the recession eats away at positions requiring higher levels of education, stories are appearing in the news of Target managers working for $12 an hour who were previously employed as administrators or architects with six-figure salaries.

However, the perception of service work has changed much slower than the realities of this recent shift in the American economy. Most Americans regard service workers as the uneducated poor, who could leave the service sector at any time simply by seeking an education.

Still, there have been recent signs that the American public and the American judiciary are taking the side of service workers. Some states allow employers to calculate tips into their workers’ salaries, some even allowing restaurants to pay wait staff less than $3 an hour, on the justification that they make minimum wage with tips factored in. In a shocking new decision, the Supreme Court just ruled that service workers may sue their employers for higher pay if they can show that a significant portion of their working hours are spent doing tasks that receive no tips, such as cleaning, closing at night, etc.

This ruling is a small victory for service workers, and we conclude with the following advice: during these hard times, many highly skilled workers are temping in the service industry. If you are one of them, hold your head high, and make the most of it. The American legal system is slowly turning its eyes on the unsustainable wage structure of this sector, but by the time there is any major reform, you may have already moved on to a higher paying job as the economy recovers.

Increasing Your Productivity

Posted on February 7, 2012 by E. James

get things done Regardless of your line of work, productivity is the simplest measurement of your workday. Here are two helpful tips to get more done in less time:

Start with the hardest, most unpleasant tasks: Almost every day, there is something that you dread doing. It could be responding to a nasty email, making a high-stakes phone call, fixing a scheduling problem that stresses you, or countless other boring, tedious, or intimidating tasks. Most likely, the stress causes by putting this work off will haunt and distract you throughout your workday, so best possible course of action is to do these things first. Then, you can concentrate on a clean, clear, stress-free day doing the things you enjoy.

Only do the jobs that must be done by you: There are many ways to delegate. Even if you don’t have employees or a secretary or assistant helping you, you still have the option of finding help. If you are employed by a large company, there are people in other department who may be about to take the load off. Otherwise, you can find contractors who will do it for a fee. If you’re low on both time and money, check out websites like fiverr.com (and its sister site “twenty fiverr”) or freelance sites like guru or elance. Nobody is good at everything, and everyone has a skill that they excel at. By delegating, you ensure that your weaknesses are covered by someone else’s strengths, and can get back to doing what you do best.

The Cities With The Highest Wages

Posted on February 6, 2012 by E. James

The jobs trends website payscale.com just released their list of the cities with the highest wage increases in the fourth quarter of 2011. Here are the cities that topped the list:

1. Houston, Texas. Houston led the list, with a 2.2% increase in wages throughout Q4 of 2011. Houston has now returned to the heights of 2008, its pre-recession levels. Houston has a wide variety of industries, but the one that has contributed the most to the wage increase is the booming oil and gas industries. However, Houston has more than oil to offer. As the largest city in Texas, it also has strong aeronautics and health industry offerings. In addition to wage increases, the Houston job market added 75,800 new jobs over the course of 2011. Unemployment in Houston is 7.3 percent, which is below the national average.

2. Miami, Florida. Miami saw a wage increase of about 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Despite high unemployment in Florida, Miami has seen job growth in computer and IT sectors, and in the logging industry.

3. Chicago, Illinois. These two cities tied at about 1.7% wage increase in the fourth quarter. Although both cities were hit hard by the recession, they have shown significant wage increases in recent months.

Common Myths About Starting Your Own Business (Part 2)

Posted on February 5, 2012 by E. James

I could never learn all the skills it takes to run a business. The truth is actually somewhere between “Yes, you can,” and “You actually don’t have to.” The reality is that online trainings are often free or extremely affordable, and you can learn almost any skill on your computer, iPod, or TV these days. Additionally, there are many time-consuming tasks such as bookkeeping and tax preparation that can be accomplished either by hiring a local expert (or “outsourcing” the work you trust to a site like guru.com or elance.com) or by purchasing special software to assist you. These arrangements must be factored into your initial budget, but they will pay off very quickly by saving you time to focus on the skills you are best at.

Self-employment puts you at a greater risk of being put out of business. The truth is that running your own business is a much more flexible position than being an employee. As a business owner, you are in control of how your work interfaces with larger market forces, allowing you to diversify. As an employee, you are generally paid to do one job and one job only, and when that job is no longer needed, you can quickly find yourself becoming expendable. Once your business is up and running, you can add to it whenever and however you choose. Entrepreneurialism is, by its very nature, a more versatile enterprise than other forms of employment.