Keywords:
career,films,movies,work,entertainment,advice,special effects,art,craft,creative,media,sculptor

Article Body:
Getting a break in film special effects is hard, but not as hard as you may think. The following ten things will go a long way to help you achieve your dream job.

1) Understand the Industry

If you want to work in special effects, it’s important not just to know the difference between a Stag (stagehand) and a Director, but know how special effects itself is divided up. Long gone are the days when Ray Harryhausen (Jason and the Argonauts) would lock himself in a shed with a small team of people and do all the special effects himself. Now, everything is spread across different teams and departments. So, if you’re interested in sculpting sets and large monsters, you want to work as a film sculptor; if you’d prefer smaller more technical projects you’d be better off choosing the model unit.

2) Be a Realist

Working in the creative industry and particularly the film industry is not easy. You’ll often be faced with challenging projects and demanding deadlines and there’ll be dozens of different people waiting for you to finish so they can complete their own jobs. You’ll have to strike a balance between the time allowed and quality of what you produce; you can’t get too precious about your work. Not only that, you’ve got to promote yourself – all special effects artists are freelance and you’ve got to hunt down the jobs out there.

3) Study Art

Whether you’re self-taught or went to Art College, it is vital you have a keen interest in Art to work in special effects. If someone asks you to sculpt a life-size Roman-style Statute or an Egyptian sarcophagus it’s invaluable to have a point of reference in your own mind. But more important than this, it’ll make the job more enjoyable. You may be flicking through an art book over the weekend, and on Monday morning you’re asked to recreate one of the pieces you’ve been admiring.

4) Drawing

In the film industry all technical drawings are done by draughtsmen in the Art Department. So is this just padding to reach the magic ’10′ steps? No. If you want to create any 3D object, particularly the human form, it is vital to learn to draw and keep practicing. Sculptors regularly liken sculpting to drawing their subjects in clay from various angles. The key to good sculpture, like drawing, is defining the lines and shadows.

5) Practice

This is obvious but it’s also vitally important. If you practice creating and sculpting things in your spare time, you will improve. It is also very valuable to recreate a film working experience – so limit yourself to reference photographs (rather than a life model) and give yourself a challenging deadline for the job. A little more difficult, but just as valuable, is to try different mediums. You may be an expert in steel construction and welding, but unless you join the engineering side of special effects or metal work team, these skills are useless. The materials of choice in the films tend to be low-grade potter’s clay and polystyrene.

6) Approachable

Almost everyone in the film industry is self-employed and so they understand the only way to get work is to promote yourself. This doesn’t mean you should go around to a potential employer’s house or create wacky self-marketing campaigns; it means most people in the industry are approachable. If you cold call a relevant Head of Department (HOD) and show commitment and desire to learn they’ll often agreed to meet you for 5-10 minutes to look over your portfolio.

7) Persistence

When you do finally meet the man or woman you’re hoping to be your future boss, don’t stop there. They’ll take your details but it might be 18 months before they have a suitable project and give you a call. You need to make sure you meet as many future employers as possible, and stop and have a chat with other people in the department if you feel brave enough. Try and leave a card or better still, copies of your favourite 1 or 2 pieces of work with your contact details on (and ideally your online portfolio address if you have one). Then, give them a quick catch-up call every 6 months or so – even if they can’t offer you a job, it’s amazing how much information you’ll get about different opportunities.

Portfolio

Vital. In a word. The key rules to a good portfolio are simple:

>Diversity – show different types of work you may have done – you may be proud of the series of 18 statutes you’ve done, but don’t show them all. Also, you may not think that 30ft polystyrene snow drift shows you’re finesse as a sculptor, but it shows your versatility so put it in.

>Honesty – it should go without saying but it doesn’t. Only one thing gets a HOD’s back-up more than seeing a large piece of work with someone claiming to have created it single-handedly, and that’s seeing a piece of their own work being claimed by someone else. Believe me, it does happen. So, be honest. If you did the left foot of a giant, then say so and don’t be ambiguous about it.

>Concise – use your opportunity wisely. 10-12 photos are definitely enough to show a range of your work and skills.

>Best Foot Forward – most people will make a decision about your work within 2-3 examples so put your best work at the very front.

>Presentation – try not to have scraps of paper tumbling out of your moth-eaten portfolio. Invest in an easy to carry A4 portfolio and use plastic binders. If you have any Photoshop skills to improve the presentation of your work then use them. Don’t feel the need to take in an example of your sculpture – you will be showing your work to professionals who are very used to assessing work through photographs.

>Information – you may have produced a full-scale replica of Michelangelo’s David, but if it took you three years it’s no good to the film industry. Make sure you note down the scale of each example of your work, what material you used and how long it took. These simple pieces of information are important for HODs and will be appreciated.

>Online Portfolio – if you can, get an online portfolio designed and make sure any contact details contain the address. Ideally, try and get the HOD’s email address so you can send them the link. Any time you update the contents of the portfolio, it’s a good excuse to contact the HOD with another link to your work.

9) Networking

Networking can feel a bit uncomfortable and embarrassing at times, but it is important to get to know what jobs are out there. After you’ve worked on a job or two you’ll get the phone numbers of a few fellow workers – make sure you give them a ring. But be warned, if you’re first to hear about the new James Bond film and then tell everyone, you’ll find yourself joining the queue to show your portfolio. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t share information you may have about up coming jobs, it means you should bear in mind that everyone is trying to get employment. It’s also a good idea to keep an eye on movie news websites.

10) Watching Films

A great perk for those times when you’re not in work – you can watch films and claim it’s research. Obviously, it’s a great feeling to see your own work on the big screen, but it’s also exhilarating to see the work and names of people you know. After your first job or 2 you’ll very quickly start to feel part of the industry and start recognising names and faces. Also, for those jobs you missed out on, you can go and have a good grumble about how you would have done it better!

Working in the film industry is not for everyone; but if you’re keen and develop you’re skills and knowledge, then you’re likely to get an opportunity to show what you can do. Best of luck!

Keywords:
redundancy, exercise, share, brainstorming, explore, control, action, opportunity, positive, change, work/life balance

Article Body:
It used to be the case that people could get a job and expect to stay there for as long as they wished. That is no longer the case and we should realistically anticipate 3 or 4 job changes in our working lives.

When we are faced with redundancy, we often feel as though we are out of control. Something is happening to us that we don’t want and we feel hurt, sad, anxious and resistant to that change.No matter what our thoughts about it are, we have to deal with it.

I often speak to people who are faced with this issue .What makes it much worse is when people feel that they have given their work  and I quote “their all” ,”the best years of their lives”. There are those amongst us who focus too much on work related aspects and neglect personal areas of their life .In these situations, the void that redundancy creates will be so much greater.

Tips

1.Ensure that there is balance between your work and personal life.

2.It can be useful even when you are employed to periodically check out what other employment is available. Send off for job specifications as this may indicate to you what prospective employees are looking for. You will also become clearer about how marketable you are.

3.Have some contingency plan.

4.After the shock has worn off, try to look at your situation as an opportunity for positive change rather than as a problem.

5.Take control by taking action, rather than ruminating and worrying which tends to exacerbate situations.

6.Do some brainstorming exercises to generate ideas about what else you may be able to do.

7.Explore whether your skills and experience to date are transferable to other areas.

8.If you can afford to, it can sometimes be helpful to go away for a few days where you are removed from the situation and may be able to see things more clearly.

9.Sometimes sharing your concerns with others is useful as they may have had similar experiences and will be able to empathise with you and perhaps share ideas about how to manage this change.

10.Optimise your ability to cope with this change by paying attention to your general health .Ensure you eat properly, take regular exercise and have adequate sleep.

Keywords:
resume,resumes,resume editing,edit resume,resume help,resume rip,resume advice

Article Body:
It’s amazing what a well-written and nicely presented resume can do for your job search. Before you send yours out, follow this checklist to ensure you are sending out an excellent quality representation of yourself.

1. Grammar, spelling, punctuation – Use the grammar and spell check function, then print it out and read the document word for word. Spell checker doesn’t know that you meant “manager” when you actually typed “manger.”

2. Capitalization – Use a manual such as the Gregg Reference Manual if you do not know capitalization rules.

3. Punctuation – Check for proper use of commas and semi-colons. Again, if you are unsure, refer to the Gregg Reference Manual.

4. Run-on sentences – Check to make sure you do not have run-ons that are hard to read.

5. Consistency – You must be consistent with your number usage (dates, money, numbers), plurals, and abbreviations. For example, don’t list one date as 8/2004 and then list another date as 3/15/2004. Also, be aware of listing software consistently (abbreviation use). MS Word and Microsoft Outlook are both correct, but not consistent.

6. Education section – When you have a degree, list only the year that you obtained your degree. When you list your dates, (i.e.: 9/1998 to 1/2002) many resume-scanning systems will not recognize that you obtained a degree, only that you attended college for a period of time.

7. Ampersands – Ampersands (&) do not belong on a resume. There are a few exceptions. One exception is a well-known company name (AT&T). Another exception is well-known industry terms (P&L).

8. Hyperlinks – All e-mail and web addresses that you list need to be deactivated in your resume. To do this in MS Word, highlight the link, go to the “Insert” drop down menu, scroll down to and click “Hyperlink”, and on the lower left-had side of this screen there should be a little button that says “Remove link”, when you find it, give it a little click and voila! Alternatively, you can highlight the link, right click on it, and scroll down to “remove link” to deactivate the link.

Keywords:
Work from home, work at home, home based income businesses, home based career

Article Body:
Everyday you can read articles about how people network and find another job. You can find countless numbers of books and articles on how to create relationships to find jobs that might not otherwise be known. But what about people who don’t want to work?

I am not talking about a lazy person without any ambition. The person I am referring to is the unemployable, the serial entrepreneur or corporate refugee. If you are currently working in a job and what you want is not another job but to become a work at home entrepreneur networking can still be for you.

Here are 7 networking strategies you can use to catapult your work from home career.

1. Create your own Board of Directors. IBM and Microsoft are not the only ones who should have a boardroom team. As a home based business owner you want to have a group of people who you can meet with, mastermind and get advice from.

Often times they may see skills and talents in you that you might not recognize. Once you have identified what your business goal is you have the opportunity to leverage the power of six degrees of separation. Six degrees of separation is the principle that anyone on earth can be connected to another person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances that has no more than five relationships apart.

2. Join Networking Organizations for Entrepreneurs. Successful business owners like to connect with each and expand their relationships. Look for organizations that have business owners in the same area of interest as you. Don’t just see them as competitors. Look for opportunities that you might be able to assist them in some way. Here are a couple of groups to consider:

The Chamber of Commerce

BNI (Business Networking International

Le-Tip

Rotary International

Each of these organizations have different personalities and cultures. Attend a few meetings before you call one of them home. Know what you ultimately want. Basil S. Walsh states, “If you don’t know where you are going, how can you expect to get there?”

First establish in very specific detail what you are going to achieve. Did you notice that I said going to achieve? Life will give you exactly what you expect from it. Start with the end in mind.

Now is the time to dream big and visualize what your life will look like when you are a successful business owner. Don’t worry about the how. Simply set goals by asking yourself some key questions such as:

A. What would I love to do even if I did not get paid for it?

B. How many days will I work each week?

C. What type of work from home business am I interested in?

D. Where will I live?

E. What do I like to do?

Determine what you need to happen to get out your job. Do you know how much you need to make in your business to leave your job?  What is your financial freedom number? Your financial freedom number is the amount of income you need to have coming in passively each month to cover all of your expenses.

One of the reasons you want to know this is when you are looking at home based business income opportunities you want to choose one that has the profit potential you want and need. If your financial freedom number is $5000.00 per month you don’t want to choose a business that does not have the potential to net that on a passive basis.

As you are networking and meeting new people you can analyze the business opportunities that arise from a totally unemotional point of view because you are clear about your goals.

3. Remember it is better to give then receive. One of the biggest problems I see with networking is most people go in it to see what they can get first before they give. Always look for a way to be of service to the people that you meet first. There is a universal law of reciprocity. You will always get back more than you give out. As you get to know people think about how you can help to enrich their life or help them towards their goals.

If you read an article or run across something that might be of help to them send it. When you have a genuine interest in others success you are blessed through your giving.

Some people call it karma and others say you reap what you sow. My life’s experiences have been blessed more than I could have every imagined whenever I give.

So look for ways to contribute. You may be able to do this in a variety of ways:

a. Volunteer to work with them some way.

b. Introduce them to people in your network that could help them.

c. Send notes or articles that might be areas of interest or
could help to increase their business.

4. Learn how to joint venture or strategically partnership. One of the fastest ways to get out of your job, launch a business or simply make some money is to create a joint venture with someone.

Joint Venturing is a way to take either yourself or two other people who could profit from working together but simply did not have the relationship. You profit from making the connection.

For example you know a veterinarian has a large practice with a list of over 700 clients. You also have a relationship with a new pet groomer in the city who is trying to increase his business. You put the two together and every time the pet groomer gets a new client due to your structuring this deal you get paid. We call this mail box money. Money comes in your mail box whether you work or not.

5. Set up a written networking plan. I am amazed at how much time and effort people will spend to find a new job. However, when it comes to designing a plan to exit the rat race they do it almost haphazardly. You will be much more effective if you have a written plan. The plan does not have to be elaborate. Here are some of the basic things you want to cover:

a. What is my goal?

b. Who do I want to meet?

c. What events should I focus on?

d. How often should I be networking?

6. Attend seminars and boot camp events. Specialized knowledge is one of the keys to being successful in a home based business. When you attend boot camps and seminars you able to surround yourself with like minded people as well as learn from the experts.

However, if you really want to make these educational experiences profitable do three things:

a. Introduce yourself to at least 3 people and get their cards. Ask them why they are there and what they hope to get out of the event. Exchange numbers and ask, “What is the single most important thing you need help in making your business venture successful?”

When you ask this of someone else you will genuinely get to know someone and you may be able to help them. In addition, out of respect they will want to know more about you and a new relationship may be formed.

b. Go to lunch with someone you meet at the seminar and tell them the things you learned so far and will implement. There is something about speaking your goal out loud that will make it real. If you immediately implement one single action every time you learn something the results will grow exponentially.

c. Introduce yourself to the speaker. Sometimes this can be difficult if the event is large. However, if there is a book signing buy their book so while they are signing it you can ask one question. My question is, “What is the single most important skill you contribute to your success?”  You might like my question or you can come up with your own. The point is you have a great opportunity to network and learn from someone who is a master at their craft. Seize the opportunity.

7.Have a goal for every networking opportunity. Simply going to an event and “working the room” almost never yields any measurable results. Before you attend any event know what you want your outcome to be in advance. Are you going to meet specific person? How will you insure your introduction? Make sure you have crafted out a plan and enlist support from someone to help you execute if needed.

For example, if you want to meet someone ask the host of the networking event if they know the person and if they would be willing to introduce you. Your chances of success are almost guaranteed due to the nature of the event.

Networking is often an overlooked opportunity to find a way out of the rat race. If you want to look for a work at home career, connections can be a key to rapid success. Get the inside tips and discover 7 ways to network your way out of a job.

Keywords:
job search, local job search, job search engine, job search site, online job search, free job search engine, free job search

Article Body:
A job search can be hard and sometimes frustrating. In case you are considering changing your job you should consider using an online search. This will help you expand your horizons and your search for your next job can become world wide and not restricted to any one area.

1. If you are keen in continuing in your present line of work with say a better location or opportunities. Then explore the web sites of companies similar to yours. Check out their human resources pages or career links. Employer web sites are often listed at sites like Academic360, a directory of employment opportunities.

2. Undertake a search engine search. Ask any major search engine like Google to help you locate possible employers or job sites that specialize in your field of work.

3. Explore the web sites of professional associations. Being a member of an association is a great way to network with peers and many a time it is successful networking that can land you your next job.

4. You can register at an online employment site like http://www.job-hunt.org or Monster.com and reap the many benefits. They will send you possible opportunities to your e-mail, blast your resume to several recruitment personnel all over the world, offer you a professional evaluation of your resume, and you will be able to browse through all the postings on their site and apply to vacancies that interest you.

5. By opting for an online search you can be sure your application is not lost in the post or courier. When you click apply, the resume immediately goes to the email box of a possible employer. And, the job site will give you a confirmation message of your application.

6. The convenience of online means you can store your resume as well as several versions of a covering letter for use. The site will also maintain a record of applications made by you with details. This means that you will never make the mistake of applying for the same job twice.

7. Applying online means you curtail costs of postage, courier, and faxes.

Looking online for your next job means you can explore several possibilities. By surfing through several job sites you can even consider changing your line of work, moving to a new country with several new opportunities, or even starting your own enterprise. Often the World Wide Web has brought together several professionals from different fields n search of new opportunity and they have begun a business of their own quite successfully.

Another positive aspect of the web is that it allows you to research comprehensively on your new employer and the in depth information you gather on the company will help you during the interviews.

You can take expert advice in writing out your resume and ensure that it has the right key words that will place it ahead of zillion others, that the resume highlights your strengths and presents in a comprehensive way your experience.

The internet has changed the way people look for new jobs and job search has taken giant strides.

Keywords:
career test,career change,career assessment,career tests,aptitude test,career personality test

Article Body:
Copyright 2006 Paul Arinaga

“I used to feel depressed at work, hate my boss, and was sometimes so bored that I actually fell asleep at my desk!” — career test taker

If this sounds like you, then it’s probably time to consider changing jobs or careers. But before you can make your career change, you need to figure out what you want to do.

One of the best ways to get clear is to complete a career assessment. Yet there are literally hundreds of career tests out there. Is a career test the same as an aptitude test? What about a career personality test? This article clarifies the differences and presents 7 criteria for deciding which career test is best for you.

#1  Career test vs. personality test

Is the assessment specifically designed to provide career guidance?

Personality tests only tell you about your character traits whereas a career assessment gives specific career advice. Of course, it helps to know whether you’re an extrovert or an introvert and perceive by sensing or intuition. Personality tests such as the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Enneagram are quite useful as background information. Making the leap from simple awareness of your personality type to specific career strategies is very difficult, however. If you want a new job or career, it’s better to take an assessment that is specifically geared to providing career guidance.

#2  Specific vs. general

Does the career assessment give concrete recommendations that you can use immediately rather than vague observations that are open to interpretation and not actionable? Aside from the change itself, the hardest part of changing careers is narrowing down your choices. But if you don’t get specific, you won’t be able to take action. A good assessment should not be general like the astrological horoscopes in the newspaper.

#3  Motivation rules: why motivation is a better indicator than aptitude or personality

Does the career assessment measure motivation?

Motivation is a far better career indicator than skill or personality because what you like to do is what you WILL do and what you will get very good at (if you aren’t already). Why force a square peg into a round hole?

When you base your decisions on what motivates you, you’ll probably feel much more fulfilled, and be much more successful, too.

#4  Where’s the beef?

Even if you’re a vegetarian, you’ll want “meaty” results! A good career assessment should include hard data, as well as sufficient detail and explanation to help you interpret the results.

#5  Do you believe it?

Is the career assessment scientifically valid? An effective career assessment should have a high predictive reliability. Such things can be measured statistically. Anything over 95% is quite good.

Statistical validity is important for a number of reasons. Obviously, you want to feel that the assessment provides an accurate picture of what motivates you and you don’t want to be misled by grossly inaccurate results. But another point is that when the results are believable this provides a boost to your self-confidence. In my case, I was relieved and encouraged to see from my results that I had chosen the correct career path. It was a kind of confirmation or validation: “Whew! What a relief!”

Remember that ultimately it’s up to you to decide whether a set of results makes sense or not. However, it helps to use a highly reliable assessment.

#6  Can you get from A to Z?

Are additional tools available to help you take your results and develop a clear career roadmap for yourself?

Honestly, a lot of people take career tests and get brilliant insights. Unfortunately, many of these same people are never able to turn their insights into results. What’s needed is a support infrastructure of materials and people to help you apply your results over time.

#7  Is it fast?

Even in the internet age, there still are a lot of tests that you can only take on paper. It takes 30 minutes or even over an hour to take the test. Then you have to wait while the test is scored and processed. You may only get your results after several days or weeks.

Personally I prefer career tests that I can take online and that give me my results immediately.

Conclusion

A career test is just a tool and just one step on your career change journey. Nonetheless, it’s worth spending some time to understand what types of tests are available and which is best for you. Just remember that even the best career test is only a tool. It’s up to you to take charge of your own career.

Keywords:
goals, work, career, brainstorming

Article Body:
Have you ever felt stuck in your career?  Employee stress and burn out can account for a lot of dissatisfaction in your life.  After all, you are at work some 8 hours a day or more.  That’s 1/3 of your day if you don’t count sleep.  That’s a long time to be dissatisfied.

If you feel stuck, here are 6 great ways to find your ideal career:

1.   Brainstorm on a sheet of paper – I’ve talked about this before and it’s a strategy I use all the time.  Take a pad of paper and write down at the top your objective in question form.  Then, simply list out 20 answers to your question.  For example, you could write “What should I be doing with my time and life?”  Then stay seated for a half hour to an hour coming up with answers to that question.  The key to this exercise is coming up with 20 answers – don’t quit until you have 20 answers.  You can repeat every day until you get the answer you seek.

2.   Ask 3 close friends – Sometimes our friends know us better than ourselves.  While meeting with one of your friends, mention you are at a crossroads in your life and career.  Ask what they think you’d enjoy doing.  You might be surprised at how easily they can zero in to your strengths and abilities and report a perfect job area.

3.   Ask your boss and coworkers – much like your friends in the example above, your boss and coworkers most likely see you in a way you do not see yourself.  In fact, they are likely most familiar with your strengths and weaknesses in the work environment.  Compile all the answers you get from them and see if there are any common threads you can explore.

4.  Call a headhunter – If you are searching in your career, it’s likely you have a resume.  Sometimes you can catch a headhunter or recruiter during their slow times and meet with them to pick through what you might be good at.  I’ve done this at different times in my life and the people seem open to talking with people.  After all, if you don’t get paid, they don’t either.  The ideas I get are usually good.

5.  Take a career assessment test – There are several sites on the Internet you might be able to take one of these tests for a fee.  But using my ‘headhunter’ tip above, many headhunters have this software and don’t mind you taking the test in their office.   I’ve taken these tests two times in my life and they usually take an hour or two, but they are thorough.  They ask you to answer a series of questions about what you are good at, what you like to do, what you prefer doing over what you don’t.  If you take one, you will likely see some new exciting areas to explore in your life.

6.   Keep a journal – Do you keep a journal?  If so, read through, looking for common threads in your writing.  Keep your eyes peeled for trends and activities you like as well as don’t like.  In fact, finding examples of what you don’t like and what frustrates you is almost as important as finding what you do like.  For example, if you hate an overwhelming boss, you’d probably like a self-directed position.  If you hate nosy coworkers you’d probably prefer your own office.

Discovering what you really want to do with your life is the most important decision you can make.  We spend 1/3 or more of our lives at work.  So figuring out the right career is important to keeping that 1/3 of our lives happy and productive.

Keywords:
professional headhunters, corporate headhunters, executive headhunters, executive recruiters, staffing services, executive search firms, management consultant

Article Body:
Enjoying the anonymity of the internet in social networking? Are you revealing a bit more in Orkut, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, or BlogSpot? Extreme political opinions, photos, college pranks, weekend preferences and more?

An increasingly popular trend, graduates stepping out of universities and looking ahead for their first interviews are closing their social networking pages. Reason: Big brother is watching. Job hunters are increasingly conscious of anything they put into the online sphere-even e-mail, which, of course, can be forwarded to anyone.

These are not entirely paranoia. There is anecdotal evidence and some HR reports talk about corporate recruiters are Googling potential employees, having interns log onto social networking sites to check out an applicant’s profile, and using the online world as another way to check references. This trend, combined with the growing population of sites like Orkut, Facebook and MySpace, has many young people uneasy and unsure about how to navigate a new world.

B-school administrators and professors are beginning to advise students on maintaining a professional presence on social networking sites, in e-mail, on personal Web sites, and blogs. Even if it’s password protected, recruiters have profiles, too, and can get into your groups.

In a survey by AfterCollege.com a little more than 70% of the 60 students say they continue to post the same things they always did, even though potential employers might be taking a look. About 20% of the 90 employers who have so far responded to the same survey, say they investigate new hires by visiting social networking sites. A considerable 6% of employers say they’ve decided not to hire someone based on what they saw online, but another 26% responded to that same question with no comment.

To quote Roberto Angulo of AfterCollege.com Students should be more concerned than they are.

In-Demand Skills for Success

1. BASIC SKILLS‚ Reading, writing and arithmetic! Believe it…

Keywords:

Article Body:
What do employers look for in potential employees? That was the question that was posted recently on a career discussion forum online. Naturally, for each different position, the particular answers to that question would be different. However, there are some common skills that employers look for in all employees, whether the employee happens to be a network engineer or a fry cook.

In-Demand Skills for Success

1. BASIC SKILLS‚ Reading, writing and arithmetic! Believe it or not, a good portion of high school graduates (and some college grads) do not read at an 8th grade level and cannot do multiplication in their head. Employers are seeking employees who can read well, can write coherently, and who can calculate mathematics in a business environment (fractions, percentages, etc.) Add to that the modern basic skills of keyboarding skill, basic computer knowledge, and ability to use most computerized tools (e.g. fax machine, basic word processing program, etc.) to round out the basic skill sets needed for employment success.

2. PERSONAL SKILLS‚ Can a potential employee speak well? Can he/she answer questions of customers in a positive, informative manner? Can the prospect provide good customer service? While not everyone has an outgoing sales’ personality, successful employees can communicate in a non-confrontational, positive manner with their coworkers, team members, subordinates, management, and customers. Being able to work well with others is a vital skill for success in all jobs.

3. JOB ATTAINMENT‚ Job search is a process that requires a great deal of dedication and attention to be conducted successfully. It follows the old principal that many veteran programmers refer to as GIGO ‚ Garbage In, Garbage Out. If you put lousy effort in, you will receive lousy results. Employers are seeking employees who know how to present themselves in a positive manner and who display enthusiasm and knowledge about the companies they approach. Not only do candidates get evaluated on their skills and experience, but also on how they are approaching the job search. Enthusiastic candidates with fewer skills have an even chance of getting the job as dull candidates with better skills.

4. JOB SURVIVAL‚ Now there’s a hot topic in this period of layoffs. Who gets the ax and who doesn’t is often a matter of numbers, but it is also often a matter of performance. Employees who have consistently demonstrated their worth, taken initiative, and made themselves a valuable asset to the company have lower incidences of being downsized than employees who put forth mediocre or average effort in their jobs. Surviving within a company through layoffs or moving up the career ladder is a success skill that is learned and is consciously cultivated among successful professionals.

5. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT‚ As all high tech and engineering pros know‚ it’s learn or burn in today’s work environment. Attaining new skills, applying new concepts, updating established skills is an absolute necessity to succeed in today’s work force. The successful individual is constantly attending seminars, taking classes, attaining training on new products or releases, and otherwise learning new skills that will keep them marketable in their careers. Successful people are lifelong learners. Employers are looking for people who have the training necessary to fulfill their needs.

6. CAREER DEVELOPMENT‚ Career Development differs from Professional Development. Professional Development is learning while Career Development is a planning and goal setting process. Successful individuals design a career plan with written goals for short term and long term. They lay out the steps needed to move their careers from Point A to Point B within Time Frame C and plan how they are going to achieve those steps. Successful people have someone to whom they are accountable for their progress and who will monitor their success in achieving their goals. Employers are seeking individuals who (believe it or not) wish to commit to the company for a long period of time. Good career progression is a high selling point of candidates to prospective employers.

How do you measure up? Do you have the 6 In-Demand Skills for Success? Feel like you need some help? Give us a call!

Keywords:
lose your job, losing your job, if you lose your job

Article Body:
Are rumors circulating throughout your workplace that there may be downsizing, a lay-off or merger?  Are you scared and don’t know what to do? These 5 tips can help you feel more in control of your financial situation:

1. Take a long, hard look at your monthly bills.  Are in up to your neck in debt? Now is the time to tighten your belt and try to get a handle on the interest rates you are currently paying.  Can you pay down some of your debt right away? Transfer to another, lower rate credit card? Should you refinance your mortgage or home equity loan?  Now would be the time to take care of this, not after you’ve received your pink slip.

2. What can you trim in your monthly budget? Stop buying those lattes every morning and save about $80 in one month.  Rent a DVD instead of going to the movies.  You are the only one who can decide what you can and cannot live without, but these are two good examples of the latter. Cut back on your dining out and you’ll see more green in your wallet right now, when you need it the most.

3. Be more aware as you pull out your wallet for every day expenses and decide if you really need to buy that item.  Now is not the time for a shopping spree to cheer you up. Instead, make an effort to be more aware of where your money goes every day, every week.

4. With gas prices sky-rocketing, should you consider buying a hybrid car, or at least one that gets better mileage? Do it now, while you’re still employed.  See if the dealership offers any customer incentives such as a rebate or lowered interest rate on the loan.

5. Do you know what benefits at work you are entitled to?  Take the time now to ask the Human Resources department what benefits you’re currently enrolled in.  If you have health insurance, be sure to get any physicals or medical tests now to make use of this benefit.  Take advantage of any dental or vision coverage you may have- get those eyeglasses or contact lenses updated now or schedule a visit for a check-up at the dentist. Those co-pays are a whole lot cheaper than paying full-price later.

Being aware of the situation, planning and taking action makes you feel more in control of your life.  Sure, you can’t do anything about being laid-off and in most cases, (unless you committed gross misconduct on the job) it’s not your fault. It’s a management decision that will probably wind up changing your life for the better.  See this as a new opportunity, not as a loss, and your positive attitude will help you find a new job soon.  Good luck!