Hiring A Career Expert Key Considerations Before Writing The Check -

Hiring A Career Expert Key Considerations Before Writing The Check -This article is courtesy of Tim Tyrell-Smith, Founder at Tims Strategy Ideas for Job Search, Career and Life ( http//www.timsstrategy.com ).Thinking about hiring a career coach? A resume expert? There are a lot of choices out there, so how do you decide?During the pre-recession housing boom, everyone wanted to be a real estate agent. Or a mortgage broker. There was a lot of activity in the housing market and, often, a lot of money to be made.A lot of well-meaning people were quickly certified or trained to work in these jobs. They came out of the woodwork. And thats a natural thing to happen as industry growth shifts with the economy.Similar to the housing market shift, the recession has created new market opportunities. A significant crowd of smart people were laid off or otherwise removed from their roles. And over the past few years have been working to find new roles with new companies. So this crowd has needs. Many have never been out of work before. Have never needed a resume. Have no network on which to ask for help.So, as you might expect, there are a lot of new voices out there. Including mine. I also imagine that the associations who train and certify career coaches and resume experts continue to get significant new applicants. Makes sense. So you might be asking . . .How do you determine whether the investment in a career coach or resume expert makes sense?To answer this, you really have to do some thinking on your end. What is the harte nuss you are really looking to solve?Some examples of common problems I hear from job seekers I talk to each week includeIm getting no response to my resume (no calls, no emails)I must be interviewing poorly because I never get to the second round (and rarely hear why)I dont have a strong network (worried that Im not hearing about new jobs)Im not confident in my marketing materials or my marketing pitch (elevator pitch)I feel ine fficient (wasting time doing things the old way and not social media savvy)And all of these issues can be addressed effectively with the help of a career expert. But if you dont identify your real issues, you can spend a lot of money getting help that you dont need. And still have the real issue weighing you down.Because your issue with not getting a response to your resume may be related to your resume. But it also may be related to the jobs you are targeting. For example, if you are trying to change industries right now. Tough time to do that. Or if you are unqualified for a job. But apply anyway.You can also look for signs. Signs that your job search is on the right track. Because when you do that youll begin to measure your success. And learn over time where your strategy is broken. And when it is really mora of an execution issue.But when you figure out your issue. And realize that it can be solved with professional help. The decision to spend some money feels good. And it can be a huge confidence booster.In my 2007 job search, I didnt need resume or interview strategy support. Not my issues. But I still hired two fantastic coaches. I hired them for two very specific purposes.The first I hired to help me think about longer term career focus and strategy issues (job search is also a great time to rebuild your longer term goals). The second I hired because they were incredibly well connected in my target geography. In my eyes, this was a very smart spend. Tactical and powerful. She opened doors and phone lines for me with powerful people.So you can use a career coach or resume expert for big strategic issues or smaller, more tactical ones. You can also just admit that you are schwefelyperit and find someone who can build you a comprehensive job search plan. And be there with you every step of the way.Some other considerationsWhat is your financial situation? If you have the cash and believe that you have a significant issue, then I firmly bel ieve you spend the money early vs. languishing with the problem for weeks and months. Because then you begin to lose momentum and confidence. Many hesitate here.Are you self-accountable? If you are not in an accountability group (a group that meets weekly to keep each other stay on track with objectives), a career coach can be that person to keep you focused. And hit you with the 24 when you need to wake up and smell the Starbucks.Are you knowledgeable? Brand new to your search? First time searching in 10+ years? A veteran of search but struggling in this more competitive economy? Your knowledge base is an important consideration in deciding how to use a career expert.What job search stage are you in? Just laid off? Out over a year? You may need to find a career coach who specializes in helping job seekers at various stages. And you may look to structure a relationship that adjusts over time. In terms of the way you pay your coach. And the amount of their time that you receive.How are you with taking direction? Some arent good receiving advice and tend to be pretty independent. And while this can be a detriment, you have to know yourself. And work with a career expert who is a good fit. Personality wise.So if youve identified your issue (or set of issues) and know your situation, I highly recommend getting in touch with 2-3 career experts. Set up a 30 minute first discussion (should be free) so that you can explain your issue. Ask them for examples of people theyve worked with who have similar issues. Ask about their process. And ask how they are compensated (hourly, weekly or project based). You can also ask them for referrals. People you can call to see if former clients left happy, satisfied, and with new jobs.Id also like to remind you about my career expert directory. It is a growing list that includes experts in the US, Europe and Canada. A searchable data base of coaches, resume writers, career bloggers, authors, radio show hosts who can be a resource for you during your search. And everyone who gets on the list is pre-screened and approved by me. You can search for a local resource or look for the best resource in a particular field and work with them virtually (by phone or email). Very common these days.

8 Not-So-Obvious Ways Youre Undermining Your Reputation At Work

8 Not-So-Obvious Ways Youre Undermining Your Reputation At Work In an ideal world, wed all present the best-case-scenario version of ourselves at work the most responsible, the most self-assured, the most productive. But in reality, we need to balance demanding workloads, challenging coworkers and bosses, high-maintenance clients, overly-intense office air conditioning...the list continues. Sometimes, unterstellung numerous stresses can lead us to adopt tendencies that ultimately hamper our ability to grow within our roles and to set ourselves up for advancement and promotions. If youre wondering whether you subconsciously undermine yourself at work, keep an eye out for these 8 behaviors1. Youre not proactive about seeking feedback or opportunities.While youre certainly not alone if you decide to wait until official review periods to get feedback from your manager, its to your benefit to have these conversations on a more regular basis. Your manager should take the initiative to talk to you about your performance, but if she doesnt, dont hesitate to ask for a meeting to get a sense of where you stand, how you can improve, and what projects could be on the horizon that are a fit for your skills.2. You make promises that you cant/dont keep.Do you regularly agree to take on extra work even when you dont have the bandwidth? Do you often sign off on deadlines, only to find that they elapse before youre prepared? Your intentions may be good in these situations you want to help your coworkers and complete assignments to the best of your ability, but by saying yes to situations without really thinking them through and finding yourself unable to deliver, youre compromising the trust that your colleagues and supervisors have in you and potentially limiting your growth potential.3. You speak before you listen.Of course, you should feel empowered as an important and skilled employee to speak up in meetings if you have ideas or thoughts on the discussion topics. However, if youre talking over coworkers to get your point across and arent actively listening to the input of your colleagues, then youre not positioning yourself as a strong collaborator, which can be an dealbreaker when your companys higher-ups start looking for candidates for leadership roles.4. You try to be everyones friend.Its healthy and beneficial to maintain positive relationships with your colleagues, and developing off-the-clock friendships with the folks in your cubicle bank can be a wonderful side effect of the 9-to-5 life. But if being everyones friend becomes your primary goal in the workplace, it can get in the way of your professional progress.5. You consistently arrive at meetings a little bit late.Perhaps you work in an office where arriving 5-10 minutes late on a daily basis isnt a big deal. However, if youre extending that flexibility to scheduled meetings and walking in several minutes late on a regular basis, then you can bet that its being noticed...and usually not in a positive manner.6. Youre unaware of your tone of voice and your facial expressions.Critiques about vocal tone, facial expressions, and gestures/posture often feel highly gendered, and its absolutely correct that your physical appearance shouldnt be a determining factor when it comes to project assignments and career advancement. That said, human beings do communicate through spoken words and visual expressions, and if youre spending meetings rolling your eyes at your colleagues and responding to ideas with dismissive or mocking vocal cadences, then those choices will inform your reputation and influence your relationships with the people in your department.7. Youre extremely hard on yourself when you make mistakes.When you make a mistake at work, its wise to consider the factors that led to the error and to devise a plan for avoiding similar pratproblematiks in the future. But dont spend time beating yourself up and allowing your mistake to influence your self-confidence that coul d become a self-fulfilling prophecy.8. You allow yourself to fall into unproductive habits.Especially if youve worked at the same company for a significant period of time, you may find yourself defaulting to ingrained habits where basic job duties are concerned. In that case, its helpful to reevaluate your processes from time to time, to eliminate redundancies, and to replace unproductive habits (like waiting hours to reply to quick emails or eschewing your file cabinet in favor of dumping your documents in a disorderly pile) with more efficient and effective alternatives.--