Make More Money in 2013

Posted by:   Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC
                   Training Coordinator

Whether you have a job or you’re looking for one that will pay you more money this short video has some ideas you may want to consider to help you achieve that goal.

 

Click here for video.

Procrastination isn’t cute

By: Lori McMullin, APR
Director of Business Operations & Communications
Center for Business Excellence

 

Okay, I get it.  We are only human, which means we have all avoided something at one point or another.  That’s one thing.

What about the perpetual procrastinator who flies by the seat of his/her pants, thrives on the adrenaline rush resulting from “saving the day” at the last minute or, worse yet, avoids something long enough that someone else has to pick up the slack?

 When we routinely do this, we let ourselves down and affect our relationships with others who count on us.

Here is an interesting article I found on the subject.  What are you waiting for?  Read on.

5 Things You Should Be Doing If You’re Unemployed

Posted by:  Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC

                  Training Coordinator

If you’re applying for jobs you’re not qualified for, just to meet the requirement for getting your Re-Employment Assistance, you’re wasting your time.

If you really want to find a job, make yourself more hirable. At the One-Stop we encourage all of our unemployed clients to VOLUNTEER. Volunteering makes you a more desirable hire. It shows employers you’re out there trying to make something happen for yourself, rather than waiting for something to happen for you. People like to hire people they know and like, volunteering puts you in a position to get known and hopefully, like.

That’s just one of the five recommendations in the article linked below.

 

Click here to read article.

 

 

 

Dance with the one that “brung ya”…saluting our mentors

 

By: Lori McMullin, APR

Director of Business Operations & Communications
Center for Business Excellence

I belong to a professional organization that gives out several annual awards.  One has been informally dubbed the, “Dance with the one that Brung Ya,” award as the majority of recipients pay homage to those who made their careers possible.

I’ve been fortunate to have several people in my corner over the years helping me stretch and grow personally and professionally.

One, I encountered early in my career at an economic education-based nonprofit organization in Jacksonville.  She was our president. 

I have to be honest; she scared the living daylights out of me for the first year or so.  Then, one day, after watching me put my heart and soul into my job, she decided to take me under her wing.

My mentor taught me such valuable things as how to present to all levels of corporate authority (mind you, this was way before PowerPoint).  She taught me negotiating tactics and how to be a professional business woman without appearing too rigid or getting by on charm. 

 

Thinking on your feet was another skill she helped me with.  One time, we were hosting a big appreciation event after a successful fundraiser where hundreds of guests were eagerly awaiting the drawing for a cruise. 

Just as my mentor was about to take the microphone to announce the winner, a staff member came rushing up to her and told her the ticket collection basket was messed up. 

I quickly grabbed the microphone and had the band start playing, “Whoomp There it is.”  As hoped, the crowd went wild and rushed to the dance floor, giving us enough time to sort out the issue.  Believe it or not, I got a promotion and pay raise shortly after that! But I digress.

Enough about my mentor. I found this link to an article on other mentor stories.  Check it out, and then share your story with us!

Treasure Hunt!

Posted by:  Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC
                  Training Coordinator

The internet has an abundance of sites with job listings, so why is it that you can’t find a job?

There is another place to hunt for treasure, otherwise known as a job. Where you ask? It’s commonly referred to as the hidden job market. Some experts claim that 80% of the available jobs are in the hidden job market.

 

If you’re interested in learning more click here to read an article from U.S. News and World Report.

Find the good and praise it

 

By: Lori McMullin, APR

Director of Business Operations & Communications
Center for Business Excellence

 

Like many around the nation, I watched the inauguration a few weeks ago.  There were many eloquent individuals; a poet, star-powered singers and the wife of a slain civil rights leader, to name a few.

The takeaway I remember most was a mantra of sorts quoted by Senator Lamar Alexander as he set the tone for Vice President Biden’s and President Obama’s swearing in.  Alexander quoted the six simple words author Alex Haley, most notably known for “Roots: The Saga of an American Family,” lived by.  These words were, “Find the good and praise it.”

This philosophy can start with simple things. Like, the time when I came home to find my husband had taken the thawed ground turkey meat and made a pasta dish instead of leaving it for me to make the intended turkey burgers.  The major upshot was he made dinner!  Yes!

Or, maybe, some details on a work project are not managed by my staff the way I would, but the end- result is still outstanding.  Instead of possibly being annoyed, I should celebrate the fact that I didn’t have to do everything!  Get my point?

To me, find the good and praise it means, “Stop being overly critical and holding others to unrealistic levels.  Check out their perspectives.”  Otherwise, we miss out on a lot of great things and, quite honestly, build up unnecessary toxicity.

Now, you must decide what these words mean to you.  To help on this journey, here’s an excellent video clip I discovered on how to find the good in others.

 

Get Endorsed!

Posted by:  Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC

                  Training Coordinator

LinkedIn endorsements can be that extra element in your favor when it comes time for an employer to decide on who to interview and who not to interview.

While Linked In endorsement can help you they still don’t compare to a letter of recommendation. Having said that it’s much easier to ask someone to go to Linked In and give you an endorsement than it is to get them to write a letter of recommendation.

Read the article and then get busy figuring out what skills you want to be known for.

 
Click here for article.

Caught in a bad office romance…is it really a good Idea to go gaga over someone you work with?

 

 

By: Lori McMullin, APR

Director of Business Operations & Communications
Center for Business Excellence

 

Office romance or, at the very least, flirting.  Is it a good idea? Since Valentine’s Day is around the corner, we might as well explore the subject.

I have a little insight and experience with this topic – emphasis on a little.  Very early in my work history, I dated someone I worked with for a brief time.  We were both single, so no worries, right? 

 

No worries until the romance went sour.  It was awkward and painful to work together after that.  So, I’m not a huge advocate of office romance.

However, I am a realist.  It seems we spend more of our waking hours at work these days than anywhere else.  Plus, the advent of smartphones and other technology keep us plugged in 24/7.  It’s difficult to separate our personal lives from our professional lives.

 Now, for the irony. My husband is the person I had the workplace relationship with.  We reunited and married 25 years later! 

I found this link  with advice on the subject.  In any case, I strongly advise people to fully understand specific company policy on office relationships before moving forward.  Good luck!