Working for a Living

Last time we discussed the necessity – or lack thereof -  in getting a college degree and this time I thought we might take a look at a few career fields that do not require one.  There are career choices out there that fit the bill, but according to this article in Forbes there aren’t many compared to the degree-required type.

Stress is a common thread running among many of these career choices and 50-60 hour work weeks are also common.  To reach top earner status in many of these fields you’ll probably have to get several years of experience under your belt, but fear not – it can be done.

To whet your appetite, here’s a list of just a few jobs listed in an article featured on Careerbuilder:

• Real Estate Broker
• Fashion Designer
• Plumber
• Radiation Therapist
• Court Reporter
• Funeral Director
• Industrial Production Manager
• Computer Specialist

It goes without saying that many of these careers require some form of certification or licensing, as in the case of real estate broker, and/or some form of apprenticeship as perhaps with plumbers.  You’ll also find careers like construction manager that previously have relied solely on experience that are now being offered as full-fledged degree programs in many universities now.

It should also be noted, as it states in the Forbes article that many of the top earners (e.g. over $100, 000) will predominantly be degree-holders regardless. However, many of these career choices offer ways for one to get a foot in the door  so to speak, and work up to the level you desire where the only limitation is your level of commitment.  Most larger companies today also have tuition assistance programs for their employees who wish to further their education in their chosen fields and will cover most(in some few cases, all) education expenses involved.

In the end it seems that the answer to our original question – whether you really need a college degree – would be “not necessarily.”  It all depends on which direction you want to go and determining how best to get there.  If that involves the hallowed halls of higher education then so be it, but it’s certainly not a deal-breaker in today’s world.

What about you and your career?  Was it necessary for you chosen field, or did you decide college wasn’t for you?  Did you forge your own path? Let us know, we’d love to hear from you!

With the economy in a rut currently, employers often are reluctant to add new employees to their payrolls. Many companies are in situations in which they have too much work for their workers, but not so much to warrant hiring new ones. In better economic times, companies may have hired temporary paid workers, but under the circumstances, companies are turning more to low-paid or unpaid interns to help carry the extra workload.

Interns are the one type of worker which employers will be looking for more of in a recession. The number of internships and what companies offer them is not a defined statistic, but positions are rarely with large public corporations. If you are interested in an internship, small businesses will more likely be looking for interns, as they view them as an effective means of growth and as a great asset in project work.

The importance of internships has changed in recent years, and because of this–and because of the increasing interest in hiring interns–competition is on the rise. An internship has become more than a bell or whistle on a résumé. Companies are more frequently looking for graduates who have had some real-world work experience before they decide to pay them. As a result, it is more likely that an internship will affect your outlooks for potential employment in the future.

Internships are also being explored by more people than just college students. As some industries are weakening–such as real estate–many who have become unemployed are seeking internships in pursuing new careers. If you are in such a position, you may actually have an advantage over college age interns when it comes to seeking future employment. Student interns also have studies to attend to while a non-student intern can more fully devote himself or herself to the work.

If you are between jobs, an internship may represent a considerable pay cut. Many internships are unpaid, and the ones that are paid are usually only slightly above minimum wage. However, an internship is the best way to learn the ropes of a new field of work and explore a fresh career. Through impressive work, enthusiasm, and your previous experience you can use an internship to show an employer that you are an invaluable resource capable of delivering for his or her company and take a strong step toward a new job.

I’m sure by now that many of you heard about the concept of branding. You are told that you have to do it and where to do it. No one really tells you what it is and how to create your brand both on-line and off-line. I will introduce you to some concepts of personal branding that you can use on social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, as well as by having your own blog.

What is Branding?

Let us start off by examining what branding is. Branding is simply how you are perceived by others. Companies spend millions of dollars each year in advertising to try to create a certain image for their product. We know the constant barrage of commercials trying to create a favorable image emphasizing the quality of the product and associating the product with popular causes and famous people. On the personal level famous people have public relations professionals who find ways to get them publicity through personal appearances and being mentioned in the media to build their brand.

Branding and the Job Hunt

When looking for a job, branding comes into play in several areas. First, you have to create a favorable image on your resume. The resume should highlight your key competencies and examples that demonstrate that you have those skills. Second, you have to develop a pitch which creates an image to others that you have these skills and abilities. Finally you have to convey these competencies in compelling way on a personal interview. How do you begin to become aware of your personal brand? I have some exercises that will help you get started.

1. Write down three personal attributes that you want to others to be aware of about you.
2. Ask people who know you best to write down what they perceive as your top three attributes or key skills. How close do people perceive you to the way you want to be perceived?
3. If there is a mismatch, what do you need to do to change their perception of you?

Branding and Perception

Changing how people perceive you is a tricky proposition. You may be perceived with one group in a very positive way, but not with another. For example, your peers may perceive you as a great friend, fun loving and easy to get along with. But, these same dominant attributed may not be seen as positive by others who are evaluating you for a leadership position. So, if you are presenting yourself, for a higher management position, presenting yourself as strong and decisive may be important, thus the brand you try to project needs to developed to be in sync with your goals and aspirations. The help of a skilled image coach could help you. This is where 360 comes in, with a pool of experts in almost every professional field, ready to help you with its one on one Career Action Planning.

What Makes a Brand?

Let’s look at what makes up a brand. I will borrow heavily from a book “Be Your Own Brand” by David McNally and Karl Speak. A personal brand is what we are committed and what we stand for. It has to do with how we present that to the outside world and how we communicate our beliefs and abilities to people through what we say and our actions. When we are looking for a job we try to build our brand through our resume and our self presentation. Self presentation on a job search is what we say to people we meet during an event, friends and a one on one informational and contact development interview. It is also involved in what we write in cover letters and what we write about ourselves on on-line social media.

There are three characteristics of a strong brand:

1. Distinction

   First they are distinctive. That is there is something unique about that brand that differentiates it from other brands. Too many resumes read like job descriptions. They are boilerplate. When I read these resumes that people bring into me I apply the “so what” litmus test. When I say”wow!” then i know that it meets the distinctiveness criteria.

2. Relevancy

   The second criteria is that it is relevant. Other people have to consider it important. What you say about yourself must be in line with what is needed in the job market right now. So if you waited on tables or were on the events committee of your sorority, does that make a case that you will be a great financial analyst? Get rid of things that are irrelevant on your resume. Fill the resume with items that demonstrate your competencies as it relates to the job you seek. You can find out what is relevant through talking to people in your field, either through one on one or events networking. Find out what are the hot buttons in your profession or industry an address them in your self-presentation.

3. Consistency

   The third characteristic of a strong brand is consistency. The same message should be on all your resume, on line social media and in person. Successful politicians were able to deliver a consistent message throughout their campaigns so that voters got feeling as to what to expect from the candidate. You need to build a consistent message of competency in your field. When you put together your profiles on Linked In, Facebook and Twitter be sure you are delivering the same message. The personal pitch you develop for your networking and job interviews should be the same that is on your resume and social media portals.

Please consider buying this book: “Career Distinction” by William Arruda and Kristen Dixson. The book has a number of guided exercises which help you get in touch with who you are, what you have to offer the world and how to get that across to other people. And don’t forget, when it comes to truly distinguishing yourself from the crowd, 360 is there to get you noticed, and get you hired.

Hey job seekers, where were you last night? If you didn’t say “out at a business networking event,” you may be missing out on opportunity. The site I use to find good networking events is Meetup.com.

Meetup is a great online place to both host reoccurring networking events and find good ones to join. You can search by location or by topic. You can even see how many people are planning to attend – I like to attend ones with at least 100 people or more.

Last week I attended the Santa Cruz New Tech Meetup (more about the meet-up). As an active job seeker, this networking event was perfect for several reasons.

1. New Professional Contacts

   The event was an excellent opportunity for me to meet several new local business contacts that I would previously not had an opportunity to mingle with.

2. New Company Leads

   A couple of the tech companies who presented I had not heard of before this event. All three are growing and there may be an opportunity for me at some point.

3. Add Value to Your Network

   Only a few people in my network made it that night, which allows me the opportunity to add value to my network by sharing this new technology, new contacts and new information. I heard of at least two job openings as a result of the events, none suited for me but it allows me a great way to reach out to my network of professionals.

4. Professional Branding Opportunity

   Getting out there to brand yourself isn’t an easy task. A great setting like this networking event is a great way to meet people, share what you do and create opportunity for yourself. Several of the attendees that I met, want to talk “blogging” and recruiting in near future.

   

   Remember to have your professional business card ready to hand out. Even if you aren’t employed at the moment, gets cards made. Do not hand write your information, but have them professionally done. Vistaprint has fairly inexpensive business cards. I personally like Moo Print because they print on eco-friendly paper. I was able to upload my own image and create a custom look.

5. Gain Control of Your Job Search

   Meeting and networking with other professionals helps me to expand my network. This could lead me to other opportunities in the future or when I am gainfully employed, help the company I’m working for. I never want to be “stuck” in a professional role but feel empowered to be successful. Simply applying to jobs online isn’t as effective as networking into them. I’m comfortable with networking, but for someone more introverted a career coach might be an excellent idea.

So you were let go from a job you gave years of your life to and more energy than you’d like to admit due to your company cutting corners and needing to let valuable, hardworking employees go. While you’ve been searching high and low for a job to replace your last, no prospects are turning up and as more and more companies politely tell you that they have no available jobs to offer you, your mood continuously plummets.

While it is not only understandable, but expected to lose your drive and take on a defeated attitude when searching for a job that you believe will never come, it is important to recover from your poor spirits quickly. As cliché as it may sound, you never know when the perfect opportunity is going to come your way, but if you’re not there to take it, it’s going to become someone else’s perfect opportunity and with the way the job market is now, there is hardly time to waste before the opportunity slips from your grasp.

When you conduct your life, especially your job hunt, with a defeated attitude, you will unconsciously go about looking for a job without applying the effort needed to sealing the position. When you go in for an interview with a prospected employer, the moment you begin to think that there is no way you will be hired for the position you’re interviewing for, you will immediately stop trying as hard as you would if you thought there was no way that you could be turned down for the position. Attitude is everything and if you walk into an interview confident and sure of yourself and your ability to perform the job you are applying for, chances are that the person interviewing you for the job will pick up on that self-confidence and will at the very least, ask you back for a second interview and at the most, land you a job that you will excel in.

This article is the third in a five-part series where we will evaluate free services on the Internet to aid you in your job search and general career advancement.

One of the key elements I emphasize to my clients when giving advice is to expand their network. Some of the greatest career advancements were made possible by a good word from the right person. To find those right people, it’s time to begin actively socializing. Meetup is the place to go if you’re looking to join a social or professional group of folks that share your interests, experience, and goals.

Finding the right Meetup groups is essential. This isn’t always the easiest task, and quickly becomes more complicated if you live outside of an urban area. Search for an appropriate group by querying a few keywords (try one at a time first) related to your field or desired career path. Be sure to insert the correct location, too. Sort through the search results by viewing the number of active members, how frequently the meetups are conducted, and how recent the last group activity was. These factors are key to connecting with the right network of people.

You found the group. You’re going to the event. Now, what to wear? The dress at most of the professional related events will be business casual. For men, this means something along the lines of khakis and a buttoned-down shirt. For women, this means a pair of slacks or a knee-length skirt with a blouse. These events are not the time to try out blue tips in your hair or a spiked collar necklace. The image is best described as a relaxed, approachable, professional.

Be sure to bring business cards with updated information to the meetup. If you have cards from a position at a company you no longer work, it’s time to get new ones (VistaPrint offers free basic business cards in exchange for a small advertisement of their service on the back). Have a relaxed smile on your face, prepare a firm handshake, always repeat the person’s name you are meeting (“It is nice to meet you, too, Kim.”), and make sure you have your ‘elevator speech’ down.

Good luck and go interact!

Other Articles in This Series:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• RSS
• Blogging

This article is second in a five-part series where we will evaluate free services on the Internet to aid you in your job search and general career advancement.

To use Twitter as a ‘micro-blogging’ site or a place to provide a general status update is a mistake. Twitter is quickly turning into a tool that is used to project a professional, yet personable, image. And, let’s face it, image counts for a lot when looking for the right job.

Twitter is available to the public and is searchable. If a potential employer is going to search for your Internet presence, your public updates are an important part of the impression they will have of you, even before giving you a chance to interview. Tweet wisely! While you may be tempted to tweet about the crazy night you have, save that for your Facebook status (for which you may want to change the privacy settings on now). Definitely do not mention your involvement in any activity that may be obscene, extreme, or illegal. This is a powerful network on the web and is not the place you want to spread word that you’re possibly irresponsible, immature, and have a disregard for common sense.

Do Tweet your opinion about industry news, relevant (non-marketing) links, and even about positive events in your personal life. Find influential people in your industry on Twitter and follow them. When appropriate, engage in conversation by providing thoughtful commentary, asking an excellent question, or even politely offering your assistance with a question they may have posed. But remember, these industry contacts are not your personal friends, and while it may be a personable move to congratulate them, or inquire about a group meetup, you do not want to get into their personal lives.

The goal is with Twitter is to project a positive, intelligent, and professional demeanor via daily Tweets (updates). Keep up with it regularly and follow folks in similar fields. To successfully utilize Twitter, go there with the intent to be true and a useful Twitterer and you’ll have the potential to do very well and land that perfect position to advance your career.

Other Articles in this Series:

• LinkedIn
• Meetup
• RSS
• Blogging

With the web running at full speed, we’re seeing the traditional form of networking and job hunting turning tech. The question is: How can you utilize these developments to assist in accomplishing your goals?

In this series of posts, we’ll go over five useful tools available free on the Internet that can help you grow your network, refine your resume and communication skills, and get your career moving.

This is the one site that you must add your resume to. Oh, and all of your past and present professional connections, as this is more than just a website, it is a social network.

First, create your resume by “edit[ing your] profile.” Fill out as much as possible, and be honest. Job titles, descriptions, and your skills are very important and must be worded carefully. Adding a good quality head shot photo, editing your contact settings, and letting folks know “what you’re working on” will enhance your ability to connect with the right people. The applications available can help showcase your work, availability, and more, so don’t ignore this great feature.

Sample LinkedIn profile

Connect with friends, colleagues, and other associates to expand your own personal network. Join a few relevant groups and add applications that you may find to be of use. And the most important thing – ask for recommendations from former employers, coworkers, and other folks in the industry who know your working style. These can be used as some great references. Don’t forget to return thoughtful comments to each individual who takes the time to give one to you.

Go check out some of their LinkedIn groups. Join the ones that are relevant to you and your career. Try getting into one specifically for your region, your niche in the industry, and even ones created for alumni from various extracurricular affiliations. They are a great way to connect and will even post job opportunities available that may be more appropriate for you.

Sample LinkedIn group

By fully optimizing your LinkedIn profile, you will have a full, strong resume available online for viewing. There are even settings to change your public profile, the one that will come up in search results for those who are not in your network. It will build your image online, the one that you want there, as it usually becomes one of the top search engine results when searching for an individual’s name.

Check it out and get linked in to the social network for professionals. Happy hunting!

Other Articles in this Series:

• Twitter
• Meetup
• RSS
• Blogging

Over 4 million jobs have been lost as a result of our crumbling economy. While many families are trying to be optimistic during this financial crisis, many people speculate that the number of job losses will continue to rise exponentially throughout the coming years. People are undoubtedly fearful for their careers, knowing that companies are constantly being faced with having to make difficult decisions on how they are going to save money in order to keep their businesses afloat; including the possibility of widespread layoffs.

There is no foolproof method to ensure you will keep your job in an unforgiving economy, but it is possible to regain your employment status if you do find yourself cast off by the company you’ve been dedicating yourself to and that is to take it into your career into your own hands.

While it’s definitely a lot easier to work as part of a company, our current financial crisis and massive, widespread job loss has proved that people are resilient and will do all they can in order to provide for themselves and their families. It is a fact that small and independent, home-based businesses thrive in an unpredictable economy and people excel when they are actively building their own businesses and furthering their own careers.

A layoff gives you the ability to dedicate your time to something you truly want to do. If you were stuck at a job that you were not particularly happy with but continued your employment with that company to make ends meet, not having that job commitment to meet every day could turn out to be one of the best occurrences in your life; even if it may not seem like it at the time. Instead of waking up every morning and commuting to your regular nine to five job, you could wake up and immediately begin applying yourself to searching for your next endeavor or building your own business.

Whatever industry you worked in when you were part of a company, it is completely possible to begin actively working in the same field outside of a company. Better yet, the chances for your individual success have risen greatly simply by using the internet as a marketing platform. By creating a website for yourself and business and taking advantage of the social media phenomenons that have already worked for countless other business professionals, you cannot go wrong in effectively branding yourself and marketing to millions of potential clients and customers.

If you believe that your ultimate calling in life is from a different direction and you are ready to leave the career and tasks you are experienced in behind, a layoff could give you the opportunity to seek job training and coaching for a profession you’ve either always wanted to be in or a career that you just recently thought could be right for you.

While many speculate that the number of job losses will continue to rise in the coming years and that we will not see our present state of cutting corners to save money come to an end as soon as we may have hoped, the economy has nothing to do with what you can do when it comes to your career. This could be a time where you feverishly search for a replacement job to go back to simply managing to stay afloat, or you could use this experience as a jumping off point to do what you truly wish to do with your life. The choice is yours.