Insider Secrets to Take You Swiftly from Temp to Permanent Work

May 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

In this economy, temporary or contract work can often be a bridge to full-time, career worthy employment. Whether your work attire collar is blue or white – or if you are a rookie entering the workforce for the first time, you need the inside scoop in order to survive and thrive in the temporary workforce. These important tools can empower you for success and help you distinguish yourself in a competitive talent pool.

Lucky for you, a new pocket sized resource is jam packed with useful information that will help you succeed. Tim Whitney is a Dallas executive, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and author. His latest book, The Fast Track 50- The Get-Ahead Guide for Temporary Employees combines his 22+ years of senior leadership experience with temporary employees along with team-building science. It is part of a bigger initiative to bring low cost training, E-Learning, and mentoring to the temporary employment industry called www.TipsForTemps.com and for the full time employee.

Tim is a master at showing you how to avoid the temp treadmill so you can take your short-term job and ride the career escalator upwards.  His Fast Track 50 Tips are savvy, easy to implement, and designed to give you a competitive edge. By developing memory tags, Tim shows you exactly how and when to implement these strategies in your temp work environment.

While the book is geared primarily at temps seeking full time employment, the FT 50 really is a great basis for anyone seeking: and entry level position, a new job, or a new career.  The reasons are simple – these 50 attitudes, actions, and behaviors help the person quickly fit in (Tim calls it ‘Teaming’) with an existing workforce.  One of the biggest things going against entry level folks or people changing careers is the ability to fit in with an existing workforce as part of the team.  Tim’s MBA is in Team Building and strongly plays into the methodology and simplicity of this new book/pocket guide.

Check out my interview with Tim on CBS Radio’s Career Coach Caroline on Tuesday, May 15th at 5pm ET http://sky.radio.com/shows/coach-me/  We’ll be talking about his new book and the Fast Track 50 Tips to empower you to move from temp to permanent work faster. In this economy, proving you are indispensible is more important than ever so tune in to hear Tim Whitney share his wisdom and expertise to help you move forward with your career goals.

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Learn to Light Up a Room

May 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I recently watched a PBS documentary about former President, Bill Clinton and the show discussed his movie star like charisma and how it came so naturally to him. Clinton could capture the attention of a packed stadium while making you feel like you were the only person in the room since his charisma was so palpable and authentic.

Some say Clinton had presence and was always fully in the moment and never distracted when talking with people. He clearly had presidential power during his Whitehouse tenure but his charisma was evident before that and remains constant after his time in the oval office. The power he exuded was confidence, in addition to his ability to express goodwill and empathy.

While some think charisma is innate and can be learned early on, others develop their career charisma over time. The late Steve Jobs, for example was much more charismatic from 1984 onwards. If you watch footage of him speaking you can actually hear and see the transformation and how he gained confidence and warmth in his voice and presence later in life.

So what do the magnetic personalities of celebrities like George Clooney, Ellen DeGeneres, and Meryl Streep have in common? Experts believe that you can give your charisma and your career persona a boost by applying these tips:

  • Keep a relatively still body language. Excessive nodding and fidgeting can make you appear impatient, insecure, and nervous. Think regal and tall – even when sitting.
  • Wait a second or two when someone asks you a question. The technology driven culture has cultivated a lightning fast response expectation but the pause is powerful and builds anticipation, power, and a sense of control. A brief pause will make the person asking you the question feel more valued because you are taking time to consider their answer.

Charisma is not just about how others perceive you – it’s about how you make others feel. Gather your thoughts, be still, listen authentically, and validate those around you and you’ll be well on your way to ramping up your career charisma. These ideas were generated from an article in Parade Magazine about Olivia Fox Cabane’s new book: The Charisma Myth. So get out there and light up a room!

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You’ve Been Promoted to Manager But You Don’t Know How to Manage!

April 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment

You’ve been a star performer on your team and you have distinguished yourself by going above and beyond and then the happy day comes with your promotion to Manager. While at first you are thrilled with the new salary and title, you soon begin to realize that the managing skill set has never been in your wheel house. What’s a new manager to do to avoid disaster on the new job?

Jennifer King  is an HR Analyst at Software Advice, a company that reviews and compares human resources software. She reports on trends, technology, and best practices related to HR. She wrote a great piece on her HR blog distilling 5 tips for new managers that she collected from new managers. This advice, coupled with the wisdom she gleaned from an executive coach just might help you through the tough times in your new role until you become more effective leading your new team.

Jennifer will be my guest on CBS Radio Career Coach Caroline at 5pm ET on Tuesday, May 1, 2012. Tune in for this important conversation with best practice tips for new managers. Here is a brief look at Jennifer’s top 5 tips.

Get to Know Your People and What They Want. Take as much time as possible in the beginning of your transition to get to know your direct reports. Talk to them about their career goals, what they want out of their current position, and how you can best support them.

Learn to See Your Work Through Others. As a manager, you’ll likely be spending most of your time in meetings, discussions with senior management, and one-on-one conversations with your team, which will leave you less time to work on your own projects. You’ll eventually begin to see your work shine through your team as you give direction and offer guidance.

Listen Up! The ability to listen to your team and give guidance without assuming you immediately know the right answer will be critical as you spend more one-on-one time with your employees.

Develop Your Own Style. While it may feel easy or natural to mimic the management tactics of your previous boss, those same tactics might not work for you. Instead, think about what they did and how you can learn from them to develop your own style.

Don’t Expect to Be Awesome in the Beginning. One of the biggest misconceptions held by first-time managers is that they’ll be good at management from the get-go. In most cases, though, new managers need training and development just like any new hire within an organization.

Tune into CBS Radio’s Career Coach Caroline Tuesday at 5pm ET  to hear more expert advice from Jennifer King for new managers.

 

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Channel Your Career Karma with Deepak Chopra

April 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

If you haven’t seen the documentary film “Decoding Deepak” by Gotham Chopra who chronicles his father and spiritual guru, Deepak Chopra you can still apply the lessons to your life and career. Rohit Bhargava, adjunct faculty in Marketing at Georgetown University distilled some of the film’s best leadership and marketing lessons in a recent article. Here are the highlights:

Be a guide, not a dictator. Deepak Chopra’s leadership helps guide without prescribing. In a world where anyone can tell (and often will) you what to do and think, his message is that you can believe what you want to believe and to honor your own path.

Go beyond your niche. Instead of premiering the film to an audience of Chopra loving celebrities, Gotham chose to launch the film to a tech savvy, less spiritual audience. It was a risk but proved that the message could stand the test of a “real” audience and go beyond the typical Chopra fan base. Always take your message beyond your typical audience.

Share a personal story. Businesses are typically very bad at being personal or letting the personality of their people shine through their product or services. In the film, Chopra’s struggles are human and his journey is believable so the humanity shines through and tells a compelling story that brings the audience even closer.

Don’t take yourself too seriously. In a world filled with oversized egos from people who are more than Twitter- famous, you should always remember humility, levity, and the reality that on a human level we are all equal no matter how recognizable or influential.

Don’t shy away from the truth. How does a son realistically depict his father in a film? In this case, there were no Deepak requested edits or revisions to the final cut. Being accurate and honest by telling the truth will win an audience authentically in leadership, marketing, and in life.

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Showcase How You Are Indispensable at Work

April 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

During the height of the recession, professionals who feared the proverbial pink slip fared better than others when they proved how they were indispensable in their workplace. Even as we claw our way out of the slow economy and the job market begins to level, it’s more important than ever to illustrate why you are of value on your team and to prove it on a regular basis.

Executive Coach, Mark Samuel has some great ideas we can all implement from his new book: “Making Yourself Indispensable” as summarized in a great Forbes article by Deborah L. Jacobs.

Help others – “me oriented” people focus on their own success at the expense and exclusion of their colleagues. Focus on being “we oriented” without any expectation of personal benefit.

Aim high – dedicate yourself to high standards of performance, teamwork, and communication. Mediocrity will get you nowhere – always aim to do your best and support co-workers and supervisors.

Be adaptable – change is constant so be open and flexible to new technology and working conditions. Even better if you can anticipate and stay ahead of the curve!

Keep commitments – be a professional your colleagues can depend on and when a problem arises, address it immediately and provide an alternative solution.

Play big – don’t limit yourself to your job description. Go above and beyond to support your team and expand your role by taking on new challenges that need attention.

Be a resource – invest the time to be a resource for information, contacts, or problem solving. You colleagues will identify you as the go-to professional and seek out your wisdom.

Build your human capital – no matter how experienced you are, continue to learn new skills and improve your performance. Professional development is a life-long process.

Turn adversity to advantage – persevere to achieve your goals and showcase your resilience. Use the difficulties you’ve encountered to overcome and improve.

Don’t work in isolation – getting other perspectives can help refine your ideas. Reach out to others for input and professional wisdom.

Show appreciation – acknowledging the contributions of others by celebrating their achievements will boost morale and help bring a team closer together.

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Smart Device Career App Gives Your Job Search a Competitive Edge at Cummins

April 8, 2012 By 2 Comments

In a world where you can do almost anything with a smart device app from previewing movie trailers to using your phone as a powerful flashlight, the application technology has penetrated the career development world as well. Cummins is a global company widely regarded for their rapidly growing innovation. Their new career app makes the process of job searching fun and unique.

Well known as a global power leader, Cummins is a corporation of complementary business units that design, manufacture, distribute, and service engines and related technologies. They are on a hiring blitz looking for top talent to fill 5,000+ jobs around the globe.

The new smart device app can be downloaded at http://careers.cummins.com/mobile via the Apple iTunes store, or directly at: http://cumminscareersapp.com  Available now for iPhone and iPad, the Cummins app will be coming soon to the Android phone. This technology makes it fun to learn about opportunities and what makes this Fortune 500 Company unique and a very desirable place to work.

There is a 3D virtual engine in the app that lets job seekers examine Cummins technology up close. What better way to pursue company research and learn about specific career opportunities that match your strengths and professional values.

Learn about the Cummins Sustainability Initiative or watch Cummins TV to see real Cummins employees in action doing their jobs and making a difference in the global power market. You can create a customized job search agent in a plethora of career sectors from Human Resources, Engineering, and Manufacturing, to Campus talent for entry-level job seekers, to name just a few. The app is very user friendly and full of great information http://cumminscareersapp.com.

Join me for a compelling conversation with Chuwanda Thigpen – US Recruiting Leader and John Havenaar – Executive Director/HR Strategy & Global Recruiting from Cummins on CBS Radio Career Coach Caroline this week. http://sky.radio.com/shows/coach-me/  If you are career searching and share the professional values and mission of Cummins you deserve to check out the myriad of jobs they are seeking to fill. From collegiate summer interns and entry-level talent to experienced seasoned professionals – Cummins may have the dream career you have been waiting for.

Full career opportunity details at: http://careers.cummins.com. You should also be following Cummins via social media so the company recruiters can find you in their talent searches. Be sure to connect with Cummins via:

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cummins-Careers/144635852269233 and Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/CumminsCareers

Tune in for more about this amazing company on CBS Radio Career Coach Caroline – Tuesday, April 10th at 5pm ET http://sky.radio.com/shows/coach-me/  for a compelling conversation about Cummins job opportunities, their philosophy of working right, and the amazing technology you have at your fingertips with their new career app http://cumminscareersapp.com. If you can’t catch the show live be sure to listen to the archived podcast available immediately after the broadcast. http://sky.radio.com/shows/coach-me/ 

 

 

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Unleash Your Professional Moxie!

April 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Are you a woman with vigor, verve, pep, skills, and know-how? This courage and assertiveness is known as moxie and it will take you far in the career world. The Moxie Exchange Movement has tapped the power of amazing women to help you move forward with specific professional goals.

Moxie is a national business and professional organization where authentic; wicked-smart women share business savvy and drive business results. They are not recruiting each other to host home parties, randomly pass out business cards, or push product lines. Events with The Moxie Exchange Movement are overflowing with innovative ideas, candid conversation, laughter, and audacious action. Learning, inspiration, momentum, and results – that’s Moxie!

So fasten your seatbelts sisters, the Moxie women are bold, fun, high impact, and ready to inspire. Maureen Berkner Boyt, founder, owner, matriarch, and rock star royale of The Moxie Exchange Movement will join me on Career Coach Caroline on CBS Radio Tuesday, April 3rd at 5pm ET http://sky.radio.com/shows/coach-me/  Archived podcast available after the show.

Maureen will talk about how you can tap your inner moxie and she will also share the story of The Go Girl Project – mobilizing moxie in the next generation of female leaders. Imagine if a smart, successful businesswoman had tucked you under her wing when you were a girl. How much faster might you have thrived? Born of the idea that it takes a village to rock our Moxie, The Go Girl Project gives girls ages 10-18 an opportunity to learn from the success and flourish from the support of Moxies in every local chapter. Read more: http://moxieexchange.com/a-shot-of-moxie#ixzz1qp9LslTE Unleash your moxie today!

 

 

 

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Your Body Language Speaks Volumes

March 25, 2012 By 1 Comment

You always communicate over two channels: the verbal and the non-verbal. The latter is often ignored but it can be a deal breaker, especially in a negotiation. I have been getting a lot of questions about salary negotiation on my CBS Radio Show Career Coach Caroline http://sky.radio.com/shows/coach-me/ lately and with the gradual uptick in the  job economy – I want to empower all of you to be ready to negotiate well verbally as well as with your body language.

Carol Kinsey Goman wrote a great piece in the IBPA Independent about using body language to your advantage in a negotiation. Here are her 5 tips about using body language to help you negotiate with great results.

1.      Start off with the right stuff. Pull your shoulders back, hold your head high, take a deep breath, and walk in as your best self – exuding ease and energy. Trigger an eyebrow flash which Kinsey Goman describes as a slight upward movement that is a universal sign of recognition and welcome. Greeting those assembled in the room with this eyebrow flash and a smile will set your positive tone right off the bat.

2.      Shake hands. Whenever possible, initiate the handshake. Lean forward and extend your hand, keep your body squared, and face the other person fully. Maintain eye contact, smile and shake with hand-to-hand contact connecting the web of your hand with the person you are greeting. Press firmly (no wimpy handshakes!) and hold the grip a second longer than you are naturally inclined to do which conveys sincerity and literally holds their attention as you verbally introduce yourself. When you release your grip – keep your eye contact and your head up. If you look down after the break it sends a signal of submission. Never a good thing when going into a negotiation!

3.      Continue building rapport. Rapport is the foundation for a win-win outcome says Kinsey Goman and you must continue with rapport building body language which includes eye contact, leaning forward, head nods of encouragement and a smile, when appropriate. Mirroring can also build agreement but be subtle by allowing a few seconds to go by before you reflect the body language of the other person.

4.      Display confidence. Showing your torso is a way of demonstrating a high level of confidence, security, and trust. The more you cover your torso with folded arms, crossed legs, etc. the more it appears that you are trying to protect or shield yourself. Stand with a wide stance, relax your knees and center your weight over your lower body to look solid and self assured. Feet that are close together signal timidity or hesitancy. Power is displayed by height and space so stand to look more powerful no matter what your actual height. Moving around (within reason) also gives the impression of power by commanding more space and claiming your territory.

5.      Make a positive final impression. Your exit is just as important as your entrance so project confidence by standing tall, shaking hands warmly, and leaving your counterpart with the impression that you are someone to look forward to dealing with in the future.

Carol Kinsey Goman provides some excellent tips about how to use your body language to your advantage during a negotiation or any professional encounter when you want to convey self-confidence and conviction. Start to become more aware of your body language and the signals you are sending out into the world. Be mindful of others that display confidence with their professional presence and consider how you can do the same!

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Communication Tips From a Distinguished Lawyer

March 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Jim McElhaney is the Baker and Hostetler Distinguished Scholar in Trial Practice at Case Western Reserve University School of Law and also serves as the Joseph C. Hutcheson Distinguished Lecturer in Trial Advocacy at South Texas College of Law. He has had a 25 year run as a Litigation columnist for the ABA Journal and his sage advice for young lawyers is applicable to all that use verbal communication in some aspect of their career.

Bond with Your Audience. You must connect with your audience and earn their attention. With an authentic bond and a shared goal or mission, you will engage the audience in active listening.

Accept Responsibility. Whatever the surroundings, whoever the audience, whatever your goal, and however long you have to deliver your message – you are the one responsible for effective communication. It’s your job to make yourself understood – not your audience’s job to try and understand you. Focus on your audience, respond to their signals of body language, and get your ideas across simply and succinctly. Respect your audience – treat them like equals and never complain about the adversities you face.

Create a Perception of Credibility. Make sure what you say is true. Talk only about what you know. You can never really fake it because your non-verbal cues will give you away so prepare, and do your homework. Use audible and visible organization to validate what you are saying.

Have Something to Say. Never make a random presentation. Have a point of view, a story with an object and a theme. You must always have something valuable to say.

Show Don’t Tell. Always use good examples – if a point is worth making, it’s worth illustrating. Apt analogies have the power to persuade because they make your audience think through your point for themselves.

Keep it Simple. Know how everything fits together and what can safely be edited out. Forget the exceptions unless they are relevant to what you are doing. Your function is not to cover everything but to make a focused presentation.

Make a Memory. Your goal is not to impress your audience but to persuade. Create vivid memories and word pictures that will stay in the minds of your audience long after you have finished speaking.

Stop. Know when to be done. There is nothing worse than a speaker who doesn’t know when to quit. It’s much better to leave your audience thinking they want more than to leave them knowing they have heard too much.

Jim McElhaney’s sage advice comes from a January 2012 ABA Journal blog post: More Than Just Words: This Is What it Really Means to Talk Like a Lawyer. Whether you are speaking one-on-one to a client or to an audience of 200, this communication wisdom will help you choose your words more wisely in the legal world and beyond.

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Don’t Be Your Own Worst Career Enemy

March 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

We’ve all been in job situations that weren’t ideal but if you are looking to move up or move on, your professional attitude is something that will pave the way for a new opportunity. I read a great piece in Gamut News about self sabotaging career behaviors that you need to be aware of.  When company morale is low and you are frustrated with things beyond your control, your best weapons for advancement are positivity and productivity.

Here are the Top Five Career-Limiting Habits that may prevent you from being recognized as a promotable professional.

  1. Unreliability
  2. “It’s not my job” attitude
  3. Procrastination
  4. Resistance to change
  5. Negative attitude

Joseph Grenny, co-author of Change Anything: The New Science of Personal Success has some great tactics to successfully shape better habits for career success.

Create a personal motivation statement. This nod to reverse psychology helps you think about what career life would be like without the promotion or your “default career” so you can focus on what you really want, and adjust your professional behavior accordingly.

Invest in professional development. New habits require new skills. Hone your craft, increase your knowledge, and seek out workshops, webinars, books and other resources to motivate you and increase your value-add.

Hang with the hard workers. Your current professional peeps may share the same limiting career behaviors so use positive peer pressure to surround yourself with the achievers who share your goals. Positivity is infectious.

Find a mentor. A trusted mentor will help you stay accountable for your new behavior and possibly assist you in navigating new opportunities within or beyond your current organization.

Even if you are looking to leave your current company, you don’t want negative traits seeping into you performance evaluation or job reference. Empower yourself with promotable behavior!

 

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