Turning a Negative Work Experience into a Career opportunity Building Your Future Now

Turning a Negative Work Experience into a Career opportunity Building Your Future Now Many of us have had some type of negative experience at one or several of our jobs. It can be frustrating and a demotivating experience to say the least. Sometimes we try to stick it out believing things will get better or we feel that if we leave we are quitting. It can also be that it is merely a negative blip in an overall good job experience. Regardless finding a positive and turning it into a career opportunity is something that you can do! Its up to you because you will find even in negative experience comes invaluable lessons. Its all about learning, staying focused and always looking for ways to grow. If you are currently at a job that you dont like because of a host of reasons like poor management or a mediocre work environment, you must review your options: Despite the terrible job have you learned some hard-fought lessons? Are there any co-workers that can assist you in your career develop- ment? How can this job be a stepping stone to bigger and better things? Keep the questions churning in your mind and always keep positive! Another easy yet effective way to turn a negative job into a positive learning experience is by learning what not to do! Sometimes workers around you arent good to customersyou have a golden chance to prove yourself to clients and show them excellent customer service. A bad job does not mean you can not look and even find an exceptionally better opportunities! Dont let any negative influences at the workplace distract you from your potential and your goals. Go out there and network. Build your professional network and nurture long-term friendships and partnerships. Remember sometimes you need to simply look at a job as a jobits a job to pay bills and put food on the table. Always consider bigger goals and your ultimate job that you envision yourself excelling in. Be good to yourself and continually explore your potential. You will find the job/career you have been dreaming aboutjust keep working at it and dont let others take that away. Image: Nastya Gepp

The Hierarchy of Needs for Employee Engagement

The Hierarchy of Needs for Employee Engagement Has your company cracked the employee engagement piece yet? Very few companies that Im aware of seem to  be happy with their levels of engagement and are  constantly looking for new ways to tackle the issue. Our friends and staff survey specialists at  Scancapture have looked at  employee engagement from a psychology point of view in the graphic above. Do you remember Abraham Maslow and his hierarchy of needs theory  was fully expressed in his 1954 book Motivation and Personality.  According to Wikipedia, the hierarchy remains a very popular framework in sociology research, management training  and secondary and higher psychology instruction. So why not apply it to employee engagement. Maslows idea was that  people have to  satisfy basic human needs like eating, being safe and comfortable in your environment before you can start thinking about personal growth and intellectual development. Interesting: Maslows Hierarchy of needs applied to employee engagement. How many of not engaged and disengaged survive in a startup? pic.twitter.com/bJL9M81wld Anna Friedrich (@annasophie) October 13, 2016 So how can we apply this in a workplace context?  Lets start from the bottom: 1. Survival The updated model replaces the physiological step  with survival, this means trading your time and effort in exchange for money so that you can  keep your lifestyle ticking over and have food on the table. This step is of course integral to any type of career progression and personal development; without funds you will struggle to move up the pyramid. There are of course a minority of  people who are happy with taking risks, some would call them entrepreneurs, such as  jumping ship to pursue your dream without having the money for it. 2. Security Security is up next and it corresponds to the original safety need for Maslow. When we talk about security in the workplace, its job security most people fear being laid off and having to look for something else. There are no longer jobs for life, not even in public service, but that doesnt mean people have given up on wanting a stable career path.  Two very important aspects of security would be whether a job is a fixed position and of course what the salary is  the answer to both of these should be satisfactory to the job seeker. 3. Belonging Most big companies can hire people on a permanent basis and pay them well, at least when they require experienced people. Once somebody does get job security and a decent salary, what do they want next? Maslow would say love and belonging, in the workplace well settle for belonging; holding trust and acceptance within a group. People have a need to be part of something bigger than themselves, typically something along with purpose as opposed to making more money. 4. Important Almost at the top we find esteem as a requirement for Maslow, in our pyramid this  has been converted into importance. An employee has to feel that theyre making an important contribution to the organisation. As long as everyone within the company knows how their job fits in with the bigger picture and how they  help pushing the business forward, they ought to  feel their work is important. 5. Self-actualisation Finally weve reached the apex of our hierarchy of needs, and just like with Maslow were in the market for self-actualisation.  Most people have high ambitions but only about 15% reach this level of being highly engaged. The individual who has achieved self-actualisation will inspire others to do their best and always ask what they can do for others. RELATED: 10 Shocking  Stats About Employee Engagement.

11 Flashbacks from behaving poorly at the World Trade Center

9/11 Flashbacks from behaving poorly at the World Trade Center Its 9/11 again. And for the last seven years, Ive written on this day about how I have grown since the World Trade Center. I was standing next to the first tower when it fell. Mostly, I dont think about 9/11 anymore. Well, not on a daily basis at least. But, for example, I so seldom hear a plane flying over my townMiddleton, WIthat when I do, I have flashbacks to hearing the second plane fly right over me and into the building. I also have flashbacks when I go running with the farmer on his dirt road. On a dry day the dust gets in my mouth and it feels like the moments leading up to when the air was so thick with debris from the fallen building that I couldnt breath. We stopped running on the dirt for the summer. In an odd way, though, 9/11 has helped me. It helped me focus my career, and understand my personal history, and it helped me have compassion for my husband when our marriage was ending. Over the years, what that upsets me the most about 9/11 has changed. In the beginning, I was most upset about how when I saw danger, I walked toward the building, to see what was happening, rather than getting back on the train and going home. Later I learned that most of Wall St. responded the same way, so I was beating myself up for what was simple human nature. Later, the thing that most upset me was that I needed so much help from people, but I did not offer help. For example, someone else broke a window, I dont know how, but I pulled myself into a building with breathable air just as I was preparing to accept death. I made my way to a bathroom that was clean and had running water. Our mouths were so coated with debris that we couldnt really breathe without first swallowing water. There were men fighting over who could drink out of the toilet first. The fighting men scared me and my instinct was to lock the doorI just wanted to be safe. Later I realized that most people around me were being selfish. It is another natural instinct that you never read about in the newspaper. Who wants to tell a reporter about their selfishness on the anniversary of 9/11? This year, I realized that my most upsetting moment has changed again. It was the moment where I accepted that I was going to die. I had just married my husband, and I was so disappointed that I would not see how our lives unfolded. I realized that the greatest joy in life is simply watching the lives of people you love unfold in their very own way. After 9/11 I had a series of nervous breakdowns. I was scared to walk in the city, I could not handle the stress of being the primary breadwinner with a newborn, and then we lost everything we owned to bed bugs, and I got a divorce. For most of that time, I dont remember feeling excited about watching my life unfold. I felt like something was wrong with me. And I also felt like, if what you are most sad about when you die is not getting to watch life unfold, and if I am not excited about getting to do that now, then what am I living for? I tried not to think about it. But I know from my post-traumatic stress therapy that trying to not think about it is not healthy. But just lately, the past few months, things changed. I have financial stability since my company is more stable and doing well, I fell in love with the farmer and convinced him to un-dump me. And I found a nice rhythm with my sons in our post-divorce life that is actually much more peaceful and intimate than we have ever had. So I am excited again to watch my life unfold. I am excited to see my sons grow, and my relationship with the farmer grow, and Im excited to see what happens with my company. And I wonder: Did the World Trade Center cause me to become completely unstable for a time? Or did the World Trade Center give me a framework for creating a different stability that grows better every year?

Networking Tips How to Throw a Great Dinner Party

Networking Tips How to Throw a Great Dinner Party Recently, I have been reading Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time  by Keith Ferrazzi.    One of the chapters was about hosting dinner parties and it got me thinking about how my husband and I use to throw a lot more dinner parties before we both started grad school.   We found that by inviting friends  and  family into  our home,  we strengthened  friendships and  got to know  our guests much better. Keith Ferrazzi  writes about how powerful dinner parties can create wonderful memories and strengthen relationships.   Breaking bread brings people together at the same table  and is a means of  reconnecting with those  you care about the most.   He stresses to make sure you find the right mix of people to invite to your party with the  optimal number  of guests between 6-10 people.  He  usually invites over 17 people  since he finds there is a 20-30% acceptance rate. Planning a Dinner Party  Helps Strenghten Relationships Think you dont have enough money or a big enough house to host a great dinner party?   Keith argues that anyone can throw a great dinner party and you dont have to go all out  trying to be a Master Chef.   There is nothing wrong with a roasted chicken from the grocery store deli, salad, cookies and  ice cream.   But whatever you do, dont forget the wine! My new goal is to host a dinner party once a month.   Would you like to come over for dinner?   I often feel  too busy to be an excellent host but I really want to  strengthen relationships with my friends, family and acquaintances.   This book pushes  you to invite guests who are different from the normal group of people you hang out with.   If  you usually  have dinner parties with the same group of people, your circle of friends will never grow. Have you ever thought about using your party as a way to bring everyone together for a common purpose to help someone in need? For instance, why not have a party and make  thank you  cards for soldiers in Iraq. Or have everyone coming to your home bring an unwrapped toy or a can of food. Or even throw a cooking party where everyone bakes for a family going through a rough time. If you are creative, the opportunities are endless! Your guests will bond knowing they have volunteered their time together to make a difference in someone elses life. Here are  a few other  tips to host a fabulous dinner party: Create a theme:  Be creative and  generate excitement! Use invitations:  Devote some time and energy to  invite your guests with a  personal call, email, or a handwritten note. Dont be a kitchen slave:  Prepare the food ahead of time or just stop for takeout. Remember, the point is to spend time with your guests! Create atmosphere:  Candles, flowers, etc. Forget being formal:  Keep it simple, trying to create a 5 course meal will just stress you out! Dont seat couples together:  Mix and match to keep the conversation interesting. Relax:  Above all, remember to have fun! Dont let yourself get so stressed you are unable to enjoy the evening. Finally, one of the most important things about throwing a dinner party is to make sure your guests  feel comfortable and welcome. Have you ever been to a dinner party and felt like you were not welcome? The host never talked to you and you didnt  really know anyone.   One of the most important hosting tips is to relax, have fun  and dont worry.   If the host does these things, everyone else will feel more comfortable and will have fun as well.  Have you  created wonderful memories and strengthened relationships at dinner parties?

Writing Resume For Entry Level Jobs

Writing Resume For Entry Level JobsResume writing for entry-level jobs has become increasingly difficult for recent college graduates. This is due to the stiff competition in the workforce and the stiff competition for promotion. But before you go out and write your resume, think about what to include on it and where to put your qualifications. You need to provide the potential employer with the right information about you, so that he or she can get a full picture of who you are and what you can do for the organization.Before you start applying for an entry level job, you need to have a clear idea of what position you are applying for. This will help you understand the specific needs of the job. The most important thing to remember is to write as if you were on an interview. You will be asked questions and you want to be prepared.There is more than one way to prepare for this. For example, you may need to read as many resumes as possible. Do not limit yourself to just looking at the cover letters. Many times, the employers ask for a resume sample on a particular job that they are interviewing for. That way, they can see what they are getting before they actually meet the person.Make sure that you look at all the different entry level positions that are available to you. Once you have looked at these positions, you can start thinking about how to structure your resume. After you have looked at each position, you can look at the different responsibilities of each job.How much responsibility do you have for the job? Will you be providing support? What are the qualifications required for the job? This will help you determine how many education or training hours will be necessary to qualify for the position.Remember that organizations need to know that their new hires are committed to the organization and to the position. If you do not have any experience in the organization, then you must convince them that you will be able to do the job competently. Many people ap ply for the same position and get different responses from the employer because they expect too much from their applicants.Organizations need to understand that if they are going to place you in a position that you may not be ready for, they will have to wait until you are ready. This is fine if you have taken all of the necessary training to be competent, but if you are a recent college graduate who only has a few months' worth of college experience, you may not be ready for the job. You may need to have more experience.It is important to take care of all of these things before applying for a job. If you are not familiar with the organization, try to get some information from someone who knows them. Also, if you know that the position requires you to use your qualifications, you must make sure that you are ready for the responsibilities before applying for the job.

New Feature... Three for Friday - Sterling Career Concepts

New Feature... Three for Friday New Feature Three for Friday The New Year is aboutstarting off on the right foot and establishing new traditions. In the spirit of the New Year (and I can technicallysay that since its still January!), Im introducing a new feature on my blog Three for Friday. I subscribe tomany (too many!) career, recruiting, and HR-related blogs, and Im constantly bookmarking and flagging entries to share with colleagues, clients, and friends. In Three for Friday,I will share three blog posts from the past week that were particularly compelling, insightful, or value-added. Consider ityourCliff Notes forthe past weeks careers blog space. My gift to you. So, to get us started: J2B Marketing blog Marci Reynolds wrote about how to effectively combine LinkedIn, Twitter, and blogging for a successful job search. I could not have written about the topic any better. Utilizingjust one or two of these online tools is okay, but marrying your efforts across all three platforms is exponentially more effective and worth theinvestment of time. Meg Guiseppi on her Executive Career Brand blogwrote an excellent post about reconnecting with and revivingyour existing network.She shares tips on how to break the ice at networking events and ways to nurtureyour contacts. I find Megs posts to always be packed with ready-to-use tips and resources. and last but not least, Tim Tyrell-Smith ofTims Strategy Ideas for Job Search, Career and Life wrote about job seekers frustrations while waiting for the elusive more positions to become available. I particularly like his list of five tipson how to remain visible and attractive to hiring managers for whenpositions do become available. Enjoy! New Feature... Three for Friday New Feature Three for Friday The New Year is aboutstarting off on the right foot and establishing new traditions. In the spirit of the New Year (and I can technicallysay that since its still January!), Im introducing a new feature on my blog Three for Friday. I subscribe tomany (too many!) career, recruiting, and HR-related blogs, and Im constantly bookmarking and flagging entries to share with colleagues, clients, and friends. In Three for Friday,I will share three blog posts from the past week that were particularly compelling, insightful, or value-added. Consider ityourCliff Notes forthe past weeks careers blog space. My gift to you. So, to get us started: J2B Marketing blog Marci Reynolds wrote about how to effectively combine LinkedIn, Twitter, and blogging for a successful job search. I could not have written about the topic any better. Utilizingjust one or two of these online tools is okay, but marrying your efforts across all three platforms is exponentially more effective and worth theinvestment of time. Meg Guiseppi on her Executive Career Brand blogwrote an excellent post about reconnecting with and revivingyour existing network.She shares tips on how to break the ice at networking events and ways to nurtureyour contacts. I find Megs posts to always be packed with ready-to-use tips and resources. and last but not least, Tim Tyrell-Smith ofTims Strategy Ideas for Job Search, Career and Life wrote about job seekers frustrations while waiting for the elusive more positions to become available. I particularly like his list of five tipson how to remain visible and attractive to hiring managers for whenpositions do become available. Enjoy!

Should You Apply for a Remote Job - Sterling Career Concepts

Should You Apply for a Remote Job Should You Apply for a Remote Job? Another great guest post this one on remote jobs by Jackie Edwards. Photo by Domenico Loia on Unsplash Working remotely may have seemed out of reach several years ago, but in 2018, remote jobs are gradually becoming a trend in many industries.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported  23% of employees in 2015 reported doing some of their work in a remote location. This number is only rising, thanks to the fact that businesses are realizing how beneficial it is to their company to allow employees to work remotely. With a  growing number of freelancers  and programmers working from home, it is said that working alone can actually boost work productivity, as there will be far less distractions than in an office environment crowded with sociable coworkers. Furthermore, companies that implement remote working can not only experience a decrease in their real estate costs and overhead, but it can also reduce employee turnover rates and boost the overall morale of employees. Since more businesses are offering candidates the option to work wherever they please, it may work to your advantage to  update your resume template  to reflect remote-working skills, like having knowledge of Skype or Slack. The question remains: should you follow the trend in remote working and apply for a job that allows you to be a location-independent employee? In determining whether or not a remote job is right for you, consider the pros and cons: Pros of Remote Jobs One of the most obvious advantages of remote working is the time saved from commuting. Instead of spending an hour driving to work each morning stuck in traffic, employees can avoid the annoyances of commuting and use that time to get tasks done. Without a commute, you can choose to work from anywhere you want, like a coworking space in your city. This freedom will maximize what you make of your workday, as you can choose a location that helps you to be most productive. Remote working also allows you  to manage your own schedule, which gives employees the chance to work when it is most convenient for them. Not a morning person? Work in the evenings. Need to run your kids to school each day? Now, you can, and you don’t have to worry about missing out on working because you can start your job afterwards. Remote working is therefore an extremely appealing opportunity for people who need flexibility, and especially for people who want to spend more time with their families. Cons of Remote Jobs Alongside these advantages come the potential negatives of remote working that you should consider before you take a location-independent job. Some of the cons of remote working include: Loneliness â€"you won’t have your  coworkers to collaborate with  and talk to during the day Overworking â€" with your work always at home, it will never truly leave you and you can technically be working all hours of the day Underworking â€" without face-to-face interactions with your boss or manager, your accountability will naturally decrease and could lead to less productivity Limited team building â€" as a remote worker, you are your own team With both many pros and cons to remote working, you must be aware of all of the elements that stem from location-independent careers when deciding if it is the right move for your career.