Im Trying So Hard, But Im Getting Nowhere. What Am I Doing Wrong

“Im Trying So Hard, But Im Getting Nowhere. What Am I Doing Wrong” Help from our Community “Im Trying So Hard, But Im Getting Nowhere. What Am I Doing Wrong?” * Dean wants nothing more than to find work he loves. He feels like he's tried everything â€" making lists, talking to recruitment consultants, reading career-change books â€" but still hasn't got the clarity he's been looking for. Is it time to give up? Or is there something else he could do? What's your career history and current job? I'm a bid writer for a telecommunications company. I never meant to get into technical writing, but it was the first opportunity that came my way after university and, once I'd fallen into this industry, I got stuck. How do you feel about your work? I feel bored and insignificant. Maybe it sounds arrogant, but I want to be recognised and acknowledged for the work I do. I work really hard â€" I've worked hard for years â€" and yet I don't feel noticed or important. I just feel like a little cog in the machine. Anyone could step in and do the work I do and nobody would notice I was gone. I think I can do more than this, and I want the chance to prove that to myself and to my family. I want to feel inspired and excited when I wake up in the morning, and I couldn't feel further from that now. It's like Groundhog Day â€" the same people, the same work, every day, over and over… I feel like my life is passing me by. I know I sound dramatic and depressing, but it's reaching the stage where it's really affecting the rest of my life in a negative way. I feel droopy and disengaged. What would you like to be doing instead? I wish I knew the answer to this question. More than anything else in my life right now, that's what I want â€" even the tiniest drop of clarity about the answer to this question. Quite honestly, I'd like to be doing almost anything instead of what I'm doing now, but I'm not on a terribly comfortable salary level right now and can't afford to take a big drop in income â€" not unless I know I'll love the job and it'll be worth it in that way. What's the biggest obstacle in your way? Nothing I try gives me any clarity about what I might want to do. I've made a never-ending stream of lists: what I want from a job, my strengths, my skills, things I wanted to do when I was a kid, projects I've worked on that I've been commended for and enjoyed... I've surveyed my friends and family about what they think I should be doing. I've spoken to recruitment consultants to hone my CV and LinkedIn profile, and to look at my experience so far and tell me what I might be best suited for. I've gone to careers events and networking events and spoken to professionals. And I'm still feeling stuck. I've read loads of career-change books and done all the exercises in them. I've done psychological tests online to tell me what career I should be doing, but I just don't seem to be getting anywhere. None of the things I've done have given me any sense of certainty, or clarity, or even hope. How is it possible that I'm doing so much, and still getting nowhere? Can you help Dean? Have you been in a similar situation, or are you in the same boat right now? What else could he try to find some clarity about what his dream work might be? Do you know anyone he could talk to? Share your thoughts in the comments below and click the thumbs-up button to show your support. Give Dean a cheer of encouragement by hitting the thumbs-up button here:

How to Write Resume Objectives For Writing Jobs

How to Write Resume Objectives For Writing JobsIn addition to writing a resume, you may also want to write an objective for writing jobs. Having a well-written objective for writing jobs can actually go a long way in helping to get you hired and keep you hired.The purpose of an objective is simply to help you make the most of your resume. By giving yourself some kind of reason for the position that you are applying for, it allows the employer to have a better idea of what kind of job applicant they are dealing with. It is a simple, direct way of laying out what you want from the work that you will be doing for them. Your objective should state the reason that you are interested in the job, and what it is that you hope to accomplish from the position that you are applying for.With the objective for writing jobs in mind, there are some other things that you will want to include in your resume. The summary section should be highlighted, and it should include the most important informati on for the resume. However, with the introduction, your entire resume should be laid out in a logical manner.As you are writing your resume, always look at your notes as a guide. Keep in mind that most employers will be reading resumes that have not been proofread. It is important that your resume makes sense, and that all of the information that you are including in your resume is in order. If you find yourself making any type of mistakes, it is time to go back and redo the sections that you did not proofread properly.The first section that you will want to make sure that you cover in your resume is the cover letter. You should be able to include contact information such as your phone number, and your e-mail address. With your resume, this is not necessary, but in your cover letter, you will want to include your full name, the name that you use in your resume, and the title that you use at work.After you have finished writing your resume, you will want to add your objective for wri ting jobs to the end of the document. You may even want to also include your contact information so that you can send your resume along with a request for an interview. You will want to avoid including your contact information in the last few pages of your resume, because this will only make your resume less professional.The resume objective for writing jobs is something that should be at the very top of your resume. It should be bold, and it should stand out above everything else. In addition to highlighting the information that you want to include in your resume, having a clear objective is also a good way to show that you have done your research before writing your resume.Be sure to read through your resume and consider changing your resume objective for writing jobs to something that you think may be a little more specific. You may also find that it is better to add to the objective than to change it entirely.

How Small Business Owners Can Attract Top Talent - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How Small Business Owners Can Attract ‘Top Talent - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Every start-up would love to have the influence that Google has in attracting ‘Top Talent.”   After all, who wouldn’t want the absolute best talent in the industry clamoring to join your ranks? First thing you can do is recognize the strengths start-ups inherently have and capitalize on those areas. Then you should learn more about the established tech firms like Google’s hiring practices. Discover what they offer that you can also offer. And finally, know your limitations as a small firm and offer something that employees can’t get at the bigger firms. Start-ups (and smaller businessâ€"under 00 employees) have the ability to offer employees more ownership of ideas and a sense of being a force behind the firm’s mission. These firms tend to have simpler organizational structures that in general tend to have fewer rules and less bureaucracy. The smaller the firm the easier it is for management to empower individual employees. Fewer buffers exist between employees and managers so it’s possible for everyone to be more involved in decision-making and have increased power to use their judgment and their intelligence. Make sure your marketing campaign takes full advantage of the benefits you offer from being small such as giving more autonomy and purpose for employees and valuing their creative input. Get testimonials from employees on your company website that reiterate this and place it in your company’s LinkedIn profile in a section that describes your company’s culture. Another strategy to attract top talent that you could model after the big firms is making your firm a cool place to work. Be creative in creating a workspace and an atmosphere that appeals to ‘top talent.’ The idea is to know your competition and copycat all the good things about them wherever you can. While you may not be able to offer new hires a Google salary, you could still offer many of the things they offer on a smaller scale. For instance, Emulate Aspects of The Culture at Google to Attract Top Talent Google is well-known for its dynamic culture and for allowing employees ownership of projects. Employees are encouraged to pursue their creative ambitions and are given time every week to work on a project of their choice. 1. Set Out to Attract Top Talent It’s not to say that you could actually compete with Google in attracting the cream of the crop but being more selective in your hiring practices could pay off in the long run. Employees at Google know they’ll have the opportunity to work with other top talent as the companies known for attracting the best and brightest people who stand out for their character and their abilities. It’s worth investing in high quality employees as it adds prestige to your firm’s reputation and makes it more enticing for other ‘top talent’ to work for you. 2. Look for What Google Looks For in Hiring Laszlo Bock, the senior vice president of people operations for Google â€" i.e., the guy in charge of hiring for one of the world’s most successful companies â€" noted that Google had determined that “G.P.A.’s are worthless as a criteria for hiring, and test scores are worthless We found that they don’t predict anything.” Google’s hiring managers focus on character traits that they feel are predictors for successful employees. They pay for what you can do with what you know and they don’t care HOW YOU LEARNED IT. This means you can recruit people from less prestigious schools as long as they have a track record for being collaborative, adaptable and solving complex problems. While being an expert matters in certain fields like programming and engineering, Google focuses equal if not more emphasis in hiring people who possess certain soft skills including leadership, humility, collaboration, adaptability and loving to learn and re-learn. Employees who possess these traits tend to be more trainable and are often the ones who strive harder to make a difference and learn from mistakes. 3. Leadership Google wants to know how you’ve flexed different muscles in different situations in order to mobilize a team. This might be by asserting a leadership role at work or with an organization, or by helping a team succeed when you weren’t officially appointed as the leader. They seek people who when faced with a problem and you’re a member of a team, step in and lead at the appropriate time. And just as critically, they look for people who know when to step back and stop leading, and let someone else lead. They reason: Because what’s critical to be an effective leader in this environment is you have to be willing to relinquish power. “Intellectual humility is a critical trait. Without humility, you are unable to learn. Its why research shows that many graduates from hotshot business schools plateau. “Successful bright people rarely experience failure, and so they don’t learn how to learn from that failure,” said Bock. “They, instead, commit the fundamental attribution error, which is if something good happens, it’s because I’m a genius. If something bad happens, it’s because someone’s an idiot or I didn’t get the resources or the market moved What we’ve seen is that the people who are the most successful here, who we want to hire, will have a fierce position. They’ll argue like hell. They’ll be zealots about their point of view. But then you say, ‘here’s a new fact,’ and they’ll go, ‘Oh, well, that changes things; you’re right.’ ” You need a big ego and small ego in the same person at the same time. 4. Role-Related Knowledge Look for people who have a variety of strengths and passions, not just isolated skill sets. Make sure that new hires have the experience and the background that will set them up for success in their new role. For engineering candidates in particular, look to check out their coding skills and technical areas of expertise. 5. How You Think Hire people based on how they think. Today, Google’s hiring managers are less concerned about grades and transcripts and more interested in how you think. Managers ask candidates some role-related questions that provide insight into how you solve problems. They want applicants to show them how they would tackle the problem presenteddon’t get hung up on nailing the “right” answer. 6. Ask Yourself, Will This Candidate Fit In Your Company’s Culture? Look for signs if this candidate will fit in your firm? Is he comfortable with ambiguity? What’s her bias to action and does she have a collaborative nature? 7. Collect Feedback From Multiple Employees from Different Departments At Google, employees work on tons of projects with different groups of Googlers, across many teams and time zones. To give employees a sense of what working there is really like, some interviewers could be potential teammates, but some interviewers will be with other teams. This helps hiring managers see how a prospective new hire might collaborate and fit in at Google overall. 8. Use Independent Committees to Ensure Hiring For the Long Term An independent committee of Googlers review feedback from all of the interviewers. This committee is responsible for ensuring their hiring process is fair and that they’re holding true to their “good for Google” standards as they grow. At Google they believe that if you hire great people and involve them intensively in the hiring process, you’ll get more great people. While involving Googlers in the hiring process does take longer, they believe it’s worth it. While a small firm might not have multiple teams to review a single candidate, you might have several managers review prospective new hires to look for signs that this person would be a good fit. Emphasize That You Choose to Be Great Rather than Big The Inherent Benefits in Staying Small Bo Burlingham, the Editor-at-Large for Inc. Magazine’s recent book  Small Giants: Companies That Choose to be Great Instead of Big,  showcases businesses that chose to do great things which required them to remain relatively small. He shines a light on a handful of business practices that he admires, and which he believes are the reason some companies consistently do better than others. His research in spotlighting businesses that give back to their employees, suppliers and their community reflects his personal values. Other businesses could take notice of these businesses so they model them in some way and may find that employees appreciate working for a small firm because the possibility for seeing the impact of their work and for having a relationship with upper management is greater than with a large firm. In a small firm it’s more likely that employees can own a project and have the opportunity to say… that’s mine, I made it. Small firms could benefit from incorporating certain tactics that the big tech firms use to attract top talent in order to increase their chances for hiring someone who will fit into the firm and bring value once theyre on board. The advantage that small firms should emphasize in their recruiting materials and when talking to prospective employees are the distinct benefits of working in a more close-knit setting. When individual employees feel they have a voice they tend to feel more motivated and engaged at work. Its okay to emphasize that this is a desirable attribute of your firm thats harder to find in a larger organization. While some big companies do this, it’s far easier for employees in a smaller firm to feel they’re a part of their firm’s missions because there are fewer buffers between them and management. Fewer layers of management results in the opportunity for closer ties between co-workers on all levels. This is an inherent advantage for every small firm and an enviable quality that many large firms struggle to obtain. Advertising the benefits of being small could help you attract top talent and enhance your companys brand for choosing to be great rather than big.

Do you have Mandarin skills . are you looking for an internship or part-time job in Social Media University of Manchester Careers Blog

Do you have Mandarin skills . are you looking for an internship or part-time job in Social Media University of Manchester Careers Blog Job Title : Social Media Intern (Ref: MCFI) Location: Trafford Park, Manchester Salary : £12,000 per annum (pro-rated 20 hours per week) Several Greater Manchester companies, supported by MIDAS, Marketing Manchester and New Economy, have recently launched the Manchesterâ€"China Forum, which aims to increase Greater Manchester’s commercial connectivity, including trade and investment, with China. As an essential member of a small team, the Social Media Intern will support the Forum team and lead on the co-ordination of the Forum’s social media activities, supporting the Forum to achieve its goals. The role also involves engaging with key partners, the local Chinese student community and providing general support of the forums activities. If you are, ideally a native Mandarin speaker, with excellent Mandarin and English written and spoken skills, can demonstrate social media skills and able to be a self-starter then we want to hear from you. For further details on how to apply and to download the job description for this role, please visit http://www.manchesterchinaforum.com   alternatively view the further details here: Manchester-China Forum Social Media Intern Job Description (2) To apply for this role, please send your CV and covering letter, stating the  reference (MCFI)  to: Manchester China Forum, Warren Bruce Court, Warren Bruce Road, Trafford Park, Manchester, M17 1LB or email recruitment@midas.org.uk The closing date for applications is Monday 14th October 2013.   All International China international students Internships work experience

Veteran Resume Writing Service

Veteran Resume Writing ServiceA professional resume writing service can help you on getting a veteran job, especially if you have military or veteran experience. Military veterans that have recently retired from the armed forces may not find it easy to get a job when they have not been able to land a job since they left the service.Finding veteran resumes that work is a challenging task. The reason why is because most veterans who go through the process of applying for jobs do not know where to start. But with the help of a resume writing service, veteran candidates can get the necessary information needed to get started on a new career path.You can get the kind of assistance you need by looking for a resume writing service that works with many different companies. Most services work in conjunction with veterans that are in need of applying for jobs. But when you want a resume that will bring the attention of a company you should look for a service that specializes in working with em ployers and veteran candidates.A resume writing service that has expertise in working with employers is always a great help to you. Veterans have an advantage in that they are used to working with people from different backgrounds. This means that veterans can identify with employers and feel more comfortable when they have to meet with them. This is the type of advantage a resume writing service can provide.Veterans that have recently gone through the process of returning to school are also ideal candidates for resume writing services. Because they are already on their feet and can speak to the head of the line, they are usually more likely to impress employers. Being able to connect with the head of the line is also an advantage for veterans that are at the top of their game.It is also possible to use a resume writing service to help veterans with their resumes as well. Veterans can use the service to create copies of their resumes for all of the different positions they would lik e to apply for. In this way, the veterans will not have to spend time creating and rewriting their resumes in order to get them translated for every job they apply for.Veteran resumes can be customized in a number of ways. The basic format of a resume can be changed a bit to fit the needs of the employer. You can get a resume that includes all of the basic information about your accomplishments, but in a more professional way than a direct appeal to the company.Veterans have a great advantage over other applicants when they have expert writers working for them. Military veterans that have just recently gone through the process of seeking employment will find that they are getting a lot of help in getting a resume written that will grab the attention of employers. Even though the process is not easy, veterans will be happier and will be able to move ahead to a new stage of their life with more confidence.

Ask Dana 4 steps to prepare for negotiating a pay raise

Ask Dana 4 steps to prepare for negotiating a pay raise 4 steps to prepare for negotiating a pay raise Question Help! I need your advice for an upcoming meeting to negotiate the salary I want when being hired. Answer from Executive Job Coach Dana Manciagli Most people do not do a good job negotiating a salary increase or compensation package for a variety of reasons. They wing it, they dont believe they can ask for a higher amount, or they are afraid of losing the offer. So here are my top four MUST-dos for you: 1. Do your homework and over-prepare! Know your market value. How? Research sites like Glassdoor.com, network with peers in similar positions, and simply ask others. 2. Know your internal company value. How? Study your companys career website, networking with others in similar positions, and learn on what salary increases are based. Understand your companys metrics and how you are evaluated. Without that, you are dead. Unfortunately too many women say, Ive done a good job this past year; therefore… even though their company may base increases on future potential or scope increase within a role. 3. Prepare your discussion and write out your presentation. Dont wing it or think that having a conversation is effective. Its not. Write out the flow of your discussion, limiting the topics to three items. For example, give the purpose of the discussion and your objective, present your supporting data and request the compensation package or salary increase. Review your presentation with a friend or mentor to see if there are any gaps or missed opportunities. 4. Write your salary justification in a letter format. Distribute your justification letter and lead the discussion. Be clear and confident. Take notes, listen and respond in an impactful way. The hiring manager may need time to consider your proposal and get back to you. Dont worry â€" they will NOT rescind the offer. In fact, if you do this well, he or she may come back with some â€" or even all â€" of your requests!

How To Be Effective in Your Job Search Networking

How To Be Effective in Your Job Search Networking While experts may debate the exact percentage, you should know by now that the majority of professional jobs today are filled not through published advertisements, but via personal networking. Not only do employers value the extra credibility involved when hiring through word-of-mouth referrals, they also appreciate the lower recruitment cost and greater likelihood an individual will fit well with their organizational culture. Regardless, many job seekers continue to be uncomfortable with the networking process and asking other people for help, favors, and introductions. For some, the challenge centers around how to ask for assistance in the right way or to characterize their situation without seeming desperate. For others, the reluctance to network comes down to pride and a feeling they should be able to get a job based on their credentials alone, without relying on relationships. So the question arisesâ€"what can networking-averse job seekers do to get over this hurdle and gain access to the two-thirds of all opportunities that will be filled through personal referrals? Have a clear networking goal. Do you want to ask the person to submit your résumé into the employee referral system in their company? Would you like the person to forward your credentials to the hiring manager within their company? What else? Once you have a goal in mind, the rest will fall into place. Build a networking plan. Create lists of prospective contacts you want to make in the following categories: Active contacts who can help you; those are people you are regularly in touch with or they are familiar with you. Lapsed contacts you need to re-kindle. Industry organizations, affiliates, and business groups you need to explore. Research you need to do to find new contacts, in certain companies or having certain titles, for example Use networking methods you are most comfortable with. You don’t have to go to big events to exchange business cards when you’d rather be home alone. You can do a lot via e-mail and LinkedIn…amazing work once you learn how. If you are calling someone, script your call beforehand. Most likely you will get voicemail anyway so read from your script! Network for long-term relationship-building. The definition of networking is “connecting to build 2-way relationships for the long term.” Simple, right? The concept is simple and powerful, but the tragedy today is that most people are missing the key actions required to be courteous, genuine and, frankly, respectful. I don’t believe people are “using” others intentionally. It’s just that they’re not thinking enough about the other person AND they’re not making time to follow up and continue the relationship. Take risks, change your networking game, and remember: “Success doesn’t happen alone!” I’m on your team to see success FAST! Contact me to discuss the Job Search Master Class and private coaching at any time.