Career Cube Blog

Ah tis the season to start gearing up for a job search for the new year. Maybe some of you have been on the fence with your current job playing the stay-or-go game, and perhaps some of you are actively on the prowl for your next big opportunity.

Take advantage of the holiday parties you’ll be attending over the next month to kick start that job search into high gear. Think about what duties you enjoy in your current job or past jobs, and your achievements. What qualities would you like your new career or job to have?

And also be honest with yourself-what are you trying to stay away from. Not just the bad boss (duh-nobody wants one of those in their Christmas stockings), but what skills are not your true talents? Not one person on the planet is great at everything. Everyone has a weakness. You need to be aware of what yours is, and avoid those positions that don’t let you shine. If you’re not good with numbers, then don’t take a position where part of the job is looking at reports and analyzing data. If you prefer to work with a group, then don’t accept a position where you’re expected to be self-motivated. Sometimes jobseekers can get so excited about getting out of the situation they’re in, that they jump without honestly assessing where they’re going. Bad move, very bad move.

So when you’re chatting with friends this holiday season, tell them that you’re thinking about looking for a new job. Let them know what skills you really enjoy using and what ones are really not your strong suits. ( If you’re talking with people you just met, it’s probably a good idea to not bring up the weaknesses, just so that’s not what sticks in their mind.) Then see what they suggest. You may get some ideas of companies or jobs that you hadn’t thought of. If you’re really lucky, they may even know someone to connect you with. But you need to know basically what you’re looking for, and you need to ask. People can only help you when you ask for help-the world’s funny that way.

Popularity: 3% [?]

I’m a career coach for a number of job sites on the web, and one of the most common complaints I hear from job seekers is that they don’t feel that they have a network of people to help them get a job. I remember a time when I felt the same way–really, I do. But then I got off my couch and started getting out of the house a little more.

One innovative way I’ve found is through a website called meetup.com. The site is a place for people to organize events and meet new people. Here’s how it works: say that you are a Johnny Mathis fan and he’s performing at a theater near you, but your friends look at you like you’re from another plant when you suggest getting tickets. You can hop onto meetup.com and form a group of Johnny Mathis Fans who are interested in going to the show. If people are interested, they sign up, and voila! You have a network of people who are Johnny Mathis fans just like you! Going to the show will give you the opportunity to meet people who have a similar interest as you but whom you may not normally come into contact with on a daily basis. At intermission, the conversation could turn to people’s jobs, and you can mention that you’re looking for new opportunities and talk about what you’d like your next job to be. Someone may have a good suggestion of who to contact at a particular company, or a totally different take on your career than what you were thinking of pursuing. Who knows-you may be able to help someone else too. Don’t just be in it for you-make an effort to get to know other people and see how you can help them. After the show, exchange contact information and when you’re home, make a note about what other people are looking for so someday you could help them in return.
Read more

Popularity: 6% [?]

So there you are, sitting at your desk working on an important project, when the phone rings. And you pick it up. It’s a recruiter, who introduces himself, his firm, and asks if you have a minute. What do you say? “Thanks for calling, but I’m happy where I am.” And hang up the phone? WRONG ANSWER!!!!

Why? Because you just cut yourself off from knowing what’s moving and shaking in your industry, which means you just cut yourself off from hearing about unadvertised opportunities that could potentially leverage your career.

You’ve just made the decision to limit your options. And if you don’t have access to information, you can’t make an informed decision, can you? Read more

Popularity: 4% [?]