Archive for the ‘Career Planning’ Category

Responsibilities of a Consultant

Monday, October 17th, 2011

A consultant is a professional who offers good advice in his area of expertise such as business, law, management, politics, food production and marketing. Consultants are professionals and experts in a particular field and usually have wide information about their subject matter. A consultant may be self-employed or may work in a consultancy and is consulted when there is a need. Therefore, the services of a consultant are taken when needed.

The functions of a consultant vary, due to the different fields of their expertise. However the general job responsibilities of a consultant remain the same. For example, consultants help management to develop realistic information, identify problems, recommend solutions and help to achieve the solutions of the problems. The role of a consultant demands to be objective in recommendations and analysis to the project assigned to him. To find out the best possible solution for management, a consultant must ignore industry attitudes or traditions. The job responsibilities of a consultant may also incorporate the efforts of experts in different fields in order to offer proficient solutions that optimize the management effectiveness.

Responsibilities of a consultant demands that he should work within the granted time to provide answers that are faced by each client. Key elements of the role of a consultant are:
• Maintaining the networks
• Sourcing suitable candidates by advertising and networking
• A sincere advice to employers and providing market knowledge
• Managing different problems and process
• Strategies to increase commercial performance
• Managing and Developing ongoing relationships
• Maintaining commercial and market awareness through networking and research
• Maintaining the networks
• Sourcing suitable candidates by advertising and networking

A consultant may also be hired to work directly in production, improving processes, streamline operations, improve customer service and reduce redundant work procedures and lowering manufacturing cycle in order to improve the production capacity. Some are also expected to lessen the inventory costs and manage supply chains. A consultant is also responsible to address a certain need and provide a quantitative and measurable result.
Consultants are usually given objectives or targets to achieve in order to measure the achievement of offered initiative. They must have several solutions of problem resolution. Consultant usually report only to the owner of the company and are consulted in making major decisions about the company. Consultants basically spend a lot of their time to devise strategies to have the solution of the problems of his clients. This rewarding and exciting role will set a consultant on the path for demand and success.

Important Questions you should think before changing your Career

Thursday, October 13th, 2011

Following are some questions you should ask yourself to make next steps very clear in your career. These questions will guide you in the right direction. These questions are specially designed to keep your mind in the right direction.

Do I want to do more of what I’ve been doing?
It is not surprising that many people wish for more of what they have already been doing. In some ways, humans look wired to persist with the things they are familiar with. But the pace of shifts and change in the global economy make it harder and harder to continue the same thing. How much more you want of what you already have?

What kind of work is easily available to me?
By visiting the job websites, you can get good information on what sorts of jobs are in demand in your area of expertise. If you see a positive market for a certain set of skills, be sure to find the ready access to training. You may need to get retrained, if you want to involve your present skills.

Why to move for next?
Good opportunity, money and a seat to show your ability are the good reasons to think about a move. People, who are willing to move to next, usually find different opportunities. Nowadays, you can’t expect the employers to cover your expenses. So, before considering the next opportunity, you have to be sure that this is what you want.

What are my skills?
Focus on what you’re good at and forget where you’ve been working in your recent job. Is it conceptual stuff or physical labor? How is your computer literacy? Are you a doer or a planner?

How much money would I like to make?
How much amount of money would make you tremendously comfortable? Consider the top end of your range. Add all of the expenses of you like living expenses and bills. Be sure to justify the cost of living differences, if you are thinking for a move.

What do I enjoy doing?
The last but the most important question on the list. If you love doing something, turn that into your job. Your outside interests and hobbies are great gauges of natural talent.

The above questions can help you to navigate the parameters of your job hunt.

Are you moving away from your career path?

Thursday, October 13th, 2011

Sometimes, the changes in our career direction occur so slow that we do not notice them. But as early as you notice that you are going on wrong direction, it becomes easier for you to take yourself back on course, or regulate your course.

Innocent workers understand they are not following the right track after a long time and energy have been expended. To prevent the disappointment and failure, self-honesty and foresight can go a long way.

Following are some warning signs that your career may be off track:

Few years ago, the work that was a great cause of excitement for you, don’t excite you now. You no longer experience a sense of purpose and passion about your career. Or it may also be possible that you have never experienced an excitement about your career. You may have come in the career because it assured a good amount of money to you.

You dream to do something else in your career. We all have a dream for better and more exciting jobs, but if you regularly fantasize about working in a complete different working atmosphere, it might value exploration.

What you do in your work is primarily encouraged to avoid the irritation. If you don’t keep the smallest amount of productivity, your senior will be upset. If you show laziness working on positive reports, your colleagues will miss their own deadlines.

When you visualize the five or ten years of your career and imagine yourself at the same position or in the same line of work, you get depressed.

You are not included in main projects. Your colleagues are usually appreciated and you are continuously criticized or are ignored. You are unable to satisfy your boss and clients.

What to do?

These signs may just be a phase. We all may have a frustrating period in our work. This time usually passes. Often a vacation or a new project is sufficient to take the work on normal routine. If you are satisfied with your career and think that it is just a phase, take positive measures to take the phase to an end as soon as possible.

If you feel that it is not just a phase and you are actually not satisfied with your job. Then it is the time to have some serious decision about your future. You should never waste your time. Do your research; visit the library for your career choices.

The time has passed, when people were believed to stick to the career decision that was once made by them. In fact, career changes for improvement are taken as a positive decision in our lives. The career change keep us engaged, fresh and interested in our jobs that are basic qualities, needed to do a good job.

What to do when the new job is a letdown

Monday, October 10th, 2011

Starting  a new job can be exciting, anxious or sometimes scary. It can also be disappointing at some points. You may be asked to work for extra hours. Maybe you have to work without extra training. Or the job you accepted has no match with the job of your dreams.

But what you should do as a new hire, what should you do when your accepted job has no match with your dream job or what was expected by you? Use these tips to adjust or find the way in your first weeks of your job.

Don’t Panic

If things are not going according to your plan in your first few days in a new position, don’t panic. Resist your urge to have a dramatic decision or have a sudden judgment. Moderately, examine what elements are making you feel that you have been lied to. Make a text you can refer to your hiring manager, listing out what you had expected or what you were told versus what is the condition of your day-to-day work at the company.

Talk with Your Supervisor

It is a better way tohave a dialogue with your  manager. You may simply go to your boss and may say that you have been here for last few weeks and nothing is like that what you were told. Can we please discuss about my responsibilities or expectation by you and what we can do to change them to add more of what we agreed upon?”

Take help from HR

If you feel that your boss is unwilling or unable to help you, then you should ask for discussion from human resources. The human resources professional better knows that how difficult it is to find talented employees, they guide you as a knowledgeable and valuable helper in your difficulties. Many of the human resources managers advise, “If a job is not according to the job description you were initially told of, then you can talk to company management and there can be a way out of this situation.”

If you are asked to do long hours, ask about flexible suitable time. If you think that your skills are not enough to meet the requirement of the job and you need more training, search out how you can acquire that. Is the position less exciting than your expectations? Ask for more compelling and some additional responsibilities.

If the situation remains the same despite of everyone’s efforts, you may still have a better expected future at the company. If you are dealing with your employer in a responsible way, they may go to hold onto other. They may suggest you in another capacity area that better suits you.

Move on to another Opportunity

Despite of all the efforts to save your job, sometimes leaving may be your only option. If this is true, search for a new job first, to avoid a resume gap. Also, treat your employer with professional courtesy and respect when resigning, don’t burn the bridges behind you.

Always have a detailed view of the job description before accepting the new offer. This will help you to avoid the similar situation in the future.  Try to have a written job description, it will ensure that you and your supervisor better know about your responsibilities.

Do you have enough experience for a job

Friday, October 7th, 2011

You are having a good job, may be as a senior manager or a branch manager in a  company  or in office but it does not mean that your next job would not be a midlevel job. During a job search, usually, suitable job titles can get confused.  When looking for a job, you are never sure that which job title you should target or should apply for? Following is a rough guide to show  that how to classify your abilities and what to keep in mind:

Entry level

This category is quite underestimated and is usually considered for a new or fresh candidate.  But many of the people who are in workforce for five years or less can fall under the umbrella of entry level jobs.

When applying for an entry-level job,allow your individuality and enthusiasm shine. Entry level job is just about what suits best to your personality,  basic skills, eye contact, good communication and a sign of genuineness  and eagerness are basics in having entry-level jobs.

Midlevel

This is for job seekers who have some experience in the market. The position in a mid level has totally different demands. A midlevel manager typically directs departments, people, projects or functions as well as budgets. Most of the companies would require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree with 10-15 years of experience.

In addition, expressing to hiring managers that how you would fit in with the company is important. Midlevel needs skills in earlier jobs, so be sure that you have the required skills  and experience is vital. Your skills to express your experiences are also critical.

Senior-level and executive
You are a senior level employee in a  company but it doesn’t mean that you should target only senior roles in your next job hunt. The words like ‘executive’ and ‘experienced have a lot of definitions.

Larger companies have few senior-level slots and corporate structures that differ. Do your proper research to examine that where an employee with duties similar to your desired role better suits. This will better help you if you are familiar with the size of the company and have a report of their required qualifications. Tailor your resume and cover letter in such a way that it should show that you have those qualifications and best fit for their company.

Understand your present responsibilities

Measure your fresh job responsibilities; this is one of the best ways while considering the job. Whether you’re getting the information from your own personal connections or through a recruiter, assess a sense whether you would be managing entry-level employees, a department, the entire project, a group of businesses, or just your own time.

Match your skills and abilities not levels

Just because of the reason that you fall into a specific experience bucket doesn’t mean that you can not apply for a position that is best suited to your skills but is titled on lower level.

Just trust your senses before you apply and consider whether your will feel comfortable or uneasy on the position with required responsibilities. When reviewing a job description the basic things that matters are experience, skills and qualification not the level of the jobs.

Pros and Cons of Working at Home

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

If you have worked in an office, the option of working at home would be considered the best chance by you. The option of working at home has its own benefits as well as downfalls that may effect both career advancement and performance. To get the information of the best and worst aspects of working at home, we have talked to several people who work from home.

The pros of working at home
Working at home provides flexibility. Flexibility is the biggest bonus of working at home. An employee is free to work, at the time when he wants to do.

Avoiding a commute is one other big plus, in days when prices of fuel are increasing day by day. Working at home is really valuable as it saves much time and finance to be spent on  fuel.

Working at home is also the best option for those who feel that office environments are filled with interruptions and enjoy working from home to bypass those pauses.

The flexibility of working at home also appeals the workers in creative industries. This provides the best conditions for creative businesses. As the employee has much time to think and work over the project.

The Cons

Everyone can’t prefer to work at home.  It needs better time-management skills and limits between family and work. Many of the professionals find them working more when they work from home if they don’t take charge of their schedules.

Many of the workers are also of the view that perceptions and the value about their work are inaccurate. In other words we may say that working from home doesn’t seem an official work. People also do not value it with the thinking that an employee is not working as hard. In the time while telework is more valuable in the minds of employees, company structures and their attitudes.

Home-based employees can also have a problem of communication issues. E-mail, phone and instant messaging are a good way of communicating business needs but do not work always in business needs.

You have no one to share your work and ideas with. Without office mates you start to believe that every idea of yours is brilliant.  Working in the same environment with no competition also causes the lack of ideas.

There are less chances of career advancement when you work from home. Many of the workers believe that they get less chances of promotion because of the lack of routine contact with their employers. The above perceptions have a deep impact on the career advancement of a home-based worker, who as a result may lose out on job advancement opportunities.

How to avoid the pitfalls
The Employees should take steps to avoid downsize and take advantage of the benefits that are provided by this arrangement.

- Keep a regular contact with your co-workers and managers. Schedule a check-in time every day Keeping your contact with everyone in the loop will help to dispel any unconstructive perceptions about your work.

- Isolation can have personal and professional consequences so avoid it. If at any stage of your work you feel limited by the four walls of your house, vary your surroundings.

- If you have any complicated projects, try to complete it in the office. You will have to adjust many times to meet the demands in your personal and professional life. Striking the right work at right time will help you to adjust your problems.

Turn Your Internship Into a Full-Time Job

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

Young job seekers usually fail to have a full time job. They try to get a job but they often fail in their search for a job, rather they do not try for an internship. Internship has always been encouraged among college students and fresh graduates. Relevant skills are the first thing that is looked by the employers in this competitive job market. Internship is not only helpful to construct skill sets and establish winning paths of records but it also provides big networking chances to have a full-time position after your studies.

Many of the employers intend to hire their internship students as permanent employees for full-time jobs. Many of the employees also hire college interns, who show their interest in the studies.

Experience and money

Having the real world experience is the most valuable part for fresh graduates.  The employers not only provide a real world experience but also help the fresh graduates to enhance their skill set. On the other hand internship makes the most valuable part by financially adding to the bank accounts.

What are employers looking for?

Many of the fresh graduates and interns are unaware of the details that what the hiring managers are looking for in full time candidates. We met many of the hiring managers and required that which are the most important factors among the candidates that influence their decision to hire a college intern permanently. Most of the employers stated that candidate’s ability to produce timely, quality work, problem-solving skills, critical-thinking and level of professionalism.

So here are five tips to help you, if you wish to revolve your position into a full-time job:

1.    Do your duties like an extended job interview. Try to be on time, meet your deadlines and always deliver strong work.

2.      Ask questions – the candidates who come to the employers with thoughtful and different questions have better chances of getting hired as soon as the employers have an opportunity. Employers know that you are an intern and don’t have all the answers. So don’t hesitate to ask questions.

3.      Look for challenges. Employers like those employees who demonstrate plans, ideas and a desire to develop and learn.  The majority of employers are more expected to hire a permanent college intern who inquires for more duties and responsibilities.

4.      Be courteous and respectful. Always be respectful and courteous while talking to co-workers and avoid in-office gossip.

5.      Leave a positive impression. Show your interest for the company and the projects on which you are working. Don’t complain and refrain from talking to friends or e-mailing.

How to handle unusual interview questions

Thursday, September 29th, 2011

For job seekers, interviews are surely the causes of anxiety. In order to get an offer, the interviewee says the best right things and tries to impress the employers because there are a number of applicants for the position.

A bad handshake, a tie that’s too bright, not in contact of eyes, speaking in confusion are minor things that may cause a problem for you.  Is it a positive point or not, that’s a separate discussion. In the competitive market of today, employers want to have the best candidate not only in term of behavior or professional appearance but also in facing the unusual behaviors or questions. That’s why the employer may  ask  unusual questions    during the interview.

It does not mean to say that they are trying to make your life difficult but they only desire to discover the strongest candidate for the position. In order to find the best candidate they don’t stick to the usual questions. You might hear, “How would you describe software or a tree? These types of questions can  confuse   job seekers.

Job seekers constantly want to know: Why did they ask an unusual questions and how to answer such questions.

Interviewer asks such questions because he  wants to see “how you handle the pressure and reason out the answer”. So think about the techniques and different ways that you can use to satisfy the interviewer. You would not be in a habit of doing all these but you have to prove that you are willing to try and you have the power to do it.

Here we are going to tackle that how to handle the impossible interview questions:

We have met many hiring managers to know the answers of such questions and  why they ask such unreasonable question? They  told that even they don’t know the answer of these questions. They just ask such type of questions to observe the problem-solving ability and logic of the candidate. And the candidate who answers the question precisely will be successful to get the goal.

“What is the worst interview question in your opinion or ever asked to you?”  is another unusual question asked by the interviewers. With all these questions they actually want to analyse that how much ability a candidate has to handle the unusual situations or questions. Hiring managers considers this question a good test for the candidate applying for a sales person.

So it is advised to answer the questions to your best. Employers want to know that you have the abilities to face and handle the unusual situation.

Get a Job

Thursday, September 29th, 2011

As a matter of fact, most of the job seekers do not get a job in spite of  a lot of Job opportunities. So it is advised to discover your strengths,  Prepare yourself for the interview and never limit your search to larger firms and never give up. Following are some skills that will help you to remove your odds and hunt the job.

Discover your strengths

Discover your strengths and learn how to talk about them in your discussion. Employers always estimate future successes by past achievements. Think about your experience in terms of achieved goals, learned lessons and your abilities. Your achievements will expose the best of your skills.

Prepare your best resume

Many of the companies rely on computerized resumes data bases. Your resume should  be scanned into an electronic data base instead of screening by a person. Build a compatible electronic database resume that may be recognized by  scanning programs.

Plan your interview

Plan your interview very carefully. Show your full etiquettes and confidence during interview. Shake hands with your interviewer, make eye contact and have smile on your face. Show your courteous and friendly nature and ease with you and your situation.

You also need to explain your skills, achievements, abilities and ambitions. Emphasize on the abilities that you think can add value to the employer. Describe your credits like increasing sales, improving quality or reducing costs, if you have.

Never end the interview with usual statement like “I would like to hear soon from you”. Instead say goodbye with the statement that I shall keep posting the major developments about my job search.

Networking is important

Create a network of your colleagues and friends who may help you or may recommend you to another. This is the single important task that will allow you to tell your story to people who have the power to hire you.

Don’t limit your search to larger firms

The times have gone when good opportunities are only offered by larger firms. Nowadays many of the jobs are created by small and medium firms. As a matter of fact, it is easy to get hired by the small companies. Applicants usually don’t apply in small companies that they pay less and provide fewer benefits but not always. Your achievements at a small firm can translate into a better job at a larger company.

Don’t limit your search to your hometown

Many people limit their job search by refusing jobs that are outside their hometown.  The ratio of unemployment remains high in metropolitan cities and moving is the only way to advance.

Make the job hunting a commitment for you. You need to search for the job actively. Maximum search for job will provide you a better chance to get hired. No doubt that job hunting is a psychological challenge. You will have to face setbacks and rejections. You may be  discouraged or may be tempted to quit in the job search. But don’t lose heart. There are many  jobs that can pay well. You can a get a good job if you keep searching and don’t give up.

How To Review your Performance

Monday, September 26th, 2011

The key to a successful performance review is that it should be a continuing process to assess the satisfaction of the employee and employer as well. Below are five action steps to take for your next performance review.

Does your work contribute in the success of the company?

Everyone wants to do significant work. Doing a meaningful work is a part of employee’s responsibility and taking a meaningful work is the responsibility of the management. If you are working in a firm where goals and tasks are not important then you have done a mistake in choosing the firm. It also means that you have chosen a job where you cannot make a difference or show your skills. If you feel that you are doing a meaningless work or don’t feel any worth of your work in the future, talk to your seniors about changing your tasks.

Do you understand the necessary steps to be successful at the company?

Every company has its own policy that you have to follow. These policies are usually called the culture fit.  Most of these policies are unwritten and practically all are about behavior of the employee.

Your personality and behavior are two different things. You cannot change your personality but better managing your behavior is your ability.. To have a success at workplace you should be aggressive, quick and unsentimental with your co workers. But if you are doing a job in which you have to deal with customers then you need to be concerned, a listener and a problem-solver. At some places you need to be obedient with your seniors. Understand the culture of your workplace.

Is your work and workplace part of your career plan?

This point specifically relates to you. Your work and workplace should be a part of your career plan. You and your manager should understand your career plan to ensure your job is preservative to your career plan and contains the challenges you need to move to the next level.

Do you receive the training to maintain success?

This is for management. You need training to learn, grow and be successful at every stage. Your training does not mean to know that where the things are but it is about knowing how to use all the tools according to the strategy of the company, from hardware to the policy of the company. If there’s no training, you should ask for it and be sure that it connects you and your manager to a more successful career.

Do you receive continuous feedback to improve your work?

Monitoring the work and management must be undertaken by you and your manager. You should know that where do you stand; this means a regular dialogue with your manager. If you receive any negative review never be surprised. You should be constructive and constant with your feedback.

To ensure that your review is transformative, make sure that you cover the above points in your review. These points will ensure employee as well as management satisfaction.