Archive for the ‘Careers’ Category
A Career Built On Character
“Personality can open doors, but only character can keep them open.” ~Elmer G. Letterman
“The best job goes to the person who can get the job done without coming up with excuses or passing the buck” ~Napolean Hill
What About Politics?
Political Astuteness is something that you may not learn in school; however, it plays a significant role in success in business.
“Man is by nature a political animal.” ~Aristotle
Take Control
It’s important to keep in mind that you are responsible for your own career. Don’t Expect the Human Resources Department to plan your career. In fact, don’t expect anyone else to be concerned about it either.
There have been times in my career when someone has taken an interest in my promotion; however, it has always been in their own best interests to do so. Remember, companies are in business primarily to make money.
Dress for success
There is a clear distinction between how a President, a Senior Vice-President, a Vice-President, and District Manager dress. You should dress just a cut above your current level.
Above Everything, Have Integrity
“If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.” ~Alan Simpson
You will find that the concentration of integrity increases the higher you go in an organization.
Remember Who You Work For
Always Support the Company
It’s true that where your treasure is, your heart will be also. There will be ample opportunities on a daily basis to bash your employer. Resist those opportunities. Keep in mind that (1) you chose this company, (2) they pay you, and (3) you can leave if you want. The leaders of the company will not be impressed by your ability to complain.
Make Your Boss and Your Boss’s Boss Look Good
As a practical matter, you are most likely working to take your boss’s job. Hopefully, your boss will be promoted, which will leave a vacancy. If your boss is not going anywhere, then the next level will have a major impact on your next position.
Who are the Leaders of the Company?
Find out the background of the company executives. What career path did they take? Chances are, they will value those credentials above others. Take note of great people in the company and get connected to them. If possible, find a way to work for them. If not, establish a network with as many of them as possible. The best possibility is to ask one of them be your mentor. You will be surprised how many people will be interested in helping in this regard.
Learn the Rules
“Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you.” ~Spanish Proverb
Watch What You Write or Say. Assume that anything you write or say will be read or heard by everyone in the company. E-mail makes it easy to respond emotionally. Before you respond to an irritating e-mail, take a minute to calm down, then, write the e-mail. If you have a tendency to send harsh messages, save a draft and review it sometime later to ensure the tone is business appropriate.
A corollary to this principle is Happy Hour – don’t go! There is a huge risk of saying something you shouldn’t say, getting out of control, or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You should stay out of office politics. Don’t say anything bad about anyone, ever.
Arrive Early and Leave Late, but Not Too Late. You want the reputation of a hard worker, but not one that can’t get their work done. This principle also applies to taking work home. Over the long-term, you want to have a life outside of work. Maintaining a work/life balance will keep you engaged in your job; therefore, more productive.
Find Out What Your Boss Wants and Deliver. Regardless of your personality, relationships, or good looks, you must be productive. For your boss, it means doing what they want, no matter how silly it may seem to you. For example, I had a boss that wanted to know how many Dairy Queens between Dallas and Houston served a particular yogurt.
Always say, “Yes!” to a request from leadership. For your boss, there are ways to provide better solutions without damaging the relationship.
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1000 things you don’t want in your job hunt
GOING ONLY FOR BRANDING
Do you stick only to the top name job boards or portals? If yes, you are denying your chances of getting into specialized positions. Specialized groups or non-enterprise companies often steer clear of top names. Choose your resume posting based on the kind of recruiters that visit a given job boards.
OUTSOURCING YOUR JOB HUNT
If you are getting a peer or a consultant to do your job hunt to the level of making contact with a prospective employer – stop doing this now. You can get help to the level of someone gathering job order description or information for you. You make connect – use the opportunity to create an impression.
RESUME BLASTING
Do you treat your resume like a promotional mailer? Distribute it all over the place or get a group email ID and broadcast? This means (1) Your cover letter or your resume is not customized for the job order in hand – Resume customization in lieu of arranging the skill sets for the given job order. (2) You do not follow up; there are employers who seek to measure your interest with the follow up method that you adopt. Plus your prospective employer or their job consultant knows that you are hunting around, which will reduce your market value.
Another aspect of mindless blasting is clicking the APPLY FOR THIS JOB button wherever you see it. When you submit your resume to a job where you do not have minimum qualifications – and you have a reason to doing so – make an offline connect.
75% of email traffic received by a generic ID such as careers@bestemployer.com is junk. If you rely only on email to get your next job – forget it. Your resume is probably in the junk folder.
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25 Music Jobs That Most People Don’t Know About
You may have heard that music jobs are almost impossible to find, especially if you’re young and just starting out. While it may be true that few aspiring musicians will reach the top of the charts, there are hundreds of thousands of music jobs available. Some are for performers, some for teachers, and some for support staff for musicians and performers. Musicians and others in the music industry may work in production, performance, promotion, and education – even medicine. I promised you 25 music jobs that most people don’t know about – but that’s not technically true. Many of these are jobs that people know about – but don’t consider when they think of ‘music jobs’. Ready for the list? Here we go:
Music Jobs for Songwriters:
A Staff Songwriter works for a record or media company and writes songs for the artists signed by the label.
A Freelance Songwriter writes and markets his or her own songs. Your hours are your own, but you’ll have to work a lot of them to get your songs heard.
A Lyricist writes just the words to songs. He may team up with a composer, or be teamed up with one by a music production company.
A Jingle Writer writes those catchy ads that you hear on the television and radio – you know, the ones that get stuck in your head for days. A jingle writer may not become a famous household name – but he or she will always find work.
Music Jobs in Publishing:
A Music Publisher finds and acquires the copyrights to songs with the intent of licensing or selling them to record companies and musicians.
A Copyright/Licensing Administrator ($20,000 – $60,000) manages the licensing and copyrights for a music publishing company.
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17 Important Things To Remember As You Prepare For An Interview
Several Days – One Week Before the Interview
1. Spend some time to research the organization and the position at hand. To find company-specific information, visit your local library, run a search on the internet, or talk to current or former employees about their experiences and impressions of the company. Study up on the company’s products and services, industry, target market, annual sales, geographic location(s), structure, history, officers, and any other key information. Are there any new trends in the industry?
2. Identify the organization’s major competitors and do some basic research on how they differ (either positively or negatively) from the company at which you are interviewing.
3. Prepare specific examples of how your skills and experience make you a strong fit for the organization’s needs. Practice answering directed questions about your experience, education, and skills and how they relate to the position at hand. Being prepared to draw colorations between your experience and the needs of the organization is one of the most important interviewing skills you will need.
4. Identify your strengths and weaknesses. Be prepared to talk about your weaknesses, but find a way to frame them positively. For example, “My biggest weakness is that I am a perfectionist. It may take me a little extra time to get a project done to my satisfaction, but you can be guaranteed that the work will pass even the most stringent review, be 100% accurate, and that no detail will be overlooked.”
5. Prepare several intelligent questions about the company and position that will demonstrate your knowledge of the company and your sincere interest in the position.
6. Try on your suit and make sure that it is still well-fitting and in good repair. If necessary, make arrangements to have it altered or find alternate dress.
The Day before the Interview
1. Contact the company to confirm the date and time of your interview. Also confirm the name and title of the individual(s) you will be meeting.
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