Career Advice From the Class of 2015

Career Advice From the Class of 2015 This week my first child began her college career. Ive told her dozens of stories about my college experience but on this day I was thinking more about the college experience from the parents perspective. The day brought back a memory of my father and bringing my older brother to college over 35 years ago.My dad was one of the least pretentious people I have ever met, but when we brought my brother to school, dad decided to hire a limo service (we didnt own a car) to transport us from New York to Philadelphia. When we arrived on the campus quad we were greeted by curious students and parents wondering who the rich people (we were far from rich) in the car were. We were mortified by the attention and teased my father about the unfortunate trip to Phili for years. When my other brother and I prepared for college, we told dad that Amtrak, Greyhound, or even a covered wagon would be a better method of transport for the occasion.So I was initially turned off by the fact that my daughters school has a tradition that the entire Freshman class marches through the school gates to signify the beginning of their college career. It brought me back to that limosine ride and the event seemed equally silly and over the top to me.But something happened once the procession started and I finally understood the ride in the limo that day as I choked back a few tears and watched 2,000+ freshman stop traffic to walk through the gate. I always thought the limo was about my father being proud that his first son got into a great college and he wanted to indulge for just one day and go in style. But now I think the limo ride was more about celebrating the journey and all the steps it took to get this first son into college. So while I was watching the class of 2015 stream through the gates I thought about where they were going but more than that I thought about where they had been. I thought about how many countless days and nights their parents had spent helping their kids with homewor k, coaching sports teams, being cub scout den leaders, attending teacher-parent conferences, and everything in between.When you are raising kids you sometimes get so wrapped up in the process that you forget to celebrate all the hard work that went into the process or acknowledge all the people who helped you along the way. And I started thinking about how true that is in a job search. People get so wrapped up in the end goal of finding a job that they forget to celebrate the successes along the way. And by the time they get the job they so desperately want to forget the time they spent searching and just move on. But I think there is tremendous value in reflecting on the process. So when you land your new job and enter the building on the first day or attend the new hire orientation, think about the future, but also take a minute to reflect on the past and appreciate all the hard work that went into the process.

Status Update-Im Still Looking for Work

Status Update-Im Still Looking for Work Lately Ive been reading a lot of status updates on LinkedIn and Facebook that say things like Project Manager professional looking for work or Looking for work in a tough economy or Just received my degree in accounting-looking for work. While I understand that these job seekers are trying to create visibility for their candidacy online, I dont recommend broadcasting this specific message in your status updates. Heres why:Blasting this message to your entire network makes you look desperate. You might as well rent a billboard to promote your job searchyes, I know there are stories about people landing a job this way, but these tactics get old very quickly (and by the way, the guy who landed a job by wearing a sandwich board saying he was looking for work is so 2008.)Posting this message makes people in your network uncomfortable. Imagine agreeing to meet someone for coffee and  before the coffee is even cool enough to drink you say Im looking for work. Its awkward. It places an unre alistic expectation on you contact to come up with a solution for you. The same thing happens online when you post that you are looking for work.Sending this message leaves you little wiggle room for a follow up message. Think about if. If you are still in job search next week, what will your status update be? Still looking for work isnt going to cut it.  Status updates on business and social networking platforms are a way for you to build rapport and community and deepen the relationship with your contacts. Chose messages that showcase your expertise, share valuable information, give kudos to others, or broadcast an exciting  endeavor you are working on (even if it is volunteer work). Here are some examples of alternative status updates you might want to adapt for your situation.For a professional fundraiser: volunteering at the American Cancer Society walkathon on Sunday; hope to raise more than $2M.For an HR professional: attending a seminar on compensation plans for 2009 and be yond at (share the link)For an advertising professional: My colleague, John Smith just landed a major account with a leading luxury goods company. Way to go John!For a marketing student: just returned from a campus panel discussion on leveraging social media tools to build relationships with customersfascinating!For a CIO: reading an interesting article on new technologies in healthcare at (share the link)For a Financial Analyst: Boning up on study materials for the CFA Level II examlooks like its going to be a long night!  Create status updates that invite questions and further conversation, not ones that make your network run for cover. Remember, online networking, like traditional networking is a process. Whenever possible, give before you get and you will be surprised how quickly you get something back in return.

Not Having a Mentor is the Number One Career Mistake - Hallie Crawford

Not Having a Mentor is the Number One Career Mistake We talk about mentors a lot- and while we are growing up, almost every adult could be considered a mentor for one reason or another. But many times when we enter the workforce, the general idea seems to be that since we are adults we no longer need a mentor. This is a huge mistake. Our success in the business world can be directly connected to whether or not we have a mentor. Having a career mentor can help us continue to grow, to make better business decisions, to find our career direction, and give us the motivation we need. These three tips can help you find a mentor to help you be successful in your field. Look for a mentor program within your company. Many companies offer a mentor program, but it may not be advertised. Check with work mates who have been with the company for awhile to see if there is anyone available to mentor. It is important to note that the person with the most seniority in your current company may not be the best choice for a mentor. Find someone who can help you with your career goals, who you respect and who sets a good example. If you are a woman, your mentor doesnt necessarily have to be a woman, and the same is true with men. Action tip: Decide what you would like to learn and in what areas having a mentor could most benefit you. Now think about who could help you the most in those areas in your current company. Ask them if they would be willing to be your mentor, explaining to them the qualities you admire and the things you want to learn from them. Take your mentoring relationship seriously. In order to regularly to benefit from your mentors wisdom and expertise you have to be serious about keeping in touch with them. Many choose to make a formal agreement to help both parties take their new relationship seriously. Make a schedule together and stick to it. Decide together whether you will meet weekly, monthly or something else based on your goals. Otherwise, you mentor will probably feel that he could have chosen a different, more appreciative person to mentor. Remember that having a mentor is an asset and view them as your biggest supporter. Action tip: Decide on an action plan before you meet with your mentor. What could work with your current schedule for you to get the most out of a mentor relationship? Are there any projects you could work on together? Is there a specific part of the company or business world you would love to know more about? Share your plans with your mentor, but be willing to be flexible based on his or her availability. You can choose more than one mentor. Many think they can only choose one mentor at a time, but you can really learn from multiple mentors. This is especially helpful if you cant identify one person with all the qualities and experience you would like to learn. Keep in mind that you may not need one mentor for as long as another, and make sure to let your mentors know that you are being mentored in other areas. This can help them really focus in on the specific areas you want them to help you in. Action tip: If you are having trouble choosing one perfect person to be your mentor, that is OK. Create a list of three people you respect that have qualities you would benefit from learning. Approach them separately and ask them if they would help you with a certain area while others help you in a different area. Follow the same steps as above. We hope this is helpful to you! The career coaches at HallieCrawford.com. Schedule a free consult with HallieCrawford.com today

What Are the Benefits of Writing Career Objectives on Resume?

What Are the Benefits of Writing Career Objectives on Resume?Writing career objectives on resume is not new to everyone but not everyone would find the same ways to present the information or ask the same questions to obtain the same information. Hence a proper communication is required by the writing career objective candidate. Below are some points that can be of great help to the candidate in regard to the presentation of their information.Resume writing objectives must include the statement, What am I in this position. This question must be included in the initial and the last part of the resume.The rest of the information can be grouped into 4 sections in the form of bullet points. To start with, the HR resume can be laid out in the heading of the resume. Under this heading is the summary or a list of the main goals that a candidate wants to achieve in the selected job. This summary should also include the career objectives for each and every part of the career goal.You should s tate the reason why you should be chosen as the candidate and other name will be used by your interviewer. The closing part of the resume should be laid out in the heading of the resume. The summary or the career objectives for the individual can be written here.In the next section of the resume the career objectives for the individual can be outlined. At this point of time the interviewers will take a look at the resume and the sections. Your job is to translate all the information that you have written in the resume into the interviewer's mind.The above mentioned words are words that you should include in the objective oriented 'written communication' used in the resume. The objective oriented writing also allows you to go into more detail. You are not only able to present the list of career objectives, but you can also state your objective and why you want to achieve them.After you have written the career objectives on the resume, you can list down all the experience you have. Th e resume should list down your scores, your pass rate and also the time that you spent in this job.

The Advantages of Writing Guru Law Resume

The Advantages of Writing Guru Law Resume The Lost Secret of Writing Guru Law Resume It is essential that you show the possible employer your skills, training, experience and education and the way in which they match what the recruiter requirements. Possessing a crystal clear and professional resume is vital in the health care field. Law school resumes aren't the exact same as a resume that you would utilize to turn in an application for work. If you're still at school your university may likewise be able to supply you with sample legal resumes to think about, which may have some other excellent ideas. Writing Guru Law Resume: No Longer a Mystery If you're sending a resume to a company, it ought to be a given that you're obtainable for an interview and you will provide references if requested. A sample legal resume should incorporate an easy sentence stating the objective that you want to achieve to your legal resume. When writing a resume, clearly define your objective, w ith an extremely clear profile for the sort of job which you want. Know the purpose of your resume Some folks write a resume as though the use of the document was supposed to land work. Give a range in case you don't know the precise number. There are quite a lot of instruments and connections online that could seriously benefit your work search. Various kinds of work in the food service industry require resumes with a lot of the exact skills. An internet search will offer other legal resume samples that may be drawn from. Although a lot of folks enter law school, not everybody becomes an attorney. The majority of the job requirements for law enforcement officers are not typically based on the degree of education one has achieved, but on a person's mental and physical traits. If you want to be a law enforcement officer, there are numerous career options which you may choose. For most lawyers, it seems to be a rough issue to do outside of the custom of law. A Secret Weap on for Writing Guru Law Resume Again, activities regarding research or communication skills may be helpful. The area of information technology gets more important each day. Writing a strong application is a challenging procedure and we would like to make it simpler. Law enforcement officers have various titles in the USA. There are several unique qualifications, expectations, and hiring practices that you ought to be familiarized with to maximize your opportunity of being hired. There's no need to include work experience which has no relevance to the custom of law. If you're attempting to acquire work in accounting or finance you require averystrong resume. Ensure you highlight technical wisdom and certifications. Writing Guru Law Resume - the Conspiracy You obtain a maximum quantity of info in a really quick and easy-to-digest format. For some it might be hard to condense a resume down to a single page. When you have a look at lawyer resume samples, you will see that each sample has the work seeker's name and contact information on top. Writing Guru Law Resume Fundamentals Explained The Writing Guru is an indispensable partner for everyone seeking to earn a change in their employment. Possessing a strong resume will permit you find quite a few great jobs. Whether you are searching for work or not, you need to always try and keep your resume current. You will have to be certain your legal resume is appropriate to the particular job being applied for. A Startling Fact about Writing Guru Law Resume Uncovered You are able to use our resume building software to create your own from scratch. Studying career-specific resume samples is among the most effective ways to understand how to format and focus your abilities and abilities. Understanding how to tailor your resume will obviously offer you an advantage.

How to Train Your Brain to Keep You Healthy in Times of Stress

How to Train Yur Brain to Keep You Healthy in Times of StressA recent study in the Jurnal of Personal and Social Psychology found that your habits good and badcome out in full force during times of stress.Thatmeans if youre in the practice ofmindlessly eating junk, youll revert to a diet full of Doritos and Frappuccinos when youre in the middle of a big project if yourealready in the habit of amore virtuous morning oatmeal, youll reach for that during busy times. Your body keeps up what its used to and what it knows. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) What can you do? Sculpt your habits carefullyfrom sleep patterns to gym routines. They just might turn out to be the rock your brain turns to in times of doubt.German researchers hypothesized in 2012 that this phenomenon is due to stress hormones in the brain, which cause it to revert to normalroutines in stressful scenarios, even if that means abandoning its goals. When stressed, the brainfav ors the routine and reduces activity in the decision-making part of the brain.The best way to keep our heads in times of stress, then, is to make sure we cultivate the best habits in our downtime. You never know what you can train your brain to doso start making better choices while you have the conscious chance.It turns out that our behavior is much more important than we realized. It can form the basic building blocks to build our own way out of stress.

5 Things I Will Never Sacrifice To Pay Off Debt

5 Things I Will Never Sacrifice To Pay Off Debt When I got divorced, I never considered the amount of money it would take to give my family a fresh start. I quickly discovered that living with one income was going to take some severe financial manipulation and cutbacks to keep my family afloat.I found myself drowning in debt from lawyer fees, bills and trying to keep everything status quo. While the saatkorn amount of money was going out every month, only half of what we were used to was coming back in. I had to make some tough decisions on what we would cut out of our lives to exist. But when it came to certain aspects of our lives, I just couldnt compromise.These are things I will never sacrifice to pay off my debt1. My friendships.I found myself (sadly) having to turn down so many invites from friends after my divorce. When I was scraping pennies to pay my overwhelming credit card balance, I simply couldnt afford to do lunch anymore. But just because I cant afford a nice meal out doesnt mean I cant meet my friends elsewhere where I can still save money AND spend time with them. We meet up with our kids at the park or find low cost ways to spend time together.2. Family outings.This is something I struggled with in the beginning. I used to have a membership to every museum and zoo in my area, and my family would always have the opportunity to jump in the car and go somewhere fun on a whim. Not having those memberships meant that I would have to spend a pretty penny to get my family of 4 in the door and that didnt include parking, gas, food, and whatever other added expenses. Now, I watch for free days at the museums. I look for events my local park district might be holding, or special activities the school might offer. I might not be able to hop up in the morning and whisk my kids off on a fun day without a second thought like I used to, but I am still able to do it with a little planning.3. Self-care.I used to get a krpermassage twice a month, a pedicure ev ery other week, my hair done as needed... the list goes on and on. I just cant afford that anymore, especially if I want to make a dent in my debt. But I refuse to cut self-care out of my life completely. Without something small to look forward to for myself, I will become a bitter, resentful, and crabby mom. I know, because Ive tried. Now, I do one small thing for myself every month, and I make sure to thank myself personally for taking the time to do it. It might be a pedicure or a LONG overdue haircut. It might also just a be a bath with a good book after the kids go to bed. If I dont, Ill burn out. And thats no good for anyone.4. My kids activities.My kids are social, athletic, and also very wild if they dont get out and DO something. Being part of a team or a sport has paved the way for them socially and emotionally. As much as our lives changed after removing one income in our house, I could not make my kids lose the things they love to do most. I just wont do it.5. Insurance, bills and tuition.I would never be able to live with myself if I had to move my kids out of their school or cut back on the necessities to pay off my spending during a rough divorce. We need the obvious like water, heat, food, wifi and insurance. I did find myself cutting back on things like cable, data, and other monthly subscriptions we werent using.Being in debt is no fun. Its stressful, and creates a lot of anxiety and guilt as a mom. You wonder if you will ever get out of this mess and how. And you shame yourself for allowing it to get to this point in the first place. But, by making sure you dont skip out on the essential parts of life, you can still ease your way out. You only live once. Dont let your debt hold you back from actually living your life. Otherwise, when you do finally get out of it, youll regret missing out on so many opportunities and experiences along the way. Because, as we all know, nothing good happens overnight. And getting out of debt is one of those th ings that is going to take a long time. You still have to be happy in your own shoes until you get there.--Nicole is a realtor, divorced mom of three, and ally to the transgender community. As a mom who achieved her graduate degree alongside growing her family, she understands the importance of finding a work/life balance. Follow her onher blogwhere she focuses on family, parenting, divorce, and experiences of raising a young transgender child.