How to Make the Most Out of a Boring Job

Even the most exciting jobs in the world have their boring aspects. (Athletes have to run drills. Brain surgeons have to do paperwork. Etc.) But what if your job is totally boring every minute of every day?



The easy answer would be to quit and look for a more interesting job. But if that's not an option right now, here are some things you can do to make that job at least somewhat more bearable.



1. Imagine how this job will look on your resume.

At some point you will add this position to your resume. What skills or experience will you highlight that could help you take the next step toward your career goal? Whatever they are, whether it's customer service, productivity rate or team support, find ways to achieve recognition in those areas from your current employer. 



Why does it work? Keeping your eye on the prize and setting goals for those resume-oriented achievements gives your workday a new interest and purpose. (And it never hurts to keep your resume up to date, just in case.)



2. Expand your range.

Look around, both inside and outside your department, to see if there are ways you could help out co-workers. Ask your supervisor if you could take on tasks or projects not part of your normal duties.



Why does it work? You're breaking free of your everyday routine. Plus, showing initiative in learning new skills might pave the way for a promotion.



3. Focus on the people.

The co-workers around you are not just fellow drones stuck in the machine. They represent an endless array of stories to learn about, hopes and problems to share, and boredom-banishing ideas to brainstorm. 



Why does it work? Building workplace relationships can be like going to a different movie every day. Added benefit: you'll work better together as a team (as long as the chats don't turn into time-wasting, which will get the boss in your case).



So you see, even the most boring job can be made interesting, and even more important, profitable — both in the present and the future. You just have to use it, instead of letting it use you.

Ref: Integrity Staffing

10 Things You Need To Do While You're Unemployed

If you’re unemployed and worried that employers will turn you down for taking on unimpressive work during the recession or for the large employment gaps on your résumé—you needn’t panic.  A new survey just released by the careers website CareerBuilder.com reveals that the vast majority of employers are sympathetic to such circumstances.

The nationwide survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive, on behalf of CareerBuilder, among 3,023 hiring managers and human resource professionals between November 9 and December 5, 2011. Not only does it offer unemployed job seekers some hope, but it also provides tips to help them land a new position.


“More than 40% of unemployed job seekers have been out of work for six months or longer,” says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder. “There’s a sense that such a long gap on a résumé negatively affects a candidate’s chances, but the survey shows that is not true. That’s very positive news for this group of job seekers. If you fill the gaps with activities and experience that illustrate how you are still developing your skill sets, the overwhelming majority of employers will look past your unemployment and focus on what you can bring to their team.”

Eighty-five percent of those surveyed employed reported that they are more understanding of employment gaps post-recession. Ninety-four percent said they wouldn’t have a lower opinion of a candidate who took on a position during the recession that was at a lower level than the one he or she had held previously.

But this doesn’t mean you can sit around and wait for a sympathetic employer to offer you work. “The worry is that employers may think job seekers are losing some of their skills because they haven’t been utilizing them. By volunteering, taking temporary work, or signing up for a class that develops your professional tool kit, you show employers that you’ve made the most of your time and will be ready on day one,” Haefner says.

Employers and CareerBuilder experts recommended a variety of activities you should engage in to build, expand, and strengthen your skills during period of unemployment, in order to increase your marketability.

Take a temporary or contract assignment.

Seventy-nine percent would recommend doing this. Why? “The key is to get people to see your work and to see what you’re capable of doing,” says Andy Teach, the author of From Graduation to Corporation: The Practical Guide to Climbing the Corporate Ladder One Rung at a Time. “If you do a great job, even if it’s for a temporary job, whoever hired you is more likely to recommend you for a permanent position.”

Take a class.

Sixty-one percent of the hiring managers surveyed recommended taking a class during a period of unemployment. “You never stop learning in your career, so the more technical competence you have, the better,” Teach says. “When you take a class in your field, you are also showing that you are serious about your work and that you take initiative.” Another advantage to taking a class: It’s a great networking opportunity.

Volunteer.

Sixty percent of the hiring managers said volunteer work makes you more marketable. “When you volunteer for something, you are telling potential employers something about you as a person,” Teach says. It shows that you are passionate about something and care about helping others—and it demonstrates that money isn’t the most important thing to you, he adds. “When companies are hiring, they are looking not only for people who can get the job done but also for people with character and integrity.”


Start your own business.

Twenty-eight percent suggested doing this—but starting a business can be pricy and time consuming. If you have the means to do it, it’s a great résumé booster and a wonderful marketing tool.

“The beauty of having your own business is that you can work part-time or full-time depending on whether or not you are able to land a job working for someone else,” Teach says. “You are also going to learn skills that are transferrable if you do end up working for someone else again.”

Start a professional blog

Eleven percent of the surveyed employers said a professional blog can be a good way to market yourself to employers. Why? You get people to see you as an expert in your field.  “You are also conveying your passion, gaining knowledge, and separating yourself from others,” Teach says. “Potential employers will see you as having taken the initiative during your job search to blog about something you truly care about: your career.”

Follow stories on hot industries and job functions.

CareerBuilder experts say information technology, engineering, health care, sales, and customer service are among the top areas for hiring nationwide, according to CareerBuilder’s job listings. Follow the news and job openings in these fields.

Use the time to come up with ideas.

Whether it’s an idea for a marketing campaign, new revenue stream, cost savings, etc., the candidates who show up at an interview with ideas demonstrate that they are passionate, knowledgeable, and excited about the opportunity. These job seekers always stand out from the crowd, CareerBuilder experts say.

Make connections.

A résumé handed to the hiring manager directly from someone within the company is more likely to get noticed, CareerBuilder experts say. Build and expand your network of contacts through social media and professional organizations. Let friends, family and professional contacts know that you’re looking for a job, and ask for their help in finding connections to the organizations you’re interested in.

Follow up.

According to CareerBuilder, two thirds of workers reported that they don’t follow up with the employer after submitting their résumé for consideration. It’s important to take that extra step to let the employer know you’re interested, and make sure you always send a thank you after an interview. Handwritten notes will set you apart from the pool of candidates, but e-mails are acceptable, too.

Use key words.

As long as you’re actively pursuing a job, you’ll likely be spending a significant amount of time editing and sending out your résumé. Remember to use key words. Why? CareerBuilder experts said most employers use electronic scanning devices to screen and rank candidates. You’ll want to tailor your résumé for each position you apply for, and include specific words from the job posting. Do this and your résumé will come up higher in employer searches.

“These types of activities tell the employer that the job seeker is serious about their career development and made the most of their time off,” Haefner says. “The key for the job seeker is to make the connection between how their volunteer work, blog, class, or temporary position prepares them for the next job. If they can successfully do that, their employment gaps won’t be an issue.”












Author:

Jacquelyn Smith ,  

FORBES

10 Tips for Successful Career Planning: An Activity for Job-Seekers of All Ages

Career planning is not an activity that should be done once — in high school or college — and then left behind as we move forward in our jobs and careers. Rather, career planning is an activity that is best done on a regular basis — especially given the data that the average worker will change careers (not jobs) multiple times over his or her lifetime. And it’s never too soon or too late to start your career planning.

Career planning is not a hard activity, not something to be dreaded or put off, but rather an activity that should be liberating and fulfilling, providing goals to achieve in your current career or plans for beginning a transition to a new career. Career planning should be a rewarding and positive experience.

Here, then, are 10 tips to help you achieve successful career planning.

1. Make Career Planning an Annual Event

Many of us have physicals, visit the eye doctor and dentist, and do a myriad of other things on an annual basis, so why not career planning? Find a day or weekend once a year — more often if you feel the need or if you’re planning a major career change — and schedule a retreat for yourself. Try to block out all distractions so that you have the time to truly focus on your career — what you really want out of your career, out of your life.

By making career planning an annual event, you will feel more secure in your career choice and direction — and you’ll be better prepared for the many uncertainties and difficulties that lie ahead in all of our jobs and career.

2. Map Your Path Since Last Career Planning

One of your first activities whenever you take on career planning is spending time mapping out your job and career path since the last time you did any sort of career planning. While you should not dwell on your past, taking the time to review and reflect on the path — whether straight and narrow or one filled with any curves and dead-ends — will help you plan for the future.

Once you’ve mapped your past, take the time to reflect on your course — and note why it looks the way it does. Are you happy with your path? Could you have done things better? What might you have done differently? What can you do differently in the future?

3. Reflect on Your Likes and Dislikes, Needs and Wants

Change is a factor of life; everybody changes, as do our likes and dislikes. Something we loved doing two years ago may now give us displeasure. So always take time to reflect on the things in your life — not just in your job — that you feel most strongly about.

Make a two-column list of your major likes and dislikes. Then use this list to examine your current job and career path. If your job and career still fall mostly in the like column, then you know you are still on the right path; however, if your job activities fall mostly in the dislike column, now is the time to begin examining new jobs and new careers.

Finally, take the time to really think about what it is you want or need from your work, from your career. Are you looking to make a difference in the world? To be famous? To become financially independent? To effect change? Take the time to understand the motives that drive your sense of success and happiness.

4. Examine Your Pastimes and Hobbies

Career planning provides a great time to also examine the activities you like doing when you’re not working. It may sound a bit odd, to examine non-work activities when doing career planning, but it’s not. Many times your hobbies and leisurely pursuits can give you great insight into future career paths.

Think you can’t make a hobby into a career? People do it all the time. The great painter Paul Gauguin was a successful business person who painted on the side. It actually wasn’t until he was encouraged by an artist he admired to continue painting that he finally took a serious look at his hobby and decided he should change careers. He was good at business, but his love was painting.

5. Make Note of Your Past Accomplishments

Most people don’t keep a very good record of work accomplishments and then struggle with creating a powerful resume when it’s time to search for a new job. Making note of your past accomplishments — keeping a record of them — is not only useful for building your resume, it’s also useful for career planning.

Sometimes reviewing your past accomplishments will reveal forgotten successes, one or more which may trigger researching and planning a career shift so that you can be in a job that allows you to accomplish the types of things that make you most happy and proud.

For more about accomplishments, read: Tracking and Leveraging Accomplishments.

6. Look Beyond Your Current Job for Transferable Skills

Some workers get so wrapped up in their job titles that they don’t see any other career possibilities for themselves. Every job requires a certain set of skills, and it’s much better to categorize yourself in terms of these skill sets than be so myopic as to focus just on job titles.

For example, one job-seeker who was trying to accomplish career planning found herself stuck because she identified herself as a reporter. But once she looked beyond her job title, she could see that she had this strong collection of transferable skills — such as writing, editing, researching, investigating, interviewing, juggling multiple tasks, meeting goals and deadlines, and managing time and information — skills that could easily be applied to a wide variety of jobs in many different careers.



7. Review Career and Job Trends

Everyone makes his or her own job and career opportunities, so that even if your career is shrinking, if you have excellent skills and know how to market yourself, you should be able to find a new job. However, having information about career trends is vital to long-term career planning success.

A career path that is expanding today could easily shrink tomorrow — or next year. It’s important to see where job growth is expected, especially in the career fields that most interest you. Besides knowledge of these trends, the other advantage of conducting this research is the power it gives you to adjust and strengthen your position, your unique selling proposition. One of the keys to job and career success is having a unique set of accomplishments, skills, and education that make you better than all others in your career.

8. Set Career and Job Goals

Develop a roadmap for your job and career success. Can you be successful in your career without setting goals? Of course. Can you be even more successful through goal-setting? Most research says yes.

A major component of career planning is setting short-term (in the coming year) and long-term (beyond a year) career and job goals. Once you initiate this process, another component of career planning becomes reviewing and adjusting those goals as your career plans progress or change – and developing new goals once you accomplish your previous goals.

9. Explore New Education/Training Opportunities

It’s somewhat of a cliche, but information really does lead to power and success. Never pass up chances to learn and grow more as a person and as a worker; part of career planning is going beyond passive acceptance of training opportunities to finding new ones that will help enhance or further your career.

Take the time to contemplate what types of educational experiences will help you achieve your career goals. Look within your company, your professional association, your local universities and community colleges, as well as online distance learning programs, to find potential career-enhancing opportunities — and then find a way achieve them.

10. Research Further Career/Job Advancement Opportunities

One of the really fun outcomes of career planning is picturing yourself in the future. Where will you be in a year? In five years? A key component to developing multiple scenarios of that future is researching career paths.

Of course, if you’re in what you consider a dead-end job, this activity becomes even more essential to you, but all job-seekers should take the time to research various career paths — and then develop scenarios for seeing one or more of these visions become reality. Look within your current employer and current career field, but again, as with all aspects of career planning, do not be afraid to look beyond to other possible careers.

Final Thoughts on Career Planning

Don’t wait too long between career planning sessions. Career planning can have multiple benefits, from goal-setting to career change, to a more successful life. Once you begin regularly reviewing and planning your career using the tips provided in this article, you’ll find yourself better prepared for whatever lies ahead in your career — and in your life.


by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.

If you are planning to start your career with good comapnies contact our executive on 0804068955 or visit our website www.exaltconsulting.com



Ref:https://www.quintcareers.com/career-planning-tips/

4 Secrets To Professional Success

1. Make A Difference – Not A Fortune

“If you set out to make a fortune, you probably won’t. If you set out to make a difference in the world, you will and you might make a fortune.”


2. Connect The Dots Or Paint By Numbers – Know What’s Right For You

There are two fundamental strategies… connecting dots and paint by numbers. You have to be realistic about who you are. Once you have this model in your head, it sets you free. It’s a strategy.

(With) paint by numbers… if I follow a prescribed course, I’m going to get a good picture. That’s the picture of your life… the picture you’re trying to create in your life. Scientists, professionals like doctors, lawyers, this is the core strategy in a life like that… matching the numbers with the colors.

The other one is connecting the dots. Starting in a place and getting to the next place and then figuring out what the next place is (after that). To do this, you have to do a lot of things that are not digital, they are analog

Tactics required to successfully execute the connect-the-dots strategy.

Persistence & Practice - When it comes to gaining the skills required for success, Mark makes it clear that, “there is no shortcut, (success requires) thousands of hours” of practice. He also notes that if you choose the next dot based on your passions, it will be relatively easy for you to maintain the persistence required to gain the expertise required to achieve success.

Family & Mentors - “A family is the people who believe in you… and make it easier (for you) to be persistent. Mentors are the people you are copying. Mentors and role models are a shortcut to become something you believe in.”

Most parents hate this (the connect-the-dot approach) because it’s ambiguous. ‘Hey, I didn’t pay all this money for you to go to college, to get out there and wander around. What are you going to be?’ Often, parents want you to be a paint-by-numbers person because its less ambiguous, seems more certain… and therefore lower risk.”


3. Good Fortune Matters

Blessings… are things you cannot control. I can be persistent. I can be curious. But I can’t possibly control blessings and good fortune. If you attribute over 50% of the outcome that you will see in your life to good fortune… it will keep you humble and it will help you focus on the things you can control. When you focus on the things you can control, it’s amazing how much good fortune you will have.

4. Always Be A Student – Success Is A Work In Process

“Always see yourself as a student and always understand that success is a work in process, always.” Curious students remain grounded, never take their successes for granted and are always learning.

Ref: Forbes Article (Author: John Greathouse)

If you are looking for professional growth, better prospectous and change in current profile/domain/funtional area contact us on 08040689595

Or visit our website www.exaltconsulting.com






  

Common Myths about Employment Background Checks

Myth #1: Employers are only looking to see if your resume is accurate
In Reality: When an employer runs a background check, they may be looking for salary history, criminal activity, credit scores, professional licenses or designations, drug use, or professional and personal references.

Myth #2: You can lie about how much you made at previous jobs
In Reality: While there are plenty of creative ways on an interview to evade disclosing your salary history, a prospective employer can ask your former employer or request copies of your W-2 forms.

Myth #3: Employers simply call the references you provide

In Reality: An employer may choose to conduct their own background check or to use an agency. Background investigation companies often work with other agencies that pull criminal histories, check applicant credit, perform drug testing, and collect fingerprints.

Myth #4: Anything you've ever done is going to show up in a background check

In Reality: Consumer reporting agencies must follow the standards established by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and cannot report tax liens, collections, and civil suits after seven years or bankruptcies after 10 years, but time limits for reporting negative information do not apply for jobs paying over $75,000.

Juvenile criminal convictions cannot be reported. Adult criminal convictions can be reported at any time (although some states impose their own limits).

Background investigation companies also have their own information collection and reporting policies - they may set their own limits for how far back into an applicant's history they will look, they may not report low-level misdemeanors at all, and they will almost always require derogatory claims in writing - for instance, if a previous employer says they wouldn't re-hire you, the agency would request that as a written statement as opposed to just accepting the information as part of a phone call.

If the employer is conducting their own background investigation, they may not check out-of-state criminal records or run detailed credit reports - but they might be more likely to get an off-the-record negative reference from a former employer.

Myth #5: A negative finding automatically means you won't get the job

In Reality: Just because something unfavorable shows up in a background check doesn't mean you won't get hired. The truth is that most people leave at least one job on bad terms at some point in their career. And state laws determine how information discovered during a background check can be used - for example, under Pennsylvania law, an employer can only make hiring decisions based on an applicant's criminal record if the convictions relate to the person's suitability for the position.

Myth #6: As a job seeker, you're powerless

In Reality: An employer must receive your written permission to conduct a background check before even beginning the process. If they choose not to hire you based on findings in a background check, they have to provide you with the report along with contact info for the consumer-reporting agency. If there's anything inaccurate on the report, you should immediately contact the agency and ask them to correct it.

Regardless of whether the employer conducts an in-house or external background check, job seekers still cannot be denied a position for any reason that falls under certain protected classes. In Pennsylvania, these include race, color, sex, age (over 40), ancestry, national origin, religious creed, having a GED rather than a high school diploma, handicap or disability, or relationship to a person with a disability. If you have been a victim of employment discrimination, you have the right to file an employment discrimination complaint.

Author:  Rita FriedmanCertified Career Coach, PhillyCareerCoach.com 

 

Career as a Business Analyst

The 21st century business analyst’s world is multifaceted. As a mediator, moderator, connector and ambassador, the business analyst must bring the business needs together with IT resources. Successful business analysts tend to be clear communicators, smooth facilitators, precise analyzers and team players. Plus, the ideal analyst has the versatility of various business functions, such as operations, finance, engineering, technology or architecture


What Does a Business Analyst Do?

The analyst works with the business to identify opportunities for improvement in business operations and processes
The analyst is involved in the design or modification of business systems or IT systems
The analyst interacts with the business stakeholders and subject matter experts in order to understand their problems and needs
The analyst gathers, documents, and analyzes business needs and requirements
The analyst solves business problems and, as needed, designs technical solutions
The analyst documents the functional and, sometimes, technical design of the system
The analyst interacts with system architects and developers to ensure the system is properly implemented
The analyst may help test the system and create system documentation and user manuals


How Much Do Business Analysts Make?

Depending upon which business analyst career path you choose, you’re certain to benefit from a highly rewarding and lucrative career. To give you an idea of how profitable this field can be, take a look at these job titles and average salaries, based on U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics, for a variety of business analyst jobs:

Average Annual Salary

Information Security Analyst :  $86,170

Computer Systems Analyst : $79,680

Management Analyst:  $78,600

Financial Analyst:  $76,950

Budget Analyst: $69,280

Certifications

Business analysts who want to enhance their expertise and expand their career options achieve industry-recognized certification. The current leader in business analysis certification is the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA®). The IIBA offers the prestigious Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®), a designation accomplished by candidates who successfully demonstrate their business analysis expertise. As a candidate, you’ll need to detail your business analysis work experience, and pass the CBAP exam.

 7 Qualities of A Good Business Analyst  

#1 – Good Business Analysts Have the Basics Covered
#2 – Good Business Analysts are Resourceful
#3 – Good Business Analysts Grow their Toolbox of Skills
#4 – Good Business Analysts Create Alignment and Ownership Around the Solution
#5 – Good Business Analysts Create Clarity
#6 – Good Business Analysts Don’t Rely on Cookies
#7 – Good Business Analysts Have a Strong Dash of Project Management
 

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Top Characteristics of of A Great Project Manager

VISION

An effective project leader is often described as having a vision of where to go and the ability to articulate it. Visionaries thrive on change and being able to draw new boundaries. It was once said that a leader is someone who ‘lifts us up, gives us a reason for being and gives the vision and spirit to change’.

 
Command authority naturally.
In other words, they don’t need borrowed power to enlist the help of others – they just know how to do it. They are optimistic leaders who are viewed in a favorable light and are valued by the organization.

Good Communicator
The ability to communicate with people at all levels is almost always named as the second most important skill by project managers and team members. Project leadership calls for clear communication about goals, responsibility, performance, expectations and feedback.
 
Possess quick sifting abilities, knowing what to note and what to ignore.
The latter is more important since there’s almost always too much data, and rarely too little. Ignoring the right things is better than trying to master extraneous data.


ENTHUSIASM/PASSION
We tend to follow people with a can-do attitude, not those who are always negative and give us all the reasons for why something can’t be done.


COMPETENCE
The team must believe that the project manager knows what he/she is doing. Leadership competence does not however necessarily refer to the project leader’s technical abilities in the core technology of the business.


Ability to Delegate Tasks
Trust is an essential element in the relationship of a project leader and his or her team. You demonstrate your trust in others through your actions - how much you check and control their work, how much you delegate and how much you allow people to participate.


Set, observe, and re-evaluate project priorities frequently.
They focus and prioritize by handling fewer emails, attending fewer meetings, and generally limiting their data input.


Exercise independent and fair consensus-building skills when conflict arises.
But they embrace only as much conflict as is absolutely necessary, neither avoiding nor seeking grounds for control of a particular project segment.



PROBLEM SOLVING
A great project manager not only has to have all of these qualities but also know when to employ them and to what extent.

 
Cool Under Pressure
In a perfect world, projects would be delivered on time, under budget and with no major problems or obstacles to overcome. But we don't live in a perfect world - projects have problems. A leader with a hardy attitude will take these problems in stride. When leaders encounter a stressful event, they consider it interesting, they feel they can influence the outcome and they see it as an opportunity.