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Welcome to “Proactively
Managing Your Career Newsletter”
Issue #6
Brought to you Pro-Active Human Resource
Management
www.proactivehrm.com
Inspirational Quote
Success
is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.
Dale Carnegie
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Welcome back to my newsletter "Proactively
Managing Your Career"
Topics covered in issue #6
*Rejuvenate your tired team
*Thank -you notes: your thoughtfulness
will be rewarded
*Did
your personality choose your career?
*A
little bit of trivia - problem solving
I have had some more feedback that people would
like to see some
actual examples of interview answers, especially
to cover being fired
from a job, and handling the salary bit. They
were not sure what
book to purchase. As you know I like Bonnie
Lowe's book, however
the most comprehensive guide to interview
questions is Bob
Firestone’s guide to Killer interviews called
"The Ultimate Guide To Interview Answers"
To quote from sales page he says-
The
Guide is 81 Pages Long (Over 25,000 Words) And Includes
Over 99
Intelligent And Effective Job Interview Answers, 11 Closing
Power
Statements, 43 Questions For You To Use To Uncover T
he
Interviewer's Hidden Needs, 13 Desirable Behavioral
Competencies Hiring Managers Look For, How To Use
Winning
S.T.A.R. Statements To "Package & Spin" Your Work
Experience, How To Do a S.W.O.T. Analysis, How To Show
You
Know How To Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals, A List Of 8 Detailed
Job
Interview "Dont's," A Special Section on Behavioral
Interviewing, And 4 Free Bonuses That Are a Huge Value In
Their
Own Right!
Australian Jobseekers will be particularly interested in the STAR
approach because this is what we use for answering the selection
criteria when applying for government positions .I actually use it
in
application writing.
For
just $US29 for instant download it is a steal. You can
download it
HERE and begin practicing in time for your next
interview.
Negotiating your salary
There
are some good sources. in Australia there is careerone that
gives you salary ranges cross all occupations. Try also
I hope
you enjoy this month’s tips for advancing and succeeding in
your
career.
Being Fired
Surviving Job Loss
If Your
Fired, Will Past Employers Keep Your Secret?
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Career Advancement
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Rejuvenate your tired team
Most new teams begin with a high level of energy,
with members
enthusiastic about the challenges awaiting them.
But after a period of
time, the team can experience a slump - one that
can stall progress
on the group’s initiative or put an end to future
successes.
After the novelty of being a team member wears
off, participants may
begin to raise the inevitable WIIFM (What’s in it
for me)? factor. The
chance to have more input in decisions, coupled
with acknowledgement
of both individual and group contributions,
invariably proves to be a
high-motivation factor. But, as the efforts begin
to show an impact
on the bottom line, more is needed to encourage
the team to continue
at a high-performance level.
As studies show, part of the answer may be a
compensation system
tied to team participation, but this isn’t the
entire answer. There are
other ways management can reaffirm the value of
the team and
refresh team spirit.
Encourage innovation.
There’s a little (or large) bit of entrepreneur
in each of us and being given the opportunity to
take reasonable risks
can recharge the members’ interest in the
project. Identifying and
improving work processes may spark new energy. Of
course, those
who come up with good ideas should have their
contributions
acknowledged and rewarded.
Offer a new perspective on the situation.
This may be achieved
by arranging a visit to a customer or supplier to
stimulate thought
and discussion at future meetings.
Raise the “bar”
and present new challenges. Expand the scope
of the project or change the team’s objectives so
that the target
becomes more challenging. Add new tasks to the
team’s repertoire,
including appropriate support and training. If
the training is in stages
and the new responsibility isn’t overwhelming,
team members should
come away feeling more valued.
Revisit the ground rules.
A new challenge may justify taking a look
back at the operating ground rules set when the
team was formed.
For example, the study might identify
opportunities to improve the quality
of meetings. Given the time investment in these
meetings, these
opportunities in themselves may help generate new
enthusiasm for
the participants
To find out more about how you can manage your
team, have a look
at
Advance in your Career by Dr. Jeffrey
Magee.
.
For just $US17.00 you download this invaluable
electronic book
and receive Dr.Magee's
expert advice about how to advance in your
career. Dr Magee is one of the highest-rated
motivational speakers
in the USA. You can get started on some
strategies immediately. Why wait.
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Job Hunting Success
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Another
take on thank you letters. I have included it again because
I
believe they are very important and will give you a competitive edge
if written properly See
Job Applications
See
Thank-You Notes: Your Thoughtfulness will be Rewarded
I get asked these questions over and
over: "Should I send separate
thank-you notes to everyone who
interviewed me? Can I just send
one thank-you note to the hiring
manager and ask him/her to thank
others involved in the process?" The
answers are yes and no,
respectively.
Send a separate thank-you note to
everyone who interviewed you,
whether it was an informal
pre-interview phone call, an interview
lunch meeting, or the final formal
interview after a lengthy process.
Don't be stingy with your thank you!
It's an easy thing to do, it will
only take a few minutes--and it will
make the recipients feel good a
bout you! Why wouldn't you jump at the
chance to do that?
You can make your thank-you notes
relatively short. They can be sent
via snail-mail or email. (There are
differing opinions on which is best.
I prefer the now "special" touch of a
real letter over the routine method
of email; others think email is best
because it's faster. Just remember
that what you say is more important
than how you send it.)
Make each thank-you note slightly
different by mentioning something
in particular that you and the
recipient discussed. This is a good reason
to do your thank-you notes right away,
while the interview is fresh in
your mind. You might even want to take
notes for this purpose.
Here's a great tip
that will really impress the hiring manager:
add a P.S. that mentions how helpful
someone was, by name. I'm not
talking about people directly involved
in the interviews; they should
get their own thank-you notes. But if
there was a receptionist, an
administrative assistant, or someone
else who was helpful during
your interview process, say so. Those
people are rarely recognized,
but may have influence with the hiring
manager. The boss will think of
you as someone who appreciates his
team, notices things most other
people overlook, and goes the extra
mile. Why make this a P.S.? Studies
show that most people read the P.S.
before (or even instead of) reading
the main body of a letter. This P.S.
will get attention and impress the
reader, which will get your entire
letter read and your thoughtfulness
remembered!
Bonnie Lowe is author of the popular
Job Interview Success System
.
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Professional Development
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Did Your Personality Choose
Your Career?
We almost all think we are masters of our own fate. While it is true
that
we all make our own choices
there are many things that influence
what we choose.
Author: Angela Butera Dickson
We almost all think we are
masters of our own fate. While it is true that
we all make our own choices
there are many things that influence what
we choose. Ask yourself: Why
do some people choose professions that
help only themselves while
others of us choose professions that help
those in need? Health and
wellness professionals all share the desire to
help others. Our work is
commendable and very important, but why do
we choose the profession
we’re in?
Professionals in the “caring
jobs” share some unique qualities. We’re
almost always creative,
sensitive and nurturing. We also almost all
share a willingness help
others in every way possible and suffer pangs
of guilt if we say “no.” Our
willingness to help sometimes comes with
a price. It leaves us
vulnerable to burn out. “…some clients can be
draining to even the most
enthusiastic wellness professional”
Burnout is often the result
of a professional feeling overwhelmed with
his or her job
responsibilities. Let’s face it caring for others can be a
burden. Even if you love your
job facing unmotivated, clients can be
draining to even the most
enthusiastic wellness professional. Add to
this any inside pressure from
trying to make a decent living, dealing
with negative attitudes of
co-workers or pressure with sales
commissions and you’re on the
road to feeling more negative yourself.
Caregivers tend to burn out
more quickly than others because we
typically put the needs of
those around us first. By the time we are
through dealing with the
issues of our clients, families and friends
we have little left for
ourselves.
So how do you deal
effectively with those clients who seem to
have a “seek out and destroy”
personality? Simple,
you learn
to develop your own “repair
and replenish” skills now and
make them an important part
of your everyday routine.
Make it a point to be more
aware of your surroundings. Try to notice the
little things that bring joy
to your life and take a moment to reflect on them.
Learn to say “no”
- not all the time but some time. When someone asks
for another piece of your
time, a little more of your energy, or is looking for
you to commit to their newest
project, take the time to know if it’s the right
choice for you. Make it your
personal policy to never give an answer that
you haven’t had at least 24
hours to think about –there’s much to be said
for the adage of let me sleep
on it.
Nurture yourself
with a trip to the gym, a visit to a day SPA, tickets to your
favourite play or concert.
Even a leisurely walk can be a rejuvenating gift.
Talk, talk and then talk some
more. Find peer
professionals that share
similar values and goals and
talk about work. Some think it’s taboo to talk
about work on your days off
but in reality it is important to be able to share
your feelings and frustration
with someone who understands how you feel
and their feedback can be
very helpful.
Vacations aren’t just what
other people do.
You earn the time too. Take
your vacation time all
together or in shorter bursts. What ever works for
you is fine – just take those
days and forget about work for awhile.
Sometimes a nurturing
personality can open the door for our own wellness
to suffer and it is up to
each person to find the tools that help to keep them
on track and healthy. By
learning to say no, nurturing yourself, becoming
more aware of your
surroundings, talking to a trusted peer and taking a
break when you can, you’ll be
able to find a healthy balance in your
professional and personal
life leading to greater business success and
satisfaction. Registered US
Copyright, Angela Butera Dickson, 2006
Permission given to publish
About The Author
Angela Butera Dickson is a full service,
freelance copywriter
offering some of the best prices on the web. From
articles
to brochure copy, ghost-writing to marketing
letters, she can help you
cultivate a polished, professional business
image.
You can view her rates and publication policies
from her
website
www.angeladickson.com
angela@angeladickson.com
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A
Little Bit of Trivia
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Problem Solving
After each flight, pilots are invited to log any technical problems
for maintenance services to resolve.
Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by
US Air force pilots and the replies from the maintenance crews.
Problem: "Test flight OK, except auto land very rough."
Solution: "Auto land not installed on this aircraft."
Problem: "Left inside main tire almost needs replacement."
Solution: "Almost replaced left inside main tire."
Problem: "Something loose in cockpit."
Solution: "Something tightened in cockpit."
Problem: "Evidence of hydraulic leak on right main landing gear."
Solution: "Evidence removed."
Problem: "DME (distance measuring equipment) volume
unbelievably loud."
Solution: "Volume set to more believable level."
Problem: "Dead bugs on windshield."
Solution: "Live bugs on order."
Problem: "Autopilot in altitude hold mode produces a 200 feet per
minute descent."
Solution: "Cannot reproduce problem on ground."
Problem: "IFF inoperative."
Solution: "IFF inoperative in OFF mode."
Problem: "Number three engine missing."
Solution: "Engine found on right wing after brief search."
Problem: "Whining noise in cockpit after engine shutdown."
Solution: "Pilot removed from cockpit."
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I hope you found this issue of Proactively
Managing Your Career
Newsletter informative. As Always, your feedback
will be
appreciated. E-mail
proactivehrm@tpg.com.au
As always, to your success - cheers
Iris Wood
PS. If you have enjoyed this series of
newsletters feel free to forward
this issue or past issues to friends or
colleagues who might find it
useful.
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