Nat's Notes

How to Choose the Right Career?

2011-08-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

Answer!

Choosing a career is an involved process that is based on a number of things:

Interests.
Skills
Work-related values
Personality

You may want to contact a career development professional.

The career development professional may use a self-assessment tool to evaluate your interests, skills, values and personality.

If finances are an issue, check the library, colleges and universities' career services.

There are some self assesssment tools online that are free.

Develop a list of suitable careers based on your self-assessment.

Do some research.

Gather information about the career which include:

A job description
An outlook on the field
Required training and education

Narrow down the choices

Investigate even further
Conduct informational interviews with those working in the field

Now make an educated decision on the career you want to pursue.

Tips to transfer into another career!

2011-03-28T08:07:00.000-07:00

Know what you want to do.
Idnetify the type of position, job or work.
Identify the skills you want to transfer.
Identify the sector you want to transfer to (private sector, gov't, nonprofit)
Identify the industry
Conduct research on the sector
Netowork with the association that represents the people and sector
Interview a person in the sector who is doing the job orwho is in the position.
Develop your marketing strategies for transferring into the sector.

The Interview Experience - Be Aware!

2011-02-07T07:52:00.000-08:00

How were you treated while interviewing?
What phases did the interviewers use frequently?
Was there a theme or unspoken tone to the questions asked?
How did the environment feel to you?
How prepared were the interviewers? Were they on time?
Were you given a schedule?
Were you treated like a guest or a prisoner?
Were your responses to questions treated with suspicion or professional curiosity?

10 Ways to Improve Your Interpersonal Skills!

2011-01-31T04:51:00.000-08:00

Smile.
Be appreciative.
Pay attention to others.
Practice active listening.
Bring people together.
Resolve conflicts.
Communicate clearly.
Humor them.
See it from their side.
Don't complain.

10 Ways To Get Promoted

2011-01-24T06:26:00.000-08:00

Don't procrastinate.
Watch your email.
Be respectful of your coworkers and colleagues.
Don't abuse your work privileges.
Know how to network.
Be prompt.
Stay positive.
Avoid negative talk about your company.
Avoid office drama and heavy politics.
Be flexible and go above and beyond.

Career Resolutions for the New Year

2010-12-30T06:21:00.000-08:00

1. Revise resume

2. Re-establish career goals

3. Join a professional organization in my field

4. Find a mentor

5. Increase interpersonal skills

6. Obtain more knowledge, skills and abilities

7. Keep a positive mental attitude

FATAL RESUME MISTAKES!

2010-12-06T08:19:00.000-08:00

1. No Cover Letter - You need a cover letter even when emailing your resume.
2. No Imagination - Aviod using cookie cutter resume templates.
3. Too Much Imagination - Aviod using colored or prefumed paper.
4. Including an Objective Statement - Puts you in a corner
5. Typos and grammatical errors - Your resume must be grammatically perfect.
6. Unfocused Resume - Your resume should clearly state what you want to do.
7.List Dates First - List past employment first,dates second.
8. Resume is too short or too long - Two pages is appropriate.
9. Resume is paragraph form - Use bullets instead.
10. Irrelevant job descriptions, too much focus on the past - Focus on accomplishments
11. Too much personal information - Use sparingly.
12. Not Qualified
13. No Keywords
14. References available upon reference - Not necessary

Mentor, How to Find One!

2010-03-08T15:08:00.000-08:00

Looking for a Mentor!

Look for a person that you respect.
Look for a mentor in various Trade Associations, Alumni Associations,Networking Groups
The Mentor should have senior level experience
The Mentor should have a willingness to participate in someone else's development
The mentor should have been a mentor to others before you
Mentor should know the rules and culture of the organization (formal & informal)

Tips for Your Career

2010-02-11T05:26:00.000-08:00

1. Join an organization in your field or profession.

Get involved and get to know the members.
Sign up for a committee.
Get the latest information on trends and new ideas in your field.
Obtain information about potential job openings.
Network with people in your field.

2. Join a your college alumni association.

Network with people from your college or university.
Connect with the Alumni Office.
Obtain information on the latest job openings.
Join, get invloved, build relationships.

Remember: It is not always who you know but who knows you!

Tips for Boomers

2009-09-12T09:29:00.000-07:00

1. Embrace Technology
2. Stay Around Younger People
3. Exercise daily
4. Have a positive mental attitude
5. Learn new thinks
6. Discover/Follow your passion
7. Have a strong spiritual life
8. Surround yourself with like minded positve people
9. Have a yearly physical
10. Get to know your Doctor well