posts – Page 2 – Beyond the Book

For Career Growth, Plant Where You Can Bloom

“Plant yourself where you can bloom.”

“This is a lesson I learned the hard way. I wasted years of my early career waiting for validation from a few key people to do what I already knew I was made to do.”

“They kept me on a string for years and I was obliged to stay there, sure that they were the only road to where I was going.”

“Time has taught me not to look to another person as my key. My beliefs are my key. My actions are my key. They can trap me, or they can set me free.”

by Chance Scoggins

http://www.chancescoggins.com/the-best-advice-you-should-never-take ;

streetsmartprof‘s insight:

The flip side of finding a place you can grow is to grow where you are planted.

The author provides an example why this may not be your best advice.

“Imagine yourself planting a seed in a toxic waste dump. You could dig the perfect hole. You could water it, feed it, give it sunlight and air – but no amount of tending that seed will produce fruit. And what if it did…would you want to eat it?”

Understanding the culture you will thrive in during your career is a necessary requirement. Make sure to always go in eyes wide open.

See on www.chancescoggins.com

Tapping Into the Hidden Job Market

“Once upon a time, the want ads were king, and job seekers could be relatively successful in finding employment by pounding the pavement based on what the want ads and job boards were offering.”

“In the current workplace climate, that pavement has significantly narrowed.”

“Unfortunately, many college students are unaware of the hidden job market and still operate under the notion that earning a degree and responding to job posts is all they need to do to land a great job.”

by William Frierson

streetsmartprof‘s insight:

Tapping a keg, or a watermelon, takes a certain amount of skill, knowledge of the right steps, and the right equipment.

Coming out of college, you have the right skills to go find a job.

The larger question is do you have the right steps to take in your job hunt?

William breaks down finding a job in the hidden market using 5 easy tips. The article is worth reviewing for ideas, even if you are not actively looking for a job “yet”.

Want the melon tapper, go here:

http://www.kegworks.com/the-watermelon-tap-kit-412-p21094

See on www.collegerecruiter.com

Job Seekers Interview Tip: Don’t Give Answers, Tell Stories

“Before a big interview, most people will spend time to prepare answers for likely interview questions. This is useful and can get you prepared for the basics.”

“The trouble is that the interviewer is not looking for answers that are already on your resume, they want to hear something that adds to it.”

“You have to realize that a successful interview isn’t a cross examination, it’s a conversation. If you want to break out of the question/answer ping pong match, you should aim to sprinkle in some interesting information about yourself in the shape of stories.”

“The human brain is hard wired to remember stories, not just the words but the visuals that went through the listeners head as well. Marketers make very clever use of stories to sell products and services and so should you.”

by Jorgen Sundberg

streetsmartprof‘s insight:

Jogen provides numerous examples of stories you can tell in an interview.

As with any story, practice is recommended and try to come up with the best stories to tell about yourself. Regardless how good you are at telling stories, even a bad story comes out poorly.

Think about how many times you’ve walked away from a conversation at a party where the reason you moved on was having to listen to really bad stories.

The other hint is to make sure every story has a point and get to it quickly. Ideally, every story you tell in an interview should be less then 90 seconds. If the hiring manager is interested, you will hear these words, “tell me more.”

See on theundercoverrecruiter.com

Can a Social Business Help Improve the Customer Experience?

“The days when you can control your brand through your website are long gone. Customers are getting information about your brand and products through a number of different channels and if you aren’t listening and engaging these channels, you won’t only miss new business opportunities, but will quickly see the competition pass you by.”

“While some form of social in any enterprise setting is now commonplace, just because you add a social feature to your application doesn’t mean that you have transformed into a social business and are succeeding in using social to improve the customer experience.”

“Doing social for social sake won’t get you anywhere. Organizations must move beyond a social checklist and truly understand how to connect, collaborate and improve customer experiences and then act.” By John Newton, (@johnnewton)

streetsmartprof‘s insight:

John’s article is more around the “what and why”. Starting from the top and working down towards the “how”, without getting into the details.

His thought process around how a B2B company may need to transform to revolve around the customer while using social tools seems dead on to my experience over the years.

Think about it this way. In the past, the “main voice” of the customer was gathered in round about ways and was always filtered, some way, some how. Instant insights into what customers liked or disliked around products, features and capabilities from their own words was slow to come to the table.

Now a person can listen in directly to customer and prospect dialogues around their company products and brand. Hearing directly from those who are active on social sites. (Which is never all of the customer base and may not be a majority today in many industries.)

Truely listening to the customer voice allows companies to begun the transition to a company who connects and collaborates with their customers in real time. Something which was more difficult to do in years past.

If your customers and prospects are active on social sites their insights, ideas and suggestions can help improve the overall customer experience for others.

See on news.google.com

4 Career Growth Questions For Your Boss – Forbes

“Are you on the right career path?”

“Are you growing and being challenged?”

“If you answered no to either of those questions, you need to ask your manager for a career path meeting. Ideally, this is a one-on-one meeting you’ll have every six months.”

Move up http://i.forbesimg.com t Move down”Here are four questions to ask your boss to make sure you are growing and developing in the right direction.” by Kevin Kruse Read more: http://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2013/06/26/career-path/

streetsmartprof‘s insight:

Most of us want to end up in our dream job as our career advances. Granted, some have landed in their dream job immediately out of school, while others will take some time to achieve this.

However, if you don’t know what your dream job is, this makes it difficult for your boss to help you grow in your career.

It is not uncommon for people to be “passed over” when new positions are opened up in the company. Yet if your boss does not know you have any interest in specific types of projects and/or oppertunities, the only one we can blame for being passed over is ourselves.

Net/net, don’t wait for your boss to call a meeting to discuss where you want to end up. Drive your career growth from your end, as much as the boss may and/or should do from their end.

See on www.forbes.com

Tapping the Hidden Jobs Market During Your Search | NYU

“If you attended our seminar last night, you already know that nearly 70% of jobs are found by Tapping the Hidden Job Market.”

“But in case you missed it, here are some tips and tricks for recent graduates looking for a job, current students searching for an internship, or for experienced professionals who are seeking to advance their career.”

streetsmartprof‘s insight:

Quick concise article which touches on all of the major areas to help unlock the hidden job market.

Such as balancing your job search time based on the fact many jobs are only located by networking. Which implies one should never spend 100% of the time on job boards only. Make sure to also use some quality time for networking efforts.

See on nyuwassermanblog.career.admin.nyu.edu

Questions for Job Seekers to Ask During an Interview and Some to Avoid

“A job interview is a two-way street. While you need to use it as an opportunity to convince the employer that you are the best candidate for the job, you also need to be convinced that the job and the company would be a great fit for you.”

“So when the tables are turned and you’re invited to ask questions, do it. “Remember that hiring managers appreciate an engaged conversation and value an inquisitive mind,” Taylor says. This may be your best chance to determine whether the job or the company is right for you.” by Jacquelyn Smith

streetsmartprof‘s insight:

If you are looking for examples of open ended questions to ask during an interview, jump to the bottom of the article.

The intro builds the case as to why you need to come prepared for the end of the interview and the hiring manager says, “Do you have any questions for me?”.

This is a defining moment and it is not the right time to go quiet. Providing you can picture your future dream job in your mind, now is the time to ask questions around what it is you want out of a position, the boss and/or the company.

Many people “wing it” when it comes time to answering questions. Coming in prepared is just another way job seekers rise above the noise and help land the job.

See on www.forbes.com