Given that my company is based in the US and specifically in Southern California, once home to the most ambitious people in the world – people who rode to the Western frontier with nothing more than a cow and a shotgun (okay, maybe they had some pots and salted pork rinds) – the paucity of ambition is particularly puzzling.

Not to say all job candidates are slackers, although a slacker often comes cloaked in a job seeker’s persona. This is typically a person who’s not all that uncomfortable living in the suburban ranch style home of now ancient parental Yuppies, and occupying a twin bed below a shelf littered with beanie babies, a Rubik’s cube and a Game Boy.

But, slackers aren’t the real problem. After all like most executives I still have enough papers to scan to fill up a terabyte or two of data storage and a number of other mind-numbing tasks perfect for a worker who is mysteriously satisfied if ear buds can be worn on the job.

The job candidates who confound me are people who expect to work for the majority of their lives. These are the student loan burdened and club going, or those with two kids, a bad marriage, mortgage and a master’s degree in something vaguely therapeutic. Meaning, these people all have debts to pay and modest Ketel One or kettle bell dreams to fulfill.

Why do they see the finish line so near? Why is it enough to end their run with the middle of the pack in a 5K? Why are we seeing so few people who are the type to claim the top podium spot in the Ironman world championship – or at least to die or cry trying?

Is it all those “special someone” days in elementary school? Is it the T-ball “tournaments” when everyone got a trophy for showing up?

Is it the legion of greedy, secretive corporate and investment fiends who haven’t just purloined our country’s wealth but made it all but impossible to believe there are still roads to success unblocked by the divine rights of the 1%?

Are pub-crawls and outlet malls setting a new low for what people aspire to have and to hold?

Tell me you expect to earn a million dollars, and I will eagerly ask you not only how, but also how I can help you. Business owners everywhere need big thinkers, heavy hitters, people who play through pain and know there’s gore in glory.

Ambition. It’s the other way to work. – Originally posted on the Personal Branding Blog by Nance Rosen

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

Related posts:

1. Women Are Hiring Less, Using Credit Cards More
2. Arrogance of Talent Supply Threatens To Continue Resume Black Hole

Couldn’t help thinking about the number of executive coaches there are in the market today to help executives with their personal and staff development. It is not a new profession, just one that has expanded out of need. And why is the number growing? There are a number of reasons including the fact that companies of all sizes do business in a complex global environment and a number of executives have not been well trained to manage growth in this environment – they need coaching.

If executives need coaching, what about the everyday Joe and Joan out there interested in growing and developing their own careers? Easy, Joe and Joan need coaching too but where to get the career coaching and training may not be readily available. Your company may have career development path assistance available and if so you need to find out ‘the what’ and ‘how’ and get signed up. If not, here are a few suggestions that may help.

1. Ask your company. If you don’t know, ask and by asking, you learn that coaching is not available, at least now you know, and can look elsewhere AND you’ve made the company aware this could be an important initiative to help retain great talent.

2. Determine a career goal. Your goal may be to discover what your career goal options are and that’s great – it counts. Or you may know precisely what you want to achieve. Either way, setting the goal is the starting point and to run any race we all have to start somewhere.

3 Write down names for your career advisory board. Start ups and not for profits do it all the time, they establish an advisory board to help by providing the value of expertise. If you stop and think about it for a few moments, you can come up with a list of people you know through work, industry luminaries you would like to know, friends of family members or family members who have experienced enough of life’s ups and downs to provide valuable career guidance.

4. One you have a list and make it as long as you like, write a compelling description of why coaching and advising you would be of value. It may be that you want to learn so you can pass the coaching on to others, it may be of value to your industry or family. Come up with a reason for others to help coach you in your career.

5. Can’t come up with a good reason….tell the truth – “I need your help.” The good ole USA is not the most charitable society on earth for no reason, we like to help, we understand that giving returns has value to us many times over. Tell the truth, I need a great career advisory board and I would appreciate your guidance. You will be surprised at the number of people you know or those you don’t who will be willing to lend a hand….if you are sincere.

6. Offer to return the favor…”what can I do for you?” This exchange could lead to a barter situation which is OK or you may find the person states, “Oh, there is nothing really.” Do not let it sit there, OFFER to return the favor and if they don’t let you then find the right time and place to do something to help them.

Coaching matters. None of us were put on this earth with all the skills necessary to do a job well. It takes failure, coaching and a steadfastness to obtain a goal. It is too easy for a few to either say or display that the DNA of our American culture to get any job done is fading. Hey, that is bull. Let people know what you want, work hard and ask for the coaches you need in your career to make sure you accomplish all that you dream of doing.

6 Ways To Establish A Private Career Coach is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

Related posts:

1. Going Nowhere In Your Job Search? 6 Reasons To Hire A Career Coach
2. Career Advice from the NFL
3. Four Ways To Approach Tough Job and Career Issues

Now breathe and let’s start again…

In the world of work, whether you’re looking for a new job or looking for advancement within, you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.

But no matter what you do, I beg of you to just be you. In fact, be a personally responsible you, even if the reality is you must post anonymously about a company you worked for, liked it or not. I understand that flies in the face of dealing with greater social injustice – sometimes you’ve got to fight fire with fire – but we’re talking about the power of network transparency here and how you can use it to benefit you and your career (and those you influence).

For example, Glassdoor launched their newest job-seeking tool called Inside Connections, which leverages your Facebook friends to help you then quickly uncover who you know inside specific companies you’re interested in. This includes connecting all of Glassdoor’s job and career-related information with your Facebook friends’ companies – like company reviews, CEO ratings, salary reports and interview questions and reviews.

Glassdoor isn’t the only career management service leveraging the power of the Facebook network. And according to a recent article in The Economist, here’s why:

Facebook knows a staggering amount about its users. It is also constantly devising ways to find out more, such as Timeline, a new profile page that encourages people to create an online archive of their lives. The company mines users’ data to work out what they like and then hits their eyeballs with spookily well-targeted ads. Last year it overtook Yahoo! to become the leading seller of online display ads in America.

Holy cow – we’re talking about nearly one billion users soon, or one in seven of the world’s population. That’s pretty amazing when you think about 10 years ago when the mainstream wasn’t really jazzed by online user groups or even really searching for a job online.

Today, if you’ve got your more professional online portable profile ready to go on LinkedIn, you definitely need to get your professional personality shining brightly on Facebook, right next to your cute little kid pictures, like me.

Should you diligently and regularly be checking your privacy settings on any social network you participate on? Of course you should. And if you’ve ever received a hot job tip or referral from a friend who works on the inside of where you’d might like to be, then be diligent and regularly check yourself for what you’re sharing on any social network you participate on.

I don’t know about you, but anonymous or not, expect me (and nothing else).

The Power Of Social Network Transparency is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

Related posts:

1. Social Job Hunting Trifecta: Opportunity, Insider Info and Connections
2. Watch Your Social Media Mouth At Work!
3. Clearview Counterpoint: Transparency – How Much is Too Much for Your Career?

So one day, you lose it. You explode in anger and frustration because things just aren’t going right.

Tension is running high in workplaces these days as fewer people take on more work, often for less pay. Whether or not you handle that tension gracefully, however, can make or break your career.

“More careers have been derailed because of negative emotion than for any single factor,” says Mark Maraia, president of Maraia & Associates, a relationship management consultancy. “Negative emotions skew communication more wildly than anything. If you and I don’t deal well with anger, you won’t be able to communicate with me, and I won’t be able to communicate with you.”

Developing an effective strategy to keep your emotions from “hijacking” your sense of reason can make the difference between keeping your job and losing it as well as preserving your professional reputation. “I would regularly lose my temper at one of my assistant managers,” says Michael Monroe, a small-business owner and founder of management consultant, the Invisible Boss. “I’ll never forget the day he quit; he met me at a restaurant so that I wouldn’t make a scene when he gave me the news.”

Here are 10 strategies for managing infuriating situations at work that won’t leave you feeling guilty, even angrier, or ushered out the door.

Pick up on the Signs

Catching yourself before you reach the point of no return is the best way to avoid an angry meltdown. An increased heart rate and a raised voice are the first indicators, says Carol Goman, a nonverbal communication expert and author of “The Silent Language of Leaders.”

“People will tell you to relax, but I have my clients physically increase their tension first,” she says. “If you’re alone, make fists and tense your muscles until you reach a point of controlling an outburst, and then you can relax.”

Barry Maher, a workplace and communication expert based in California, suggests something as simple as taking deep breaths when you feel the pangs of fury coming on. “When we become angry, we often stop breathing momentarily just when our brains need oxygen the most,” he explains. “Taking air in through your mouth also keeps you from letting just the wrong thing out of your mouth, because the first thing you say is very likely to be the worst thing you could have said.”

Don’t Ignore it

The worst thing to do when you start feeling furious is try to put a lid on it.

“Controlling anger isn’t releasing it,” Maraia says. “It’s like a teapot. Psychologically, what happens is if you’re really upset with someone, and don’t express it in a way that helps you let it out, it’ll build up until you get really upset over something really trivial.”

It makes it harder to address what the actual problem is, he says, when four or five conversations accumulate into the straw that breaks the camel’s back. “Unreleased negative emotion eventually manifests itself in illness and soured relationships, both at home and personally,” Maraia says.

Go Someplace Else

One of the most effective ways to stave off a meltdown is to physically remove yourself from a stress-triggering situation. “It’s OK to tell the other person that this has gone too far and we both need a few minutes to calm down and we can address the situation again,” says Steve Siebold, author of “177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Class.” “All employees should seek at least 20 minutes of solitude in their day to relax, regroup and re-energize,” he says.

Some people take regular walks, others do yoga and still others may turn off their office lights and meditate. Doing something as simple as changing your clothes can change your state of mind, Goman says.

Of course, walking away may not be an option. You can’t excuse yourself from a board meeting when you’re starting to feel angry, for example, and exercising for an hour midday isn’t always feasible.

Don’t Completely Lose It

During his tenure as chief executive of Apple, Steve Jobs was notorious for angry outbursts. Some employees despised him for it, while others admired his ability to have a tantrum and move on. “Steve Jobs is the poster child illustrating that it’s OK to get extremely angry at work,” says Maraia. “He used it as a tool to get the best out of people, and if negative emotions are used correctly, they can do that. But most people aren’t Steve Jobs.”

Most people retain bits and pieces of anger, which flare up again later, even if they blow their top. “Releasing” anger doesn’t require a major blowout, Maraia says. “You cannot control whether or not interactions happen with co-workers that are negative, or traumatic,” Maraia says, “but it’s totally a choice your reaction or response to whatever happens.”

As soon as you feel frustration, try to replace negative, unproductive emotions with positive, constructive ones. “Acknowledge that you’re pissed that the computer melted down, but do something to change your mindset,” Maraia says. “Some people say they pray, others count to 10, some people can pull out a journal and write things out. It’s about taking ownership, being responsible, and not repressing it or denying that you’re angry.”

Steer Clear of the Keyboard

“It is too easy to fire off a sarcastic or hostile response” with a nasty email, says Laurence Stybel, executive-in-residence at the Suffolk University School of Management and Entrepreneurship in Boston. “Once the ‘send’ button is pushed, the message is out of your control, and you can’t deny having made the comments.”

Consider Carol Bartz, the former Yahoo chief executive who, after being ousted, subsequently fired off an email telling the entire company she had been “fired over the phone” by Yahoo’s chairman. That didn’t do her reputation or her future job prospects any good.

“When there is an emotional situation, email is the worst way to handle it,” says Goman. “The way the person on the other end receives it is totally out of your control.”

Be Assertive, Not Aggressive

You don’t always have time to let the anger subside. Try using assertive, as opposed to aggressive, language and mannerisms to express your feelings. This is especially true for women; when a woman calmly explains and rationalizes her frustration, it won’t dampen her status as much as if she outwardly expresses anger, Goman says.

To encourage assertiveness, consider what you say as well as how you say it. “Aggressive language blames: ‘You are such a jerk because you did X,’” Goman explains. “Assertive language focuses on your reactions: ‘When you did X, it made me feel Y.’”

Assertive communication also implicitly acknowledges the opposing party’s feelings, Maraia says. “Aggression is an intimidation tactic,” he says. “When you have got someone who is aggressive, they don’t give a flying you-know-what about what you want.” Someone assertive will frame the problem in a way that avoids pointed insults, however, instead explaining that the problematic behavior is unacceptable because of its impact on the team or the company’s bottom line, for instance.

Pair your words with assertive body language such as standing with your feet wider than your hips, your shoulders back and making direct eye contact. “Most times, in the corporate world, assertive is going to be far more effective than aggressive,” Maraia says. “Short-term, you can win the battle with aggressiveness, but long-term, you’ll lose the war.”

Consider Your Reputation

Regardless of the target of your blowout, word will travel.

Jeff Camarda, CEO of Camarda Financial Advisors, a Florida-based portfolio manager, has witnessed this problem within his own company. “One of our key professionals had anger management and selfishness issues,” Camarda says, which resulted in official warnings and fines. While the employee has corrected the problem, “he’s lost the trust that he would act properly and in the organization’s best interests, which sharply limits the authority he’d be given at this point.”

“You may be right, and you may get your point across, but if you damage the relationship, you will lose in the long run,” Goman says. “Collaborative environments are based on relationships with trust and mutual respect. If you destroy a relationship through the expression of anger, you will probably never get it back.”

Sleep on it

Many experts believe in the 24-hour rule: Write your feelings out (in a journal, or electronically on a non-company device), wait 24 hours, then look at what you’ve written before deciding if it’s something you want to send out.

“When you’re angry or upset or sad or emotional, you’re probably experiencing emotions you may not want other people to know about,” says Stybel. “In sleep, we can sometimes process events that happened during the day and make more seasoned judgments.”

Focus on the Actual Problem

When you’re fuming and ready to unleash on a colleague, consider first if they are the problem, or if there is a below-the-surface issue.

“Don’t attack a person, attack facts, things you personally have witnessed that are creating a problem,” says Mary Hladio, president of Ember Carriers, a Cincinnati-based workplace consultancy. Were there specific rules or regulations that weren’t followed, or is the problem rooted in implicit expectations you had for a particular project or assignment that may not have been clearly communicated?

“Set up a time to speak with the other parties involved…in a neutral and private space,” she suggests, and clearly explain the root cause of the problem. “Discuss how that affects other employees, or the importance of daily responsibilities and performance.”

Think About the Seven Dwarfs

It’s not easy, but some experts believe distracting yourself can help you redirect your feelings.

“You can’t hold two thoughts at the same time,” says Maraia. “If I tell you not to think about a pink elephant, the only way to stop thinking about it is if you think about something else; you can either be upset, or choose to think about something else.”

It can also help to think of something you haven’t brought to mind in a while. “Activate memory recall,” says Maher. “Just the act of dredging something from memory will tend to short-circuit that rush of anger and make it much easier to control yourself.”

It doesn’t have to be complex—thinking of an old nursery rhyme or the names of the Seven Dwarfs can help you concentrate on something else for a few minutes, which can be enough to help you return to the problem with a clearer frame of mind. – Originally posted on FINS from the Wall Street Journal by Kelly Eggers

Anger Management: How To Keep From Losing Your Job is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

Related posts:

1. Tell-Tale Signs You Are Losing The Attention Of A Job Interviewer
2. Do’s And Don’ts For Moving Up When The Boss Is On Vacation
3. 10 Insights To Help You Land A Job – The View From Management

The commonly flawed hiring process—lack of an acknowledgement of resume receipt, hiring managers who do not know what they want, inept interviewers, and little follow up by companies—is particularly frustrating for this group of individuals and the reasons are understandable. Some have sent hundreds of resumes without response, and completed dozens of phone interviews, in-person interviews and interview call backs without an offer. They are beyond frazzled; they are fed up.

If you’re among them, it may be helpful to consider two things. First, why do flaws in the hiring process occur? And second, what can you do to address them and land your next job?

Why do many resumes go unacknowledged? Because so many are submitted for every advertised position, it can be overwhelming (if not downright impossible) for an employer to sift through and respond to each and every one. Many of these resumes are from people who are not qualified for the job, which makes the process even more tedious. You must keep in mind that the hiring process is not the primary focus of many of the individuals saddled with making hiring decisions. They have businesses to run and services to provide.

How do you combat this issue? You must do everything you can to make sure your resume and cover letter stand out from the rest, and customization is key. You have no more than a few moments to capture their attention, so write directly to their needs and explain how you can specifically benefit their company.

This leads us directly to the second flaw: why do some hiring managers not know what they want? Because they just see the available position as a hole that needs to be filled –and possibly filled fast– they may not have taken the time to thoroughly analyze the strengths, skills or personality an employee will need to excel.

How do you combat this issue? Take the time to clearly define your own strengths, skills and positive personality traits –then present them as the answer to this hiring manager’s prayers. What do you have to offer? How are you better than your contemporaries? In what way will you make her look good? In what way can you benefit the bottom line?

As far as flawed interviewers, who appear rather inept, we go back to our first point. Many of these individuals have never hired anyone before. Even those who have may not truly understand the value of interview questions that get past the “what did you do at your last job?” and “where do you see yourself in five years?” rigmarole. As a result, they may fumble.

You can combat this issue by taking control of the situation. Regardless of how many rote interview questions you must answer, most interviewers will eventually ask if there’s anything you’d like to add. This is your chance to shine –and reiterate those strengths and skills you outlined earlier. Talk about results you’ve achieved in the past and what you can do for this company if hired. Give them concrete numbers if possible. If they’re furious scribblers, numbers will stand out when they review notes later on.

Lack of follow up by companies can be particularly frustrating, especially if you’ve had an interview and hear nothing for weeks. It’s important to follow up in several ways after the interview. An email or handwritten thank you note expressing your continued interest in the job and gratitude for the interviewer’s time is a must. This is a good opportunity to remind the interviewer about your skills and why you’re perfect for the job. If you haven’t heard anything after a week, a follow up phone call is appropriate. Unfortunately, people do not like to deliver bad news, which is why many companies send rejection letters or do not follow up at all. Yes, it’s rude, but there’s not much you can do about it. Move on and learn from every interview you have.

Many economists agree that the job market is improving, and likely to improve even more by the second quarter of 2012. If you’re currently searching for employment, keep these strategies in mind and try to keep your frustration with the hiring process at bay. – Originally posted on onTargetjobs by Angela Rose

The Hiring Process May Be Flawed, But You Can Still Land Your Next Job is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

Related posts:

1. How Companies Should Manage The Hiring Process
2. Protecting Your Brand During The Hiring Process: Advice for Jobseekers and Companies
3. The Two-Way Street Job Interview: A Decision Making Process For The Employer & The Job Candidate

Tip 1: Think of Yourself As A Business

You may be a one man or woman show, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to market yourself when bidding on a job on these Websites. According to Ved Sinha, vice president of interactive marketing at ELance, you have to differentiate yourself from the pack as if you were a business trying to land a new client.

“What makes you unique? What credentials and what experience makes you the best choice,” are things you need to communicate when applying for a freelance job, says Sinha.

Since Elance and oDesk are global marketplaces, Sinha says to figure out what local knowledge you can bring to the table and demonstrate why that makes you the best candidate.

Tip 2: Position Yourself As An Expert

When it comes to these online workplaces, word of mouth referrals from past clients will do wonders for getting more gigs. But when you are just starting out, it may not be that easy to land the clients and thus those much needed recommendations. Because of that, positioning yourself as an expert is extremely important in building a client base. But how do you do that? According to Sinha, Elance has over 400 skill tests that after completion can be added to your profile. “Once you build up a reputation, skill tests are less important, but they do set you apart early on,” says Sinha.

Tip 3: Be Sincere

A little over three years ago, Benjamin Gran joined Elance as a freelancer focused on content marketing with an aim toward making a few hundred extra bucks a month. Today, freelancing has become his full time job earning him a substantial annual income. What Gran says works for him on Websites like Elance is being sincere when it comes to bidding on jobs.

“The problem with Elance bidding is a lot of people are just kind of spamming the job postings,” says Gran. “They copy and paste and use the same job applications multiple times.” That may get you out there, but it doesn’t show you are sincere nor does it showcase your expertise and quality. Gran sends a separate, unique pitch to every job he is bidding on, and gives thought as to why he would make a good fit and communicates that to the potential client. “I start to build trust and credibility with the client from the first contact,” says Gran.

Tip 4: Don’t Low Ball

For many people starting out on Elance or oDesk, they will assume they have to offer a low price to compete and land the contract. But according to Gary Swart, chief executive at oDesk, customers want value not price. That means charging based on your experience not on what other people may be asking for, he says. After all, these are global workplaces and what someone living in India is willing to charge might be way too low for someone living in New York City.

According to Swart, the best way to compete on value is to specialize. It’s not enough to be a marketer. He says you’ll be much more valuable if you are focused, say on search engine optimization. “You have to set rates based on your expertise and experience,” says Swart.

How To Make Money On Web-Based Worksites is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

Related posts:

1. Follow the Money, Find A Job
2. Tips To Budget Your Money During A Job Search
3. Want More Money? 5 Tips To Really Negotiate A Higher Salary

But first, a little background. What do Netflix, Bank of America, and Verizon all have in common?

The answer – the wrath of their customers and the public at large.  For example, Netflix’s decisions last July to dramatically raise prices and its September announcement of a (short-lived) plan to split its DVD and streaming packages into separate services were both unmitigated disasters for the company, resulting in a 75% decline in its stock price and a loss of over 800,000 subscribers.  Although “the social media cries were nearly deafening,” it doesn’t seem that there was any organized effort to punish Netflix for its less-than-stellar efforts to “improve” its customers’ experience.

However, by late fall when Bank of America announced its $5 debit card fee, the story was different.  In no small part thanks to the national signature-campaign gone viral  – spearheaded by 22 year-old Molly Katchpole  – BoA was forced to reverse itself several months later.

Verizon, it seems didn’t get the memo and they tried a similarly ridiculous policy – announcing that they would charge customers $2 for paying their bills online.  Fortified by her BoA victory, Molly and her band of online-signatories forced Verizon to reverse its policy in less than 24 hours.

Like never before, technology-fueled people power is enabling customers around the globe to punish bad corporate behavior and reward virtuous behavior.  And as the examples above show, people are exercising their new-found power.

So what does all of this have to do with you?  It means that you should be very interested in working for a company that does business in an “all-win” way.  These “good companies” balance the interests of all of their shareholders  – employees, customers, communities, and the environment – not just their stockholders.  And the very good news is they make more money than the “bad guys.”

Simply put, your future earnings and employment prospects are far brighter if you work for one of the good guys.

So does your company make the grade?  Click here for a quick (12 question) interactive assessment that will give you your company’s Good Company Quick Grade, based on the extent to which it is a good employer, good seller, and good steward of communities and the environment.

If your company’s grade is lower than a B, you might want to take action – perhaps dusting off your resume.  Whatever the grade, consider speaking up in your workplace.  Only the most tone-deaf companies have not yet begun to get the message that a new day has arrived – one where the balance of power is shifting from corporations to consumers, investors, and yes, even employees.   (Check out our fun, new two-minute animation of the Good Company story.)  Being a Good Company is good business.

We’ve got the hard-nosed economic evidence to back you up.  Help us get the word out.

Does Your Company Make The Grade? is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

Related posts:

1. How To Spot A Really Good Company
2. 5 (Free!) Background Checks To Run On A Prospective Employer
3. Good News — The Good Guys Are Winning!

On LinkedIn, it’s possible to store your resume (or its equivalent) online so that recruiters can find you. There isn’t a very good way to actually engage in a job search. If you are disciplined enough to search for all of your friends and acquaintances, you can build a network that may expose you to some opportunities.

Glassdoor is the TripAdvisor or Yelp for companies. A trip through the pages of Glassdoor will tell you about working conditions, the job interview process, salaries and what employees think of the CEO. It’s a sort of a Michelin guide to employers. Over many years, the company has curated an enormous bounty of reviews, reports, salary data and help for navigating the internal HR process.

By itself, it’s a diamond in the rough waiting for people to come and get smart about the companies they want to work for. Increasingly, Glassdoor is recommended as the first stop in any job search. The primary question you can answer on the site is “What’s it like to work for Company x?”

This week, Glassdoor is merging two other streams of data to create a single environment for job hunters.

Glassdoor has always had a flow of millions of job listings. When people come to research jobs and companies, they get the web’s most comprehensive picture of the inside of the company, the jobs available, what it’s like to work there and the details of the hiring process.

With Inside Connections, Glassdoor allows job hunters to harness their Facebook network to round out the rest of the services. Using Facebook to log in to the site makes it possible for Glassdoor to evaluate your Facebook network to see who can help you with the job hunt.

It’s a Social Job Hunting Trifecta: Opportunity, insider info and connections.

Glassdoor is built on anonymity and the company goes to extreme lengths to keep members’ information private. Posting a review or salary on Glassdoor is still anonymous. You still get to choose the information you share, such as your job title and location.

There are a host of services in the marketplace that try to serve job hunters by using social information. Glassdoor is the first to provide a comprehensive research environment where results are driven by the user’s social network.

Social Job Hunting Trifecta: Opportunity, Insider Info and Connections is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

Related posts:

1. Five Myths Of Job Hunting
2. The Power Of Social Network Transparency
3. Glassdoor Adds Facebook Tool; Helps Job Seekers Find Inside Connections™ At Companies

Could you hear yourself saying….?

“Sir, my goal is to succeed. I plan to do that by working hard to provide value and service to our clients and my co-workers. I will fall and stumble at times, however I am determined to use these opportunities to learn and improve myself. I would be honored to work with your firm and hope I am blessed with the opportunity.”

Does reading this make you a little sick? Are you saying to yourself, no way I could say something like that? A lot of people moving into the workforce I have been exposed to do have that attitude. Instead, the thought has been, “If they want me they will come and get me or offer me a job when they meet me”. Well, that may be the way it works, but the reality is it is possible to talk your way in to a job of interest.

A person, especially a recent grad or one new in their career presenting themselves this way will get the attention of a hiring authority or a large company and particularly the owner of a small to medium sized company. Why? The attitude and desire of the talent is everything to a company hiring. Find someone willing who is honest, hardworking and wants to improve themselves in order to get ahead and a number of skills needed for the job can be learned. In fact, many companies may find that attitude is more important than one having the specific skills needed, combined with a questionable attitude.

• Attitude matters
• Present yourself as optimistic and positive
• Show you are willing to learn and improve
• Smile – everyone likes to work with happy people

Want that special job? Talk yourself into it with the right words and attitude.

One last point to make, this strategy can’t be faked for long – you have to live it.

How To Talk Your Way Into The Job You Want is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

Related posts:

1. How To Talk To A Recruiter
2. Why You Shouldn’t Talk About Your Kids In A Job Interview
3. 5 New Year Career Resolutions

Let me share some of my personal career lessons so you may by-pass anything similar for your own career:

1. Pain is too comfortable. It took me several years to learn this lesson. While one may hate their job, it is familiar, and therefore, offers comfort. Such a convoluted feeling! After falling into my first career (a career by default, not choice), I spent over five years trying to figure out how to get out of it. How I wish I’d had access to a career coach back then! The solution to my pain? Change jobs, but stay in the same field. I thought it was the employer I hated, but it was really the work that I did. My first job in this career lasted nine years. Then I changed jobs twice inside of three years trying to find job satisfaction. Needless to say, this approach didn’t work at all. With serious introspection and reflection, I finally began to plot my next move to go where I wanted to be, a process that took a couple of steps before I landed a solid job in my chosen career field.

2. Beware of blurting out what’s on your mind. Oh, the innocence of youth! Yes, I learned to contribute ideas and such in teamwork situations, but inside the context of helping the project or mission succeed – never trashing the idea behind it. Unless you’re the CEO, your vision for the company is just your opinion. If you’re smart, you will be on the same page as your manager. If you operate from your own agenda instead of your company’s, you will quickly get labeled a troublemaker and end up on the short list when it comes time for layoffs.

3. Respect for your boss is expected. He/she doesn’t have to earn it. I’ll never forget the day when I told the company president not to call me a girl. A “mature” 25-year-old, I was hung up on the stereotype between men and girls. I wanted to be treated as a woman, not a girl. The president hadn’t said anything resembling gender harassment, but stupid me still had to point out that when he called the administrative pool “girls” he was being demeaning. Surprisingly, I held onto my job after that. I even got promoted. I realize now what a good leader he really was.

4. “Friends” at work are different from friends outside of work. No matter how close you feel to someone you work with, you can never completely trust them when it comes to your career. Maybe that’s a bit cynical, but wherever competition is involved, I’ve learned that each person looks out for Number One first. I guess the true scoop here is that those with whom you work are never your family. The workplace is for improving your company’s bottom line, not for building a safe haven for you. And what about dating someone with whom you work? Do so at your own peril!

5. Your career needs a plan to follow, similar to a business plan. Without a plan, you’ll continue to leap at whatever presents itself as new and shiny – not necessarily smart and wholesome. Not too many people know which career position they want three years from now. But imagine if you did! Now you could be developing the necessary skills for that move; acquiring the knowledge you need to succeed in that role; networking with the right people to help you make a smooth transition.

I look back on my career and see it as choppy, at best. I know that making a move for money was not always the best strategy. While I learned a lot about life and work over the years, the only career move I truly made as a planned choice was the one to start my own business. It took me six months of research to confirm that my goal was achievable and good for me. Thirteen years later, I know it was the right move, too. Can you say the same about your current position?

If you’re in your ’20s, heed what I say here as you begin to design your career. If you’re in your ’30s or ’40s, it’s still not too late to shift career course. If you’re in your ’50s or ’60s, you can still find that right career for you – many of us will be working into our ’70s, or longer.

Wishing you career success in 2012! – Originally posted on onTargetjobs by Meg Montfort

Career Lesson For 2012: Learn From Others’ Mistakes is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

Related posts:

1. The 5 R’s For Conquering Career Obstacles In 2012
2. 9 Career Books To Give Inspiration, Opportunity & Insight In 2012
3. Avoid Career-Damaging Mistakes At Your Office Holiday Party