Green Bay Jobing Community Blogs

A Northeast Wisconsin Veteran Job Fair will be held on Wednesday, June 18, at:

Liberty Hall Banquet and Convention Center, 
800 Eisenhower Drive, Kimberly, WI.

The Veteran Job Fair will begin at 12:00 Noon and end at 4:00 PM.

For further information, please contact Gary Meyer, Local Veteran Employment Representative, Fox Cities Workforce Development Center, at 920.968.6873

In April 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin launched Earth Day.  It evolved after seven years of observation, discussion and planning to bring the environment into the "limelight."  Today, I'm buying bottled water and see our air, ground water, soil, oceans and glaciers under siege.  As we hear more about Going Green to save the planet, what can we do to Green our Career?  Just like the environment, we cannot take anything for granted in today's workplace.  Keeping our career path intentional and updated is necessary for career survival and redesign.

In honor of Earth Day, April 22nd, here are some ways to green your career:

Sustainability:  It's can be tough to stay motivated in a career search, but to persevere and stay with it are necessary.  Be the glacier and resist having a "meltdown!"  Looking for work is work.  So, eat healthy, go for a walk, get fresh air, join a work support group, hire a coach, etc.  It's about survival, and you can do it.  Remember, Darwin 's Survival of the Fittest?  The village blacksmith will not return and neither will hand milking or the keypunch operator.  You have to move on, retool and renew.  That means an investment in you.

Recycle - Reuse - Renew:  When did you update your resume?  Did you ever attend a professional development workshop or use a career tool that identified your strengths, interests or leadership style?  I have talked with so many clients who discounted this kind of experience and shoved the results in the back of the file cabinet.  In good times, we tend to think, that's nice, so what!  Dig out the results and reread them.  The results could be insightful.

Even if the resume or a performance evaluation is 5-10 years old, it can be a springboard.  Dig it out, dust it off and remember who you were.  It can provide direction as you ask, who am I today?  Reflect, regroup, react.  Just like paper or plastic, we can be "reused."  Besides, it's spring and it might be time to spring clean your files and get reorganized.

Preserve:  How can you preserve your identity and integrity?  Some traits are timeless!  It is important to "know thyself."  Some workers think, it's over, I'm outdated, too old, too inexperienced, washed up.  Hold on!  A solid work ethic, good work record, willing to learn and retrain still mean something in today's workplace.  We are not "throw-aways" waiting for the landfill.  You are a valued entity in today's workplace, so market yourself, get grounded and persevere.

Save Energy:  Like the new energy-saving light bulbs, they cost more, but save money and energy in the long run.  How about you?  Can you save an employer money and energy in the long run?  Are you a good investment?  Can you glow brightly and provide long-lasting productivity?  Think about the value you bring to the workplace.

Increase Efficiency:  In your work search, work smarter and be efficient.  Focus your job search, schedule your calls and keep accurate records of your applications, follow-ups and responses.  To stay efficient, you need a plan and a schedule for your workweek.  A "hit or miss" philosophy or "when I feel like it" attitude will not serve you.

Keeping your career path green means you are aware, enlightened and alive.  Spring is a season of renewal.  The workplace is dynamic and your career path and credentials need to be dynamic too.

As of July 2005, there were nearly 78.2 million “baby boomers” – a population represented by people born between 1946 and 1964 – living in the United States, many of whom have now retired or are nearing retirement.  With the swell of retirements, employers have been preparing for the next wave of workers to replace them.  Enter, Generation Y.

What do we know about Generation Y?  How do employers motivate and retain Generation Y?  As a baby boomer, I know a bit about the Echo Boomers as I have coached a few.  I have also raised two of them, and now they are all grown up and ready for work.  Gen Y is generally defined as Americans born from 1977-2002.  The millenials or internet generation is challenging businesses to find a different approach to attract and keep the Gen Y at work. 

Gen Y’s may wear flip-flops to work and listen to their iPods at their desk.  A flexible workplace would be a plus to allow work-life balance.  They do not like ambiguity, but embrace authenticity.  They are serious about their career progression and would like support to achieve it.

The first wave of Generation Y is just embarking on their careers.  Some strategies that employers are using to manage them include:

1.    Offer a stimulating, motivating and flexible work environment that allows multitasking.  Most of this generation grew up with TV and Nintendo.  They are easily bored. The rest of the office will probably enjoy the change as well and morale and production can get a boost.  In a cover story from Business Week, Sept 24, 2007, Dan Black of Ernst & Young said, “If you don’t make an effort to provide an environment in this generation can do their best, they’re going to find one where they can.”

2.    Be honest, clear and concise.  They like clarity and straight talk.  Tell them what you expect, offer direction and tell them “why” you are asking them to do something.  This gives them more of an understanding of workplace goals and draws them into the organization.

3.    Communication is good, but remember, with brevity.  They like to move on it and long, drawn out, wordy speeches and memos will not get the results you want.  Remember, communication involves listening. 

4.    Give them personalized feedback.  They do not want to be ignored.  Tell them how they are doing and offer a routine dialogue on their work performance and career progress.  Do not leave them in limbo.

5.    Tell them you value their contribution.  Offer encouragement and feedback.  Remember, we were 22 years old once upon a time and launched our career with more seasoned employees under a scrutinizing eye.

6.    Offer mentorships, be a mentor.  This opportunity was not talked about at work in the past and most mentorships occurred as a hit or miss or informally.  Today, mentoring can be a growing opportunity for both parties and help with retention of newer employees. 

Many Generation Y workers will strive for work/life balance.  It’s a lofty goal but something that many of their parents did not have as they worked long hours, worked weekends, traveled extensively for work, returned to college or worked multiple jobs.  They were the kids at home or at daycare.  This generation wants to work smarter to avoid the stress of overextending themselves when work and home become a blur.

Ask yourself, what can we learn from Generation Y?  They are the future pool of workers.  Learning how to motivate, train and retain them will be can evolving process as we see what works.  Employers need to understand, listen and find what the millenials value in life and work.

Barbara Wulf MS, GCDF, CPCC
Barbara Wulf is a certified career/life coach and speaker who helps individuals redesign their career paths by supporting and inspiring them to stretch, seek, and achieve life/work success. Barbara holds a master's degree in counseling, is a global career development facilitator, is certified by The Coaches Training Institute and is an adjunct faculty member at Concordia University, St. Paul, MN.  Barbara offers career assessments along with resume/cover letter writing and interviewing strategies for impact.

Sign up for her monthly e-zine, OWN IT, WORK IT, LIVE IT at www.beckoncall-coach.com or call 920-725-2930.

We all have special gifts and abilities that we bring to the table.  To get a job, you need to be able to get those talents across in your resume.  Vague language requires the reader to take your word for it, instead of providing proof of your gifts.  To make sure your message is received, consider using the following:

-         Words that are specific and illustrate your point clearly

-         Examples and number that show your skills rather than tell them

-         Results-focused descriptions of duties performed

 When you provide evidence of a skill in your resume, the point is much more believable and your resume becomes an attention-grabber.  A resume full of words like “excellent”, “professional”, and “great” and no evidence – will be viewed as fluff. 

Here are two examples:

1. The phrase:  Excellent Sales vs. Actual sales performance results (in numbers, whether it is dollars, sales rankings, or numbers of months accomplishing or exceeding goals).

2.  The phrase:  Great Communicator vs. Details of communication responsibilities or recognition/accomplishments.

When searching for a job, I bet you notice how recently the position was posted – you might even filter your results to only view the freshest jobs around.  Similarly, employers search through resume databases looking for candidates that have recently updated their information.  To an employer, having recently updated information means:

1.  You are actively looking for new employment – now.

2.  Your information:  address, phone number, salary rate, and employment history are current and accurate.

3.  You are ready to interview, and perhaps even start your new job on a reasonable timetable.

Go ahead and brush the dust off your resume every two weeks.  Your information may not be changing that often – but there are always improvements to make.  If you need ideas on how to keep your resume fresh: use feedback and ideas from your friends and peers, use tips from online articles and books, or maybe even just reorganize your existing info.  Whatever you do - keep your resume fresh – and keep it on the top of the stack!  

The company holiday party -- some love it, others dread it. But one thing's for certain, your company holiday party offers a great opportunity to interact with the "higher-ups". So, get out there and make the most of it.

The worst thing you could do at any work party is not show up. (I bet you thought I was going to say, "drink too much.") If you don't show up to the party, it can be taken as a sign of disrespect to both your boss, who's fronting the bill, and the employees who spent time planning the event. Plus, you could miss a huge opportunity to spend a little face time with your boss.

Now, if you're going to show up, here are a few tips:
Let the boss get to know you as a person.  Spend a little bit of time with your boss.  Ask about his/her plans for the holidays, share your own, etc.  Who know's, he or she may just end up liking you a bit more and pretty soon, you could be hitting the golf course together and be on your way to the top.

Don't drink too much. (You knew that was coming.) This is an important one, because you don't want to be remembered for years to come and miles around for your wild antics, bad jokes and risqué dancing.

Don't get cliquey. It's easy for us - in any situation - to stick with the people we feel most comfortable with. But when you only talk to your friends, you miss out on the chance of making new office connections and new friends.

Avoid talking shop as much as possible. You spend upwards of 40 hours a week talking about work with these people - that's a lot! The holiday party is a time to relax, have fun, and get to know your coworkers on a personal level.

Say, "thank you." It may seem like a given, but a surprising amount of people never stop to thank the people who made this night possible. Before you say, "good bye," make sure you take the time to say, "thank you" to your boss and the event planners!

 

A successful job search involves marketing oneself. Always actively continue to develop new contacts. Your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, etc. should be a part of your initial network. Don't hesitate to let people know that you are job hunting. They can be helpful resources to find out quick synopsis of various industries, job search venues (Jobing.com) and introduce you to contacts.

What should you discuss with your network contacts? It's important to make "small talk". Networking is about building relationships and social chit-chat is a part of that process. Specify your skills, qualifications, and the type of job that you are pursuing. It is a good idea to make a copy of your resume available. The resume will give the individuals in your network a better idea of your skills and career goals as well as help them recommend you more effectively to prospective employers should the opportunity arise. Don't ask your networking contact directly for a job. The purpose of meeting or talking with this person is to gain additional contacts and ideas on how to meet your job-search goals.

Always, always, always follow through on the information that you are given! This is the crucial step in networking. Networking is not limited to receiving tips on the job leads! When initially contacting your referrals, always indicate who referred you to them. As you check out job leads, contact referrals and initiate contact with prospective employers. You should be continuously gathering further information and referrals. As your network expands your prospects of discovering job openings increases.

Advance your job search by meeting others who have influence and can make decisions regarding your employment. Make contacts, meet people, and you just might find a job that's right for you!

So you had the interview and you feel confident that things went well. 

Just keep in mind, regardless of how you think you did on a job interview, sending a thank you note shows that you are courteous and have initiative.

The question, then, is which is better? A hand written note or an e-mail? Both are certainly better than not sending anything at all, but a handwritten note shows that you took the time and may help you really stand out amongst the other candidates.

Brevity is best so keep your notes short and to the point in a few paragraphs. Express your interest in the position and the company and also restate how you can add value to the organization.