WiseWolf Talking - the WiseWolf Coaching Blog

WiseWolf’s Wise Advice for Monday – Being good at your job requires much more than just being smart.

Wendy Mason — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:09:34 +0000

WiseWolf’s Wise Advice for Monday – Being good at your job requires much more than just being smart.

“Being good at your job requires much more than just being smart. Success in any career, job, or even task requires more than mere intelligence. Certainly book smarts can help but career advancement requires many things such as perseverance, good communication skills, flexibility, adaptability, and most of all, experience. From my perspective nothing can replace experience and good judgment. Maybe it’s because I’m a risk manager. The best risk managers don’t just rely on quantitative models but draw upon their experience and differentiate themselves through their judgment.” Andrea Pozzi, Managing Director, Citigroup

From Andrea Pozzi: Five Messages to My Younger Self About Career Advancement

If you would like some help in developing your career skills please get in touch. Successful leaders are modest enough to know that working with a coach really can make a difference.

Wendy Mason is the The Career Coach – helping you to find fresh perspectives on your Job Search and Career. She helps you work towards your goals and aspirations, in a way that fits in with both work and home life. Email her at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com, find her on Skype at wendymason14, or call +44 (0) 2081239146 (02081239146 for UK callers) or +1 262 317 9016 if you are in the US.

A free trial/consultation allows you to try phone coaching from the comfort of your own home and without risk. Don’t forget to ask about the Summer Special Offer

Job Search:Do you include a “profile” in your CV?

Wendy Mason — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 14:00:10 +0000

Job Search:Do you include a “profile” in your CV?

A few thoughts on the value of including a short summary profile at the top of your CV!

This profile is sometimes called the career summary, personal profile statement, profile statement, resume summary, and summary of qualifications. All refer to profiling your key qualifications for a particular job on your résumé.

The profile sums up your skills and experience, and it can include your career goals. This is a part of your CV that you should certainly tailor to the particular needs of the specific job for which you are applying. These are the headline words that will flag up to a recruiter why you are right for the role.

Essentially, a profile is a very condensed and targeted version of a cover letter. And there are clear benefits to including a good one. It can help you stand out among the hundreds of applications companies receive. Most employers spend only a few seconds looking at your CV, and most of this time is spent looking at the top half of it. So, even if a potential employer reads only your profile (located directly beneath your name and contact information), they will still have a clear idea of how uniquely well fitted you are for the role.

In addition, your profile can include Keywords that will help your application get picked up by the recruiting management software that many companies use now use to screen applications.

Keep your profile concise – between one and four short sentences and you can use bullet points. Focus on the requirements for the job and what you have to offer. Overall, integrate your employment history and skills into the qualifications listed for the job – make sure right at first glance, you look like the best candidate.

Wendy Mason is the The Career Coach – helping you to find fresh perspectives on your Job Search and Career. She helps you work towards your goals and aspirations, in a way that fits in with both work and home life. Email her at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com, find her on Skype at wendymason14, or call +44 (0) 2081239146 (02081239146 for UK callers) or +1 262 317 9016 if you are in the US.

A free trial/consultation allows you to try phone coaching from the comfort of your own home and without risk. Don’t forget to ask about the Summer Special Offer

Job search – how to network to find a job!

Wendy Mason — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:55:10 +0000

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Job search – how to network to find a job!

Job search networking is all about making connections with people. The people you want to contact are those who can either let you know about potential job openings or connect you with others who can tell you.

Networking means talking to everyone you know. This includes family, friends, neighbours, acquaintances, previous employers and colleagues, people you play sport with, local business people, the family solicitor or accountant—everyone. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know very many people. The people you do know might in turn know other people who have heard about a job opening.

Job search networking can be done at different levels. It can be a matter of having casual conversations with people you meet. Or you can make it an active and strategic campaign to contact people for ideas, suggestions and information.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. People are usually happy to help if they can. You have nothing to lose by phoning or meeting with your contacts. If you don’t make the connection, you won’t be able to tell if the person has good information or knows about an upcoming job. If you do speak with them, you might just land that job, or hear about another that suits you better.

At worst you might feel a bit uncomfortable. But, being prepared will make the discussions easier.

How to Prepare For Job Search Networking

Make a list of all the people you know.

They don’t need to be friends, or even acquaintances; you just need to have enough of a common link with them to initiate a conversation. If you can pick up the phone and call them, for any reason, they are potential networking contacts.

Prepare what you are going to say

You don’t want to just ring people up and say, ‘I work in HR. Do you know of any jobs going?’ Before you phone anyone, note down the specific details of what you’re looking for and exactly the kind of help you think they might be able to give you. For example, say:
‘I’m looking for a role in training and development within the public sector or a not-for-profit organisation. [Government department] or [organisation name] would be the kind of place I’d like to work in. Would you know of any places, maybe smaller and more local, that might be looking for trainers?’

Contact the people on your list in a systematic way

Set yourself a goal—maybe you’re happy to spend all afternoon on the phone to people, and cross twenty off your list. Or maybe you just want to work through the list steadily, making three calls a day. If you find yourself losing enthusiasm, being less conversational and speaking more mechanically, it might be time to take a break.

Ask them for job leads

To make it easy for people to help you, ask them if they have any tips, leads or suggestions. Ask them if they know of any vacancies at all for a person with your skills. If they don’t, ask them to keep you in mind in case anything comes up. Most importantly, ask them if they can suggest anyone else you contact. Do they know someone else who might know about the kinds of jobs that you’re after? Do they know anyone who works for this or that company that you’re interested in joining? If they can refer you to others, contact those other people and ask them the same questions.

Follow up contacts

Often people will tell you, ‘I’ll ask around and see what I can find out for you.’ Sometimes they do ask around; sometimes they forget almost immediately, or a crisis happens at work and they haven’t the time. If you don’t hear from them within a week or so, call them back to see if they’ve managed to find anything out.
Sometimes it seems as if no one will do anything for you or ask around on your behalf. It can be frustrating, but you should stay very polite and pleasant in your dealings with your contacts. After all, you’re asking them for a favour.

Follow up leads

After your initial networking efforts and research, you’ll probably have a long list of new people to try and make connections with. A phone call may be enough, or you might want to arrange a meeting with them to introduce yourself and ask them more specific questions about their company or industry.

Networking wisdom

• Whenever you meet someone new, exchange business cards with them (or at least get one from your new contact, so you can send them your details).
• Show your appreciation for the help you receive by sending a thank-you note, or by telling your contact how their information helped you, even if it only led indirectly to a job prospect.
• Think laterally about where to find network contacts. You can find people to add to your network almost anywhere.
• Get involved in a civic, social, religious or sporting organisation that interests you. As you meet new people in the organisation, they can become new network contacts.
• Join a professional organisation related to your field. The meetings or related events are good opportunities for you to network with people in your field.
• Think about online networking, in forums and in chat rooms.
• Record and organise all your network contacts—for example, on a spreadsheet or index cards. Write down what you found out from them, and any follow-up you should do. This will help you organise your time and monitor your progress.

Keep networking

Even after you’ve found a job, keep networking. Networking isn’t just for getting a job; it can help you do your job better, and it’s a way of being part of your community and society.

Life is full of surprises. You never know when you might need your network contacts’ help in another job search.

Social networking

Social networking sites, such as LinkedIn and Twitter, are becoming increasingly important tools for both job seekers and employers. Learn how to use them – if you would like some help I can recommend a first rate social networking trainer

With thanks to Australia’s Myfuture website

Wendy Mason is the The Career Coach – helping you to find fresh perspectives on your Job Search and Career. She helps you work towards your goals and aspirations, in a way that fits in with both work and home life. Email her at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com, find her on Skype at wendymason14, or call +44 (0) 2081239146 (02081239146 for UK callers) or +1 262 317 9016 if you are in the US.

A free trial/consultation allows you to try phone coaching from the comfort of your own home and without risk. Don’t forget to ask about the Summer Special Offer

Interview Preparation: Identify Your Strengths to show your Potential Career Performance

Wendy Mason — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 08:57:46 +0000

Interview Preparation: Identify Your Strengths to show your Potential Career Performance

Today’s guest post come from Tamara M. Williams who reads guides and books related to personal and career development and encourages you to do the same. Tamara publishes other articles, read more at http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Tamara_M._Williams

Identifying your strengths is very important for interview preparation. Interviewers always ask about your strengths and how they can be applied to the job. Strengths demonstrate your accomplishments in life. Accomplishments are directly tied to areas that are your strong points. In addition, knowing your strengths help you to decide other industries you should work in and other qualifications that you should seek. Determine your strengths by following the steps below.

Identify all your academic qualifications: First, make a list of your academic qualifications. These would include all your associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. These qualifications showed that you have the skills and knowledge needed in a particular field. For e.g. a BSc in Computer Science indicate that you have knowledge in creating applications using various programming languages. This also shows that you have Problem-solving skills.

Identify all your professional qualifications: Second, make a list of your professional qualifications. These were most likely obtained after gaining some work experience. These demonstrate that you have strengths in a particular subject, product or service in a specific industry. The qualifications are awarded by professional bodies. For e.g. the Associate or Fellow Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA or FCCA) is conferred by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. This indicates knowledge in using Accounting software such as QuickBooks or Sage. You would also have Book-keeping / Budget skills.

Identify all your academic experience: Third, identify all the clubs and societies that you participated in while at college or university. For e.g. being a member of a Performing Arts Club would indicate that you have Organization, Project Management and People skills. In addition, you could have knowledge of the various works of Shakespeare.

Identify all your professional experience: Finally, list all the companies that you worked with, your job titles and specific projects that you worked on and what you achieved. This list would include summer jobs, part-time and full-time work, internships and volunteer work. Once again what you achieved during your work assignments would show your strengths. For e.g. in one project you created the Company and Product/Service brochures. Then you presented this information at seminars and conferences. This means that you have Writing and Reporting, and Communication skills. Besides that shows knowledge of a particular product or service specific to that industry such as the Food and Beverage Industry.

Now that you have completed this exercise you are more prepared to answer questions related to your strengths when interviewing for a new job, promotion or a raise. This shows that your skills and knowledge gave you great achievements in the past and are capable of doing greater in the future. Remember to give yourself a pat on the back for all your hard work and good luck in your career!

About the Author:

Tamara M. Williams reads guides and books related to personal and career development. She encourages you to do the same. Contact your college or university career center or a Life & Career Coach for more assistance. Tamara also publishes other articles, read more at http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Tamara_M._Williams

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Teamwork and Your Career – What Kind Of Leader Are You?

Wendy Mason — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:27:52 +0000

Teamwork and Your Career – What Kind Of Leader Are You?

So, if you had a choice, what kind of person would you want to follow? It is a good question to ask yourself if you are leader in any capacity – from a hobby group, a small work team to a major corporation.

Well, there are some obvious characteristics, aren’t there? For example, we would all want a leader who acted with integrity. Integrity is the very bedrock of trust and we all hope that we can trust the person who is showing us the way ahead. As for me, I want to follow someone I can believe when they tell me it is safe to take a risk. I’m not going to walk across that rope bridge to a what you tell me is a bright future unless I believe that it really is strong enough to keep me out of the river. Now, sometimes of course you won’t know any more than I do – but you will certainly know how to find out as much as possible. And you’ll tell me clearly what the facts are and why I should take the risk anyway, if I should.

Then, of course, we want a leader who has a clear vision of where we are trying to go and can paint it in a way that we can see the destination too. We want someone who can paint the future in colours that lead us to have enough faith to step out with them. We need a message that gets us all turning in the same direction and marching a long together. That vision needs to be bright enough to illuminate the way.

Most of all we would like to follow a leader who wasn’t working for their own ends but for ours; a servant leader who is prepared to act with compassion. John Maxwell put it this way: “Servant-leaders never pursue a mission at the expense of their people. Rather, servant-leaders earn the loyalty and best efforts of their people by serving the interests and investing in the development of those they lead. A servant-leader wants to see others succeed.” Good leaders know that they’re only as good as the people who support them and so they invest time and energy in ensuring the well-being and success of their team.

So, what kind of leader are you? Are you demonstrating integrity, vision and compassion? If not, what changes do you plan to make? You will need to change something won’t you, if you are serious about your career and expect others to follow you.

If you would like some help in developing your leadership skills please get in touch. Good leaders are modest enough to know that working with a coach really can make a difference.

Wendy Mason is the The Career Coach – helping you to find fresh perspectives on your Job Search and Career. She helps you work towards your goals and aspirations, in a way that fits in with both work and home life. Email her at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com, find her on Skype at wendymason14, or call +44 (0) 2081239146 (02081239146 for UK callers) or +1 262 317 9016 if you are in the US.

A free trial/consultation allows you to try phone coaching from the comfort of your own home and without risk. Don’t forget to ask about the Summer Special Offer

Career Development – “Worst Case Scenario” – How To Handle Getting Fired

Wendy Mason — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 13:54:47 +0000

Career Development – Worst Case Scenario – How To Handle Getting Fired

Below is a great post from About.com Job Searching by the wonderful Alison Doyle. The employment law she refers to is American and you will need to check what applies in your country. But I believe the themes and her wise advice apply generally.

“Getting fired, unfortunately, can happen to the best of us. It can happen even when it’s not your fault. There could be a personality conflict between yourself and your supervisor. Your idea of what the job was going to be like might differ from what management was thinking. You could have simply screwed up. It happens. You’re not alone.

Wrongful Termination

Experts estimate that at least 250,000 workers are illegally or unjustly fired (wrongful termination) each year and that’s not counting those that were justifiably terminated. Regardless of the circumstances, what to do if you’ve been fired? Where do you go from here?

Getting Fired

First of all, don’t beat yourself up. As I said, getting fired can happen to the best of us. Don’t dwell on it. Instead, focus on what you are going to do next and how you are going to find another job. Keeping in mind that another hurdle – the stigma of being fired – has just been added to your job search. That said, there are ways you can address this issue and put it in at least a neutral, if not a positive, light.

You can read the rest of the post at this link http://jobsearch.about.com/od/salary/a/fired.htm

The support of a career coach can make a huge difference in these circumstances and I offer a free taster coaching session if you would like some quick advice – contact details are below.

Wendy Mason is the The Career Coach – helping you to find fresh perspectives on your Job Search and Career. She helps you work towards your goals and aspirations, in a way that fits in with both work and home life. Email her at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com, find her on Skype at wendymason14, or call +44 (0) 2081239146 (02081239146 for UK callers) or +1 262 317 9016 if you are in the US.

A free trial/consultation allows you to try phone coaching from the comfort of your own home and without risk. Don’t forget to ask about the Summer Special Offer

Career Development: Personality Tests and a Useful Free Resource

Wendy Mason — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 12:15:42 +0000

Career Development: Personality Tests and a Useful Free Resource

A personality test is a questionnaire or other test designed to reveal aspects of your character or psychological makeup. They are used often by recruiters and by large organizations when making decisions about who to promote. But you can use these kind of tests yourself as part of your own career development and it always helps to know what recruiters may find.

The first personality tests were developed in 1920s and used by the armed forces. Since these early efforts, a variety of tests have been developed. Most notable are the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the MMPI, and a number of tests based on the “Five Factor” Model of personality.

Today, personality tests have become a multi-million dollar industry and they can be used in a range of contexts. These can include individual and relationship counselling as well as career planning, and employee selection and development.

Below is a link to a free test is based on MBTI approach to personality. Upon completion of the questionnaire, you can find out your 4-letter type formula according to Carl Jung’s and Isabel Briggs Myers’ theories. As well as that, you will find an indication of the strengths of your preferences and the description of your personality type.

After that, if you put your 4 letter type into a search engine you should find lots of relevant information and resources on-line. For example, I am INFJ which suggests among other things an aptitude for writing and counselling/coaching apparently.

Anyway try the test and if you would like to discuss your results please get in touch. Here is the link http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp

Wendy Mason is the The Career Coach – helping you to find fresh perspectives on your Job Search and Career. She helps you work towards your goals and aspirations, in a way that fits in with both work and home life. Email her at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com, find her on Skype at wendymason14, or call +44 (0) 2081239146 (02081239146 for UK callers) or +1 262 317 9016 if you are in the US.

A free trial/consultation allows you to try phone coaching from the comfort of your own home and without risk. Don’t forget to ask about the Summer Special Offer

Career Development; How To Ask For an Informational Interview

Wendy Mason — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 10:36:53 +0000

Career Development; How To Ask For an Informational Interview

Written by Kristin S. Johnson. Kristin is a TORI award-winning, 6-times certified resume writer, job search coach, and social media consultant. Her approach is cutting-edge, creative, and kind.

We all like to be appreciated for what we do well. When someone asks me a question about resumes or other career topics, I’m always happy to answer, or at least refer the person to where they can get the answer. I like to think this is because I’m a giving, altruistic person. But, in all honesty, there’s ego involved, too. Knowing someone appreciates my expertise makes me want to talk. (My friends will confirm this.)

That is why I recommend people conduct informational interviews. If you ask someone to offer their advice, showing respect for their success, they will likely want to share. Is it only that we like to pay it forward? Sometimes, but I’m not unique; people like to hear themselves talk about the things they know. Either way, having a specific agenda with pointed questions will get you further in your networking efforts than the vague request of asking your connection out to coffee.

So, how do you set up an informational interview? It can be hard to ask for a favor. Many job seekers procrastinate on setting up informational interviews or networking meetings because they are afraid of being rejected. If you follow these guidelines, you’ll be much more likely to get a positive response.

Consider the mode of communicationPeople often have different ways they prefer to be contacted…..You can read the rest of this post at http://www.professiondirection.net/networking/how-to-ask-for-an-informational-interview/

Wendy Mason is the The Career Coach – helping you to find fresh perspectives on your Job Search and Career. She helps you work towards your goals and aspirations, in a way that fits in with both work and home life. Email her at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com, find her on Skype at wendymason14, or call +44 (0) 2081239146 (02081239146 for UK callers) or +1 262 317 9016 if you are in the US.

A free trial/consultation allows you to try phone coaching from the comfort of your own home and without risk. Don’t forget to ask about the Summer Special Offer

Job Search – knowing what you don’t want!

Wendy Mason — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 16:05:31 +0000

Job Search – knowing what you don’t want!

If you talk to people who have been unemployed for some time, you will usually find that their over-riding ambition is simply to get back into work again. It is all too easy to reach a point where you will take more or less anything that is vaguely in the field you left, if it pays enough for you to meet the bills and is compatible with your own sense of dignity. In those circumstances, it is all too easy to lose sight of what really matters to you and to ignore any underlying doubts that the job is really the one for you.

Now, as I’ve said here before here – we need to be realistic. A good job is hard to find now. And jobs are very rarely the perfect fit. Common-sense says you apply the 80/20 principle in reverse. If 80 percent of the job fits, and the 20 percent doesn’t, that is usually OK. But what if that 20% includes something you very strongly dislike? Then taking the job becomes very risky.

Most people have a list of things they do want in a job. But few produce a list of things that they don’t want. This includes the kinds of work that you know you will find uncomfortable and may not be good at. For example, a job that requires you to handle lots of very fine detail when that is not your strength.

Spending time on the list of things you don’t want is always time well invested. Make your list carefully and be very honest with yourself. For example, if regular travelling really isn’t practical then put that on the list.

Now, of course, life and job search is all about compromise. Sometimes you may think that it is worth taking a job that hits lots buttons on your wanted list and so balances out the buttons on your not wanted list. But, please have a care, particularly with those items you marked as strong dislikes. There really is a risk for you with those items.

Only you can decide whether it is worth the risk of taking a job that includes things on your avoidance list. But please think carefully to limit the chance of a demoralizing failure.

Wendy Mason is the The Career Coach – helping you to find fresh perspectives on your Job Search and Career. She helps you work towards your goals and aspirations, in a way that fits in with both work and home life. Email her at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com, find her on Skype at wendymason14, or call +44 (0) 2081239146 (02081239146 for UK callers) or +1 262 317 9016 if you are in the US.

A free trial/consultation allows you to try phone coaching from the comfort of your own home and without risk. Don’t forget to ask about the Summer Special Offer

Friday Quotes: Inspiration, Change

Wendy Mason — Fri, 31 May 2013 09:12:27 +0000

Friday Quotes: Inspiration, Change

If you feel you lack confidence when faced with change please get in touch with me!

Wendy Mason is the The Career Coach – helping you to find fresh perspectives on your Job Search and Career. She helps you work towards your goals and aspirations, in a way that fits in with both work and home life. Email her at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com, find her on Skype at wendymason14, or call +44 (0) 2081239146 (02081239146 for UK callers) or +1 262 317 9016 if you are in the US.

A free trial/consultation allows you to try phone coaching from the comfort of your own home and without risk. Don’t forget to ask about the Summer Special Offer