The One Thing You Should Do in 2013

The One Thing You Should Do in 2013The One Thing You Should Do in 2013The One Thing You Should Do in 2013When it comes to a job market like the one we are having ansicht days, its advisable to be ready for anything that might happen. A departing supervisor whose position you are qualified for, an agency restructuring affecting your position, or a job termination are all situations for which you could easily be prepared if you do this one thing I recommend in 2013.Keep your resume up to dateAs a Federal Career Coach, I frequently get calls from individuals who suddenly need to get an outdated resume into competitive shape as quickly as possible. Shaking my head, the first questions I ask the worried jobseeker are, How old is this resume? How many jobs have you held since you wrote this resume?At this point, the individual usually admits that they had become complacent and not touched their resume in years. (Note Years can often mean 10 or more years have gone by since they have looke d at their resume)Dont get caught unprepared. Be ready for the next opened or closed employment door now, because it could happen when you least expect it, and you may have very little time to get your ducks in order.Make it your resolution in 2013 to review your resume at the beginning of every year and update it, so that when you need to use your resume, you will be able to get it into great shape as quickly as you need to. Your recent work accomplishments are best remembered and recorded when they are still fresh in your mind.Here are some steps for updating your resume Find your resume. Find your position description (if you have one). Read it and make sure it sounds like your real job. Edit this and add this to your resume. Find your annual evaluations (if you have those), and use the accomplishments from the evaluations in your resume. If you dont have an annual evaluation, write a few accomplishments for the last 5 years. Add your most recent training programs or college cour ses. Update your LinkedIn Profile with the new information you just wrote.After you have taken these steps, you will have an updated resume that is ready to be targeted for your next career move. When you use this basic resume to apply for a job, make sure to include the keywords from the job announcement in the resume before you submit your job application.Be prepared for anything to happen with your job. There is a good chance you might need your resume in the next couple of years. You can easily manage your career with confidence by taking this one simple stepNeed help getting your resume ready to apply for federal job announcements?The federal resume is different from the private industry one.We can help you get yours into the correct format and length now FREE Webinars Dont miss our 7 Tips to a Federal Job free webinar series

Destinee, an ambitious techie that never settles

Destinee, an ambitious techie that never settlesDestinee, an ambitious techie that never settlesEnhanced Lives is a series which aims to put our customers in the spotlight. In a short interview, we ask about their background, the experience they had with and how it helped to improve their career.Our fifth star is Destinee, an experienced techie who found a dream job in a SaaS company. How did help her with that? Read on to find out.Hi Destinee, can you tell us a bit about yourself?Hey Im a Colorado native living in Denver, which is pretty rare these days considering how many people have moved here over the brde few years. That being said, I love living in a city where the majority of people I meet are here because theyre passionate about the same Colorado things as I amId say the best way to describe myself would be outdoorsy homebody because while I absolutely love being outside enjoying this states gorgeous nature, theres really nothing I love more than cozying up at home with my cat Binge, listening to a good podcast (shoutout to Lady to Lady).I worked at a local brewery pub through college so I know my way around a craft beer list but Im also a bit of a tech-nerd, well really just a nerd overall but technology is one of my favorite things to geek out over. I have my dad to thank for that as hes spent the last 20+ years of his career in the SaaS industry as a Sales Engineer and never failed to share his contagious enthusiasm about the newest tech innovation with me.All-in-all I feel pretty lucky to be in what I consider to be one of the most beautiful states that now has one of the most flourishing tech markets. The sun here is strong and the winters are harsh- but theres something about being a mile high that just makes beer taste betterWhat was the reason you created your resume?I found myself in an expected situation at my former organization and realized I needed to begin looking for something better. I was actually hired at my previous job without eve n filling out an application and was offered a position within 20 minutes of being interviewed by the CEO.Obviously, that wasnt normal and should have been my first clue to run. Being a young and eager new graduate, however, made me believe I just mustve been that lucky As time went on, more and more unsettling things began to reveal themselves and I casually started exploring other options.Related articles3 strengths you can develop only by switching jobsFrom Lou Adler to Seth Godin the future of a traditional resumeWhat Game of Thrones needs an HR departmentI knew that this time around landing the perfect job would not be nearly as easy and in Denvers booming tech industry, I needed to put my best foot forward stand out from the hundreds of other resumes companies would be sorting through.s platform allowed me to do just thatWhat do you like about ? Did you learn anything from it?First of all, my resume got a lot of positive comments from a number of hiring managers I was interv iewed by, mainly on the impressive aesthetic. Many of my friends pointed out that being able to highlight accomplishments and strengths up front is a big differentiator seeing that most resumes are simply a list of previous positions with a short bio on top.One of my friends who majored in Graphic Design told me that it was the most impressive resume design she had seen and actually went on your platform just recently to create her own resume, now that she is on the job huntAnd what do I love about ?First of all, it helped me get my new job Also, its extremely user-friendly and easy to navigate. It didnt take more than 30 minutes to create a great resume. I could use the templates provided to guide the creation process. The tips that pop up once you start filling each section in help so much. You never get that What should I write here kind of situation.I could also customize my resume as much as I wanted to ensure it would be unique. When I finished crafting my resume on the app, for the first time it felt like my resume actually reflects who I am as an individual and simultaneously, it looks cooler and sleeker than any resume Ive created beforeWhat message would you send to other job seekers out there?Never settle. Never settle because the job hunt feels too overwhelming and accepting the first offer you get spares you the stress of looking for a job that will fulfill you.Never settle just because youve been on the hunt for what feels like too long and you just want a job, any job.Never settle just because you dont think youre qualified, experienced or worthy enough of your dream job.Never settle because no matter how chaotic, draining, or ego-shredding the job hunt can feel right now, you deserve better. That perfect fit does exist, keep pushing.I would like to thank Destinee for sharing her experience with us. It means a lot and we hope it will motivate many others to get started and upgrade to more human-centric and performance-based resumes.If youd like to contribute to Enhanced Lives series and share your achievements with others, send me a message. I look forward to hearing from you ??Looking for more inspiration? Check out our resume examples section that got people hired at their dream jobs.

5 Tips for Dealing When All Your Co-workers Are Younger - The Muse

5 Tips for Dealing When All Your Co-workers Are Younger - The Muse5 Tips for Dealing When All Your Co-workers Are YoungerHave you ever found yourself secretly checking UrbanDictionary.com or Google to decipher an acronym your boss used? Or been surprised by a colleagues knowledge of the movie Cruel Intentions- only to discover they went to the 20th anniversary showing of a movie you saw the day it originally came out?The workplace has fundamentally changed over the past decade. According to a 2018 analysis by Pew Research Center, 35% of the labor force is comprised of Millennials, making it the largest generation in the U.S. workplace- and this number is only continuing to grow. Not to mention the fact that Generation Z is also now entering the workforce in big numbers. So if youre in Generation X or older, chances are youll soon be surrounded by younger co-workers- if youre notlage already. You may even work for someone whos younger than you.How can you handle this dynamic? Here are five tips to help you not only survive but thrive in an environment where your peers and leaders could be (much) younger than you.1. Address Communication DifferencesI love email, and Im guessing my fellow Gen X-ers and Baby Boomers agree. But if you work with a younger peer, you may also find yourself being contacted via an emoji-laden text or asked to pivot your project communication to Slack. Turns out that 80% of todays workers say the primary difference between generations in the workplace is communication styles- and if youre the only one clinging to your inbox, you might be the one who needs to change. If your manager hasnt set a preferred mode of communication, this gap can cause unnecessary inefficiencies and miscommunication issues. So nows the time to ask and address it- and then adapt. I like to suggest that people initiate a style conversation, an idea I attribute to Michael Watkins and his book The First 90 Days Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Sma rter. He suggests querying your boss on topics like what form of communication they prefer for routine matters- such as face-to-face, phone, or email- how often they want project updates, and if they prefer a summary of a situation or a lot of background. 2. Welcome a Spirit of LearningI find that most people in my generation are adept at learning new skills- from how to turn on their lights with an app to how to start a Twitter chat. But if youve decided that youre content with your skills the way they are, you may be left behind forward-thinking professionals have already learned the importance of becoming lifelong learners. For my book, The Remix How to Lead and Succeed in the Multigenerational Workplace, I spoke with Emma Lee Hartle, a Baby Boomer community college employee who had recently changed functions. She credits her career longevity to her growth mindset and willingness to reskill At the age of 54, she was the only one in her department who sought training and received new certifications for resume writing and coaching. Id been teaching this stuff for decades, but things change, Hartle says. We are not using typewriters or requiring skirt suits anymore, and LinkedIn is essential for our students now. You have to have a willingness to keep learning. That might manifest itself by taking an online course in something youd like to know more about, or raising your hand to attend an industry conference and bring back best practices to share with the team. Or it might involve regularly reading new business books, or frequently tuning into podcasts covering issues relevant to your job or organization.3. Embrace Reverse MentoringFor years, reverse mentoring was shorthand for teaching old fogeys how to use the Facebook. But in the workplace it can take on so many other forms, and its worth considering even if your tech skills are on point. Be open to learning more about your younger peers strategies for getting to inbox zero or using apps to organize their to-do lists. Who knows, you might actually pick up something new and insightful from an unexpected source. (Remember what I said about welcoming a spirit of learning? This is one great example of that.)One Gen X-er told me he asks his younger colleagues to put a new app on his phone each week because he wants to use what theyre using- and by doing so he has discovered new ways to do everyday tasks, like scanning documents on the go and organizing his expense account. Reverse mentoring can be particularly valuable if youre in an industry with customers in a younger demographic because it can help you literally learn to speak their language.4. Brush Up on Whats HotIf youre not sure which Kardashian is the beauty mogul or what the heck a TikTok is, youre certainly not alone. After all, these days cultural references come and go quicker than you can say cultural reference. But knowing this stuff and tuning into current trends doesnt hurt, either. This isnt to say you have to soak up any and every bit of pop culture in order to succeed at work- rather, its about finding ways to better relate to and bond with your co-workers.One caveat Remember that using language that doesnt feel comfortable to you, like asking a colleague or client to slide into your DMs (hint thats not what its meant for) can make you look the opposite of in touch. When in doubt, opt for not saying anything.The same goes for cultural references that could actively date you. When I recently gave a speech at a college in upstate New York, I made a feeble attempt to bond with a student wearing a New York Mets shirt. Hey, youre a Mets fan? I actually went to the 86 World Series I exclaimed. He smiled uncomfortably and said, Oh. Thats the year I was born. Lesson learned Next time Ill just say I love the Mets, too. Nothing wrong with leaving it at that5. Stop the Self-Deprecating JokesUnfortunately, we can often be our own worst enemies when we joke about how things used to be back in the day or blame (completely normal) brain lapses on our age. Plus, being self-deprecating at work isnt a good look for anyone- have confidence in yourself and take age out of the equation, and your peers will follow suit.Moral of the story? If you commit to being open, flexible, and communicative when working with different generations, you just might find that the younger colleague-older employee dynamic is a refreshing and positive remix of your work life.