Career Advice for Middle School Students

Career Advice for Middle School Students Robert Merrill (Im blogging about him tomorrow, too) asked for input for a presentation hes doing on Friday for middle school kids.  Im guessing they brought him in because hes been a technical recruiter for a long time.  He asks: if you suddenly found yourself in middle-school today (12-15yrs old)… …what one or two things would you want someone to inspire you about concerning your future career? You can click over to his post to see what others said, including a short comment by me  I invite you to give your own advice there, too. Heres my advice: START A BUSINESS. Right now.  Today. When else are you in an environment where you dont count on your financial success to keep a roof over your head, food on the table or your laundry clean? When else can failing at a business venture mean so little, both to your financial viability and to your ego (or, sense of professional well-being)? I really have no other advice for these kids.  What a great time to try out various things to see what you like (for example, do you like the details of things, or the high level strategy, or delegating?).  What a great time to learn about cash flow, profit margin, customer service, operations, product delivery, pricing, time management, work ethic, business relationships and partnerships, etc. I would love to see more kids involved in entrepreneurial ventures, not because they could become fabulously wealthy but because the skills theyll learn in their ventures will be skills they will use for the rest of their careers! What do you think?  What would you tell this group of kids to do (in preparation for their future career)? Career Advice for Middle School Students Robert Merrill (Im blogging about him tomorrow, too) asked for input for a presentation hes doing on Friday for middle school kids.  Im guessing they brought him in because hes been a technical recruiter for a long time.  He asks: if you suddenly found yourself in middle-school today (12-15yrs old)… …what one or two things would you want someone to inspire you about concerning your future career? You can click over to his post to see what others said, including a short comment by me  I invite you to give your own advice there, too. Heres my advice: START A BUSINESS. Right now.  Today. When else are you in an environment where you dont count on your financial success to keep a roof over your head, food on the table or your laundry clean? When else can failing at a business venture mean so little, both to your financial viability and to your ego (or, sense of professional well-being)? I really have no other advice for these kids.  What a great time to try out various things to see what you like (for example, do you like the details of things, or the high level strategy, or delegating?).  What a great time to learn about cash flow, profit margin, customer service, operations, product delivery, pricing, time management, work ethic, business relationships and partnerships, etc. I would love to see more kids involved in entrepreneurial ventures, not because they could become fabulously wealthy but because the skills theyll learn in their ventures will be skills they will use for the rest of their careers! What do you think?  What would you tell this group of kids to do (in preparation for their future career)?

Job Hopping A Smart Career Strategy! - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Job Hopping A Smart Career Strategy! - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career During my 30 year career in Corporate America, I worked 14 years with my first employer and 16 subsequent years with 6 different employers. I increased my income and job satisfaction tremendously during the second half of my career because I changed employers proactively whenever I was able to find something better. Despite the potential for negative personal branding, job hopping was a smart strategy then and it still is today. (A future post will discuss how to avoid the stigma.) In those days, people referred to the unwritten contract between employers and the vast majority of their workers. It went something like this: Work hard, do a good job, remain loyal to us and, in return, we will reward you with cost of living raises and job security.  This was a pretty good trade for employees with low career aspirations and fear-driven  needs for job security. In 2001, however, employers began (figuratively) round-filing such agreements. Today, you will have to search long and hard to find an employer who still runs their business based upon the old school philosophy. Wake up call: It is past time for employees to respond to these employer changes.  Whether you like it or not, job hopping is a career strategy that  is here to stay. GenYers understand this because they have braved economic and employment upheavals for all  of their professional careers! As I noted in Fast Track Your Job Search (and Career!), To take more control over your career while you are employed, you need to periodically ask yourself Do I want to make a proactive career change and would this be in my best interest at this time? If your answer is positive to this question, then it is time to get hopping. I like to describe leaving your current gig as giving your employer the 2-week notice pink slip. Doesnt it sound empowering to walk into your boss office and let them know that you have a new job that was too good to pass up? Sit with this notion for a while Play with it in your mind using your imagination Feels good, huh? But, Richard (you are now screaming at this blog post), I dont have a better job. I would love to make more money and work for a better company that can offer me more career opportunities. That sounds like a dream. OK Whats stopping you? It doesnt have to be a dream. You can make it a reality. Studies consistently find that over 50% of American workers are not satisfied with their current employment situation. Most of these unhappy people suck it up and do nothing. Instead of being proactive job hoppers, a fair share  end up becoming  job losers and reactive job seekers. Others make token efforts to find a new job, like posting their resumes and submitting online job applications which  generally doesnt work. The good news about job hopping is  that (1) your personal brand  is more marketable while currently employed and (2) your competition is less than you think because most employed people fail to commit serious effort toward finding a better job. You can find the courage and effort to make a job change by coming to the conclusion that your current job is not satisfactory. You can commit the necessary effort and work hard to find something better. You can  educate yourself regarding newer job search strategies and try things other than applying online, thus  increasing your confidentiality and avoiding the competition of  300 other job applicants. The goal of my book is to dispel a multitude of career myths canonized as conventional wisdom in the last century. I challenge you to consider this: In the 21st century, job hopping is a smart career strategy. It is not a cure-all for all people in all situations, but it IS a cure that is used far too little in todays economy. What do you think? Do you agree that job hopping is an underutilized career strategy? Id love to hear your comments. Author: Richard Kirby  is an executive career consultant, speaker on career strategies, and author of Fast Track Your Job Search (and Career!). Richard Kirby’s earlier experience includes managing engineering, human resources, marketing and sales teams for employers that ranged from a Fortune 100 to a VC-funded entrepreneurial startup. For the past 11 years at Executive Impact, Richard has helped hundreds of executives and professionals successfully navigate today’s transformed 21st century job market and achieve better employment for themselves. Richard’s expertise includes career assessments and goal setting, personal marketing/branding, resume enhancement, strategic networking and job interviewing, and “contrarian” job search methodologies. He is a Board Certified Coach (in career coaching) and a Certified Management Consultant (recognized by the ISO).

Four Often Missed Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa

Four Often Missed Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa As a parent, being attentive to your teenager is key to observing and understanding any issues that may arise, the same is true of understanding an eating disorder. However, there are some symptoms of anorexia nervosa that are often missed.   Symptoms are are fairly easy to keep under wraps. Review the following potential symptoms of eating disorders in order to assess if your loved one may be in need of anorexia nervosa treatment. Hair Loss Hair loss is caused by the loss of vital nutrients and vitamins that should be consumed with food. According to the Eating Disorder Institute, a stressful period of starvation can cause dramatic hair loss about three months after the incident, so hair loss may not be something that is spotted immediately when the disordered behaviors begin. Hair loss is fairly easy to hide and is not something that would immediately lead to an anorexia nervosa diagnosis. The issue can be blamed on other issues, such as a recent hair treatment or even another illness. Your loved one may try and hide hair loss by: Changing their hairstyle drastically, like cutting long hair short Wearing hats, beanies, or other head-covering accessories Continuously cleaning hairbrushes, pillows and hair accessories to remove lost hair strands Changes in Sleeping Patterns Sleep disorders and eating disorders can be closely related, even though sleep disorders are not a well-known symptom of anorexia nervosa. Anorexia affects sleep patterns in various ways. The lack of food intake can cause problems with sleeping through the night because an individuals stomach may wake them repeatedly. Additionally, people who are lacking proper nutrition can see a major disruption in sleep-wake cycles. In one study conducted by DovePress Medical, people who had an eating disorder also had a higher instance of sleep apnea. Food Infatuation An infatuation with food may sound like the opposite of what you would expect as a symptom of anorexia nervosa, but this symptom is fairly common. Your child may show a more obsessive preoccupation with food than they did in the past. A few examples may be: Continually watch shows on TV about food Talk about food constantly, even when the topic doesnt seem to fit Eagerly volunteer to help you at the grocery store Become completely enthralled when they smell food cooking Even though they may not be eating, their lack of food intake can make the thought of food even more pressing than it would normally be. During anorexia nervosa recovery, many patients talk about how the disorder left them constantly thinking about food to a point they could barely think of anything else. Apathy Your loved one may show different levels of apathy if they are suffering from anorexia nervosa. You may notice they lose interest in things they truly used to view as valuable or important in their lives. For example, your child may withdraw from social situations.   They   many not care about getting good grades at school or being successful at work.   They may even stop doing things they once enjoyed like listening to music, playing sports or doing something artistic. Apathy is often attributed to typical moodiness, but during anorexia nervosa recovery, many patients find joy and interests that were put on the back burner because of their illness. In truth, symptoms of anorexia nervosa are not always as obvious as extreme thinness or refusal to eat. The disorder is easy to hide when someone is adamant about keeping their problem concealed from their loved ones.   Do you suspect your loved one is struggling with an eating disorder?   It is important to be proactive about investigating potential signs.   This way you can get them into anorexia nervosa recovery. At Oliver-Pyatt Centers, they approach anorexia nervosa diagnosis and treatment with the utmost of compassion and care. Their state-of-the-art facilities and highly trained and educated staff are available in both residential and outpatient day treatment forms. Reach out to them for more information if you suspect your loved one needs anorexia nervosa treatment.

What You Should Know About Your Sleep, Work, and Productivity -

What You Should Know About Your Sleep, Work, and Productivity - This post is sponsored by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Todays work environment is both demanding and competitive.   So much so that its common, and sometimes expected, that work weeks edge into the 50 or 60 hour range.   In the U.S. the average work week is 47 hours, and for salaried workers its 49.   And almost 20% say they regularly exceed 60 hours.   With the other demands on our time that come from family and general life, its become easy to carve out extra time from our sleep.   But how wise is that? What are the effects of being sleep deprived? While we all push ourselves, for work or pleasure, from time to time.   But doing so at the expense of sleep can be counter-productive in a number of ways.   Heres a look at how your sleep, work, and productivity are related, and what the real costs of insufficient sleep are. Insufficient Sleep by The Numbers With the aforementioned statistics, it should be surprising that 37% of workers are clocking in sleep-deprived.   Although its frequently viewed as a badge of honor to burn that midnight oil, theres a cost.    Those costs include For someone regularly getting only six hours of sleep, theres a loss of six days of productivity over the course of a year. (National Safety Council) Nationally, insufficient sleep accounts for the effective loss of nearly 1.25 million working days annually. (RAND Corporation) Clearly, its no wonder the American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests including the importance of sleep in employer health and safety programs  with it’s #SleepWorksforYou program.    Sleep education in general, and why adequate sleep is so important, has been overlooked.   Its essential to raise the general level of awareness. How Being Sleep Deprived Affects You You may think that pouring in a few extra cups of coffee or having another soda is the antidote to sleep deprivation.   But thats not true.   Adding increasing amounts of caffeine only masks the effects.   That energy boost you feel is hiding reality.   Heres whats really going on: Your decision-making   ability is impaired. Youll find that your problem solving skills are reduced. Youll have cognitive and motor performance deterioration, comparable to drinking alcoholic beverages. You might be accused of non-functional work presence (presenteeism) increases. Youll have increased cycles of feeling less motivated and low-energy. Beyond Productivity Loss While loss of productivity may be of high importance to the bottom line, theres more. Sleep deprived workers are more   prone to accident and injury. Continual sleep deprivation has a negative impact on general health. Each of those, of course, reflects ultimately on productivity.   So both short term and long term, its beneficial to employers to promote healthy sleep habits. Want To Be More Productive?   Sleep More! accurately, you should get the proper amount of sleep.   The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends seven or more hours on a regular basis for healthy sleep.   Don’t be tempted to short-change yourself of what your mind and body require to perform at their best.   It’ll pay off in higher long-term productivity.   And, you’ll get a nice bonus of better health!

Resume Writing Services in Colorado Springs

Resume Writing Services in Colorado SpringsThe companies in Colorado Springs that offer resume writing services are not only qualified but also very capable of the job that is required. There are companies out there that only provide this service, and these are called resume writing services.There are many types of resumes, as well as a great many types of resumes to be submitted by a resume writer. Many of the applicants have specific jobs that they wish to appear on their resume for. One of the types of resumes they provide the professionals for is the educational resume.Resume writing services in Colorado Springs provide the education resume. The resume service provides their customers with information about different schools and educational facilities. They have already researched these schools and researched them for themselves. They then compile this information and place it on their website, so that the potential clients can browse through the information, if they so choose.Th e professionals in this industry understand that when someone looks at the applicant's resume, they do not want to have to be reading it, so they have provided a way for the applicant to change it. The applicants have the option of changing the category that they want to place their information into. Most of the time, they prefer to place their information in a category that is not specifically about their particular occupation.They may want to place information about the state that they live in, or they may want to put a certain type of information in a general category. In many cases, they will put that information in the general category of working professionals. They do not have to go back and look for a specific business, like they would have to do in case of a typical resume.This is because of the specific category of jobs that an applicant is looking for, and they know that the professionals are skilled enough to know which category the information is in. If the applicant is looking for a specific job opening, they can easily find one by selecting the category. Once they have located the right category, they are able to fill it out properly. Because of the color coding they have placed on the category, they are able to easily tell who is looking for a specific position.When the information has been filled out correctly, they will send it to the company that offers the particular job. Some of the work may require an interview, or they may not. When they do conduct an interview, the prospective candidates will get a chance to learn more about what the company has to offer, and they will be able to assess whether or not they would like to take the job.Resume writing services in Colorado Springs can help an applicant to learn more about what they are looking for. It is the perfect opportunity for an applicant to learn about the type of job that they are looking for. The professionals can help an applicant to learn about the type of company that they should be taking the next step with.

Job Search After 50 Discovering Your Fit Part 3 - Hire Imaging

Job Search After 50 Discovering Your Fit Part 3 - Hire Imaging My last two Job Search After 50 posts offered ideas and resources for exploring both paid and volunteer retirement careers and reasons people want to stay working after age 50. If you’ve opted for a paid career, it’s important to give that transition the same self-marketing that any job hunter faces. Here are some thoughts to consider. Job Search After 50: A comprehensive marketing campaign You are the product to be promoted. Know your strengths, skills and achievements. Be able to articulate them impressively in all your oral and written career communications. You are your marketing manager, with accountability for all your marketing resources (resume, cover letters, 2-minute pitches etc.) AND the positioning. You must also be a time manager. Even if you’re still working in your primary careerâ€"and preparing for transitionâ€"you must allocate and manage the time spent on your marketing campaign. You are the research manager. The ball’s in your court for planning and conducting both primary and secondary research throughout your exploration. Sometimes a lot of research will be required to end up in the role that you will find ideal. Primary Research â€" Talk to people! To those who do what you want to do. It’s critical to build and maintain long-term relationships with them. Trade information, advice, contacts, referrals and support. This typically takes place in networking and informational interviews . Secondary Research â€" It used to be the library. Now you’ll mostly likely be on the Internet. There are thousands of publications and resources online. One of my favorite comprehensive sites is Susan Joyce’s job-hunt.org. Job Search After 50: Retirement career transition don’ts Don’t do this alone. Talk to your family and friends â€"and to people who have been through it. You may find it worthwhile to engage a professional with expertise in career planning. Don’t assume that everyone knows what you’re looking for. Haven’t thought that far ahead? You had better. Even if you’ve given them your resume and a letter, be prepared with your two-minute pitch. Don’t ever take your network or references for granted. Thank every person who helps you in any wayâ€"letters, online LI messages, phone calls etc. Protect your references. Field the process so they don’t get too many calls. Don’t prepare career communication documents without careful assessment. Know your target and market to it. Don’t assume your seniority in past career life will carry weight. You must articulate your ability to ease the “pain” of that target market, i.e. relevant skill sets and talents. On the other hand, don’t assume you’ll be met with age discrimination. Many organizations value talent with extensive experience. Don’t confuse interviews with offers. It’s up to you to sell yourself. Research the audience and be prepared to convince the decision-makers to hire you. Don’t leave things suspended. Be assertive with follow-up, but don’t pester. If you sent a résumé or interviewed and haven’t heard in a week, it’s fine to reach out. Doing so every other day is not going to play well. Don’t try and punt. Whether it’s creating a resume or preparing for an interview, seek help from those who have your best interests at heart, and who are savvy in the job market. Don’t trust your memory. Track everything. With whom did you speak and when? What was said? What follow-up is required? Don’t let waits or rejections burst your bubble . Learn from them, painful as they are. Take the best nuggets of information and move on. You are entitled to have a paid retirement career that allows you to do what you enjoy. If you’ve planned well, selected smartly, and are open to change, you’ll likely have a great chapter waiting. There may be stress and hard work along the way. Isn’t that so often the case with things worth pursuing? Photo: Horia Varlan

Women and Compensation Why We Need To Worry MORE

Women and Compensation Why We Need To Worry MORE Women and Compensation: Why We Need To Worry MORE Women and the compensation they earn have a long way to go. Last week, at a career expo for nearly 6,000 high school students, I had the opportunity to do mock interviewing with some of the students. A long line of fidgeting kids waited outside the door while inside the interview room, nearly 100 human resource professionals did one-on-one interviews, which for many of the youth, meant   that this was their first interview experience in their lives. As expected, some kids were extremely prepared.   Dressed up, attentive, and confident. It was easy to see that these students would go far. Others were not as dressed up, but still had that certain fire in their eyes that they wanted to do something with their lives. A few chomped gum, much to my dismay. Still others looked like they would rather be doing anything else than sitting in front of me having a mock interview. That was to be expected. These were kids, after all. But what really shocked me was the reaction some had to one of the mock interview questions in particular: “How much do you expect to be paid?” When asking this one, I always prefaced it with a little warning that it was a trick question.   After the student responded, I provided insight that employers like to go “fishing” and try to find out how much the interviewee expects to make in attempt to keep their hiring costs lower. What upset me the most were some of the answers given by the girls. Their responses concerned me greatly in terms of women and compensation. “Whatever they want to pay me.” “The lowest wage possible?” “Minimum wage.” REALLY?!!! Wow. The boys never gave such answers. They immediately (and sometimes jokingly) quoted a high rate based on their skill sets. But not the girls. They absolutely had no idea how to advocate for themselves and the value that they offered to a potential employer. Women and compensation hadnt even entered their discussion. What seemed most scary was that the thought apparently never seemed to cross the mind of the female students that they were VALUABLE. With equitable pay a continuing discussion in the national dialogue, the genesis of salary expectations has deep roots way back in school, as this situation clearly showed. How can women enter a workforce and compete for comparable wages when their first perceptions of what their worth might be are already minimized? I don’t have the answers.   But I do think this experience pulled the curtain back on the fact that there is a long way to go in advancing women and compensation, and it has to start early on â€" even in school, so girls come to expect equitable salary levels, and understand that they have value. We have a lot of work to do, and I worry a lot more given these responses the girls provided during the mock interview. What are your thoughts?