Please post your job and career questions and comments. I want to hear from you! What's happening at your place of work? ... Who is helping you? ... What are your thoughts about getting your next promotion or raise? Come on and give us your ideas.
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13 comments:
It seems some of the economic tension has leveled off... I'm still concerned about the uncertainty of the job market at the moment, especially as somebody who works paycheck to paycheck. My company is definitely in a cost-cutting mode, and it seems most others are!
What can I do to ensure my employability and not go homeless! I realize it's a big question, but a few pointers would be helpful to ease my mind.
It seems inappropriate to be asking for a raise in this economy, when most heads of company are scared about the shockwaves echoing through the financial markets.
How does one ask for a raise when it seems everybody is looking for ways to cut costs and in some cases, stay afloat?
Ensuring Employability is an on going process and unfortunately it is never guaranteed. But there are some things you can do to make sure that your boss knows YOU are on board. That is half the battle right there!
Staying in good communication with your supervisor and co workers is important. Give feedback of a constructive nature and solicit it too. Getting people's thoughts on how to make the projects and work flow better can yield good results. Ask for examples and demonstrate a real interest in the input. So few people do this, that you will stand out almost immediately.
Unfortunately we have a very rocky financial climate right now, so there are more variables which you cannot control.
DO concentrate on what you CAN control like your own skills, your accessability, your exposure and attitute.
Today's employers tell me they want people who will learn quickly and who are committed to the company. Loyalty is a big word I am hearing from employers and they too notice that it seems in short supply.
Ask your employer what else you can do to add value.
If your firm has an incentive or commission plan, ask what you can do to become more effective in generating profits or cutting costs. Send out some trial baloons with your own ideas to test the receptivity. Many firms set up these plans to find the high performers and reward them.
Finally, cautiously prepare yourself to investigate what the competition is offering. Staying knowledgeable about your own market will help you in the long run.
Getting a raise:
Make sure your employer feels you are meeting or exceeding current job expectations before asking for a raise.
Ask for suggestions on how you can make a more positive impact at work. Implement some of your own suggestions and all of theirs whenever possible.
If you are feeling underpaid, consider asking for a salary adjustment based on your contributions. (not so much as your needs or personal expenses) It is important to deliver more than expected, consistently in order for the boss to get the message.
Sometimes a person has to change jobs to get the salary increase they desire. Many a career, including plenty of CEO's found that they learned more and contributed more by leapfrogging outside and sometimes back inside.
Read any of Dr. Peter Drucker's books on careers and management. He was one of my guru's and I always appreciated his encouraging people to take full responsibility for their own results.
Seems like a meltdown of job opportunities. Almost no help wanted in the Sunday newspaper. Where do I go to find the best current openings in Kansas now?
With the economy in an upheaval right now, everyone is trying to grab at what they can and hold tight until the worst blows over. As for me, with very little overhead cost I am exploring various career opportunities including marketing, sales, advertising, etc. If you are like me, try to find something that interests you, and something you can have a career in. Never be satisfied with you have have accomplished, or have right now, always dream for bigger and better things and they will happen!
With the economy in an upheaval right now, everyone is trying to grab at what they can and hold tight until the worst blows over. As for me, with very little overhead cost I am exploring various career opportunities including marketing, sales, advertising, etc. If you are like me, try to find something that interests you, and something you can have a career in. Never be satisfied with you have have accomplished, or have right now, always dream for bigger and better things and they will happen!
I recently moved out to LA and am looking for a job in the film industry. If there is any advice you would give me or any help would be greatly appreciated. I am hoping to find an entry level job that I can work hard at and learn the business all while making connections that could ultimately lead to a career in production of movies or television. BD
Our best advice is to network like you are already in the field!
*NETWORK
*VOLUNTEER
*TRY BACK DOORS
*WORK IN AS A TEMP
*ASK FOR REFERRALS
Many people have entered their dream jobs by working first for a temp service which has a contract with the studios or productions company.
Please read Variety & other industry publications on line and on the news racks in Hollywood.
Go on line and find out which of the services seem to be hiring in your niche…then Go register at the temp services which advertise there.
In California, almost everyone uses Craig’s list for job postings…. So Blogs, Job boards,
The newspaper, magazines and Monster are good bets.
Additionally, people volunteer for the causes they love, like the
Motion picture museum, locations and charities the pros have supported over the years. AidsWalk & the Thalians.org at Cedars Hospital in LA have annual benefits which are supported by many celebrities and leading film industry and business execs. Let your light shine by people who can make referrals for you. If you have any extra hours, doing volunteer work near the pros is a great Way to network and get noticed.
Best of luck,
Patty DeDominic
With the bank meltdowns I am worried that I will lose the job which I have done for over ten years. Who do you recommend to help if I get laid off?
worried in Los Angeles
Diahann Lassus of New Jersey writes:
Patty,
The field of wealth management and specifically independent, fee-only firms is one of the fastest growing in the financial industry. As individuals learn more about the differene between investment advisors who always put their client's interests first and brokers who are only required to meet suitability standards in products they recommend, the growth will continue to increase. There are more and more billion dollar firms evolving and many more firms like mine that are always looking for good people with a finance degree and some experience in working with smaller companies. We have hired 4 people in the last 6 months and the competition for really qualified folks is heating up in the Northeast Corridor.
Would be happy to provide other information if you need it.
I'm not sure I would consider myself a business visionary but the following is something I have noticed.
I have seen many instances where the advances in computing power in recent years had an initial effect of empowering a broader portion of the employee base. The downside to that empowerment is a breakdown in the company's ability to control the processes and ensure accuracy and completeness. I can't tell you the number of companies I've seen that are virtually run on Excel spreadsheets. (No, PDQ was not one of the them!) So imagine an environment where there is no central repository of business information and employees have an exorbitant amount of job knowledge simply because they know how their portfolio of spreadsheets work.
Much of what my firm is called upon to do is to standardize processes and develop controls to ensure that the central database is complete and that management can have confidence in the inputs. My recent work at Westfield is doing exactly that.
ccording to a recent article by Cassie J. Moore in the Chronicle of Philanthropy:
Volunteers Say Charity Work Helps Them in Their Careers
" Fifty-seven percent of Americans who volunteer believe that volunteering has helped their careers by providing them with opportunities to learn new skills and meet other professionals, according to a new survey. Thirteen percent of respondents reported finding a job or making a career change as a result of volunteering."
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