Always Be Job Hunting is all about personal branding. It tells you how I’ve built my brands over a 35-year-plus career so that I’ve only been out of work for a month in all that time.
But personal branding isn’t solely my idea and it’s refreshing for me to see other jobs experts writing about the topic as well.
Continue reading
I agree you should not participate in this. I doubt, however, that most bosses who create this sort of environment will listen to any concerns you express about it. My advice would be to find a more hospitable workplace.
John N. Frank
It’s demoralizing to have a boss who pits you against your colleagues. Don’t give in to this dynamic. Instead, collaborate with coworkers to find your own ways of working together that don’t ratchet up the competition.
Tell your boss how you feel about the situation, but be diplomatic and constructive. If she thinks you’re complaining, she won’t take your concerns seriously. Discuss it with your colleague(s) first and then meet with your boss, perhaps together. Say you’d like to stop vying for the spotlight, because it’s distracting you from doing your best work.
Ask if she can avoid putting you in competitive situations (and give a few examples, in case she’s not tuned in to her own behavior) so you can both be more productive—to the benefit of all.
Adapted from the HBR Guide to Office Politics.
Ava Reed is a freelance writer & a 24/7 job hunter. “I love reading, cooking, and I also enjoy helping others on their career explorations. Let’s say- ‘no’ to stress; we need to identify a specific career that will allow us to make good use our talents and skills,” she writes about herself. She approached me to write about MOOCs, which I had never heard of, and then agreed to redo her post to address how these fit into job hunting.
I always see myself wanting more. Is it about the money? Yes and no. We all have different stories but if you’re always looking for a better job, well then we’ve got something in common.
This year’s 2nd most popular acronym after Facebook is MOOCs. Technically, Moocs (massive online open courses) are gaining popularity as a free alternative to traditional distance education. The original moocs, arguably, were radio programs hosted by universities that offered education to the masses in the 1920s. Fast-forward to 2008 when today’s mooc was re-imagined through the open educational resources movement. The idea was to connect students to education free of charge. Today, moocs operate all over, including at prestigious institutions like Stanford, and the goal is to offer free, high-quality education to the masses. MIT established MITx, a not-for-profit education extension, in 2012, which helped continue the movement. Today, even high schools are offering moocs for students preparing for standardized tests, such as the SAT.
Now you have the key, an instant access to the best courses delivered by superstar professors brought to you by x platform & y organization. Take a look at Coursera, edX and Udacity. I must confess two years ago while job hunting, I was addicted to Stanford University’s Videos on YouTube.
How do you feel about online courses?
A recent development in the world of distance education is the evolution of blended learning, which refers to combining traditional classroom education with online instructional methods to create an integrated instructional approach. The goal of blended learning is to use the best aspect of both online and face-to-face instruction into one cohesive environment. The prevalence of for-profit institutions has also paved the way for new and innovative online education strategies at the higher education level. To stay competitive, many schools, from for-profit to community colleges to traditional state universities, are offering some form of online coursework for its students. Continue reading
Marcela de Vivo is a professional freelance writer and researcher. She had written me about running the infographic seen here and I asked how it related to job hunting. That prompted her to write this post about her own experiences. I think many can relate and so am running it today. I am not endorsing use of the company which created the graphic; the link will take you there but again I am not endorsing it or receiving any payment from it to run this infographic. Would love to read your comments on the post.
John N. Frank
Far from being the first person in my family to go to college, I was well prepared for the higher education experience.
Late night dorm food, early morning classes, and everything in between had been at least (briefly) explained by nostalgic parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. What I was not prepared for was the cost. Even though my parents helped out, and I had some savings from a part-time job, I still had to take out a hefty student loan to pay for my four-year stay at a university.
While the college experience was absolutely worth it, it became an additional stressor when I started job-hunting after college. It became imperative I get a job immediately—not only to get started on my career path, but also to start addressing the looming weight of thousands of dollars of debt.
I began freelance writing as a side job to my regular work, in order to earn extra money to pay off that debt. Today I’m a full-time freelancer but I am still paying off that loan, some 10 years later. And on top of that, I now have my own children’s education to consider. I may be paying off one student loan or another for the rest of my life.
And I’m not alone in that—check out these statistics in this infographic by Consolidatedcredit.org. It tracks the history of student loan debt in the US and reveals some surprising, not to mention scary, facts about the state of higher education today and what it might be link in the future.
I don’t regret my decision to attend college, as it taught me valuable lessons and a work ethic that trained me for my career today, but at the same time I understand why so many people are questioning if college is a worthwhile investment. It’s vital to be fully aware of what you’re getting into when you sign up for student loans, and what your job prospects will be once you graduate and are expected to begin paying them off.
What’s your experience with student loans? Share your story in the comments!
Marcela
I’m enjoying this person’s blog and her views on job hunting.
John
The range of tech-related jobs is truly amazing. Here’s a company that describes itself as a “contest and campaign platform that enables advertisers’ messages to go viral and gain distribution.” If that appeals to you, to apply or ask a question, contact Nina Wheeler at nina@buzzstarter.com.
John N. Frank
Buzzstarter is a fast growing startup based in San Francisco. We work with some of the world’s largest brands to enable their messages to go viral and gain distribution.
Buzzstarter is looking for a Public Relations Manager. As part of the global marketing team, the Public Relations Manager will develop and execute strategic communications programs to build and strengthen Buzzstarter’s role as a disruptive technology company. He or she will develop and implement strategic media plans, as well as provide quality control for our PR, media activities and events. This is a tremendous opportunity for someone who is intensely organized and creative, is able to take initiative with minimal direction and has a reputation for making solid decisions. Continue reading
This is a posting for a TV job that isn’t your ordinary on-air spot. It took some digging to find, but this group is in Evanston, Il., a northern suburb of Chicago. Good luck and always be job hunting.
John N. Frank
JES BROADCAST ANCHOR
About JES
Jail Education Solutions (JES) is a social enterprise that collects and creates educational and inspirational digital programming for jails.
HELP WANTED
Ten million people cycle through the jail system each year in America and the majority receive no support, services, or encouragement while spending those weeks in jail; more than half return to jail upon release. Most spend their jail time sleeping half the day and watching daytime television for the remainder. By using the TV as a medium for change we hope to inform inmates about vocational, educational and other opportunities available upon release. Further, GED and literacy content as well as inspirational success stories of former inmates will seek to educate, build self-worth, and inspire better life choices.
You can check out our introductory video here. Continue reading
This fits in with my always be job hunting philosophy…find the time to plan your career, and your job searches.
John
I read a lot of career blogs and management books. Since I started working I have read thousands of articles about how to build your career, how to become an expert in what you do and how to impress management with what you do. Probably like the most of you, I am very much aware that it’s important to keep studying, talk to experts in my area of work and read all sorts of management books. In fact, I keep a list on my computer with titles from books who all have one thing in common: they explain you how to manage your career and use your potential to work towards your goal.
View original post 469 more words
How you look on a job interview is as important, or perhaps more so, than what you say or what your resume says about you. People judge on first impressions and how you look goes a long way to forming that first impression.
Theladders.com recently reran a piece it first published in 2009 about how to dress for a summer interview. While the piece is old, it’s still worth reading, the basics still hold true.
Looking sharp is important when job interviewing.
Some of the advice, first for women: Continue reading
Lists of job-hunting and career do’s and don’ts are always very popular. I wrote about one recently and just saw another longer list of career don’ts that I’m passing along with my comments for each in brackets here]. For the full list and post, go to culpwrit.com. Ron Culp is a sharp public relations mind; if PR is your field, his blog is a good one to follow.
List time!
The list:
1. Don’t hide. [Being yourself in an interview and on the job is the only way to function, I believe. Trying to be someone a boss or a company wants that isn’t you is a formula for long-term disaster.]
2. Don’t tweak the truth. [Resume lies will come back to haunt you.] Continue reading
Adjusting to no-salt, no-fat, no-sugar eating.
John N. Frank
Visit the Site of Executive Search Expert and Our Contributor Lynn Hazan
Always Be Job Hunting 