Posts tagged with “CareerAdvice”

Lance Armstrong has dedicated his career to winning the Tour de France. As we all know, he showed the world that he could master that race and beat anyone who competed in the "Grand-daddy" of pro cycling races--seven times! After a short "retirement" from the cycling world, Lance has been competing again. Last year's Tour de France was a warm-up of sorts for Lance as he didn't have a full year of conditioning and training, nor did he have the team built around him.

In this series of articles, I have been discussing managers' opinions on qualities they value in a "Dream Employee." In Part 1, I shared three aspects: Servitude, Attitude, and Intelligence. In this post, I'll highlight two more essential qualities to master for career growth: Good Communication and Being the "Real Deal."

Are you the manager's dream employee? Naturally, meeting the qualifications of the job description is essential, ranging from skill sets to knowledge. But most managers will tell you there is more to getting the job than just checking those boxes.

When leaders decide who to hire or promote, it's the intangibles that often elevate the best to the top. So what are these "unposted requirements" for the job? I recently interviewed several managers to get their opinions on this topic. In this series of articles, I will share them with you. The first three requirements the managers shared were Servitude, Attitude, and Intelligence.

Changing careers midstream can be scary, but here are a few basic tips to help things go a little smoother.

My son has a name that is very common in some parts of the world but not very common in the United States. When you hear a person's name, do certain thoughts and associations come to mind? I started thinking about how birth names might affect a job seeker's candidacy and wondering if they can actually play a role in the hiring process. Here are three situations where I think in some cases, a job seeker's name could potentially influence the hiring decision.

Posting inappropriate photos on your social media site and forgetting that your profile is public is a common mistake. Remember, often times you and your friends aren't the only ones who can see your information.

Ray Lam, a former NDP candidate for Vancouver-False Creek was forced to resign from his job when photographs were discovered on Facebook. One picture showed him palming a woman's breast and another with his pants down and two people pulling at his underwear. I was going to post the photo here, but it's too inappropriate for this blog. There are other examples of this happening, such as a teacher being fired for her MySpace picture and a nursing home assistant taking pictures with her patients. I have knows for you: you don't own your profiles on social networks. That's right, Facebook owns your profile and companies can pay Facebook for that information. Always think of your profile as public!

Previous: Social Media Mistakes Part Six: Respect Your Elders >>

• Stay connected to the industry by not only holding onto any group or club memberships in your field (or joining new ones) but by being as active as possible in them.
• Attend conferences -- you've got all kinds of free time so why not use some of it to brush up your old skills, learn some new ones, and compile some trend-setting ideas for when you get hired again?
• Pursue additional degrees, certifications, and other educational opportunities that apply in your field.
• Connect with others in your industry online by starting a blog, joining social networking sites, and staying up to date on the latest news and trends.