Blog Posts

READY, SET, CLICK: WATCHA STREAMING TODAY?

3/28/2018

Have you ever spent hours binge-watching a show? Game of Thrones. Gilmour Girls. Portlandia. The Simpsons. Deadliest Catch. Anyone? We all have our guilty pleasures – the escape that allows us to unwind and momentarily forget about our busy, chaotic lives filled with responsibilities and endless to-do lists.

I have definitely noticed a trend toward needing this escape in our family lately, but the guilty binge-watchers are not the adults. It’s our girls. No, Games of Thrones is not on their radar. At least not yet. But they are definitely hooked, and as any cautious and over-protective parent that has been warned time and time again about the dangers that excessive TV watching has on growing young minds, I feel a bit funny about allowing the binge-fest to continue.

Shouldn’t they be outside, playing sports, having play dates, engaging in more productive activities? Or, at the very least, playing dollhouse or doing arts-and-crafts? Aren’t those the best learning experiences –ones that allow them to explore, develop their interests, build communication and social skills? And if they are lucky, even find their “passion”? If gymnastics is not in their future, surely their life-long interest in engineering will ignite after they take that new after-school robotics class.

But instead, I watch as they plop themselves on the couch in the afternoon, excitedly clutching the remote. There is a new episode of the “Kids Baking Championship” taped on DVR!

The Kids Baking Championship?? How did they even find this on TV? We are not a baking family. Sure, I’ll make the occasional banana bread, but really, who am I kidding. I am no Martha Stewart.

Yet, here we are. The girls know all the contestants, their names, where they are from, what their personalities are like, and even the difference between fondant and meringue.

Good, I tell myself. This is educational. I peek around the corner at the TV, while mindlessly leafing through the town activities brochure.

We are having what you might call “a low-key” spring. With so much time on our hands after school, the word “boredom” has entered our regular vocabulary. As in, “mom, I am so bored! What are we going to do today?”

I am not your activities coordinator, I’ll say. Go find something to do. But they have already watched all of the episodes of “The Kids Baking Championship” about 20 times, so what now?

Last week, walking home from school with my oldest, with my youngest away for the afternoon, that dreaded question came up yet again. Mom, what are we going to do??

I don’t know, I said. I am sure we’ll come up with something…should we (gasp)…bake?

“I am not a cooking girl”, she’d tell me in the past whenever I’d ask for some help in the kitchen.

But technically speaking, baking is not cooking. With its precise lists of carefully measured ingredients, it’s less improvisational than cooking and therefore, perhaps a lot less scary for a kid that’s just starting out.

So, should we? Should we bake, I say.

Yes! My girl replies excitedly.

Ok, then, we’ll have to make something all of us can enjoy. How about some gluten-free chocolate chip cookies? I think I can scrape up the ingredients in our kitchen.

They come out delicious.

“Look what we made for you”, my daughter screams when my youngest comes home later that afternoon. The smile on my baby's face is the sweetest I’ve ever seen.

The three of us sit on the couch and chow down the cookies.

And we all feel like champs.

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How One Simple Idea Can Change Your Whole Outlook

2/28/2018

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There is a chapter in one of the most influential business and leadership books of the past century that deals with the importance of writing your personal mission statement. Most of you have probably heard of the book, if not read it – it is Steven R. Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”

Anyone who’s worked for an organization is undoubtedly familiar with the concept of a “mission statement.” It is typically a 1-2 sentence declaration of the organization’s principles and values. This statement conveys what the organization deems most important in how it operates and conducts business.

So, what is a personal mission statement if not the same idea that’s been transposed to the individual level?

Covey likens the personal mission statement to having your own “constitution” – a core set of principles and beliefs that taken together are meant to inform and guide your every decision and action.

It sounds like a fairly simple idea. If you know what you deem important, you should be able to always act in a way that aligns with those beliefs.

The reality, however, can be a bit more complicated. Each of us, argues Covey, is influenced by a variety of factors, the most fundamental of which are scripts passed down from others. When we are not firmly rooted in a center based on a set of key principles, we run the risk of always changing in response to circumstances or other people's whims.

By design or by default? – is the question that Covey wants you to ponder. Are you a function of your own proactive creation, or do you reactively live a life that’s been scripted by other people – be it your family, friends, colleagues, or others.

Thinking of this dilemma, an old Russian anecdote comes to mind.

A Lion is walking through the forest with a notebook in his paws. “Hey you, fox, come here”, says Lion. “That's good, tomorrow breakfast will be fox” (writes it down). “Tomorrow at dawn you come to my lair, I'll eat you for breakfast. Any questions? No questions? Now go. Hey you, wolf, come here. That's good, tomorrow lunch will be wolf (writes it down). Tomorrow at noon you'll come to my lair, I'll eat you for lunch. Any questions? No questions? Now go. Hey you, hare, come here. That's good, tomorrow dinner will be hare (writes it down). Tomorrow at dusk you'll come to my lair, I'll eat you for dinner. Any questions?” “And what if I do not come?” replies Hare. “Well, let's strike the hare out.”

By design or default?

Are you the creator of your own universe or do you let others write your script? Covey argues that you can start to design your own script or “re-script” the one that was handed to you, when you combine your unique human abilities -- imagination, conscience and self-awareness.

In Covey’s words, “Through imagination, we can visualize the uncreated worlds of potential that lie within us. Through conscience, we can come in contact with universal laws or principles with our own singular talents and avenues of contribution, and with the personal guidelines within which we can most effectively develop them. Combined with self-awareness, these two endowments empower us to write our own script.”

Those three are the cornerstones for developing your own personal mission statement.

Are you ready to write yours today?

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4 (Unintended) Interview Mistakes that Can Be Easily Avoided

1/28/2018

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We all make mistakes. It’s what makes us human. Big or small, those mistakes can usually be corrected provided you are self-aware and motivated to want to change. But it may be harder to correct course when our actions collide with others’ perceptions, opinions, and needs. This is particularly true when we are engaged in a job search – a time when when we are being evaluated and it is imperative we put our best foot forward. A single unintended mistake can cost us an opportunity to get the job we’ve always dreamed of.

There are many times we can make missteps in the job search process – from resume typos to failing to attach a cover letter. But assuming you’ve checked and triple checked your resume, drafted a stand-out cover letter, and have proofread all of the key correspondence, your next challenge is to be ready to knock ‘em dead during the interview.

If you made it this far, you’ve likely met the basic requirements and qualifications for the position. Now is your chance to really shine and stand out from the competition.

Here are 4 mistakes you can avoid making during the interview phase to ensure that you are selected as the top candidate:

1. Being Late and Not Offering an Apology

Everyone knows that the first rule of thumb at an interview is to arrive on-time. Generally, on-time means arriving at least 10-15 minutes early to allow yourself time to get to the right place and be ready to greet your interviewer should they choose to start the interview a few minutes ahead of schedule. Arriving a few minutes early shows that you are organized, capable of managing your time and schedule, and respect the time the interviewer set aside to get to know you.

That said, given your best efforts and intentions, sometimes things happen that are outside of our control. Perhaps you left your house way ahead of schedule but there is an unexpected traffic jam, or a train delay. Or, maybe you got delayed going through security downstairs. And yes, there really could’ve been a small fire in your kitchen!

Whatever the reason, if you are late to an interview, you are probably worried that you’ve hurt your chances. You are right -- it doesn’t look good. But, it is not a deal-breaker provided you are honest, apologetic, and put your best foot forward during the rest of the interview. What’s much worse than being a few minutes late? Appearing that you don’t own up to your missteps, however minor (or unintentional) they may be.

2. Not Being Properly Dressed

This is a no-brainer, right? Of course you know that you must be properly dressed for an interview. Yet, it is surprising how many still assume that “properly dressed” can mean anything other than a suit (and tie, if you are a man).

In this day and an age, there are many companies that have moved beyond requiring traditional attire. In the more creative and entrepreneurial fields, it’s frequently accepted to wear casual (day-to-day) clothes to work. And you may have even heard advice that says that you should try to “match” the style of the workplace when you go on your interview.

This may be a well-intentioned but misleading advice. Leave the “matching” to the time when you’ve already scored the coveted job. While you are being evaluated for a position, it is always best to dress in formal wear.

3. Being Underprepared

It’s important to be confident going to an interview. When you believe in yourself, you are setting yourself up for success. However, sometimes feeling confident (or over-confident!) can backfire – particularly when we underestimate how much to prepare in order to do well.

Confidence and thorough preparation are not mutually exclusive. And in the case where you have to display your value in a short amount of time, they simply must go hand-in-hand.

There is really no way to over-prepare for a job interview. So, if you haven’t already thought through all of the interviewer’s possible questions and your responses, done a mock interview with a trusted friend or mentor, and thought of questions to ask about the company/role, then perhaps it makes sense to consider setting aside some additional time to prepare.

4. Having Body Language that Does Not Match Your Story

You’ve done your prep-work and showed up on time dressed as your best professional self. Now it’s time to share your story. You’ve heard it many times – a good first impression counts for so much. Stay calm and do your best. No pressure!

Even those of us with nerves made of steel, in this scenario, may feel the jitters coming on. It’s normal and natural to feel nervous, and it’s expected. Showing a bit of vulnerability will certainly not take you out of the running and anyone but the most unforgiving of interviewers will see it for what it is – excitement and genuine desire to get the job.

But there is a fine line between looking nervous and appearing inauthentic and it is the latter that you want to guard against. Inauthenticity is a turn-off and others pick up on it quickly when there is a mismatch between your words and your behavior.

There is not much you can do if you are truly pretending to be something you are not. Eventually, and probably sooner rather than later, it will become obvious.

However, if like many of us, you tend to temporarily crumble under pressure, staying aware of inadvertently sending negative non-verbal messages will help you remain in control. Fidgeting, shifting eyes, looking down instead of making eye contact are all examples of poor non-verbal communication – those behaviors may be perceived as signs that you lack the confidence in yourself and your skills. And that is a sure deal-breaker.

Be yourself, know the value you add, breathe and keep composure and you will be sure to shine!

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9 Career Sites to Explore in the New Year

12/28/2017

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December is not traditionally considered a month for serious job searching. It is a time to relax, enjoy the holidays, vacation and be with family. Still, if you are seeking new opportunities, you’ll probably be keeping your ear close to the ground, ready to strike when the time is right.

Perhaps you are continuing to make connections at holiday parties, or browsing the listings on the web in your spare time. More than likely, though, you are waiting patiently for the new year to roll around before re-starting your search in earnest.

Today, more than ever, there is so much useful career advice available on the web. Still, you may find yourself getting tired of the tried-and-true sites, like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, or Indeed.

For those of you looking for some new perspective, I’ve put together a list of my favorite career websites and blogs that regularly feature helpful job search tips and strategies. Check them out and start your year off fresh.

1. www.careersherpa.net

2. www.theundercoverrecruiter.com

3. www.careersdonewrite.com

4. www.9livesforwomen.com

5. www.themuse.com

6. www.dailyworth.com

7. www.idealistcareers.org

8. www.chameleonresumes.com

9. www.mscareergirl.com

Happy New Year and best wishes for a successful job search!

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17 Ways to Compare a Job Search to Thanksgiving

11/22/2017

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At the start, you have to answer 3 key questions: Where am I going? Who is going to be there? And do I want to be there too?
When you finally commit to a place, you must brace yourself for a long ride.
You know you will have to battle eager crowds trying to get to the same spot.
En route, you feel yourself getting frustrated and tired. You begin to think is this really worth it?
Then you remember…they will feed you! You get excited again.
Finally, the effort pays off. You are at the door.
You put on your best happy face. Then you proceed with the meet-and-greet.
The table is all set up, but you still have to make your rounds.
Finally you sit down.
It’s time to make conversation!
(Psss…it’s a dialogue, not a monologue…). Ah, yes! QUESTION: Can I offer some help?
Let me think…well, ok. Are you good at carving?
I am the best! I began carving when I was one, as soon as I could hold the knife, and I have carved every year since!
Wow, that’s impressive…well, enough talking, I need to digest…
Me too. LOVED everything! THANK YOU!!! (This place is amazing. There were even 2 pies for dessert!)
Whew, it’s over. Comatose…
Just one thing left to do. Relax and dream away!

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What If...Waiting Wasn't an Option?

10/25/2017

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The fall has finally arrived, and with it, the need to re-organize my closet. Every year at this time I carve out some time to put away the shorts, tank tops and dresses, and pull out the cozy sweaters, leggings and jeans. The crisp air outside motivates me not to delay.

Yet, I can’t say that I particularly enjoy this process. Yes, this is a great opportunity to re-evaluate my wardrobe and to get rid of things I no longer like. I know the 80/20 rule – that most of us wear just 20 percent of our wardrobe 80 percent of the time. In my case, it’s more like 10 percent of the wardrobe 99 percent of the time. But still, for one reason or another, I hesitate to minimize.

It’s tedious. It’s time consuming. And most of all, there is that perennial question that hangs over my carefully curated closet…what if?

What if I change my mind? What if I come to regret it? What if I grow to like this piece again? What if? What if? What if?

It strikes me that in some ways this process of decision-making is similar to the way that many career changers approach their transition.

You know that the career you’ve chosen to pursue is no longer working. Deep down you know it’s time to make a change. Yet this realization remains just an inkling while you rationalize to yourself why you shouldn’t.

Last week, I attended a panel on career transitions, where a room full of want-to-be career changers listened to sage advice and insight of those who already found their career holy grail.

The number one take-away?

Don’t wait.

Waiting, and then finally taking the plunge towards a new career, months, or sometimes years later, seemed to have been the common thread in all the stories shared that evening.

Someone waited because they felt they invested too much time and money into their education. Someone waited because they wanted to finish the degree they already knew was not the right fit -- but they had only one year to go in school. Someone waited because they didn’t want to move – moving ended up leading them to a network of new connections and ultimately, discovering how to blend their interests into a profitable business. Finally, someone waited because they didn’t know what else to do. They had been following the safe path of getting a good degree, finding a good job, and making good money.

All the panelists ultimately woke up and realized they’ve been waiting long enough. The time had come to make a change.

In hindsight, they all were acutely aware of the passage of time – the time they spent waiting vs. the time they spent actively in transition – one period marked by uncertainly, hesitation, depression, and rationalization; the other period marked by empowering decisions that brought them closer to their dreams.

The take-away was not to wait. Even if the only thing you knew with certainty was that you didn’t like what you currently did.

At the end of the event, the moderator turned to the audience. Any last questions?

There was one.

What signs do I look for as I try to identify what I should do next?

Look for things that bring you joy was the response of one of the panelists. What are the things you gravitate to over and over again?

What are the favorites in your closet? Everything else can go or take its honorary place in the back.

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Can You Name Your Top Values? This Exercise May Help.

9/27/2017

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When was the last time you gave thought to what you value most?

Our values lie at the core of who we are – they define what we deem important in life and in work -- but they are very infrequently verbally expressed. Instead many of us choose to communicate what we value through our behavior and actions.

We are content and at peace when our values and our actions align. On the contrary, when we experience tension, anxiety and unrest, it is a sign that our beliefs and our actions are out of balance.

WHEN WE HONOR OUR VALUES, WE MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON CLEARLY DEFINED PRIORITIES. WE ARE PURPOSEFUL WITH OUR CHOICES AND WE FEEL A SENSE OF WHOLENESS AND FULFILLMENT. WHEN WE ARE OUT OF TOUCH WITH OUR VALUES, WE HAVE NO INTERNAL COMPASS TO HELP US MAKE DECISIONS. WE TEND TO PRIORITIZE THE WRONG THINGS WHICH CAN LEAD TO UNHAPPINESS AND DISSATISFACTION.

Often, we’ll have a vague recognition that something is wrong, but won’t take steps to delve deeper until a change in circumstance, such as starting a family, or a more negative event like a job loss or a family illness jolts us to action. Those events can serve as important wake-up calls, but should they be the only time we open ourselves to taking stock of what’s truly important?

Today is as good as any other day.

DEFINING OUR VALUES CAN HELP US MAKE IMPORTANT LIFE DECISIONS AND ANSWER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS.

- What type of job will I find fulfilling?

- How can I prioritize my personal and professional goals?

- Where should I live?

- What kind of role model do I want to be to my kids?

UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU VALUE MOST IS THE FIRST STEP IN CREATING A ROAD MAP TO LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE. ALTHOUGH OUR CORE VALUES ARE GENERALLY STABLE, SOMETIMES AS WE GROW OR OUR SITUATIONS CHANGE, WHAT WE ONCE DEEMED IMPORTANT SHIFTS. OFTEN, WE WITNESS THOSE SHIFTS IN THINKING AFTER BIG LIFE EVENTS.

Keeping a check on our values is therefore a lifelong exercise. Taking some time to revisit what you value can help you stay on the right course, clarify your priorities and re-balance your life.

EXERCISE.

STEP 1.

Think about the times in your life (starting childhood through present) where you’ve felt happiest and most fulfilled. What were you doing (personally, professionally)? Who were you with? What goals were you accomplishing?

Write down any common themes. For example, you notice that you feel happiest and most fulfilled when you are entertaining others, spreading joy and laughter, putting on formal or informal performances, and being the life of the party. Or, you may be most fulfilled when you are helping others in need and providing a service that helps other people improve their circumstances. You like to provide help in times of crisis.

STEP 2.

Read through the list of values below. Go through the list once and cross out any values that clearly don’t match with what you deem important. For example, if you enjoy solitude, reading and quiet walks by yourself or a close friend, then socializing is probably not your most important value. Cross it off the list. Do this until you’ve narrowed down to 30-40 values.

Next, look through the remaining values and group together any values that overlap. For example, Honesty, Integrity, and Lack of Pretense would go together.

Accountability
Accuracy
Achievement
Adventure
Aesthetics
Affection
Altruism
Ambition
Assertiveness
Authenticity
Autonomy
Avoidance
Balance
Beauty
Belonging
Boldness
Calmness
Carefulness
Challenge
Cheerfulness
Clear-mindedness
Commitment
Community
Compassion
Competitiveness
Connection
Consistency
Contentment
Continuous Improvement
Contribution
Control
Cooperation
Correctness
Courtesy
Creativity
Culture
Curiosity
Decisiveness
Dependability
Determination
Devoutness
Dignity
Diligence
Discipline
Discretion
Diversity
Dynamism
Economy

Effectiveness
Efficiency
Elegance
Empathy
Empowerment
Enjoyment
Enlightenment
Enthusiasm
Entrepreneurship
Equality
Excellence
Exercise
Excitement
Expertise
Exploration
Expressiveness
Fairness
Faith
Fame
Family
Fidelity
Financial Security
Fitness
Fluency
Focus
Freedom
Friendship
Fun
Fulfillment
Generosity
Goodness
Grace
Growth
Happiness
Hard Work
Harmony
Health
Helping Society
Holiness
Honesty
Honor
Humility
Humor
Inclusivity
Independence
Ingenuity
Innovation
Inquisitiveness
Insightfulness

Integrity
Intelligence
Intellectual Status
Intimacy
Intuition
Joy
Justice
Lack of pretense
Leadership
Learning
Legacy
Leisure time
Love
Loyalty
Making a difference
Making money
Marriage
Mastery
Merit
Obedience
Openness
Opportunity
Order
Organization
Originality
Patriotism
Peace
Perfection
Performance
Perseverance
Personal Development
Piety
Playfulness
Positivity
Practicality
Preparedness
Professionalism
Prudence
Quality
Recognition
Reliability
Resourcefulness
Restraint
Respect
Results-oriented
Rigor
Risk-taking
Safety

Saving
Security
Self-actualization
Self-esteem
Self-control
Self-expression
Selflessness
Self-reliance
Self-respect
Sensitivity
Serenity
Service
Setting example
Shrewdness
Simplicity
Socializing
Social advancement
Solving problems
Soundness
Speed
Spirituality
Spontaneity
Stability
Strategic
Strength
Structure
Success
Support
Synergy
Teamwork
Temperance
Thankfulness
Thoroughness
Thoughtfulness
Timeliness
Tolerance
Tradition
Trustworthiness
Truth-seeking
Understanding
Uniqueness
Unity
Usefulness
Vision
Vitality
Wealth
Winning
Wisdom

STEP 3.

Keeping in mind your reflections from Step 1, compare the remaining values/buckets of values. Which of the remaining values do you consistently honor in your life? Which would you like to prioritize more?

You are trying to identify your top 10.

It may help to pick two at a time and think about them side by side. Your goal is to re-order them from least important (at the bottom) to most important (at the top).

For example, if you are comparing Achievement and Adventure/Fun, you may think of a situation where you are given a last minute opportunity to travel to an exotic place you’ve always wanted to explore. Perhaps it's a friend's destination wedding. At the same time, you are on track for a promotion at work, but know that taking time off would set you back and/or possibly cost you the promotion. How would you resolve the conflict? Would you choose Adventure over Achievement or vice versa? Re-order the values accordingly.

Prioritizing like this will take some time but it is a worthy exercise.

WHEN YOU CAN CLEARLY DEFINE AND EXPRESS YOUR VALUES, YOU'LL FIND YOURSELF LIVING A MORE PURPOSEFUL AND CONTENT LIFE. YOU WILL FIND IT EASIER TO MAKE IMPORTANT DECISIONS AND WILL FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE CHOICES YOU MAKE. LIVING A LIFE IN ACCORDANCE WITH ONE’S VALUES MAY NOT ALWAYS BE EASY, BUT IT WILL ALWAYS GUIDE YOU IN THE DIRECTION THAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU.

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7 Tips For a Stronger Resume

7/26/2017

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A resume is one of the most important tools in your job search toolbox. Without a strong stand-out resume, it is virtually guaranteed that your application for a job will be overlooked by the prospective employer.

Even if you have networked extensively and have an established connection at the company you are seeking to work at, you cannot underestimate the importance of a well-crafted resume.

Your resume is the prologue to the story you tell the employer about yourself and your professional background. It tells the employer where you’ve been and where you want to be headed next. It lays the setting for further conversation.

And you know that in today’s competitive job market, you can’t afford to showcase yourself in any but the best possible light.

Which is why, I recommend that you spend a good chunk of time editing and updating your resume before clicking ‘send’. This is particularly important if it’s been a while since you’ve updated the document and/or are considering switching careers.

Below are 7 tips for drafting a stronger resume:

Make Sure the Formatting is Consistent and Resume is Typo-free

Tiny details often tell a much bigger story. Formatting may seem less important that the substance of your resume, but make no mistake. If the formatting is not consistent throughout the document, it says one thing about you: you rush to get the job done. No employer wants to see quality sacrificed for speed. The same point applies to typos. Take extra time and read each bullet point over at least twice to make sure there are absolutely no errors or inconsistencies.

The Resume Length Should Be 1- 2 pages

Unless you are an academic or a scientist and have a long list of publications to list, it is not generally recommended that your resume exceed 2 pages. For young professionals without an extensive job history, the ideal length is 1 page.

In today’s competitive job market, it’s not unusual for an employer to receive hundreds of resumes for one position. A hiring manager will likely spend only a minute, if that, reviewing your resume before deciding whether you make the cut for an interview or not. They want to quickly assess your qualifications and appreciate a concisely crafted document.

Use a Chronological Format

You have likely come across two different formats for a resume: chronological and functional (or sometimes a mix of those two). In a chronological resume, as the title implies, you list your experience chronologically, with accomplishments as they pertain to each job experience. In a functional resume, on another hand, you highlight your abilities and categorize your skills instead of creating a timeline for your work experience.

If you are a career changer, are re-entering the workforce, or have gaps in your resume, you may prefer the functional format because it takes the focus off the gaps. You may think that works in your favor. And there are times you may be right.

However, when a prospective employer picks up your resume, she wants to quickly understand your work history. Functional resumes typically take longer to piece together, and the hiring manager may simply choose not to take the time to do so. It may also seem that you are trying to hide the gaps, rather than focusing on your skills and abilities, and your efforts can backfire.

So, why not play it safe and use the more popular chronological format? Then spend some time drafting a good cover letter where you tell your story and summarize your skills.

List any Gaps in Employment

This point is related to the recommendation above. Yes, you may be concerned about putting down gaps in your resume, particularly large gaps, however it is better to be upfront about them than seem like you are trying to hide something.

If you have taken time off to raise a family, as one example, put that down. Took time to travel? List that as well. If during the “break”, you did consulting or freelance work, be sure to list those projects. Any volunteer experience during the gaps should not go in the work experience section, but in a separate volunteer section.

Tailor Your Resume to the Job Description

The days of the standard resume are gone. You can no longer send the same resume to multiple employers and expect that you will be rewarded with a call back. Want to show you are genuinely interested in the job? Then take some time to tweak your resume and customize it to fit the job to which you are applying.

How can you tailor for best results?

First of all, create a compelling narrative throughout the resume that shows your work history and prior experiences are a good fit to the desired position. You will have to show you have built a set of skills in your prior roles that will be transferrable to the new position. Put emphasis and highlight the type of work that’s relevant to the new job. Delete or minimize any work or other experience that doesn’t directly apply.

Use keywords listed in the job description. This point is important! Many times your resume may not even make it past the employer’s applicant tracking system, if the wording within the resume does not match with the specific skills and qualifications listed in the job description.

Scan the job description carefully to make sure you understand the requirements of the position. Then, identify your past work/projects that match those requirements and use the same vocabulary used by the hiring manager to describe the experience in your resume. But no embellishments or exaggerations! Those can become obvious down the line and will surely backfire.

Quantify Your Achievements

When you talk about your experience, what do you want the prospective employer to remember? That you worked on some project they’ve never heard of, or that you can produce results? Likely the second. You are an attractive candidate because you have proven time and time again that you can deliver by increasing sales, revenues, or by creating more efficient processes. Show and quantify those achievements for each role you list on your resume. Talk about any improvements that you were responsible for.

Use Strong Language – Action Verbs and Keywords

If your Experience section is packed with words like “managed”, “led”, or “oversaw”, perhaps it’s time to update it. Although common, these words have become so overused that they risk obscuring and minimizing your true accomplishments. Worse yet, instead of highlighting your uniqueness, you’ll seem like everybody else.

So, why not be a bit creative?

Start out each description with strong action verbs instead. Try “headed”, “planned”, “executed”, “organized”, “built”, “created” or “implemented”, as just some examples. Don’t stop there. Look up action verbs for more great ideas.

And don’t forget to sprinkle in the all-important keywords. As mentioned before, hiring managers search by keywords to find resumes that match the skills and qualifications listed in job description. Make sure your resume includes those keywords.

Use Bullet Points

This may be an obvious point, but it can’t hurt to repeat it. The clearer your resume, the easier it is for the prospective employer to get a quick grasp of your history and identify your key leadership roles, contributions and accomplishments. Use bullets to communicate your information clearly and effectively. When you show that you can create a well-organized resume, you will be sure to stand out from the crowd.

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It's Only In Your Mind...Is How the Story Goes

6/20/2017

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A couple of weeks ago, for my daughter’s birthday, a family friend sent her a gift: a book called “The Most Magnificent Thing.” It’s a story of a girl with an idea.

It’s the most magnificent idea. Just what will it take to make it real?

“She knows just how it will look. She knows just how it will work”, the story goes. “Easy-peasy. But making the most magnificent thing turns out to be harder than she thinks. She measures, hammers, fastens, and adjusts again and again, but the thing just keeps turning out wrong. If only the thing WOULD JUST WORK!”

She tries and tries again. But it is still wrong. The girl gets mad. Mad enough to want to quit.

“I am no good at this,” the girl says.

What happens then? Does she persevere? Or give up? How does she respond when she encounters a challenge?

In 2006, a psychologist and a professor at Stanford University, Carol Dweck, Ph.D., wrote a book called “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.” In it, she introduces the idea of mindsets, or beliefs about yourself.

As a scientist and researcher, Dweck discovered in the course of her career that people are predisposed to holding two separate mindsets, the fixed mindset and the growth mindset, and that the differences in how people think are already apparent in early childhood.

These differences are particularly evident in how people respond to failure.

People with the fixed mindset believe that their success or failure is a direct reflection of their innate abilities. In other words, if they succeed, it’s proof that they are smart and capable. On the other hand, if they encounter a particularly difficult challenge, it’s proof that they are lacking in ability. They are less likely to try again after a failed attempt, because they are afraid of being perceived in a negative way, by themselves and others.

Those with the growth mindset, however, see the results of their efforts not as a reflection on their ability, but as evidence of how hard they worked to solve the problem. They approach problems with enthusiasm and see them as an opportunity to learn and get better. If they meet with a challenging problem, their confidence in themselves does not deteriorate – but their resolve to find the solution grows.

According to Dweck, the two mindsets lie on a continuum – the way you think is not a black-and-white dichotomy. She argues that with effort and awareness you can put yourself into the growth mindset even if you start out with the fixed.

And that’s what ultimately happens with our little heroine from “The Most Magnificent Thing.” She goes for a walk, and with the help of a friend, she is able to gain a new perspective.

Her previous failed attempts are no longer ALL WRONG. “There are some parts of the WRONG things that are really quite RIGHT. The bolts on one, the shape of another, the wheel-to-seat ratio of the next. There are all sorts of parts that she likes!”

She gets back to work. By evening time, the girl is finished.

She’s made The Most Magnificent Thing. And best of all, she gets to enjoy it with her friend.

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Trick Your Body. Master Your Mind.

5/26/2017

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We’ve all been there. After weeks, or sometimes months, of networking, you finally score an interview. You are now one step closer to getting the job you’ve been aiming for, and you are excited. You begin to visualize yourself in your dream job and it feels so right. You belong there, but your goal is still only a dot on the horizon.

For now, though, you have to ace the interview.

The stakes are high.

You need to perform at your best, but how do you handle such a high pressure scenario? You are about to be evaluated and judged, and as if on cue, the feelings of anxiety and insecurity start creeping in. Yes, this is your chance to evaluate as well – the fit, the culture, the team. But, there will be time for that later.

For the time being, though, how can you maintain the confidence needed to perform at your best? How do you stay in the moment, instead of experiencing self-doubt and imagining the worst outcome?

Conventional wisdom will tell you to thoroughly prepare. And it is true that preparation helps to reduce anxiety and boost self-confidence. Researching the organization before the interview, thinking through potential questions, and having prepared answers, especially for any tough questions you might expect or fear, will most likely make the difference between being chosen for the next round or not.

But, let’s say you have done your best to prepare, yet the anxiousness remains. Or, you are confident the day before the big interview, but as you step into the waiting area your heart begins to race and your head starts playing tricks on you. Suddenly, your mind goes blank and your worst fears begin to materialize.

Are you about to fail? What can you do to recover, to master your insecurities, to get back to your place of calm? Is there a way to become more present?

Turns out there is. Perhaps you’ve heard of a technique called power posing.

Power posing was introduced to the mainstream by Amy Cuddy, a social psychologist and an associate professor at Harvard Business School who studies how nonverbal behavior influences people’s judgements. She is most known for her widely popular 2012 Ted Talk “Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are”.

In her talk, Cuddy introduced the idea that our body language can influence how we view ourselves, and in turn, how others view us. Basing her talk on prior research conducted with colleagues from the University of Berkeley, Cuddy shows how by adopting “power poses” for as little as 2 minutes we can affect our thinking and self-perception.

Cuddy describes how our bodies have a biological response to “high-power” (open, spread out arms, arms on hips or stretching behind your head etc.) vs. “low-power” (hunched down body, hands covering neck or hands crossed over body etc.) poses.

When we hold “high-power” poses, our bodies react by increasing our levels of testosterone and decreasing our levels of cortisol, both of which are shown to lead to higher confidence and decreased anxiety.

Those effects then carry over to our interactions with others. Our higher levels of self-confidence allow us to put our best foot forward in situations that require it most, if only for a short while.

Cuddy calls this a mind-body hack.

Sounds a bit illicit, right?

Hacking others’ systems may be considered a suspect pursuit. But hacking your own?

Centuries ago, the indelible Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu referred to this concept a bit differently. “Mastering others is true strength, mastering yourself is true power” said Tzu, and these wise words still resonate today.

Perhaps his teachings gained ground before hacking came into vogue, but which one of us will disagree that a two-minute hack to get some personal power is not a bad short-term solution, especially when you may be still working towards lifelong self-mastery.

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