Category Archives: self-help

getting back into the workforce

It’s just p….interesting….

Posted on January 19, 2012 | Leave a comment

My Farmville overalls have been hanging in the virtual closet for two years now.  They retired at the peak of my farm productivity and farm visual appeal.  My green alien cows and thought of building virtual vineyards just lost its appeal.  Since then I have been quietly searching for my next online time eater.   I am happy to announce I feel that I have found it, Pinterest.com.

“Pinterest is a virtual pinboard. It lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find in your life. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes.”  - iTunes

We can spend hours and hours pinning our favorite things we see on the web and in our lives and then place and organize them on our own virtual bulletin board.  We can re-use or “repin” others’ favorites.  It’s scrap booker’s dream with the additional possibility of HD videos!

All of my drawers and folders of cut up home magazines, kitchen designs, paint samples that I will never use and recipes that that I probably will never make can all be compiled in one spot.  I can share them, collaborate with others to make even grander scale patches of greatness and beauty.  It will be fabulous.

I am looking forward to getting started.  I have downloaded my app.  Now I am waiting for my invitation.  To join an invitation needs to be sent by another user or you are placed on a “waiting list”,  geeze, I hope that list is not too long…..so much to do…..

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Posted in facebook, Pinterest, self-help, Twitter

You need to change how you describe you

Posted on May 13, 2011 | 1 Comment

Personal branding and using social media go hand in hand. The internet has become a great equalizer where each voice can sound as important as the one that wrote before it. There is usually a little spot for us as the author, blogger, poster, whatever-the-term to leave a mark and share a few words about who we are and why our comments or thoughts are important to the subject. It is in this space that we have an opportunity to create our brand, “the brand of me”.

When looking on how to fill in this space, I looked at many resources including LinkedIn profiles and “About Me” pages on different blogs. I also came across a list of words NEVER to use in this social media space that I thought I would share. They were referred to as empty or nothing words.

Innovative
Motivated
Results Oriented
Dynamic
Proven Track Record
Team Player
Fast Paced
Entrepreneurial
Extensive Experience

I think you get the idea. Basically the entire list of  suggested words that used to be listed in the back section of resume books.

One example was instead of using, “Problem Solver”, you should say, “As corporate efficiency expert turned around organization suffering losses of $1 billion.” Then you would briefly describe results produced in that role.

I say, why limit yourself to two words when you can use over ten, especially when talking about your own accomplishments?  Is this approach too self-serving? Or do you like the more descriptive way the social media allows us to share our information and share our own accomplishments? Finally, just what will become of that traditional list of resume words?

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Posted in branding, career-rebuilding, career-transition, re-entering-the-workforce, self-help, social media marketing

Quick Response Code, please…

Posted on May 4, 2011 | Leave a comment

Those crazy square codes that appear everywhere we look are much less secret than I ever dreamed.  Quick Response codes or QR codes might look mysterious almost artistic but they simply hold information such as text, phone numbers, addresses, or anything needed for mobile tagging.  They are extremely useful when planning a comprehensive marketing strategy, identifying  parts in an inventory tracking process or as even acting as a business card.  The more information you want the code to hold or say the bigger or more complex the box gets.  It’s just that simple.

quick response demo

nexThought.net

They are really a two-dimensional bar code. The QR codes are often used for adding web links to a printed page. When you scan them using a web cam or mobile phone camera, the QR reader application takes you to a Web site, a YouTube video or some other web content. QR codes are an easy way of sending people to a site without having to type a URL.

They were developed in 1994 by a Japanese company as an open-standard.

Here is a site that lets you create your own CR code for non-business purpose. Try it out!  http://qrcode.kaywa.com/

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Posted in branding, career-rebuilding, Quick-Response-Codes, re-entering-the-workforce, self-help, social media marketing

Just check Facebook, really?

Posted on May 3, 2011 | 1 Comment

In my quest to learn what is new in the workplace I have been attending classes here and there.  Tonight in one of these classes I came across a concept that really got me thinking.  Our instructor told us that Facebook has now surpassed Google as the number one method people find information.  So, does this mean that we as a culture are moving from SEARCH to SOCIAL to get our information?

Upon quick reflection I thought of a personal example of how I witnessed during Easter celebrations.  I had a friend post on her Facebook page asking if anyone knew of any florists in her area that had potted tulips.  Instead of  looking up the florists in her area on Google, she used her own social network to laser her search and make the experience easy and one that was almost certain to bring the results she wanted.  She knew her friends would know her taste and style and only point her to those spots that carried what she would like.  Thus, moving her from SEARCH to SOCIAL.  It just made sense.  She reported that she had the perfect potted tulips on her doorstep for the occasion.

I found the whole concept of SEARCH to SOCIAL very exciting but did have one main concern, as the information becomes shared almost like a written conversation, isn’t there be more of a chance that the facts become distorted or changed?  What keeps a fact a fact?  What becomes our new baseline for our source?  I’m curious what you think on this subject.  How far do you think this trend will continue?

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Posted in branding, career-rebuilding, career-transition, facebook, google, re-entering-the-workforce, self-help, social media marketing

Do I really need to know IT?

Posted on April 18, 2011 | Leave a comment

I once read that if I am missing a skill on my resume, go and get it.  But I am wondering what in the area of information technology how much do I need to get?  This area has really changed over the last decade and I need to find out how and if affects my goals.

When I decided to stay at home I chose to  replace all my windows based computers with machines that had fruit on the front.  My MS Office software has not been updated in years.  I no longer work on presentations, instead my computer had  become a source to review email,  update Facebook, store family photos and surf the internet.

Now I’m investigating what I need to be ready to go back to the workforce.  What is the base-line of technology tools and strategies?  How critical are they to me even finding a job?   I  feel as if I am quickly am trying to play catch up.  New words and concepts, although exciting, leave me puzzled on how much I really need to know.

Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs, new versions of MS Office to list a few, have sent me to use Google, go on trips Borders, gather opinions from friends and even attend a community evening class.  I am slowly sorting through these items.  This blog is part of my learning curve to understand the changes.  I don’t have a Twitter account yet because I haven’t gotten to that book yet…..you’ll know when I do.

What do you consider basic IT knowledge?  Please comment on this one, I would love to know.

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Posted in career-rebuilding, career-transition, re-entering-the-workforce, self-help

Branding me? This is new….

Posted on March 31, 2011 | 1 Comment

Leaving the workforce in 2002 there was an emerging consulting business that focused on start-up companies that needed to create a brand.  Now that I’m rethinking my working status, I have observed the concept of branding has drilled down to the individual level.  I believe this stems from the shift from persons working at one job or company their entire career to how we now switch and change jobs multiple times.  This has caused our loyalties to be placed on the self before the company.  In the workforce we have become our own commodity.  We are our own asset or product and need to market accordingly.    Now we need our own brand.

This changes how I need to look at presenting myself.  There are so many avenues that I could communicate with a potential employer or client my “look” and “message” needs to be more thoroughly thought out and consistent.  I realize I have much to learn on this subject.  Not only does my initial branding need to be impressive but I need to back it up with quality “product” or skill set with the hopes of creating a great first impression and lasting trust.

There are many, many resources out there to help get started.   There are books, consultants, classes and websites.  I pulled ideas from these sites and found them interesting.

Brand_yourself.com

DittoAndCo.com

Why Branding Yourself is Important

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Posted in branding, career-rebuilding, career-transition, re-entering-the-workforce, self-help, Uncategorized

And so it begins…

Posted on March 29, 2011 | Leave a comment

Moving from the “casual” job hunter to the “I’m really serious about finding something” job hunter has been eye-opening.  There is an obvious gap between my last employment date and today.  My self talk is saying, I did good things during my last employment run.  I was successful what I did.   I won awards, was top performer and in president’s club  but it has just been a few years.  That said, the reality is I have not been receiving a paycheck for almost ten years.  So now discussing and highlighting awards won eleven to fifteen years ago seem wrong and listing that great training I did in the 90′s seems off ….but then how to work in that I did sell a lot of LOTUS 1-2-3 training? There is always that.

What has become quite apparent is I need a new way to help me identify what I do well and highlight those things.  Those strengths did not go away they just have been used in other ways for the last few years.  After discussing my situation with a recruiter friend, she suggested that I try a tool she has found quite helpful.  It is a resource that helps us find our core competencies or strengths.  It is a book written by Tom Rath of Gallup, StrengthsFinder 2.0. It is paired with a brief online assessment that will helps identify your own top five talents from a pool of 34.

The premise is that these strengths when developed are what will propel us to success no matter what job we are in.  As long as we are focusing on what we do well as an individual we will not only be successful but fulfilled.  I have taken many variations of personality style tests based on Myers Briggs.  This tool is different.  It narrows in on the tactical way we work combined with the interpersonal.  I really feel that coming back into the workforce it is spot on.  I am planning on using my top five strengths in how I position my resume and profile on LinkedIn.

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Posted in career-rebuilding, career-transition, re-entering-the-workforce, self-help, Uncategorized

A new way to think….

Posted on March 28, 2011 | Leave a comment

Getting back into the workforce has not been anything like I thought it would be.  I had great and grandiose visions of landing a job much like the one I had left, oh nine or ten years ago.  Why would I worry?  I never had a problem getting a job before.  Somehow, I felt that time should have stood still and my accomplishments should still have glimmered as brightly as they did when I left the workforce to stay home with my young family.

I have been jarred into the reality that not working in ten years and being ten years older, is not an atribute to most HR staffing personnel. I am no longer kidding myself that my resume is getting a second glance.  The only time that is occurring is if it has made its way into the recycling bin somewhere.  My skills, although great in my mind, are not current on paper and my client contact list is non-existent when my Linkedin profile is searched.

So, here I sit.  I have felt sorry for my status for a few months now and shed a few tears.  I have been humbled by old co-workers not calling back and inability to land that next interview on the phone.  I needed to create a new plan for myself.  I am now turning my ideas and resources inward and searching for my own next thought….my own next idea that will help me on my journey to that next “big thing”.  I must say, it is exciting to think about.  This is what will be keeping me up at night.

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Posted in career-rebuilding, career-transition, re-entering-the-workforce, self-help