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Welcome to "Proactively Managing Your Career Newsletter"

Issue  #3

Brought to you by Pro-Active Human Resource Management  www.proactivehrm.com

Inspirational Quote

"People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those

who are already doing it!"

ANON

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Welcome back to "Proactively Managing Your Career Newsletter"

Once again I am struck by the number of people who ring me hoping to

get their resume written on the day. I am still having to disappoint

them because they have left it too late.  As I have said before, time must be invested in writing a personalised and competitive resume.

I cannot reiterate more strongly about keeping your resume current and

keeping a journal of all your projects.  Your journal should include problems

you solved, for example.

What was the problem? What were the tasks you had to perform and

what action did you take to achieve an outcome? Finally what was the outcome? All outcomes should be measurable, so whenever you are asked

to-do a project, make sure you have in place measurement processes.

Other information such as installing and upgrading a computer system,

for example, should go into your journal.  Everything you write in your

journal should be used for keeping your resume up to date.

Now I don't want to give the impression that outcomes are only applicable

to white collar jobs. Blue collar workers can achieve outcomes, and  in

any occupation.

By the way, I  have a  lot of e-books (electronic books) on a wide range of

non career subjects to give away, eg crafts, diabetics, play guitar,

scrap booking and lots more. I should be selling them, but  haven't the

facilities at the moment and won't have in the near future. Such a  waste

sitting on my  computer when others could be enjoying them.  If you are

interested and want to tell me your interest areas

I will see what I have. E-mail me at  proactivehrm@tpg.com.au 

Topics covered in issue #3

*    Overcoming mental obstacles

*    Job Interviews: Answering "What's Your Greatest Weakness?"

*    Don't just dream of a new job        

*    Escape the thorns of the office grapevine

*    Business facts

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Career Advancement

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Overcoming mental obstacles.

When it comes to solving problems, many times we create our

own biggest obstacles. Whether we know it or not, we tend to

put up more barriers that stand in the way of logical or creative

solutions. If we define problems narrowly and cling to long-held

beliefs through force of habit, our creativity becomes stifled and

we become frustrated. The following information may prevent

this happening:

Remember that you are smarter than you think.

For instance, negative perceptions like “I have never been

good at maths” will just encourage you to avoid any

maths-related problems whenever they come up. Instead,

face problems head-on. In high pressure situations, people

often surprise themselves with their newfound abilities to

problem-solve, or look at things from a different perspective

and realise they can achieve something different.

Fight the fear of risk-taking. Realise that the world will not

come to an end if you try something different. Be willing to take

a chance. Ask yourself what the worst possible consequences

of your actions would be. It’s almost never as bad as you

imagine.

Break problems down. Dividing your problems and concerns

into smaller pieces makes them more manageable. Doing this

will also keep you from feeling overwhelmed or defeated. Solve

each part of the problem separately. Move onto the next part

only after the first is conquered.

Think in reverse. Start with the end of a process. For example,

if you are having trouble explaining or understanding a situation

or proposal, think it through from the end to the beginning to see

early how the whole thing fits together.

Don’t reinvent the wheel. Ask questions. Find out what others

who have faced the same problems have done to improve their

situation or to solve it. Consider whether the same approaches

could work for you.

Put your ideas on paper. Diagrams, charts and other

conceptual devices often help you see the bigger picture.

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Job Hunting Success

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Job Interviews: Answering "What's Your Greatest Weakness?

Many interview guides advise candidates to answer the common

"What's your greatest weakness?" question with a positive trait

disguised as a weakness. For example, "I tend to expect others to

work as hard as I do," or "I'm a perfectionist."

That would be a mistake. Why? Because interviewers have heard

these canned answers over and over again. If you use one of them,

it will likely backfire on you. Because the hiring manager will think:

*You’re not being honest about your true weaknesses and are just

regurgitating someone’s advice.

*You feel that expecting others to work hard and striving for

perfection (or whatever other disguised positive traits you use) are

weaknesses "which makes you look ignorant, naïve and/or

lazy.

* You don’t know-how to do an honest self-assessment;

* Or you’re delusional and think you don’t have any real

weaknesses!     

So state a true weakness! No one is perfect, so don’t try to

convince anyone (especially yourself), that you don’t have any

weaknesses.

However, I cannot over emphasise the importance of not

listing a key element of the position as a weakness!

If you do that, you might as well send yourself the rejection

letter. Pick a neutral weakness about something that’s not

critical to the job. Mention that. Then emphasize what

you've done to overcome the weakness. This shows

that you are honest, that you recognize areas in which

you need to grow, and that you are actively seeking ways

to improve yourself.

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Sample Answers:

"I honestly can't think of any weakness that would prevent me

from doing an outstanding job for you in THIS position. But

in the past, I've had some trouble delegating duties to others.

I felt I could do things better and faster myself. This sometimes

backfired because I'd end up with more than I could handle

and the quality of my work would suffer. But I've taken courses

in time management and effective delegation, and I've managed

to overcome this weakness." [NOTE: You would not want to use

 this example for a supervisory position]

"I honestly can't think of any weakness that would prevent me from

doing an outstanding job for you in THIS position. But I’m very weak in

maths and have to rely on a calculator even for basic computations.

I always have one with me just in case a calculation is needed."

[NOTE: You would not want to use this example for an accounting

position or one that requires math skills!]

This question really isn't so tricky, once you know what to expect

and how to respond. Bonnie Lowe is author of the popular

Job Interview Success System

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Professional Development

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Don't just dream of a new job

Leading career coach, Tony Charles, sees the start of a New Year

as the time that many people think about their careers. He states that

"OVER 20 years of working in public and private sector career

consultancy in Wales has shown me that the start of a New

Year is a time when many people think about whether the New

Year will bring a change of career role".

You don't have to wait until the new year to think about your

career.  Tony's advice is relevant at any time in your life. Read the

rest of the article.

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This is especially true if you are one of those people

who, on a Sunday evening, dread the week ahead. Does your job

turn you on with excitement and challenge? Do you welcome the week

ahead? Or is your job just plain boring and routine, using only a fraction

of your talents?

Managers especially consider their futures at this time of year. Do you

want to move up, sideways or downshift into a less stressful role to

 re-adjust work life balance? Or are there relationship problems

with your superiors, colleagues or subordinates that require action?

The future may be a different role, but with the same employer,

the same role with a different employer or in a different sector,

or a complete career change or self-employment. We have

more career choice today than at any time in history.

For years, many of us have just drifted along, letting others

decide our careers, rather than actively managing our careers

and taking control. That is, an opportunity comes up and we

apply for it, or we rely on our employers to present us with new

opportunities.

Well, the world of work has changed. Many employers are no

longer able to offer the career ladders of opportunity that

existed in the past. So, our career futures become our

responsibility, and in this new scenario, career management

becomes essential.

So if you fear that negative Monday morning feeling in 2006, or

you feel now is the time to do something about improving your

future, here are some tips:

Consider what the ideal future would be. What are your aims

for the longer term? What does success and happiness mean

to you? For example, is success about power, responsibility

and high income? Or is it about working in an ethical company,

with nice people and getting high job satisfaction?

Begin to look at what the possible career options could be. We

very rarely set out on holiday without researching the options

and comparing alternatives. Career planning is similar and also

takes time and effort. What does the dream job look like? Where

are you working? What are you doing? Who are you working

with? what are the results of your work and what benefits do

they bring to others?

Consider whether your personal values still match the values

of your employer. Many organisations have mission statements

but do the objectives of your employer synchronise with and

support your own career objectives?