Practical Career Development Tips

October 23rd, 2011

Career development is something that you work on throughout your lifetime. So long as you are still employed or have a business of your own, you need to understand that developing a career is something that you need to do over a long period of time. You have to be conscientious and consistent in your ways.

To help you out, here are some tips that are good to live by when you are working towards career development:

1. Have a Plan and Track Your Progress

Most people enter into a job without really an agenda in mind. For most of the newly employed people, their only goal is to be out of the unemployment percentage and finally earn a paycheck every month. While this may be acceptable, the first 6 months should serve as your personal evaluation period.

Notice how most companies implement the 6-month probie period? This is the time they will give you to adjust and also to cope with the changes happening in your work. After the 6-month period, that’s the only time you will know if you will be a regular employee or not.

You can also use this probie period to assess your fit for the position. Do you enjoy it? Do you see yourself still doing the same thing more than a year from now? Would you want to hold a managerial position in the same company? Are you satisfied with your job and the employer so far? The good thing about having your first ever job is that you still have plenty of years to spare to try other things-that is if you are also a fresh graduate.

2. Work With Your Mentors

The workplace is filled with all types of people-those who can either make you the best or break you. Yet mentors are always a constant part of the population but you just have to be smart enough to figure out who your mentors will be. Mentors are those who are interested with your personal as well as your professional well-being.

Finding a mentor is a matter of instinct. You will immediately feel a certain inclination towards the person but make sure that this was built based from his professional demeanor. A mentor may or may not be your direct supervisor, but he should be someone who inspires you to work hard and achieve what he probably has achieved as well. Overall, it’s your mentor’s hard work and work ethic that should inspire you to look up to him.

You would know that you have found a mentor if he constantly gives you advice how to make things better. Ultimately, this is someone you can trust and would tell you upfront what you need to know without the need to sugarcoat things.

3. Organize Your Workspace

Most people take for granted how their side of the cubicle looks like. It’s also not uncommon to find people scrambling to clean up their cubicle when audit season is just around the corner. But you should really strive to have your files organized so you can avoid losing important documents as well as losing track of your deadlines. Your workspace also becomes a reflection of who you are. You definitely wouldn’t want to be judged by strewn papers and a table that looks so gray from dirt.

Posted in Career Development

How to Prepare for a Job Interview

October 19th, 2011

With the economy the way it is today many people who have been in the same job for years or even decades may have lost that job recently. Those who have been suddenly dropped back to the rank of job seeker can be traumatized and confused. But have heart because there are some specific things that you can do to position yourself above the competition for a job interview if you’re new to the job search ranks.

First, create a professional and up to date resume. Competition for jobs is fierce in almost every field and many people vying for the job you want have college degrees. If you have a college degree already, make sure that you emphasize that on your resume. If you do not have a college degree, it doesn’t mean you are out of the game, but you will need to present yourself as the better candidate. For those lacking a college degree, your resume should prominently display and highlight your work experience. Get your resume together and seek help if you need it to make sure that all of your transferable skills and experience are listed. Make sure the resume is completely error free and includes your accurate contact information.

The second thing you need to do is to research the company where you want to be working. Sometimes by the end of the interview day, candidates for a position can start to run together. Stand out in the minds of your interviewers by doing your homework about the company. Get online, research the company and take a look at their annual report to see whether things are going well for the company right now or not. Take note of any special projects that the company has been involved in during recent months and if there have been any leadership changes or anything else worthy of attention. Armed with this knowledge during the interview, you will avoid asking trivial questions and you put yourself one step ahead of the competition by showing you did your research.

The final thing you need to do to prepare for your interview is to make sure that your appearance is top-notch. The importance of first impressions should not be disregarded. The interview is your first and sometimes final opportunity to make a great impression. Know the dress code for the company and plan to dress at least two levels higher than the daily company attire. If you’ve been meaning to get a haircut, do it at least one week prior to the interview and not the day before or the day of the interview. One thing that is sometimes overlooked when preparing for a job interview is oral hygiene. Make sure that your teeth are clean and bright and your breath is fresh. Instead of spending a lot of money for the dentist, search out a good method for teeth whitening at home but be sure to complete the process a couple of weeks before the interview. Making a decision about teeth whitening at home can be an overwhelming process so take the time to research the different products available as well as the many home remedies.

Posted in Career Interview