Three Ways to Avoid Self Sabotage - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Three Ways to Avoid Self Sabotage - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career There are times in our careers where we accidentally and sometimes intentionally set ourselves up for failure. At these moments of self sabotage there are a lot of reasons why you may be doing this: some may be psychological while others might have more deeply rooted issues related to them. I’m not going to try and decipher the logic and reasons behind self-sabotage. Rather I am going to share 3 tips and one bonus point to help you try and avoid self-sabotage. The challenge is to avoid self-sabotage when  possible and by using these tips you may be able to bypass or at least reduce the risks of self sabotage. These are soft skills that take time to master. But, as you become more proficient at them you will stand out in your career. Here are Three Tips to Get You Started: Dont over commit Get others involved Write it down While these three may seem very obvious and you probably think you are doing these already it’s worthwhile to take a closer look at what you are actually doing in your day-to-day plans. Lets explore each in a bit more detail Dont Over Commit This one is pretty obvious. You need to exercise your NO muscle. This is probably the hardest thing for many of us to do. To say NO and to stick to it. Learn to say NO like a pro  â€" Read How You Can Say No Like a Pro Get Others Involved A shared goal is an accomplished goal Also by sharing your plans with a trusted adviser they can provide advice directly and candidly on the validity of your plans And they can help you prevent over commitment (see point number one) Write It Down When you commit to the act of documenting something you are taking an extra step of committing yourself. Which allows you to take another look at number one and whether this is something you really want to do This also allows you to set SMART Goals  (an oldie, but a goodie) While there are other ways to help limit and prevent self sabotage these three can help you kick yourself into gear and limit the risk of self sabotage. A question and a request for you: What do you recommend to reduce self-sabotage? Drop a note in the comments and share it with the community please One last thing for you to consider… BONUS: As promised… this is a bonus tip. Read… Burning Bridges Might Feel Good, but … I wrote this post perhaps with a bit of self-sabotage in mind.  One way to exercise your creativity and provide some catharsis is to write that email or write that letter, but… NEVER send it. Burning Bridges might feel good, but … it’s a form of self-sabotage you CAN control. Take the high road. You’ll be happy in the long run that you did. Your career will thank you too! There you have it. Three tips and a bonus to avoid (or at least reduce) self-sabotage. What have you tried that works for you? Share your thoughts in the comments.

12 Important Career Lessons Most People Learn Too Late in Life CareerMetis.com

12 Important Career Lessons Most People Learn Too Late in Life Source : Pexels.com“If only I had learned that early in my career…”If you constantly find your thoughts veering along these lines, then that’s probably because you realize that the plans you had for your career aren’t going exactly the way it should.That’s probably because you were so engrossed in theprocess of achieving success, meeting challenges and deadlines, and getting ahead in life meant so much to you that you’d completely bypassed that there’s more to life thanpromotions and appraisals.evalNow most people, especially when they are inexperienced, begin their career with the notion that you have to keep making sacrifices to reach somewhere in life.And what’s worse is that these people get a tad bit serious about making sacrifices, so much that after a point it becomes stifling for them to pursue whatever they were once passionate about.That’s why in order to prevent any regrets that may surface as you age, you need to start following this advice to make you r career more fulfilling and pleasant in the long haul.1) Money isn’t the be-all and end-allThere are so many people who have kept their passion aside so that they can have a career and make a living, irrespective of whether they enjoy the process or not. What they don’t realize is that working on something that they love doing means so much more than doing something simply for money.Why slog it out for nine hours doing something you don’t enjoy? When you could use that time to do something that makes you happy! You need to understand that money isn’t equal to happiness.Now some may argue that you can’t pay bills without money. Yes, we need money to survive, but then why not earn it by doing something you love? So, don’t shy away from taking that leap of faith.2) Not wasting your time in a job you hateWhen you’re just starting out, you tend to take up any job. But that’s not a good idea. When you get a job that you don’t particularly like, you’re wasting your tim e just for some extra money, but not getting any valuable experience in exchange.evalThis investment of your time and effort ultimately leads to a waste of your energy and patience as well.If you don’t like your job, but still ended up spending years within the same office, it’s best that you quit. Progress doesn’t happen without taking risks.And if you still believe you need the money and that it’s better to stay put, then learn everything you can while you work. Understand the requirements of the employers.Try taking part in various projects. In fact, you can even take online courses. Spend your time well and do anything that you can use within your line of work.3) Listening is a virtueevalThe ability to listen can save you from a lot of trouble. With this ability, you can fix many issues, as it fosters creativity, provides valuable perspective and also let the other people know that you’re paying attention.Listening to people is essential for acquiring a thorough unders tanding of situations. Without detailed knowledge, you can never solve a problem or barely identify the signs of it.If you’re not a good listener, you can challenge yourself to make a genuine effort to listen more than you talk and we promise the results will be rewarding.4) Learn as you goGather as much information you can about your surroundings, your area of work, and even the things that aren’t directly related to your line of work.Even when you’re moving ahead in your career, keep yourself motivated to learn new things and try to use that knowledge in your work whenever there’s an opportunity. If you have this vague idea that just because you have achieved something in life, you don’t have anything new to learn, then you’ll only be depriving yourself of the knowledge about the ever-evolving world.And if you don’t stay updated about new technologies and inventions, you’ll never be able to solve the issues of the modern world, as your old techniques won’t be of any use there.5) Never let your job title become your only identityFor most of the self-proclaimed “career-driven” people, their whole life seems to revolve around success, fame, and recognition.That’s their way of measuring their self-worth. But what they don’t realize until later is that when you run after fame or success, you let these factors control you.evalMaybe it’s time for you to gain some perspective on fame or success. Learn to look at the bigger picture and put your focus on a higher purpose, and that way you’ll be the best version of yourself and help others to bring out their best. Only by utilizing your talents for the benefit of others can you attain your prosperity in life.6) Know the significance of teamworkThe purpose of teamwork is to share ideas with your colleagues, making plans for a certain project, and more importantly to help each other grow. You need to understand that alone you may walk but with your team by your side, you can walk for long.So it’s perfectly alright to seek help from team members, and it’s also essential for you to be present when the team seeks your involvement.7) Failures or setbacks shouldn’t affect youLife presents endless possibilities, so never take failure to your heart. Even though it leaves bitter memories, failures are, as wise men say, the pillars for success. So treat failure like an experience you couldn’t have gathered otherwise.Rejections are very much a part of our lives. That’s why learning to cope with it early on, will prevent it from getting the better of you. While rejections will always hurt, but dwelling on it will only make the matter worse. If you have positivity in life, even the toughest times won’t seem so burdensome.eval8) Live your life beyond your cubicle or office deskAs mentioned earlier in the post, life shouldn’t only revolve around your work. There is so much happening every day, be it within your own family, friends, your community or the world, that you shouldn’t miss out on.If you want to spend quality time with your family, then remember to never take your work home. Of course, you shouldn’t completely ignore your professional commitments, invest your free time indulging in your hobbies or go out to meet your friends or read a nice book.Finding a proper work-life balance will contribute to your overall health and well being, and you will not feel weighed down with work and can carry them out with precision.9) Made a mistake? Admit it!You’ve probably heard this gazillion times that making mistakes is the first step to learning something. So why should you be ashamed to admit your mistake?Admitting your mistakes will not only keep your conscience clear, but it will also allow you to avert any consequences that may crop up in the future because of your actions.Also, people appreciate it when you’re upfront and truthful. In fact, that way you’ll be admired for your honesty. As they say, to err is human.10) Put your health over wealthYour wealth may come and go, but you will never get back your strength and vigor by staring at your laptop screen trying to perfect that presentation. Unfortunately, most people struggle to find a balance between their work and life and eventually succumb to various health conditions.And in the process, they don’t even get to enjoy the fruits of their hard work. Invest considerable time to keep your mind and body active, don’t let anxiety creep in, have enough sleep, eat right, and more significantly, DO NOT burn yourself out.11) Worrying will only make things worseSo what the meeting with investors didn’t go so well? So what you lost a client today? Ask yourself, will worrying about the issues change things back to normal? It won’t, and rather it will make way for stress or fear. The only way you can get over your fear is by taking some action.You will never be able to achieve the goals you had set out to achieve at the beginning of your career if you worry about the consequences. So even if you’re worried or anxious, push yourself until the things that you were worried about no longer matter. Have a little faith. Patience and perseverance always work in your favor.12) Enjoy the journey of your careerWhen it comes to the career, most people get so busy trying to reach the destination; they forget to appreciate the journey. So focusing on the journey more instead of the destination will allow you to develop a sense of gratitude.While there will be hurdles and challenges in work and life, focusing on good things always helps. You must look forward to your work and try to learn something new, that way the element of monotony will never find a place in your work. So cherish the journey of both life and work with an open mind and an open heart.Now we agree that just like relationships your career also needs some compromise and sacrifices, but what’s important here is to know where to draw a line. Simply chasing after success will do more har m than good for your career as well as your life.So learning these career lessons early on in life will prevent you from regretting the choices you make.

5 Questions to Ask in an Interview

5 Questions to Ask in an Interview 47 Flares 47 Flares Tom Gimbel is the President and CEO of LaSalle Network,  a Chicago-based staffing firm. Founded in 1998, LaSalle has served thousands of clients and candidates, placing job seekers in temporary, temporary-to-permanent and permanent positions. LaSalle is the only Illinois-based staffing firm named on the Inc. 500/5000 list for the last seven consecutive years. ReadTom’s latest on his blog, Past Five,  or tweet him @TomGimbel. Our firm interviews hundreds of candidates a week and too many of them commit one of the cardinal sins of interviewing, failing to prepare for one, crucial question: “What questions do you have for me?” An interview is a two-way conversation, and a lack of questions demonstrates a disinterest in the position and a lack of preparation for the interview. Asking intelligent questions is not only an easy way to impress the hiring manager, but it is beneficial for the candidate, too. It is an opportunity to evaluate if the company is a right fit for them. Here are five questions to consider asking in your next interview: 1. Why do you like working here? A candidate should never assume they will hear what is expected. It’s extremely important to see if the interviewer is happy, and find out why from them directly. Based off their answer, candidates can decipher whether or not it is something in line with what they are looking for. 2. What characteristics do you need to have to succeed in the role? This question demonstrates that the candidate is eager to excel, interested in career growth, and willing to commit to the company and their role within it. 3. What are the company’s long and short term goals? What are the biggest obstacles to achieving them? This proves the candidate is already considering how he/she can contribute to achieving the company’s goals. 4. Why is this position open? Understanding the nature of the vacancy will help the candidate better understand the urgency of filling the position. Based on the answer, the candidate can try to figure out whether the employee quit or was fired. If they quit, then you begin to wonder, why? Was the person in this role previously promoted? Fired? Quit? Is it a newly created position? The reason for the vacancy can say a lot about the company and who the right candidate for the role is. Maybe you are looking for a work-life balance and the previous employee quit due to 60-hour workweeks. 5. Do you have any hesitations about my background?   If you dont ask this question, employers are more than likely going to keep objections unvoiced and you lose any chance of counteracting the interviewers doubts about you. If you don’t ask any other questions during the interview, ask this one. It’s the single most important question.

Writing Resume For Jobs - Thinking About the Type of Employer You Want to Be

Writing Resume For Jobs - Thinking About the Type of Employer You Want to BeWhen you are preparing to write a resume for jobs, you will want to think about some things that you can do in order to impress employers. This is a time in your life when you should be thinking about how to stand out from the crowd. You may not always feel like doing this but it is a part of the process.One important thing you need to consider is the area you want to work in. Do you want to work in sales? Are you looking for a job in customer service? Whatever it is, the most important thing is to get as much information on the company as possible.A lot of companies will require you to send them a copy of your resume if you have one. If they do not ask for one, ask them if you can include copies of your previous work samples and portfolio.Also, include a resume or cover letter in your resource box. The resume or cover letter should make an immediate impression upon the reader. You want to show the employer y ou are prepared to work hard, take initiative, and demonstrate good communication skills. The resume should not be something you do only once and leave behind.Also, use the words 'I'me' a lot. The main reason for this is because they will seem more natural. To illustrate this, if you wrote the statement 'I was born with green eyes'I am a woman', you may want to stop for a moment and think about it. While it is true, these statements are true, the reader is probably not going to buy the line 'I am a woman'.Finally, do not send a resume or cover letter that is filled with numbers, dates, and text. If you do not include any type of fancy formatting, chances are the employer will not see it.Remember, the resume is the key to getting a job. As with any job interview, if you are prepared, you will have a better chance at winning the job.

Guys Writing a Resume For You

Guys Writing a Resume For YouIf you're confused about what to write in your guy writing a resume for you, just remember that he is someone who can influence your life and can make it better. You can't let him down by putting something wrong in your resume and not being confident in yourself.Your guy's prospect and his company's prospects depend on your skills. Being the best candidate in this business will make your future employer very happy. So do make it your goal to impress them. Good thing you have some tools to help you when you start.You've probably started your job hunt already and you're looking at the dozens of online job sites available. If you've read some of the articles about how to build your own resume then you probably know the basics. To get ahead in this industry, you need to create a resume that reflects the types of jobs you're interested in. You have to be able to put your best foot forward. Good luck with your resume, making a man write one for you.So, if you w ant to become successful in this industry it's important to follow these steps. When you're completing a resume, it's important to remember that it's an action statement. So you want to use action words to get your points across. It also needs to tell your story. The more you describe your experiences and passions the better. It is important to always come across as a confident person who can be your best friend in the future.So you might be wondering why you want to write a guy's resume for you. Well, for starters you will be able to see the perspective from their point of view. They're going to see you as someone they can relate to, so you're showing that you're friendly and personable.Second, when they see that you're personable they're going to like it and you're going to have a better chance of moving ahead in the business. These things will all help you get your resume noticed and start a career change.If you make this decision for yourself, you're going to see great results. Being a woman who writes a man's resume for you is a good career move in this industry because most people are able to relate to you can set yourself apart from the competition.

Lies Youve Been Told About Writing a Great Summary on Resume for Entry Level

Lies You've Been Told About Writing a Great Summary on Resume for Entry Level Writing the resume that will hopefully help you in getting your very first job is an intimidating job for the majority of people. You're going to compose a resume summary which gets far more interviews. Additionally, it's simple to find experience fast for just about any job. Should you do, you will get tripped up in the interview. Getting the Best Writing a Great Summary on Resume for Entry Level Quick Navigation A well-written overview of your background and qualifications at the peak of your resume makes it straightforward for employers to rapidly understand why you'd be a fantastic fit for the job. A resume summary lists experience when you have plenty of it. A summary statement is a brief expert introduction you can increase the peak of your resume. A strong summary statement at the peak of your resume can increase the probability of them noticing what you've got to offer from the beginning. With our specialized therapy, you're going to be in a place to tap the complete potential of your professional network and make certain your profile on social networking channels matches the caliber of your resume. Relying solely on endorsements or recommendations means you'll miss the large opportunity your network presents. Clearly, it displays pertinent contact info and a summary of your abilities and experience. You will not just learn what to include to your summary but might also observe the elements that you'll need to avoid, like typos, jargon and so forth. To put it differently, you want to be certain your document is written professionally. Instead, you may use the functional layout instead of the standard chronological layout. 1 A resume summary is a brief, snappy introduction paragraph that offers a summary of your very best work. The summary can introduce you, explain what you're seeking and describe what you've got to give employers. In the second subsecti on, it's also wise to list specific abilities, like technical or educational ones, which will assist the hiring manager to understand whether you are going to be helpful for the business. The resume summary is simply a bridge to have the hiring manager in your experience. A proactive problem-solver and determined achiever who's searching for a chance to prove himself. Want to Know More About Writing a Great Summary on Resume for Entry Level? In addition, it is a great way to incorporate all your factual and appropriate contact information without needing to occupy an excessive amount of space. It's fast and simple to use. You also ought to don't forget that your summary is your organization card, and that means you have to take your time and proofread it multiple times before publishing. Whilst you write your summary for your resume, attempt to consider what you want them to discuss with you, and what exactly you desire an opportunity to discuss.

Whats The Hidden Job Market And How Do I Access It - Work It Daily

Whats The Hidden Job Market And How Do I Access It - Work It Daily You may be surprised to hear that approximately 85% of jobs are never advertised. And the higher the position, the less likely it is to be posted. RELATED: Need some job search advice? Watch these tutorials! According to the website Examiner.com, only 11% of jobs paying over $200,000 per annum are advertised, and only 13% of executives find jobs by responding to job postings. Why Are Jobs Hidden? Jobs can be “invisible” for several reasons. One reason is that it takes time and costs money to advertise a position. If an employer knows that the job can be filled from a pool of candidates already on file, by headhunting, or via word of mouth, they’re not likely to advertise. I know some companies that don’t post open positions because of the deluge of applicants they receive. It’s impossible for them to wade through the 700+ candidates that apply. Another reason why a position might not be advertised is that the employer is looking to replace the person currently in the position. Should You Look For Hidden Jobs? If you don’t take the time to look for hidden jobs, you’re only touching the tip of the icebergâ€"the 15% of jobs that are actually advertised. There will be a great deal of competition for those jobs, and because of that, your chances of securing an interview will be dramatically reduced. If employers have work available, but haven’t yet advertised, the pool of potential candidates narrows to your advantage. How Can I Find Hidden Jobs? The more people who know that you’re looking for work, the more likely someone will have information about a job that isn’t advertised yet, or that may become available in the near future. You might be able to get the name of a good contact, or even a recommendation. Direct Mail Send your resume and cover letter or a value proposition letter to a list of target employers. You’ll be surprised at how many opportunities and phone calls for interviews this method alone will generate. Even better, do some cold calling and meet a potential employer in person. Social Media Take advantage of social media sites to promote your brand. LinkedIn is, of course, the most commonly used professional networking site. In fact, your chances of getting a job without having a LinkedIn profile are fairly slim. Set up a branded, professional profile on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ as well. Be aware that whatever you share on social media is in no way private, and potential employers can access it. So be smart about your social networking. Information Interviews Another way to access hidden jobs is to set up informational interviews with companies you’re interested in. Find someone who currently does what you want to do and ask to set up a time to have a quick chat to learn more. This is something that’s often done by people just starting out in a particular field, but it can actually be helpful at all stages of your career. I’ll elaborate more on this in upcoming articles. Consider Contract Work Or Consulting If you’re in a career slump, you might consider taking temporary, contract, or consulting positions. Many contract jobs have led to full-time employment, and if nothing else, they create more opportunities for you to network. Career Fairs Career fairs can also be great networking opportunities. You might not get an immediate job offer, but in this job market, it isn’t really the goal either. I would go with value proposition letter and business card in hand and do something different. Go Find Those Hidden Jobs Hopefully, now you can see why employers don’t always advertise or post to job boards (especially at the executive level). Over the next few weeks, we’ll expand on some of the techniques we just mentioned for finding hidden jobs. It’s going to be easier than you think! One of the most valuable tools when tapping into the hidden job market is a Value Proposition Letter. It is tremendously successful at grabbing the hiring manager’s attention and showing them the value you offer as a candidate. Studies have shown direct mailing a Value Proposition Letter to a decision maker results in an 85% success rate securing EMPLOYMENT within 90 days. That’s pretty substantial. Want help with a great Value Proposition Letter? Get started here. This post was originally published at an earlier date. Related Posts How To Tap Into The Hidden Job Market Hitting The Hidden Job Market: Get A Job When There Aren’t Any Why You Should Connect With Co-Workers On Social Media   Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!