Mentors and Inspirators The Need for Both - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Mentors and Inspirators â€" The Need for Both - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Many people cannot answer the question below. Can you? Do you have a  mentor? If you can answer this question, great. If you can’t… 2014 is the year to address this. What if I asked you… Who was your first mentor? Ill bet you could think of someone right away. Perhaps a teacher, scout leader, family friend or even a parent. Close your eyes and think back for a moment about that first mentor. What was it that made them such a great mentor? Often times it is because they saw something in you that you couldn’t see yourself. They see and want you  to understand your strengths. They help you build your confidence. Do you have a  Inspiritor? The answer to this question is that you probably have dozens. Some more influential than others. The need for both Mentors and Inspiritors are all around us. Sometimes we notice them and engage them. Other times they influence us and collectively we move on without recognizing their contributions. Of course, there are times when we seek them out and we notice how they have changed us. What’s the difference between a mentor and an inspiritor? Let’s start with the definitions: Mentor  An experienced and trusted adviser. Inspiritor One who inspires or motivates others. The main difference to me is one of proximity. A mentor interacts and works WITH you. Whereas an inspiritor may be someone that you do not personally know. In fact, they may not even be alive. So, an inspiritor works ON you. In what ways are mentors and inspiritors the same? They both  inspire and motivate you to do something that you may not have thought possible. Putting them into action Who are your Inspiritors? There are people that have inspired thousands and those that have inspired just a few. There is no wrong answer. Your inspiration can come from any one, any where and at any time. Listen for it. Listen to it. What Inspires you? There are many facets to this question. Again, perhaps there is no wrong answer. Allowing your imagination to run free is the purpose of inspiration. Allowing your mind to make connections and free associate while envisioning  new ideas, new constructs and new ways to make the seemingly impossible possible. Sure, there is the ever present logic of do no harm. But there have been some very imaginative things brought fore when they knew harm was imminent. Not that this is right, but it seemed to be the right thing at the time. What if you had a  mentor to make your inspiration a reality? Note: This is not a post about how to find engage a mentor or how to keep a mentor. Nance Rosen and Monica OBrien  have already written excellent posts about these topics. Mentors can help you in many ways. You want one. At least one. If you don’t have one today… make a New Year’s Resolution to identify and engage  at least one in 2014 What can a mentor do for you? Simply put… A Lot. They help you understand your strengths and value. They can help you refine your  expectations and  contributions. They can provide guidelines and offer Sanity Checks on your ideas. They can also provide introductions to help you move forward. Caveat: There is also a need for the reciprocal of this question. It’s a quid pro quo relationship. What can an Inspiritor do for you? As the word implies… they can inspire. They can help you see things you may never have seen or thought about before. Like Red Bull advertisements… They can give you wings. Will You Be Ready? Next time you are asked… Do you have a mentor? I hope you either already have one or are well on your way to having (at least) one. Your Inspiritors will continue to come to you in many forms. Listen for them. Listen to them. Bonus Points Option: Become a mentor. If you are not already a mentor consider making your skills and expertise available to others so that they can learn from you. I can make a prediction for you… you will learn at least as much as you teach. I know this is the case for me every time I have been fortunate enough to be a mentor.

5th Anniversary of Career Pivot - What is Next - Career Pivot

5th Anniversary of Career Pivot - What is Next - Career Pivot 5th Anniversary of Career Pivot Copyright: atulvermabhai / 123RF Stock Photo February 13, 2017, marks the 5th anniversary of the Career Pivot brand and website. It was 5 years ago that this website was launched with the intention to support baby boomers in their career ambitions. That next year CareerPivot.com was selected for the Forbes Top 100 Career website list. What I found surprising then was that there were very few websites dedicated to the cause of helping baby boomers. I wrote a post in September of 2013 calledForbes Top 100 Career Websites List Dissectedand later in October I wroteAre Baby Boomers Ignored by the Career Industry? Until very recently, baby boomers were the largest segment of the working population. Millenials have passed us and it appears that baby boomers have started to retire in droves, at least according to the article published in Bloomberg.com titledOlder Americans Are Retiring in Droves â€"The exodus of the baby boomers from the workforce resumes. Are We Still Ignored? Hannah Morgan, aka the Career Sherpa, released her list of the top 50+ Career Website Lista few weeks back. She only listed 3 websites dedicated to the Over 50 Job Search: AARPâ€"AARP’s job expert, Kerry Hannon, covers issues that the older job seeker has to know in order to compete. You’ll find all the issues you need to take into consideration while hunting down your next job as a more seasoned professional. You should listen to my interview with Kerry on the Repurpose Your Career Podcast. My Lifestyle Careerâ€"My Lifestyle Career written by Nancy Collamer, offers advice for people over 50 on how to transition into a new career before retirement, often referred to as “second act” careers. Nancy also writes for Next Avenue (PBS site for people over 50). CareerPivotâ€"Over course, CareerPivot was on the list! She did not list NextAvenue.org the PBS website that focuses on Baby Boomers but with a much bigger focus: money security, health wellbeing, caregiving and much more. So the answer is still …YES! Career Pivot 5th Anniversary I am running my 1st annual Career Pivot readers survey. My good friend Dara Quackenbush played grammar police on me and told me it cannot be the 1st annual because it is the 1st survey. Next year it can be the 2nd annual reader’s survey. If you have not taken the survey, please take it now as it will help shape what happens with Career Pivot. What’s Next 2017 is the year Career Pivot becomes a membership website. There will be a free side that will continue on as you see it today. There will be a paid side that will include a monthly subscription. My goal is to keep the fee modest. Listen to the most recent episode In a couple of weeks, we will be publishing the results of the reader survey. We are approaching 100 respondents and it is pretty obvious there is a great need for both community support and coaching without incurring the cost of one on one coaching. When you take the survey, I will ask if you are willing to participate in a pilot group to aide in developing the direction of the website function and mission. If you have already taken the survey and still want to participate, just contact me by clicking hereand letting me know you want to participate. Help me help you by taking the survey. Happy 5th anniversary! Let’s celebrate! Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

Outside of Your Comfort Zone Tackling Uncomfortable Situations - Sterling Career Concepts

Outside of Your Comfort Zone Tackling Uncomfortable Situations Outside of Your Comfort Zone: Tackling Uncomfortable Situations What is a Comfort Zone? A comfort zone is your behavioral space where activities and actions stay within familiar routines and patterns to ultimately minimize stress and risk. We’ve all heard the clichéd (but often true) nudge to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. It’s an age-old psychological concept that has helped many people embrace risk and make changes in life that often lead to increased personal growth. Why Step Outside A Comfort Zone? Living inside of your comfort zone can result in a consistent, steady state of well being while stepping out of your comfort zone into new and uncertain positions will create conditions for more optimal and unexpected performance. Psychologists have proven that a little anxiety and nervous preparation can help us perform at our peak. In other words, when we challenge ourselves, we tend to rise to the occasion. Regardless if you are thinking of switching career fields, starting the job searching process, or focused on climbing the ranks at your current company, it is important to understand that feeling uncomfortable in pressure-filled situations is not only normal, but an opportunity for personal growth. Career progression doesn’t always feel comfortable, but the tough interview questions, big presentations, and unexpected opportunities allow us to grow. Learning how to embrace these moments will help for the next time we find ourselves outside of our comfort zone. The benefits of handling an uncomfortable challenge are many: Learn how to perform at your peak “optimal anxiety” level Benefit from a lifetime of growth and transformation Boost your creativity and future chances of risk and reward, and Achieve improved well-being as you age. Stepping out of your secure space can feel daunting and finding your own unique method to foster confidence will vary from simple mental preparations to little physical distractions. Through trial and error, you’ll find and learn which life-hacks best support your needs when pressure calls. Tommy John, the experts in premium men’s underwear, are advocates of comfort, support, and confidence for all no matter the stress, the excitement, or the uncertainty of a situation. They’ve created the following infographic with tips for handling six physically uncomfortable scenarios:

What can job seekers learn from Gen Y -

What can job seekers learn from Gen Y - No matter your age, you’ve probably thought about how it affects your job search. Experienced job seekers worry about age discrimination because they believe hiring managers think they are too old. Younger job seekers complain that their accomplishments don’t get the attention and respect they deserve and that people don’t value their skills due to their relatively few years of experience. Can we learn anything from members of different generations when it comes to job search? Consider the following things Millenials (born between the late 1970s and early 2000’s) do that all job seekers should do: Use social networking to connect and extend your network. While some criticize Gen Y for sacrificing in-person conversations and preferring to communicate via text messages and Facebook, everyone could learn something from this generation’s ability to extend their networks via online tools. Don’t underestimate the importance of your digital footprint â€" what people can find out about you online. Collaborate. Gen Y is known for their interest in interaction, collaboration, and connectivity. Other generations can gain a lot if they embrace the interconnectedness that extends networking beyond lip service to actual engagement. Demonstrate flexibility and multitask effectively. Most people would agree that gen Y-ers are some of the most agile and lithe workers. Be creative and innovative. In Forbes, Jenna Goudreau quoted Amy Lynch, co-author of The M-Factor: How the Millennial Generation is Rocking the Workplace, as saying, “Millennials are not locked into limited, linear patterns of thinking about industry issues or challenges.” Seek more than just a paycheck. Goudreau’s Forbes post also quotes Paul Alofs, author of Passion Capital. He said, “An employee’s passion is the company’s best resource. When people’s jobs are aligned with what they care about, they put in the extra effort, and it flows straight to the bottom line.” Get experience where you can. Gen Y-ers actively participate in internships, volunteer work, online learning, and embrace leadership opportunities large and small. If you’re having a hard time landing a job, think about what you might be able to do to Move on. Dan Schawbel, Managing Partner of Millennial Branding, notes that his company’s studies show that Millennials leave their corporations at the two-year mark. While pundits pin   this tendency to a lack of loyalty on the part of Gen Y workers, there’s another angle to this often-cited statistic. How many experienced workers stay in their jobs beyond the time when they are learning, growing, and enjoying the jobs? Consider owning a business. Millennial Branding found th number of 18 to 29-year-olds in the process of setting up their own companies increased by 50% in the last year alone. In the future, more and more professionals will need to be able to market themselves as independent contractors or business owners. Gen X and Baby Boomers should begin to think about how they can succeed as entrepreneurs. Read the rest on my column at U.S. News World Reports.

CareerBuilder - Why Hiring a Resume Writing Service Is Important

CareerBuilder - Why Hiring a Resume Writing Service Is ImportantResume writing services in zip code 21206 can be hired by employers who need to fill out resumes for their candidates. These types of service providers are hired by employers in this specific zip code to help them in their job search efforts.Because there are so many people in this particular zip code, it is extremely difficult to hire anyone who is a qualified candidate. This is why companies have been forced to use resume writing services to find qualified candidates. It would take much time and money to conduct a recruitment process that would only find qualified people to fill out the resume.The service provider is skilled in providing resumes for a specific zip code in order to avoid problems with incomplete resumes. A resume is the most important document to have as a prospective employee when it comes to getting a job. Not only is a good resume necessary, but a great resume can also be used to land an interview as well.A resume is the most important document for any job seeker, and there are several pitfalls to avoid when it comes to completing this important document. When it comes to resumes, there are several challenges that are associated with completing the entire job application form and taking the time to write an excellent resume. While some of these challenges include the time and money involved, others involve the personal and interpersonal challenges to making the best resume possible. When these problems arise, hiring resume writing services in zip code 21206 can save both the employer and the applicant a lot of time and money.There are numerous resources to be found on the internet regarding resumes and job search. However, the problem with most of these resources is that they provide very little assistance in terms of helping the job seeker get the most out of this process. This is because these resources are typically geared towards hiring a company, which are not used to help ing applicants find their career path.CareerBuilder is one of the most popular sites to find information on what to do during the job search process. This site provides people with information on finding a job, finding a job, interviewing, creating a resume, getting a job, and doing a job search. While this site can be helpful, it is often too technical for non-technical individuals to understand.The resume writing services in zip code 21206 are the perfect resource for a job seeker who is looking for a resource that is more user friendly and will allow them to complete the job search successfully. They are able to help potential candidates avoid the pitfalls of filling out a resume, and guide them in getting the best possible results when it comes to finding a job.

One Big Interviewing Mistake You Should Try to Avoid

One Big Interviewing Mistake You Should Try to Avoid Say you’re in the running for your dream job, but it’s on the other side of the country. The higher-ups call you for a final interview, and give you a choice: You can video conference in, or fly out to meet with them face-to-face. You might be tempted to choose the easier option that doesn’t involve travel or additional expenses. But it may be wise to make the trip: A new study suggests that in-person interviews tend to leave better impressions on both the hiring company and the candidate. “We live in a world where we increasingly rely on technology, but this study reminds us that personal interactions should never be underestimated,” study co-author Nikki Blacksmith, a doctoral candidate at the George Washington University’s Department of Organizational Sciences and Communication, said in a press release. Blacksmith and her colleagues wanted to see how tools like telephone and video interviewing might affect overall decision making, so they analyzed the findings of 12 studies published between 2000 and 2007. Their results, published Monday in the journal Personnel Assessment and Decisions, found that overall, technology-mediated interviews resulted in lower ratingsâ€"for both parties involvedâ€"than face-to-face interviews. Video interviews received the most negative rankings, followed by telephone and computer interviews. Initially, the researchers assumed that these differences would have lessened over the years, as people became more accustomed to technology in the workplace. But they were surprised to find the opposite: The ratings were actually more negative in the later research. (They do point out, however, that even the most recent study took place seven years ago.) “Considering the rate at which technology has changed, it is clear that we lack understanding of the modern interview,” the authors wrote. Senior author Tara Behrend, PhD, director of the Workplaces and Virtual Environments Lab at George Washington University, says the study was not able to determine what, exactly, was wrong with technology-mediated interviewsâ€"but does offer a guess. “On the phone I can’t shrug my shoulders, roll my eyes, wink, or nod my head to show that I understand,” she told RealSimple.com. “That means that the interviewer can easily misinterpret something I say.” On top of that, she says, taking turns is harder in a video or phone setting. “The chance of accidentally interrupting the interviewer would be much higher,” says Behrend. “If you’re afraid of interrupting, then you might have a long awkward pause instead. Neither option is going to give the perception that you are a strong communicator.” It’s also difficult to engage in what Behrend calls “impression management”â€"doing things to make the interviewer like youâ€"when you’re not face-to-face with them. You might not be able to make friendly small talk or show that you’re attentive by smiling and sitting up straight if you’re on the phone or staring into a webcam, she says. The problem is, many interviewees aren’t given a choice as to what kind of meeting they’ll have. If a company holds all of its interviews for a certain position the same way, the study authors say, then no one has an unfair advantage. But if some candidates are given in-person interviews and others aren’t, results are likely to be skewed. In fact, the study concludes, these findings could potentially open up companies with such hiring practices to lawsuits. Behrend says that an important next step is finding a way to improve perceptions in video interactions. “There is plenty of popular advice out there about how to do well in a Skype interview,” she says. “For example, making eye contact is very tough online. But, you can configure your computer so that ‘eye contact’ with the camera happens more naturally.” (You can find our expert tips for acing a video interviewâ€"and other smart interview tipsâ€"here). She hopes that by studying tips and techniques like these, researchers can help level the playing fieldâ€"and give remote interviewers gain back a bit of their lost advantage.

How To Break Up With An Unfulfilling Job - Work It Daily

How To Break Up With An Unfulfilling Job - Work It Daily It can be hard to say goodbye to a relationship that’s just not good for you. It can be even more difficult to leave a job to which you’ve grown accustomed. You’d be walking away from stable finances, a team that you may or may not have grown to love, and many opportunities to move up in the company. (Psst! Are you getting SHUT OUT of the hiring process? Watch this webinar to find out.) However, if you continue thinking about the what-ifs or looking at the benefits of your current job, despite the fact that you aren’t satisfied, you may end up resenting your choice to stay, become distant from your co-workers, or experience a growth plateau in your career (a.k.a. the dreaded career rut). But how do you break up with an unfulfilling job? If you find yourself torn about leaving a job that drains you, neglects long-term goals, or puts a strain on your personal life, here are a few ways you can get motivated to break it off for good: 1. Make a pros and cons list. This might seem trivial, but it really helps to make a list of the best and worst parts of your job. Making a list can also help you frame a more structured conversation with your boss, should you choose to stay. This can help you identify problem areas (as well as areas that need improvement) without your emotions getting in the way. You’ll also be able to see clearly how your job might be impacting you negatively, and what you need to truly excel in your industry. 2. Educate yourself on trends and opportunities in your industry. A great way to build motivation as you make this transition from employed to unemployed is to keep a close eye on new opportunities in your industry. You may find that seeing a plethora of different career paths for you to choose settles the internal discord and anxiety you may be feeling. When you educate yourself on industry trends and see who’s hiring, you also become more knowledgeable of the career landscape around you. You’ll also be able to breathe a little verus going into a new job search with no clue as to what opportunities await, and who may be hiring. Tip: Set a Google alert to help you keep track of trends and new jobs. Learn more here. 3. Get rid of company memories. After making your list and taking a moment to calmly assess your situation, you may decide it’s best you part ways with your role. In doing so, you may also find that the good aspects of you job may slowly creep up on your decision, causing you to doubt your choice, feel guilty, or feel as though you can’t get any better. Once you’ve decided to break up with your unfulfilling job, you HAVE to be strong and focus on the new opportunities ahead instead of the opportunities of the past (this is CRITICAL). This doesn’t mean you slack off, shun your team, and start breaking company policies. Never ever go that route. This simply means that you put your best foot forward, continue to be the co-worker everyone can count on, take on more work to prepare your company for your absence, and start weaning yourself off of relations with co-workers. 4. Stand up to the what-ifs. Starting a new job search is definitely scary and intimidating, but don’t let fear hold you hostage in a job that just doesn’t fit your bigger picture. It’s okay to want a change in your life, and you deserve to do what makes you happy. An easy way to combat those pesky what-if thoughts is to challenge them. For example, you may have a fear of your boss hating you for wanting to leave your job. Challenge this fear by thinking so what? Think about your performance, the value you’ve brought the company, and other positive things. Staying positive and training yourself to think this way will help you stay motivated and build confidence in yourself. Moving on from an unfulfilling job isn't easy, but we hope you are feeling a bit more motivated to take control of your career after reading this post. If not, head over to Work It Daily’s very own YouTube Channel, hit the subscribe button, and get the inspiration you need to succeed!     Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!