Go For the Offer Patty DeDominic on the 2010 Job Market

Go For the Offer,    Create Your Own Future

I  haven't met anyone with a real crystal ball....but I sure have met quite a few people who invest time imagining the future and then working to create the one they want to make happen.

Today I want to share the experience with an job candidate I'll call "Roger".  (made up name to protect the candidate identity)   This young man exemplified everything the most professional job seeker could do to "go for the offer".   He was a shining example of a true gentleman and  is someone who  made a lasting impression on me, and I am sure on others he comes in contact with.

  Roger was applying for a position with the International Women's Festival. That position  turned out to be a temporary one.. which might turn into full time at a later date.  But for the next few months it is part time and could end in March of this year.   " Roger"  responded to a notice we posted on Craig's List for an executive assistant and office manager.      "Roger" had all the office skills we had requested and he had more than what was expected in the enthusiasm department.    He followed up with a phone call to arrange his appointment and had followed the email-your-resume instructions to a "T".   He did a quick written follow up... nothing nagging or desperet sounding, just a professional "ping" to make sure he stayed in our radar.

He Got the invite to the interview..... first a phone screen then an in person meeting.   First Base, the hoped-for call back.

He showed up to his interview on time with a most positive attitude.

When asked about his office skills and experience he responded positively with a confident smile and with some specific examples of his past experience and how he could help with some of our important projects.    He had done his homework and had combed the Women's Festivals website and he had done some background on the people he was interviewing with.   Now Roger did not have much experience in putting on a major women's empowerment conference but he did not let that stop him.... he had been involved in conferences before, he also talked about his other transferable skills like organizing, follow up and computer spreadsheets, tracking and trouble shooting - all skills that are needed by this employer.

Roger exhibited the most positive "assumed consent" attitude that is so important in today's job market.    With out being over confident, he expressed a positive outlook and his words expressed in every way his desire to become a member of the team.

During the interview he asked questions...not too many, but plenty when he was asked if he had any.    Roger asked about earnings potential for the future, he asked about hours, dress expectations, overtime and other conditions which an informed professional would be expected to know.  Without being too pushy he "qualified us" and learned as much as he could about the longer term potential and the short term opportunity.

Roger got the job offer.......    and was given a day or two to think it over.   After due consideration he was pondering another offer which offered full time, "permanent" employment which he felt would turn into a more positive career path for himself.

One of the things I want you to take away from this is that he kept the conversations most positivie and "went for the offer"   He received an offer of part time, temporary employment and even though it was not the ideal he was most gracious and when it came time to determine  GO or NO GO.. he came to meet with me in person to thank me for the offer!

In the end, Roger decided to accept one of the other offers which also received that week.    We aren't going to benefit by his experience (at the time) on this particular project... but he sure did leave the most positive of impressions.      When he told me that he had decided to accept the other offer and not ours, he did so with a smile and sincere appreciate for the time invested in his as a serious candidate for the job.    

Roger left a lasting impression.      We are quite sure the he is going to be extremely successful as he continues to build his career and his network.   He went for the offer... he got it but he also knew how to gracefully accept the offer which appeared to better meet his career needs at this time.     

You can bet, we'll always be taking his calls and his referrals.   And we can only hope that this employer also left a positive impression on this professional young man - as we definitely want him to accept our calls in the future!    Roger.. and all of you men and women out there...  go for it.. Create your own future... and keep those doors open.

Job and Career Questions? JOB Fair in Santa Barbara Patty DeDominic

Calling all Career Resources and Employers!!

There will be career resources and a special Job Fair area--at the 

California  Women's Festival  on March 5 & 6, 2010 in Santa Barbara.

If you would like to register,  please visit    http://www.womensfestivals.org/   

Scholarships are available if you apply on line  and request a scholarship due to financial need.  

Special Student rate of only $25.00

EMPLOYERS please consider attending and talking to outstanding California Job Candidates:

For more information please fill our the exhibitor form

http://www.womensfestivals.org/exhibit-womens-conference.php

Put    "Employer"  on your application  for a 20% discount.     If you apply and pay prior to  February 2, 2010.    

Patty DeDominic invites you to get up close and personal with inspiring resources and connections which can make a world of difference in your career.   This Career Fair and Conference is open to men and women from all over the USA with special emphasis on Southern California.    

Meet representatives from the National Association of Women Business Owners  http://www.nawbo.org/        SCORE, free counseling for those who wish to start or expand their businesses;    UCSB Career Center and UCSB Women's Center;   Girls Inc,  Women's Economic Ventures;    Green2gold.org;  Future Women CEOs;  

Conference and Job Fair is open to men and women of all ages.

Earl Warren ShowGrounds

Friday March 5, 2010     4-8 PM

Saturday March 6, 2010   8-6pm

visit  http://www.womensfestivals.org/   or   write  info@womensfestivals.org    for more information.

This conference is co sponsored by community leaders, not profit organizations and private corporations including AT&T, Wells Fargo Bank,  Santa Barbara Bank and Trust,  Ricoh-USA, Christie Communications, The Weidemann Foundation,  Gold, global organization for leadership and diversity & DeDominic & Associates.   Event produced by Patty DeDominic     

7 Ways to Spot Tommorow's Trends Today..... The World Futurist Society

7 Ways to Spot Tomorrow’s Trends Today


In the more than 40 years since the World Future Society was founded, futurists have developed a range of techniques to study the future. Here are a few techniques futurist use to spot new opportunities and potential problems. These methods give individuals and organizations an edge to help them succeed in a fast-changing world:



1.Scan the Media to Identify Trends—Futurists often conduct an ongoing and systematic surveys of news media and research institutes. These surveys help spot significant trends and technology breakthroughs. Futurists call this environmental scanning.



2.Analyze and Extrapolate Trends—After the trends are identified, the next step is to plot the trends to show their direction and development into the future. Trend analysis and extrapolation can show the nature, causes, speed, and potential impacts of trends.



3.Develop Scenarios—Futurists often describe the future development of a trend, a strategy, or a wild-card event in story form. These scenarios can paint a vivid picture that can help you visualize possible future developments and show how you can prepare effectively for future risks and opportunities. Scenarios help you to blend what you know about the future with imagination about the uncertain. Scenarios help you move from dreaming to planning and then to accomplishment.


4.Ask Groups of Experts—Futurists also conduct “Delphi Polls” which are carefully structured surveys of experts. Polling a wide range of experts in a given field can yield accurate forecasts and suggestions for action.


5.Use Computer Modeling—Futurists often use computer models to simulate the behavior of a complex system under a variety of conditions. For example, a model of the U.S. economy might show the effects of a 10 percent increase in taxes.

6.Explore Possibilities with Simulations—Futurists create simulations of a real-world situations by means of humans playing different roles. For example, in war games, generals test out tactics they may later use on the battlefield, or corporate executives can explore the possible results of competitive strategies.

7.Create the Vision—Futurists help organizations and individuals systematically develop visions of a desirable future. Visioning creates the big picture of the possibilities and prepares the way for goal setting and planning.

Each issue of THE FUTURIST brings you the results of the work of leading futurists from around the world.



You can also discover how to use these techniques yourself in your business and personal life. We’ve prepared a special report that shows how to use these and other futurist techniques. It’s called The Art of Foresight: Preparing for a Changing World. This report will show you how to use futurist techniques to prepare realistically and creatively for success in your personal and professional life. You can get a copy FREE with an introductory membership in the World Future Society.
Join the World Future Society today
http://www.wfs.org/forecasts/index.html#memberapp

HR Watches the Office, Comments by Patty DeDominic

HR Watches   THE OFFICE


When the company might be imploding

Hosted by Matt Dubno, Originally published on December 18th, 2009



Listen now:HR Watches the Office Hulu Video
Standard Podcast [16:25m]:



Dunder Mifflin is in major financial trouble and the company is now being sold. According to CFO David Wallace, he and all the other executives are going to be canned, but the Scranton office will be okay. However, in tough times, you never know what can happen. A bad economy and corporate restructuring can lead to any number of possibilities.



For any professional, the chance of losing one’s job requires preparation for the future. For the HR team of any transitioning company, each HR professional has to look out for their personal career while maintaining responsibilities within their current crashing company. It’s a tough circumstance.



In this episode we talk with career coach and veteran business manager Patty DeDominic, founder and president of the specialized consulting group DeDominic & Associates. We’ll discuss what Dunder Mifflin employees, real-life professionals, and HR teams can do to make the best out of a really bad situation.


Matt
Patty DeDominic's Comments on What To Do Next!

“It’s a Christmas miracle!”

Cassandra Lee on Your Successful New Year's Resolutions

The Difference Is In Your Follow Up.......    Accomplishing Your New Year's Resolutions

It is our tradition to make resolutions at the start of the new year.
When the count down ends and January 1st begins, we start proclaiming
 the things we will do in the new year that will make us better, wealthier,
 stronger, healthier, smarter, kinder, and wise.




We tell ourselves such resolutions as, "This year, I will lose weight."
"I will find a new job this year." "It is my goal to go back to school this year."
"My New Year's resolution is to stop smoking."
"20__ is the year I will save $300 a month."



Our resolutions - which are personal to us - run the gamut of wants and desires from saving money,  to losing weight, to changing careers, and even to finding love.


The interesting thing about resolutions is that once we make them, most of us don't keep them.
 Studies have shown that less than 20% of people polled in resolution studies actually achieve their desired resolutions.



Why is it that we don't have the follow-through to keep our resolutions?

What can we do to keep the promises we make to ourselves in the new year?

How can we position ourselves to achieve our resolutions?


Since Oprah has dedicated the first week of this month to teaching millions how to live their best life in the areas of health, finances, and spiritual growth, I have decided to dedicate my first article of the new year to teaching millions how to live their best life when it comes to making and keeping New Year's resolutions.

Below you will find strategies that I have found helpful with assisting me with making and keeping my New Year's resolutions. Each strategy will help you to position yourself to actually achieve the resolutions you've set..

CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE

First, I suggest that you change your perspective on New Year's resolutions. If you change your perspective on what a New Year's resolution really is - you will then begin to keep your resolutions more consistently.
 I recommend that you look at resolutions as a goal.


By definition, a New Year's resolution is "a commitment that an individual makes to a project or the reforming of a habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous." For some
 of you, although you know the lifestyle change you have committed to make over the next 365 days
 will be advantageous to your lives, again, most of you will fail to stay committed and follow-through
 on the resolution until the end of the year. Don't feel bad, I've been there and done that, too.


I think about my New Year's resolution for 2008,  for instance. I had ended 2007 by making the New Year's resolution to put my thoughts into words and share them with others at least twice a month during 2008. I had a monthly newsletter that I had created in 2007 and I wanted to stay committed to writing an article and posting it to my Website no later than the 5th of every month.



I also had a blog that I had started but was not really utilizing. I made the New Year's resolution to put my thoughts into words at least once a week and to share them with others using the blog as a way to become savvy with using a new form of technology and to improve my habit of writing on a more frequent basis.


Did I actually do any of this in 2008? NO! As a matter of fact, when January 5, 2008 came and went, I still had not put the finishing touches on my monthly article. With this realization, I panicked because I believed that I was breaking my New Year's resolution. "What is wrong with me?", I kept asking myself for weeks, as if this question was going to jump start me into action and help me get my articles written and posted onto my Website, blog, or even EzineArticles.com.


January quickly turned into March, which then turned into July, and from there it became October, and the next thing I knew, it was a completely New Year again and I still had not posted any articles anywhere.

However, something interesting happened to me as the months moved along. I began to let go of the guilt of not succeeding at my New Year's resolution. I also began to appreciate the strides I made toward completing simple steps associated with my resolution. Even though I had missed the chance to fulfill my New Year's resolution of posting my articles, I did commit to the action of writing my thoughts on the page. In reality, I had failed to follow-through on the New Year's resolution, but I had succeeded at the goal of writing.



Once I changed my perspective to see New Year's resolutions as nothing but a goal,
 I began to operate differently - mentally, emotionally, and physically.

 I revised my resolution for 2008 into a goal where I told myself that my goal was to write my thoughts on the page whenever a thought worth writing entered into my mind. This goal became easier to keep. There was less stress on me to accomplish it. Amazingly, over time, I made progress.



SET A PLAN

Second, I suggest that you set a plan for achieving the goal in order to make and keep your resolutions.

A plan is nothing more than a set of actual steps (tasks) you complete toward the achievement of your goal.

Think about what your goal (resolution) is and then consider the action steps you will need to complete in order to make progress toward achieving it.


For my revised resolution (goal), my plan became to write whenever thoughts worth writing entered into my mind. That was simple enough for me to follow-through on because I found that the thoughts prompted me to act.



OBTAIN THE RIGHT RESOURCES

Third, I suggest that you obtain the right resources that will allow you to follow-through and achieve your goals.


Take into consideration what you have determined as the goal you will achieve in the New Year and what resources you will need in order to achieve that goal. Is it new workout equipment? Will you need a financial planner? Do you know the type of job site you must join? What type of bank account will you need? Which school will offer you the classes you need for the degree/certification you desire?

Create a list of the resources you currently possess that will help you to achieve your goal. Put a check mark next to the ones you definitely have and highlight the ones that you don't. Seek out and obtain the resources that you don't have so that you will have what you need to achieve your goal.

For my revised resolution, all I needed was a pen and paper. Therefore, I purchased two ink pens with four colors to help spark my creativity. I obtained a small pocket size notebook for my purse, a large notebook for my traveling suitcase, a simple desktop writing pad for my computer stand, and a journal for my bedside. These resources allowed me to write down the thoughts that entered my mind that I felt were worth writing.



READJUST TO SETBACKS

Fourth, I suggest that you quickly readjust your thinking after you encounter a setback when attempting to follow-through and achieve your resolutions (goals).



There is an adage that says, "What you think about you bring about." Therefore, when you think negative thoughts about your poor progress in achieving your resolutions, you will have exactly that, poor progress.



I found that stressing over missing my deadline of January 5, 2008 to post my articles on my Website actually debilitated me into not taking action at all. I played the "woe is me" role for so many weeks that by the time I was ready to take action, a half of year was already gone.



Once I changed my thought patterns regarding the resolution, I began to see some progress. I readjusted first by changing my perspective of the resolution into a goal. Then I made a decision about how the goal should be carried out. Within a matter of weeks, I was actually making progress and achieving my goal.



Ensuring your success with achieving your goal will require you to quickly readjust to any setbacks. Don't do as I did and allow a lot of time to pass. As soon as you realize that you've hit a setback, readjust and keep moving forward.



REWARD YOUR PROGRESS

Finally, in order to ensure that you can make and keep your resolutions, I suggest that you reward your progress.



Treat yourself to something that is personal to you. A new outfit, a brand new game for your PS2, a set of golf clubs, a candlelit bubble bath, some new jewelry, dinner out with family or friends, a night out on the town to see a movie of interest, a quiet evening at home, or even a gift card to your favorite store.



Whatever you give yourself, make sure that you provide it to yourself after you have readjusted to any setbacks you encountered. Also, give yourself a reward after you've reached certain milestones in your progress. No matter the reward you give yourself, it will serve as a motivator to help you make progress toward your goal, as well as, serve as a reminder of your success when you achieve your goal.



In November of last year, I treated myself to a big bag of the Garrett Mix - CaramelCrisp® & CheeseCorn™ popcorn as my reward for achieving my goal of writing. Garrett popcorn is my personal reward that I get whenever I've accomplished a major milestone in my life. Not only was I proud of myself for getting back on track and making progress toward my goal, but I was also proud of myself for realizing how to overcome the problem of not keeping my New Year's resolution.



What you will find, as I have discovered, is that the five strategies for making and keeping your New Year's resolutions rests upon you changing your perspective and seeing your resolutions as goals; setting a plan to achieve your goals; obtaining the right resources; readjusting to setbacks; and rewarding your progress.




When you follow these five suggested strategies for making and keeping your New Year's resolutions, you will find that you will live your best life by demonstrating more commitment and follow-through to keep your resolutions. Furthermore, you will position yourself to keep all of the promises you make to yourself for the things you want to achieve and accomplish in the new year.



Cassandra "D.I.V.A. of Dialog" Lee has a mission for educating and empowering audiences toward personal growth and career success. As a self-development expert, professional speaker, corporate trainer, author, and life coach, she uses "Divine Inspiration Vocally Applied" to provide strategies and solutions for helping her audiences via her live seminars, workshops, keynote speeches, training sessions, and one-on-one coaching sessions. To receive personal empowerment tidbits FREE each month, sign-up for her newsletter, Dialog Digest at http://www.divaofdialog.com/newsletter.aspx.


http://www.linkedin.com/in/cassandrarleeClick here to reach Cassandra Lee



Cassandra Lee

Trainer and President of     SSANEE Training & Consulting Group
She serves as a facilitator for Skill Path Seminars and in a volunteer capacity as a
Sponsor/Club President   Toastmasters International in Chicago, Illinois

Om Malik on "Are You Ready for the iEconomy?"

By Om Malik

The Mophie Credit Card Reader

Jack Dorsey’s Square, Incase, Verifone and now Mophie — these companies’ credit card readers are turning the iPhone/iPod touch platform into an e-commerce engine.



Mophie, a Los Angeles-based company that makes accessories for the iPod/iPhone devices will release a credit card reader at CES in January 2010. The device is going to have a reader and a software that would allow small businesses to take credit cards. No more details are available just yet.



I, for one, would like to see Mophie or one of these other startups come up with a way for me to scan my own credit card to enter it into an app or web site. Even better, I’d love it if they married their hardware with the functionality of something like 1Password. In doing so, they could enable e-commerce via the iPhone apps. Think of it as iEconomy.



I know, I know — it’s easier said than done, considering it would need some deep, system-level mucking around, and Apple isn’t going to let that happen. But it should! By opening up, it would make the iPhone into an even more useful platform. While I can understand Apple’s hesitation at opening up the iPhone, it can start with iPod touch, which is not tethered to a wireless phone company’s network.



By focusing on the consumers, these companies can also overcome two things: somewhat finite number of likely small business customers and get scale, which would allow them to get cheaper. And this would also help them overcome the slower adoption rates normally encountered when chasing the small business market. In fact, companies such as Visa, MasterCard and large banks should be trying hard to figure out how they can put these kind of readers in the hands of both merchants and consumers, thus shifting even more transactions into the electronic realm.





The Verifone Card Reader

OK, you can see I am just way too excited about this stuff. Why not? I am encouraged to see such experimentation. It ties in with my big belief: the marriage of computing and connectivity without the shackles of being tethered to a location is the the biggest disruptive force of our times, and it will redefine business models for decades.



For a long time, companies like Symbol Technologies, a division of Motorola, have been making point-of-sale and handheld computing devices for non-office environments such as retail locations and warehouses. It is becoming obvious by the day — they are amongst those being disrupted.



I am looking forward to more Mophies and Squares!

Mobile Apps: Apple, iPhone, Jack Dorsey, Mophie, Motorola, Square, VeriFone
 

 
Om Malik Bio
Om is the founder of GigaOM Network, where he is currently a senior writer. He has worked as a senior writer for Forbes.com, Red Herring and Business 2.0. He is the author of Broadbandits: Inside the $750 Billion Telecom Heist. Om blogs about baseball, life and music on his personal blog, OmIs.Me.
 Follow him on Twitter @om

Calling All Women With Vision: 2010 WIFTI Short Film Showcase Submission Deadline

Calling All Women With Vision: 2010 WIFTI Short Film Showcase Submission Deadline

Posted using ShareThis

How Was Your Decade?

Not A Good Decade, Say "The People"




According to The Pew Research Center For The People & the Press, as the current decade draws to a close, relatively few Americans have positive things to say about it. By roughly two-to-one, more say they have a generally negative rather than a generally positive impression of the past 10 years. This stands in stark contrast to the public's recollection of other decades in the past half-century. When asked to look back on the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, positive feelings outweigh negative in all cases.

Happy to put the 2000s behind them, most Americans are optimistic that the 2010s will be better. Nearly six-in-ten say they think the next decade will be better than the last for the country as a whole, though roughly a third think things will be worse.

Impressions Of The Decades (% of Respondents)

Overall Impression of the Decades:

General Impression 1960s 34% Said it was positive/ 15% said it was negative
 1970s ...  40%  positive/  16 % said it was negative
1980s       56%  positive/  12% said it was negative
1990s       57%  positive/  19%  negative
2000s  only 27% said it was positive and 50% said their overall impression was negative
2010s EST


Expectation For 2010s

Better 59%

Worse 32

Same 4

Don't know 5

Source: Pew Research Center, December 2009


By a wide margin, the 9/11 terrorist attacks are seen as the most important event of the decade, with Barack Obama's election as president a distant second - even among his political supporters. And the sour view of the decade is broad-based, with few in any political or demographic group offering positive evaluations.

Clear majorities see cell phones, the internet and e-mail as changes for the better, and most also view specific changes such as handheld internet devices and online shopping as beneficial trends. Most see increasing racial and ethnic diversity as a change for the better, as well as increased surveillance and security measures and the broader range of news and entertainment options.

But the public is divided over whether wider acceptance of gays and lesbians, cable news talk and opinion shows, and the growing number of people with money in the stock market are good or bad trends. Reality TV shows are, by a wide margin, the least popular trend tested in the poll; 63% say these shows have been a change for the worse. Tattoos are also unpopular with many - 40% say more people getting tattoos is a change for the worse, though 45% say it makes no difference and 7% see it as a change for the better.

Opinions of Tech and Social Changes (% of Respondents)

Technologies that have made a Change For The Better
Cell phones 69%
Green products 68%

Email 65%

Internet 65%

Increasing racial/ethnic diversity 61%

Increased surveillance/security 58%

Blackberry/iPhone 56%

Online shopping 54%

News & entertainment choices 54%

Genetic testing 53%

Acceptance of gays and lesbians 38%

Social networking sites 35%


Internet blogs 29%

Reality TV shows 8%

More people getting tattoos 7%

Source: Pew Research Center, December 2009

The breadth and depth of discontent with the current decade is reflected in the words people use to describe it. The single most common word or phrase used to characterize the past 10 years is downhill, and other bleak terms such as poor, decline, chaotic, disaster, scary, and depressing are common. Other, more neutral, words like change, fair and interesting also come up, and while the word good is near the top of the list, there are few other positive words mentioned with any frequency.

There is no significant generational divide in impressions of the current decade: Roughly half in all age groups view the 2000s negatively, while less than a third rates the decade positively. This is in stark contrast to generational differences in views of previous decades.

The biggest generational division of opinion is in retrospective evaluations of the 1970s. Baby Boomers - most of whom are between the ages of 50 and 64 today and were between 20 and 34 in 1979 - view this decade in an overwhelmingly favorable light, with positive impressions outnumbering negative views by 48 points (59% positive vs. 11% negative). By contrast, people who were younger than 20 at the end of the 1970s - who are currently in their 30s and 40s - offer a less positive assessment; just 28% view the decade positively, 20% negatively, and 52% say neither or offer no opinion.

Most Americans (59%) think the next decade will be better than the current one for the country as a whole, and this perspective is widely shared across most political and demographic groups. But a significant minority - 32% - is of the view that things will be worse in the 2010s than in the 2000s. Generationally, Americans between the ages of 50 and 64 are the most pessimistic about the 2010s.

Expectations Of 2010s (% Respondents by Category)

Next Decade Will Be

Better Worse Same/DK

Total 59% 32 9

Age

18-29 65 29 7

30-49 60 31 9

50-64 50 42 8

65+ 62 26 13

Family income

$75+ 64 32 4

$32-75K 61 33 6

<$30K 58 30 12

Source: Pew Research Center, December 2009

Along religious lines, white evangelical Protestants take a far more pessimistic view of the next decade than other major religious groups. Just over half (52%) of white evangelicals predict that the coming decade will be worse than the current one, far more than the number of white mainline Protestants (29%), white Catholics (24%) or unaffiliated (28%) Americans who take this view.

The internet, perhaps the seminal technological development of recent decades, continues to be widely seen in a favorable light. About two-thirds (65%) say the internet has been a change for the better, while just 16% say it has been a change for the worse; 11% say it hasn't made much difference while 8% are unsure. This largely mirrors the balance of opinion at the close of the 1990s - the decade that saw the widespread adoption of the web.

Email is viewed as favorably as the internet itself. By an overwhelming margin, more say email has been a change for the better (65%) than say it has been a change for the worse (7%), while 19% say it hasn't made a difference. Very few young people, just 1%, say email has been a change for the worse, but a quarter of those who came of age in the current decade, with ever-increasing options for real-time, wireless communication, say email has not made much of a difference.

Cell phones are broadly embraced by the public as a change for the better. Nearly seven-in-ten (69%) call cell phones a change for the better compared with just 14% who call them a change for the worse. Overall, the public's take on cell phones is slightly better than it was ten years ago.

The public is ambivalent when it comes to evaluating social networking sites such as Facebook. About a third (35%) call them a change for the better, 21% say they have been a change for the worse, while 31% say social networking sites have not made much of a difference and 12% are unsure. In fact, even among young people, fewer than half say social networking sites have been a change for the better.

And when it comes to internet blogs, the plurality opinion (36%) is that the emergence of blogs has not made much of a difference. Slightly fewer (29%) call them a change for the better, while 21% think they have been a change for the worse.

The public is divided about the effect of cable news talk and opinion shows; 34% say they have been a change for the better, 31% think they have made no difference and 30% say they have been a change for the worse. More young people think these shows have been a change for the worse than people 65 and older. Similarly, more college graduates say cable news talk and opinion shows have been a change for the worse than those with some college education or with a high school education or less.

The public overwhelmingly thinks that reality television shows have been a change for the worse; A plurality in all age groups says these shows have been a change for the worse. Even though a majority in all education groups says reality television shows have been a change for the worse; college graduates or those with some college education are more likely than those with a high school education or less to say they have been a change for the worse.


Source: Pew Research Center, December 2009

I wish you a better year in 2010!
Patty DeDominic
Coach to High Achieving Professionals

The Job Goddess on Mapping Out a Career Strategy

Mapping Out a Career Strategy: The War of the Jobs and What the Brave New World of Work Commands.

The world has morphed into something so complex, you need a roadmap to figure out a career path and how to get somewhere, but the journey consists of constant movement from point A to B and perhaps Z before you wend your way back to C, D or E.



Twenty years ago, reports from the world of media and employment stats revealed that most people would change careers—not jobs—five to seven times in their lifetimes and sometimes wear two hats at once. These truths we hold to be self evident.



The working landscape demands multitasking and constantly acquiring and upgrading occupational skills with formal training. On the job training, learning a job inside and out and then adapting to changes in that workforce, are no longer adequate. Most new jobs require and translate into a total career makeover. Some job titles haven’t even manifested themselves yet! O the possibilities!



Today, the worker must be a job warrior, think outside the box and then keep going, stretching, moving, turning and adapting to change skin like a chameleon…



It may sound like a simplification to say, do a self assessment and transfer your skills.



In depth, what that truly looks like, is a plan to assess what skills you already have and what skills in which you need to take a course to complete the roadmap.



That roadmap encompasses something like the thinking strategy illustrated in this example…



Think of all the elements and functions of a construction manager. Big projects, especially in some colleges in the region that are expanding their medical science and environmental science buildings, need project managers who know how to read blueprints. That might mean they should have a course in AutoCAD. That means having a course in drafting under your belt. Budgeting is another necessary skill for a construction manager. A course in QuickBooks might do the trick to upgrade former experience in that area. If you don’t have bookkeeping/accounting type experience, join a volunteer group and establish trust. Volunteer to assist the club’s treasurer. And think ‘green.’ Green careers in building materials, solar panels and construction compliance for eco-friendly, environmentally sound buildings are springing up all over the world. Perhaps you might pursue LEEDS Certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). (As with all new skills training, the government may provide funds. See your local One Stop Career Center: http://www.servicelocator.org/).



If you apply to a college for a part time adjunct professor (provided you have a Masters Degree and some area of work expertise in the subject), parlay that into opportunities to gain courses free of charge at the college in which you teach.



Go to job fairs and present what you have. Lay it on the line but explain how each area of expertise intertwines with one another to make the job complete so you demonstrate an understanding. Read journals and current business and news magazine issues to get a flair for what is new, what is old and what is yet to come.



You must think about how every required duty and accompanying skill will come together to create success in this field. Augment your toolkit with the specifics you need and draw upon past talents and experience to draw a complete picture…the perfect blueprint for success!



You are your product to market. Just like the advertising/marketing world of commodities, services and consumer goods needs to keep reinventing and branding themselves to stay fresh and vital in the world marketplace, so do you.



Use every past, present and future skill to draw patterns to strategize and commute your career. Make your own “map.” See how the roads connect, intertwine, fork, bend and curve around. One should build on another. There will be unexpected “merges” and road construction here and there. This career path is a continuing journey that lasts as long as your work life.



There are chips beginning to erode away at the concrete wall of unemployment in certain hiring areas and fields and slight sunlight beams stream through the cracks of a rusty, old tanked economy that lies like an old car wreck on the side of a road. People are reclaiming employment status in jobs such as IT, marketing and environmental products and services. See what your desired field wants and set about getting it. Someday the job world will revive itself but it may be an entirely different animal. Don’t be afraid to think out of the box—and way beyond it. Use today well and make the idle time count. You want to be ready for work while opportunities are on the drawing boards and before they actually materialize. Do not stand still but keep moving forward in the New Year and beyond.



-By The Job Goddess Who Won’t Rest Till Everyone Is Put To Work!



Read about more helpful resources from The Job Goddess

here.

http://www.the405club.com/post/306468518/brave-new-world-of-work
The Job Goddess's Brave New World of Work

Patty DeDominic's Top 4 Tips for 2010 Employment Enjoyment

I did an interview not too long ago that was focused on New Opportunities for a New Ways of Working Article series.

New Ways of Working" article:

1. What is flexible working and is it right for every business?

The beauty of flexible working is that it can be customized for almost any industry and lots of job skills, not just computer engineers

Or freelance writers! Many people find working from home enables them to be more productive and it can enable companies to attract

Talent that might not be geographically convenient. Sometimes commuting will still take place, but the employee might just have to go into the office one or two days a week or event a few times a month to maintain face time. Some businesses, like a bank with tellers and customer service personnel, still need people to punch the time clock, but we are seeing far more industries utilizing virtual work forces.

We also see many people having several part time gigs instead of one full time job.

2. What are the issues that companies face as they embrace new working methods? What cultural issues need to be overcome?


How does employer/employee trust change?

There are many cultural and practical issues that still need to be addressed.

• One of the most critical for independent workers who are no longer attached to one employer are (formerly employer supplied) health and educational reimbursement benefits. USA needs more portable plans, and health care reform is coming just in time to give more flexibility to people who will need coverage in the future.

• Some employers are still in “old think mode” believing they need to ask their employees to punch time cards and keep chairs warm. These businesses are the ancient relics of the 90’s not the future. Productivity and results are the name of the game

• Overtime laws and some states work rules as well as independent contractor and employee definitions need formal updating.

• You need mentors and the old ways of getting them at work from your long term supervisor may not work anymore, consider getting a job or executive coach! I wrote an article not too long ago on Getting a Great Coach

http://patty-thenewnewworldofwork.blogspot.com/2009/07/patty-dedominic-on-why-you-need.html

3. Does the notion of a conventional job/employee still exist?

David Harder, of Inspired Work wrote in the New New World of Work recently that “The End of Jobs as We know it is Here”:

Please click on this link for his full article: http://patty-thenewnewworldofwork.blogspot.com/2009_10_01_archive.html


Is it the end of the road for the job?



We really believe it's a good to start preparing for it.

In 1970, Alvin Toffler wrote the groundbreaking book, "Future Shock."

In it, he talked about how technology would so transform the workplace that one day, we'd look back a hundred years and feel badly for those poor people that felt jobs were the best way to work and make a living. He described how, "Future shock is also the shattering stress and disorientation that we induce in individuals by subjecting them to too much change in too short a time."





4. Are modern technology and communications services helping to deliver effective and sustainable new


ways of working? Who is leading the field in this and why? Are certain industries best suited to it? What can tangible advice/leaning can business decision makers take from this and apply to their own company?

Yes, Google for One

Social enterprises for another….

One lesson is that we hope that Corporate greed is dying (just in the nick of time) and that social conscience is growing.

We love how KIVA distributes microloans all over the world via technology, www.kiva.org

We love how Las Cumbres Telecope Network http://lcogt.net/en/science is enabling kids to see space 24/7 and want to empower them in science

I am also a board member of the International medical assistance organization. www.directrelief.org They have used sophisticated technology to deliver medicines all around the world: Aiming Help Where People Receive Care

Direct Relief focuses on strengthening existing, fragile health systems in poor areas with resources that enable the trained health workers already there to address the tremendous needs. The effect is that doctors, nurses, and midwives can care for people who are sick or hurt and have no money and, in turn, give these people in vulnerable situations the chance to survive and realize their inherent human potential. It is in these effects that the value in human terms is realized for the money spent.

Direct Relief’s medical assistance programs equip health professionals working in resource-poor communities to better meet the challenges of diagnosing, treating, and caring for people without regard to politics, religion, gender, race, or ability to pay.

In Malawi, for example, Direct Relief has worked for several years with the Dean of the Medical College, who has trained the small cadre of Malawian doctors running the health system (about 250 physicians are working in a country of 13 million people). Those physicians, and their health worker colleagues, care daily for many HIV positive and AIDS patients – but they also deliver babies, set broken bones, and do everything else. The targeted, medical-material support Direct Relief provides enables them to work, in itself important for the broad goal of public health. But “public health” requires that real people get health services. This happens when the doctors are able to diagnose and treat patients who are sick or hurt, have little or no money to pay, and otherwise would go without.

Strengthening frontline clinics in poor areas, both around the world and in the U.S., also creates a network for responding to disasters, which often hit poor people hardest and stress these very same health facilities caring for newly impoverished people.

We love how Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots, youth program is empowering kids in 90 countries to make a difference at home and in Africa.



5.  Can you offer any specific tips for making the most of new ways of working?

My 4 top tips for making the most out of the new ways of working:

1. Give your life some added dimension, if you work at home enjoy the comforts but don’t forget to stay stimulated by being involved in your community.

2. Make new contacts, friends, links etc, but remember that your long term relations, grown with experience and credibility are like gold.

3. Learn from everyone you come in contact with/ consider a job or success coach!

4. There is power in focus…..decide what your passion is and pursue it to make the world a better place.

Robert Half Offers Salary Guide for 2010

Robert Half Legal Salary Guide Identifies Practice Areas, Positions in Demand for 2010

Though the economy is showing nascent signs of recovery, many law firms and corporate legal departments are taking a cautious approach to adding staff. They are basing hiring decisions on the need to manage costs and improve efficiencies, and are building flexible legal teams that can quickly adapt to changing business conditions. These and other findings are featured in the 2010 Salary Guide from Robert Half Legal, a leading staffing service specializing in positions in the legal field.



"To retain existing clients and grow revenue, law firms are focusing on improving service levels and seeking associates with experience in high-demand practice areas, such as litigation and bankruptcy," said Charles Volkert, executive director of Robert Half Legal. "Our research also shows that corporate legal departments are bringing more work in-house and hiring staff who possess specialized skills in an effort to control spending on outside counsel."



Volkert added that legal project professionals can help law firms and corporate legal departments manage unexpected workloads, such as those related to electronic discovery and document review, allowing core employees to pursue other top-priority projects. "Using a mix of full-time and interim professionals affords law offices the flexibility to expand and contract their legal teams as necessary, and keep personnel costs in check."

Following are in-demand practice areas and positions for 2010, according to Robert Half Legal:

•Litigation - A surge in litigation is generating work for experienced attorneys who can represent corporate clients in areas such as insurance defense and commercial litigation, among others.

•Regulatory and compliance - The global financial crisis is expected to result in greater government regulation, increasing demand for attorneys with regulatory backgrounds.

•Energy/environmental law - As "green" initiatives make gains, attorneys with expertise in these areas will remain marketable.

•Bankruptcy/foreclosure - The economic downturn has heightened the need for lawyers with experience handling complex bankruptcy and foreclosure matters, including restructuring and litigation.

•Healthcare - The healthcare sector is expected to remain active, due in part to new reform legislation, generating demand for attorneys and paralegals with biotechnology and pharmaceutical expertise.

•Corporate transactional - As legal departments reduce their spending on outside counsel, there is an increased need for attorneys and paralegals with transactional, litigation and regulatory law experience.

The Robert Half Legal Salary Guide is based on an analysis of the thousands of job orders and placements managed nationwide by account executives with Robert Half Legal. The guide includes an overview of the current hiring environment and national average starting salary ranges for positions in the legal field. Because compensation can vary significantly by geographic area, the guide also includes an analysis of hiring trends and compensation variances for local markets.

Call 1-800-870-8367 for a complimentary copy of the 2010 Salary Guide

Robert Half Legal Salary Center at www.roberthalflegal.com/SalaryCenter.



About Robert Half Legal



Robert Half Legal is the legal staffing division of Robert Half International. The company provides law firms and corporate legal departments with highly skilled professionals, including attorneys, paralegals and legal support personnel, on a project and full-time basis. Robert Half Legal offers online job search services at www.roberthalflegal.com.

Job Seekers Advice: Learn From Small Business Brand Building Tactics by Patty DeDominic

Job Seekers
Learn From  Business
Brand Building  Tactics

Patty DeDominic
Coach to High Achieving Professionals
Santa Barbara, California


Go WITH the flow and let things work for and with your job hunting efforts!




Eager to market your professional skills and stand out from the rest?

By now, you probably have a professionally written resume and you made sure you have included plenty of key words so the search engines and night crawling robots can easily find you.    Still want to set yourself apart from the newly six million unemployed in the USA?     Try taking a page from the Small Business Bible, specifically  Branding Secrets for small business.     These are tailor made for you too, the extraordinary job seeker.

USAToday Small Business Columnist, Steven D. Strauss wrote the  Small Business Bible a few years ago and he's devoted quite a few pages to Branding 101.  There are 3 Key Tips he gives small business owners which I feel will take you a long way to standing out in the crowd.   They are common sense, but believe me, they are NOT common practice!

1. Do What You Do Best Again and Again
2. Offer Superior Customer Service
3.  Be a Mench

Since our goal here is to help you market  "You, Inc"  it is  helpful to apply successful small business branding techniques and tactics to your job search.

 Let me elaborate on each point as Steven D. Strauss laid it out. My comments for job seekers in red.

1.  Do What You Do Best Again and Again
A brand is a promise that essentially boils down to:  "If you buy this products, you know what you will be getting because our copany stands for  X, Y or Z" that is, Volvos are safe.  Nordstrom's offers great customer service, that sort of thing.    This kid of branding takes time and derives fro a company doing what it does best and then making sure that everything else they do supports that value proposition.    Consistency is key.  On Your resume or portfolio, be sure to  include samples and specific examples of work you love to do and that YOU are good at.    Go back to past employers and colleagues at those work places or educational institutions and renew your network.  It could help you a lot to do a little fond recollection with former class or work mates.   Yes, you will want to appear flexible and eager to learn and do new activities in your profession, but you also want to leverage your finest achievements and your best skills.    You only need ONE great referral or job offer to really make your day!



2.  Offer Superior Customer Service
This is a theme that is duscussed in detail in his book... but suffice it to say that all your hard work creating that cool brand will be a waste of time and money if it isn't reinforced by happy customers.   Customers should find it easy to work with you or buy from you.     Happy customers refer business to you too.  How does this translate to job hunters?   Thank your references, your referral sources and anyone who took the time to give you some advice or a leg up along the way.     Be sincere, yet generous in your gratitude.    Take time to plan your calls and meetings.   Don't just ask for referrals, informational interviews or meetings.... ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR THEM?   Executive recruiters remember people who send thanks and gave feedback after the interviews and they LOVE former candidates who refer business or even just leads to them too.    Ask for feedback and give it too.    When you do go for that interview or  for meetings be sure to dress for the part.  A good rule of thumb on your attire is to dress like the person who might be doing the hiring or supervision for your position.   



3. Be a Mench
Mench is a Yiddish word that basically means " a good person."  If your business practices mench ethicds, your brand grows.   While good looks may get you a date, being a mench witll get you a mate.   So too, your business.   Flash may bring people in the door once, but caring for them, and your employees, and your vendors, gets more people to stick with you for the long haul.   Do more than asked of you.  Do things when not asked.  help out in the community.   That really builds your brand.

The bottom line is that you want to constantly reinforce the image you are creating with actions.  Remember, the two keys to establishing a strong brand are developing a specific identity, and then communicating that identity consistently.   Do that and your brand has begun.

Mr. Strauss wrote these tips for small business owners but I know the time has come for all "intrapreneurs" and future high performers need to think of their income generation potential just like a small business.  Building your brand is a good habit to get into and could pay big dividends to those who have set their sights high for 2010.    Patty De

Write to me at patty@dedominic.com     or leave comments on these articles please!

Bravo to Plaza Cleaners........

Some People really  "get it".... my prize for wonderful spirit
goes to the  PLAZA Cleaners this week.

I will also give a prize to the person who can tell us which city they are in.             Look closely at this photo and the the good samaratin here.

Patty DeDominic, Santa Barbara based business coach.   Helping Achievers Soar

Goals are Important.... Wisdom from Heather Villa and Patty DeDominic

It's the Thought BEHIND and in PREPARING to set your goals that counts!

Patty DeDominic, DeDominic & Associates - Business Consultants
Santa Barbara based Business Coach


Heather Villa is a coach and connector who has written a lot about goal setting and about
how to accomplish more in shorter time spans.    She loves to take short bites of time and break
big goals down into shorter steps, which will help to make them less daunting, and certainly more
accomplishable.   Those of you who tend to procrastinate.... or who put things off till you can do
them completely or perfectly, will find her tips quite useful.  She knows that follow up is critical...
and we all know that it is easier to do if you break some of the bigger jobs down into small
bite sized pieces.

For example in the following example she is showing entrepreneurs how to overcome a resistance
to creating a Twitter marketing plan.   Yes, it IS new to all of us, even veteran marketers, but
the short steps to getting something done are easy enough so that we all could do it if we
choose to.

Put some extra thought into which goals YOU would like to accomplish in the first quarter
of 2010 and let's work on them together.  

Patty DeDominic - Business Coach, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, California

In creating action steps and plans for accomplishing bigger goals in unknown territory, Heather showed you how to take 10 minutes each week (okay, a little longer the first time you do it) and determine what your roles are first and then build your goals from that.  Heather says  "This will help you to find the balance you want in life and it will also help you to identify some of the priorities that were getting swept under the carpet. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, it will also help you to get more done because you put durations beside each goal."

Please read this article from Heather's free newsletter.


Now I want to help you achieve your goals even more easily. Another thing I mentioned in the last issue was that smaller goals were better. The goal "implement Twitter marketing plan" isn't nearly as good as the more granular goals here:

• Open Twitter account. Duration: 5 minutes. Due on the 20th.

• Download TweetDeck. Duration: 5 minutes. Due on the 21st.

• Set up TweetDeck columns. Duration: 5 minutes. Due on the 22nd.

• Tweet 5 times on day 1. Duration: 10 minutes. Due on 23rd.

These smaller goals are more likely to get achieved. The reason is not necessarily because they are smaller but because they are reduced to an achievable and measurable end.

When you set a goal like "implement Twitter marketing plan", it's hard to know when it starts and when it finishes and what exactly needs to happen in between and what exactly needs to happen first. But when you break it down into the 4 goals mentioned above, it becomes so much easier.

You've probably heard of the concept of SMART goals. Using SMART goals can help you accomplish more.

SMART is an acronym which stands for the 5 things that every goal needs to be:

• Specific

• Measurable

• Actionable

• Realistic

• Time-sensitive

If you actually do the work I recommended in the previous issue - create granular goals and add a duration - you're already filling in some of the blanks.

Every goal needs to be a SMART goal. Here's what they mean:

Specific: You need to make sure that the goal is specific (which is why we prefer the above-mentioned four Twitter goals to the "implement Twitter marketing plan").

Measurable: You need to make sure it's measurable. In other words, you can't just say "I'm going to jog today", because you could theoretically jog in place for 30 seconds and cross it off your list. Instead, you need to say "I'm going to jog 20 minutes today". That's measurable.

Actionable: You need to make sure that the goal is actionable. That is, it needs to be something that you can actually do. There should be a verb associated with each goal. In other words, your goal shouldn't be "roses" but should be "buy roses". With something like roses, it might seem obvious but if your goals get bigger or your list gets longer, those verbs will come in handy (and they'll also contribute to the measurability of your goals).

Realistic: Your goal needs to be something you can actually do. "Earn $1,000,000" might be specific and measurable (the actionable part is debatable, even if it does have a verb) but it is probably not realistic. Your goals need to be achievable!

Time-sensitive: Your goal needs to have a duration and it should have a deadline. Often, SMART goals are considered time-sensitive if they have a deadline only but I'd strongly recommend a duration because developing a sense of how long things take can help you fit work in where you can and it can also contribute to the sense of whether something is realistic.

So, let's put the concepts from the last issue and from this issue together:

1. Start by outlining your roles. (That's something that you'll already have and it rarely changes from week to week - it's a one-time ten minute effort).

2. Then, list all of the things that will enrich your relationships with those roles (and be sure to include the work you have to do for your individual clients). This is your list of goals.

3. In that list of goals, review each one and break it down to a granular level so that complex goals are made up of simpler goals. Make sure each goal is a SMART goal.

4. Now slot those goals into your calendar around your already-scheduled meetings and appointments.

You should end up with a balanced calendar that includes all of your important activity as well goals that will address other (non-business) relationships in your life as well as personal enrichment and education.

With me so far? Good. Now here are a few tips to help:

• You'll probably find that your calendar looks busier than it used to. However, there are a few positive reasons for this: Your personal calendar and your professional calendar are now blended, and have more granular, accomplishable goals, and your calendar includes intentional relationship-building time with the important people in your life. So those are all good things.

• Make sure you include some extra room for "uh-oh" time. "Uh-oh" time includes those tiny disasters we face in life or those times when things take longer than they're supposed to. It's the unexpected things: Flat tires, a head cold, traffic jams, spills that require a new shirt, you forgot to get milk at the store, or a project needs to be redone. Sometimes it's a short-term issue or sometimes it might cause delays that last for a week. But if you can build in some uh-oh time - just a little each day - you'll help to stay saner. It might include adding 10 minutes to your travel time or adding 15 minutes to a large project. You might not need it all but it's there if you do. (And if you don't need it all, remember: you have some duration-estimated projects that can probably be accomplished in that time!).

This might seem to take more than 10 minutes so let me point out how this works best:

Toward the end of the week (Thursday or Friday) spend 10 minutes and evaluate how your week went.

• Did you accomplish the goals you wanted to accomplish?

• Did you miss anything that can be done in the "uh-oh" time that is still remaining?

• What needs to be carried over to next week?

Then, after that (Thursday, Friday, or Saturday) spend 10 minutes to create your SMART goals for the week.

Then, after that (Friday, Saturday, or Sunday), spend 10 minutes to slot your goals into next week's calendar around your already scheduled meetings and appointments.

There you go! In just a few ten-minute steps each week, you can increase your productivity by setting appropriate goals and prioritizing them in a way that makes sense.


  Heather Villa, MBA, CMA, MSM
http://www.heathervilla.com/

DeDominic Poscast: HR Watches the OFFICE -When the company might be imploding

Listen to Patty and HR Watches  THE OFFICE.

Dundler Mifflin faces potential plant closure or bankruptcy.    What should the employees do
to protect themselves.


When the company might be imploding

Posted using ShareThis

Patty DeDominic on Finding Your Priorities in a Noisy World

Life comes at you fast.

Calls need to be returned.
Bills need to be paid.
Family needs attention.

You need attention too.






Seems most people are scurrying around  trying to make everything on their "to-do list" disappear or get done.     Many career navigators are assessing their current employment, underemployment or, alas, over 6 million Americans, their recent event of  unemployment.  Plenty of people are getting discouraged and I hope you are not one of those who are near to losing hope.   Hang on ....there are some tips employed by sustainers and winners alike to tide them through the toughest times.     It's important to remind yourself of your priorities when the world seems most chaotic or bleak.

Focus on What YOU CAN DO... and on WHAT YOU care most about.  As the flight attendant tells the passengers before every flight " in the event of an emergency, put your own air mask on first" and only then can you begin to help others.

Step One:   Relax a bit.... and make a conscious effort to reduce your stress level.
Take a few deep breaths.... or a few days of Breathing for you first.

Step Two:   Reflect on your Personal Priorities, reconfirm your true values, needs and wants.

Most professionals I know also worry about how to give back in this ever faster moving world.
They want to make a contribution in their field, to others and in their community.   But it is becoming more difficult to sit quietly or to "see" your priorities amidst all the noise.  How to the best of us keep it all together?       First it is important to realize that NO ONE can "have it all" all the time.  Nor can we have it all together all the time.   

  Next, the goal should be Progress...NOT pursuit of perfection.  
 Progress toward our Worthy goals.  
   Please notice I said worthy goals.....I did not say "bus-y-ness". 

 Progress... period.

Let's Stay REAL...... and try to keep our goals REALISTIC. 

    Let us not put incredible stress on ourselves and others to accomplish the impossible every day.  (I know you often do accomplish the impossible, but you are the super achiever and even gold medalist-super achievers need a rest from time to time to perform their best).

Let's Keep our VALUES... and never lose our quest for the highest integrity in all we do.
AND to seek it and reinforce it in our colleagues and friends.  

Choose your friends carefully. 
 You can't choose all your work collegues or companies clients by the moral compas - some things are out of your control.   But you don't have to let the marginal players inside your inner circle.

 Sometimes pursuit of the mighty paycheck, contract or fear of losing a job makes people forget their core values, enables them to "look the other way" when moral or legal wrong is being done.    Please don't become one of those people.  Choose Your Friends and keep the good ones close. This is hard... not easy, but in the long run you will be able to sleep better at night and there is less chance of one of your former "colleagues" stabbing you in the back if you sort out the bad players earlier on.

Don't Worry about Trying to HAVE IT ALL, or Do IT All....   shoot for having the most value or doing your top priorities first.     Remember Progress, not perfection.
    It is not unusual for us to find days and weeks where all our spinning plates look like they are about to tumble down.     Just last week a CEO I know told me that all his "plate spinning techniques" were no longer working as they had in the past.  He said everyone on his team, including his board had to look at the fundamentals of their operation from the ground up and see what was working and what needed to be changed.   This CEO  said they were going to start with their mission, vision and their actitities and work to come up with  creative new ways to accomplish their mission.  He told me "the past is the past and I cannot change that but I know we can impact our future and we do want a better future.   First we are going to agree on what we want our future to look like, then we will reinvent new ways to deliver on those goals.".   I congratulated him for recognizing this and for being ready to do the work...but first to take the time out to revisit their vision and mission.

This bring me to you and the questions I would like to ask you.

  What is your Vision for Yourself?   What is your professional and personal Mission?

When you  take your personal goals and priorities into account you will be more decisive, focused and effective.   You will accomplish more for yourself and for others and when "you put your own mask on first" you will  make a more impactful and sustainable contribution to your profession and to your community.

Progress..... progress.  Practice, practice........ try try again.   You know this stuff and sometimes it is helpful to get back to basics after clearing out the noise and chaos.
If things are not working as well as you would like them to then it might be important for you to take a time out to reflect on your personal priorities.  Where are you now?  Where, how and with whom do you want to go in the coming year?    This is a good time to sit for a few hours or take a few days if that is possible and let the quiet overcome you....... and listen to what you heart is telling you.

  I did this recently and I was reminded that my family is the most important priority for me.     That I love them with all my heart and I owe them the best care I can take of myself in order to be the best mom, wife and friend I can be.

When I take care of myself, then, and only then,  I can take better care of others too.  
Then, I can concentrate on my professional abilities and my continuing education and growth.  

  I can be open to new experiences and learnings when I am clear about my priorities:
family and taking care of my own health too.
Here are some of mine:

• continuous growth, in business and in spiritual education
• integrity in all my activities
• passion for all living things, people, animals and mother earth
• staying physically active
• "playing" with others of integrity (in work and in life)

At this holiday season I encourage you to sit down and revisit your personal priorities.
Make sure you think about the people, the opportunities and the activities you are grateful for.

Gratitude is one of the secrets of a happy life.     Being grateful for your life...just for being alive is a good first step.     Then, being grateful for all the advantages that you are enjoying in life if you can read this article.   If you are reading this, then you are one of the people who indeed does already have many advantages over the rest of the world - you can read and you take time to educate yourself in ways beyond physical survival.

Gratitude for the people in our life is a self generating emotion. There are big dividends when you express your gratitude to the people who matter to you:  for them and for you.
.
Please take some time this week to  let at least five people in your life know  know that you are grateful for their presence in your life.   Try to do this in person or on the phone if possibly.... it has a bit more impact than a quick email.   Just do it...however you need to in a personalized way - no form letters please!     This activity has multiple personal and spiritual benefits for you and those you reach out to. 

When you are clear about your own passions you will be in the best shape to make meaningful
contributions to others and to your professions.

Happy Holidays.........     and now... for one more expression of gratefulness from me.  I am grateful for the ten years I had to develop a friendship with a wonderful woman who left us recently. She blessed my life and others with her special spirit and her generosity.      Patty DeDominic

  I dedicate this article to my dear friend Michell Rochwarger who was always clear about her family and personal and professional priorities.   She gave so much to this world and never wavered in her commitment to integrity and to her family...in business and in the community.    Michelle passed away due to a fatal automobile accident in Orange County on Dec. 12, 2009. She will be deeply missed.   Most importantly she lived each day with love and integrity. Her three beautiful children had a magnificent mother who was totally committed to them and who touched them with values and integrity which will serve them all the days of their lives.     Michelle may  have left the physical world  last weekend but the contributions she made to others will always be remembered with deep love and respect.    

                     

Here's to your continued success..... and to Michelle who never lost her priorities in a noisy world. 

 Patty De

Chetan Dhruve's new E-book, Why Your Boss is Programmed to be a Dictator

YOUR BOSS.


I have an interesting statistic for you. A Gallup poll of more than 1 million U.S. employees reveals that the number 1 reason people quit their jobs is their boss.

 Chetan Dhruve has published an e-book called Why Your Boss is Programmed to be a Dictator, which suggests an idea on putting out a voting system for choosing leaders by subordinates. Sounds like a radical idea, isn't it? I am pretty sure you are dying to find out Dhruve's thoughts behind this suggestion – that is why  this e-book is for you, for for FREE!

In this e-book you will see how Dhruve describes some examples of why elected people can be true leaders but appointed ones will lead these managers into dictators. I am making a good guess that at least at one point in your career, you have experienced reporting to a manager you who was so manipulative that it prevented you from bringing out your best skills.

Read this e-book now! This will be help you recognize a potentially harmful supervisor and prevent you from letting this person get in the way of achieving a successful and fulfilling career. Get this FR3E e-book now!

Click Here for Free e-book on Your BOSS

Candace Davies on Updating Your Objectives and Resume

Candace Davies:

Following are several tips you can follow to ensure your resume is up-to-date and top-notch:



1. Check your career objectives. Are they the same as they were during your last job search?



Ensure that your resume will reflect the industry or profession that you are seeking. It is important to remember that a resume is not just simply a history of your employment. The resume and cover letter needs to reflect and target the position that you are seeking.

Most career changers have a tough time with this, that is why they seek the help of a certified resume writer.



2. Is your resume format outdated and uninspiring?



It is important to remember that as you grow in your profession, you must also have a resume that will reflect your professionalism. There are so many great sophisticated formats today that will allow you to highlight your achievements. The days of the old boring standard resume formats are history. You need to stand out from the hundreds of resumes that are received by an employer on a daily basis. Creativity, eye-catching formatting, and the ability to use keywords effectively is what will get you in the door. You can review our samples by clicking on this link:



http://resumes-for-teachers.com/teacher-resume-examples.htm



3. Have you added new employment, skills, and accomplishments?



Keeping your resume fresh and up-to-date is essential; you never know when an opportunity will arise. Do you really want to miss out because you were not prepared? Ensure that your added responsibilities or even promotions have been reflected on your resume. Accomplishment are critical to include in your resume, don't miss this important ingredient.



4. Job lingo and keeping your keywords up-to-date.



It is probably unbelievable to most people, but industry jargon, buzzwords, and technology changes almost daily. Make sure that your resume is peppered with these keywords. It helps to review job postings and even school district web sites. This will keep you updated on the latest trends in keywords and even in interviewing techniques.



Keeping your resume and cover letter updated and “ready to go” is a great way to ensure that you do not miss out on opportunities that may arise.



Need help putting your resume together? Would you like an expert to polish your resume and cover letter, or ensure your presentation skills are top-notch? Do you want to learn how to be more proactive, more relaxed, or communicate more clearly or slowly during interviews?


A+ Resumes for Teachers guarantees 100% satisfaction



We offer a free complimentary 15-minute consultation and assessment. We can then talk about your current career objectives, how your present resume (if you have one) has been working, and what career services would be appropriate. Don’t hesitate, call me, Candace, the owner of A+ Resumes for Teachers today, toll-free at 877 738-8052 or send me an email at candoco@telus.net!



All questions are welcome, I enjoy talking to job seekers and helping them get the dream job they desire and deserve.   Have a Great Day, it's important!

Candace Davies ACCC, CARW, CIC, CPRW, CEIP, CECC http://resumes-for-teachers.com/
Dedicated to advancing your career, easily and quickly!



Toll-free: 1-877-738-8052

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