What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

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

I’m sure you remember hearing that question on a regular basis when you were growing up. Some of us had very definite ideas and others were all over the map. If you’re among today’s unemployed, that question once again has relevance for you.

Perhaps the career field you’ve been working in is going the way of the blacksmith. A lot of jobs that used to exist have either been automated out of existence or they’ve been combined with other jobs. These new combined jobs require more and different skills.

So regardless of your age and work experience you may be facing that question again, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Don’t look at this as an obstacle to overcome. Look at it as an opportunity. On average in our society we will each have about nine careers and probably three jobs in each of those career fields.

It’s not like you’re quitting a job to join the circus. It’s not like you’re being irresponsible and quitting a good job to go off on a quest for a childhood dream. You’re already unemployed. Since we spend more time on the job than we do with our families you really should pick a job you’re going to enjoy.

Don’t limit yourself to thinking like a responsible adult when you start thinking about what you want to do. Instead, perform your job search with the abandon of a youngster. The reality is that the possibilities are endless.

Take interest surveys and career assessments. Figure out where your abilities and interests intersect with the job market. Once you find that intersection start thinking about ways you can turn your abilities and interests into a money making proposition. Is there a job out there that matches up to you? Or are you one of those people with the self-discipline to be an entrepreneur?

Just remember that whatever route you choose, it will have its ups and downs and twists and turns. Every job has its negative aspects so pick something you’ll enjoy in spite of its negative parts.

How to build an amazing wardrobe on a budget

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


As hiring starts to slowly pick up, many newly re-employed people are finding themselves in need of a wardrobe update. For most people, a new look makes them feel confident and invigorated.

Adding to the wardrobe a little at a time and following some tips can make it affordable as well. Ladies, check out this link for some good advice:

http://www.bettyconfidential.com/ar/ld/a/how-to-create-a-stellar-work-wardrobe-on-a-budget.html

How Can LinkedIn Groups Help My Job Networking?

By Larry French

As mentioned in previous articles, your LinkedIn Profile will be a changing entity. As you learn how to use your Profile in your job search strategy, updates will become a routine process in developing your own effective LinkedIn Profile. In time, you will begin to receive definitive responses as a result. Now, let’s take a look at another one of the features you can use in your Profile, LinkedIn Groups

LinkedIn Groups

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Remember, your LinkedIn Profile is a tool you can use in your job search strategy. Like any tool, it can be useful but will produce the best results when you use it for the right task. That’s where LinkedIn Groups can come into play. To help get your Profile noticed you want to participate in groups. The groups are a place where you can meet other professionals like yourself, find expert advice and share your knowledge and experience. To acquaint yourself with this LinkedIn feature, go to the ‘More’ tab on the tool bar at the top of your Profile page and select the Learning Center, http://learn.linkedin.com/ and then choose the ‘Groups’ listing under Site Features in the sidebar.

 

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Take the time to view the media clip that you find on the ‘Groups’ page of the Learning Center. This brief presentation will run you through the basics of what the Groups feature is all about. Then go to your own Profile and explore the Groups available to you. Look for Groups specific to your job search and also those associated with your geographical area. Use the Groups Directory. Select a group that seems like a good fit for your field of expertise. You may also wish to associate yourself with groups near your location (such as ProNet Central Florida, ProNet Central Florida Job Vacancies, Linked: Daytona, or Job Openings, Job Leads and Job Connections!). To join any group, simply click on your selection and follow the prompts to request admission to the group. You’ll receive a confirmation notice once you’ve been admitted.

Image provided from Larry’s LinkedIn Profile

Participate in Groups

Find a group or groups that match your job interests and skill sets and follow the conversations that go on. Look for topics or discussions you can comment on. By commenting on posts, you can respond to questions being asked and present yourself as an expert in your field. There is an option in discussions to acknowledge that you ‘like’ a comment someone has posted. You can also ask good questions on topics and participate. Your participation will add value to your Profile.

Keep in mind your activity in various Groups and Discussions is going to show up in your Profile Activity. Take a look at the example from my own Profile. This can gain the attention of people (recruiters/HR managers) who may be browsing LinkedIn looking for talent. Pulling up your activity in a Group can display at a glance the comments you’ve posted. This is one of the ways you can position yourself using LinkedIn to stand out and be noticed. It’s a quick way for a recruiter to find out just how knowledgeable you are.

Start a Group Discussion

Image provided from Larry’s LinkedIn Profile

In addition to joining in Group Discussions, also consider starting your own Group. If none of the groups you explore seem to match your own job strategy or work area, create one that does. For example, you could start a group discussion centered on your specific profession or on some aspect of your work that you could lend some expert advice on. Check out the LinkedIn Learning Center again for tips on doing this. You can invite other professionals on LinkedIn to join your group and interject comments to keep the discussion going. By doing all of this you increase your exposure on the www and gain the attention of would-be employers.

You will find that your reach for notice on the www will increase as you continue building your Profile and incorporating these tools in LinkedIn. This will work exponentially for you the more you add to your Contacts. Use your Contacts, Jobs, and Groups participation to build functionality into your job search strategy. LinkedIn can help you stand out and hopefully this series will you to do just that. If you find this series helpful engage in discussion at the CBE Blog, http://cbeworkforce.blogspot.com/ or if you’re already on LinkedIn join the ProNet Central Florida Group.

Larry French is a novelist, speaker, editorial writer, and content provider of Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, and Mathematics curriculum. He is now seeking a publisher for his first novel, Time Will Tell, The Awakening which blends his love of history and science and is set during the American Civil War. http://www.linkedin.com/pub/larry-french/12/213/534

Don’t Gamble With the State

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

Are you about to go back to work? Do you know when to notify the state unemployment office of your return to work?

Click here to read an article with information about when and what you have to report to the state unemployment office.

Blending work and life

By Lori McMullin, APR, Director of Business Operations & Communications

Center for Business Excellence

Keeping everything going is a difficult task these days. I’m one of those people who love work – it’s always been part of my identity and not just a paycheck. However, I also love my home life.

So, when my husband and I recently moved into a “fixer-upper,” it made balancing energy quite challenging. It bugs me to no end living in chaos in terms of a neat and orderly office or home. I see walls that scream, “Paint me!,” and wish I could wave a wand and they would look instantly awesome.

Anyway, I am trying really hard to chill out and take it one step at a time. The majority of my energy and concern really needs to be on some big projects at work right now. So, I did some searching and found tips on how to deal with balancing out. Check out this link: http://text100.com/hypertext/2011/08/finding-a-blend-between-work-and-life/

How Can You Use LinkedIn Contacts for Job Networking?

By Larry French

The effectiveness of LinkedIn is its usefulness in helping you network electronically. LinkedIn can be a great tool in your job search strategy for making contacts with potential employers. This can be achieved by enlisting the aid of people you know as you continue to build your Profile.

Use Your Contacts

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Go to the Contacts tab of your Profile and begin to build your network. Again, you may find going to the LinkedIn Learning Center helpful. In the Resources section under User Guides you’ll find the New User Starter Guide. This function of the Learning Center can walk you through the process of starting your LinkedIn networking Contacts. Follow the linked prompts to go to pages where you have the options of downloading existing databases of contacts you already have in your other social media. Using the New User Starter Guide you can import webmail contacts and establish a base for your LinkedIn networking.

Image provided by LI

As with many of the LinkedIn tools, if you don’t wish to import your webmail or other social media contact lists you can simply start setting up Contacts manually. Using the field at the top of your tool bar, use the scroll down to select ‘People’ and then type in the names of anyone you’d like to see is already in LinkedIn from your existing network of contacts. If you come up with someone who is already in LinkedIn you’ll be able to use various associations you have with that person or their email address to initiate an Invite to Connect.

Expand Your Network

You can also use the Contacts tab of your tool bar to Add Contacts, look for Colleagues, and People You May Know on LinkedIn. These features will allow you to pull up various windows that offer possible contacts you can choose to pursue. Using the Contact function of your LinkedIn Profile, you can begin to seek out not only people you know but specific individuals who may be associated with a particular employer you are seeking employment with. LinkedIn adds this electronic aspect to your job search strategy.

Image provided from Larry’s LinkedIn Profile

Similar to the networking you do personally; LinkedIn gives you the opportunity to reach out to people. Using the Search features in parts of the tool bar you can begin to seek people whom you can form associations with and work toward your ultimate goal. You want to build as wide a network of contacts as you can. For example, you can see by my own Network Statistics that I’ve gained a substantial amount of reach across the www through my contacts. Keep in mind this took me about a year to accomplish but you can do the same.

Hopefully, what you learn about using LinkedIn will help you make that bridge from online applications and make personal contact. It’s been helping me and that’s what this series is all about--sharing what I’ve learned so you can do it too. If you find this series helpful engage in discussion at the CBE Blog, http://cbeworkforce.blogspot.com/ or if you’re already on LinkedIn join the ProNet Central Florida Group.

Larry French is a novelist, speaker, editorial writer, and content provider of Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, and Mathematics curriculum. He is now seeking a publisher for his first novel, Time Will Tell, The Awakening which blends his love of history and science and is set during the American Civil War. http://www.linkedin.com/pub/larry-french/12/213/534

Nine Things You Should Never Say in a Job Interview

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

Make your interview a bull’s eye by staying on target.

Interviews are hard to come by in today’s world, so when you get one you don’t want to mess it up by saying the wrong thing.

Click here to read an article about nine things you should never say in a job interview.