Q1: How do I know if I am stuck in Job Jail?

Answer: Your career is eating you alive when:
1. You define yourself only through your profession
2. Significant people in your life take a back seat in your life
3. You are not active in any non-work related activities or hobbies
4. You are resentful and/or restless in your current job
5. You are experiencing physical health related problems
6. You do not know why you are working so hard
7. You feel overwhelmed and stressed out
8. You are unable to relax after leaving work
9. You have no outside interests, other than your job
10. You are depressed

Q2: What’s the difference between my abilities and my responsibilities?

Answer: Abilities are the activities, talents, gifts, tangible or intangible skills you are really good at, such as effective communication skills, verbal and/or written, critical thinking skills, great organizational skills, multitasking ability, etc. Examples of talents would be the ability to sing well, empower others to succeed, play an instrument, bake well, play sports, etc.

Responsibilities are the tasks on your job description (not that you will do them, they are often things we are obligated to do) or your career accomplishments such as you may be responsible for administering an annual departmental budget, or meeting production deadlines or supervising volunteers on a project, or protecting others from harm.

Q3: When do you know it’s time to change careers?

Answer: Ask yourself the following questions: a) How do I feel about my work?
b) Do I feel challenged at my job?
c) Does this career still fit my lifestyle?
d) Do I see myself doing this 2 years or 5 years from now?
e) Am I experiencing burnout?

If you no longer spring out of bed to head to work, when asked about your job you can’t find anything positive to say, or you find yourself asking “Is this all there is to this job?” or you are leaving the building on Friday with your hair on edge, it’s time for a career change or at least a change in direction with your current position.

You may be stuck in job jail and feel like your current position/career is a life sentence. In reality, most professionals have 4 to 6 different careers in their life time.

Changing careers requires a sound strategy for a smooth transition.

Q4: Do I need help with my resume?

Answer: Your resume could be landing in the re-cycle bin across corporate-America because it was not thought-out, laid-out, or carried out correctly. Before emailing your next resume check out these 5 resume don’ts. 1. Appearance – check for typos, grammatical errors. Use spell check and ask someone else to read it.
2. Size – don’t use such a small font that your resume is difficult to read. If your background is extensive it will take 2 full pages to lay it out, use the spread wisely.
3. Ethics- don’t fudge dates of employments, degrees earned or career accomplishments. If a prospective employer conducts a background check, you’ll lose that opportunity to work for them.
4. Target your audience – don’t just email your resume to every electronically posted position. Narrow your search for exactly what you want and what you’re qualified for. Don’t waste your time or the recruiter's.
5. Tell us why you are the best choice? Don’t just copy your current job description. Show what you have accomplished in your previous position and why you are more qualified than the competition for the positions you are seeking.

Q5: What about a little exaggerating on my resume?

Answer: Cheating on professional resumes has become a commonplace activity, but that does not make it right. When job candidates are deceptive or less than honest is simply makes it more difficult for job seekers who have been honest and forthcoming about their qualifications. Perpetrators are almost always caught.

Q6: What’s the best way to ask for a raise?

Answer: Do your homework. Know your industry and your worth. There are a variety of resources available to help you determine median salaries and salary ranges for the positions you are qualified for. Also make sure you address your personal needs before you begin negotiating. A good job candidate knows 3 salaries. What they would like to make, what they are worth and a bottom line figure that meets just your basic needs. Consider other benefits The benefits package contains great value as well. Compare the medical, dental, vacation package, retirement benefits, etc. Each one is worth something

Q7: What’s the best way to quit?

Q8: What’s the best way to handle your boss?

Answer: Determine what type of boss you have first. If your boss is a bottom line manager then recognize that all he or she needs to know is the status on the project you are working on, not the details. You’ll both be frustrated. On the other hand, a detail driven manager doesn’t want you to omit anything in reporting on projects.

Are you helping your manager and department look good and meet goals? Knowing the specific goals will give you a better understanding of where the department is going and what your manager is trying to accomplish. Now you can be proactive in your approach to helping your manager and team. If you have some ideas on how to improve your department let your manager know in private and in a non-confrontational manner. As the department improves you’ll gain credibility. You’ll find your relationship to be more of a partnership than a subordinate/boss. You’ll also be given more responsibility.

Q9: How can office gossip help you?

Answer: A wise person once said. “Extraordinary people talk about ideas, average people talk about events and little people talk about other people.” Gossip is the hallmark of a healthy company. Silence signals apathy or indifference towards you or your organization. Healthy gossip means people are taking an interest in you. Most often gossip is true or real but so are the brainstorming sessions and the resulting innovative ideas that we often participate in at work.

Gossip is your early warning detection system. It often prompts us to take stock of where we are, make adjustments and try harder. Now if its false information being spread via the company email, voice mail or by blog it can all be traced back to the originator, defamation of character charges can be brought against an individual. Don’t get caught.

Use gossip to heighten interest in your project, to advertise your service and get yourself promoted.

Q10: Do I need a cover/introductory letter when I email my resume?

Answer: If you think cover letters are outdated, think again. They are the email message you create to attach your resume to when you are seeking employment opportunities.

25% of executive recruiters, human resource managers and department heads no longer have time in their busy, jam-packed, deadline driven days to read, so they will skip directly to your resume. Another 25% are so tired of reading boring intro emails with grammatical errors and typos; they too have simply given up.

The remaining 50% of prospective employers regard the cover letter as a way of gaining insight into who a job candidate really is. The cover /intro email should reveal:

A cover/into email is an introduction, a sales pitch, a call to action all in one. Properly done the intro email should peak the reader’s interest to pursue your credentials with great interest. Make sure you highlight your experience that is relevant to the reader in a clear, concise and well organized manner, if you want them to open that email attachment you call a resume.

If you have a career or training related questions contact Audrey immediately.  

Call Audrey at 404-534-9393 or email Audrey at Audrey@audreylegrand.com