Five Online Recruiting Methods Guaranteed to Get You Results

For most employers, especially small business owners without a dedicated HR department, online recruiting has become their main source for finding qualified candidates. But where to start? With so many online options available today and with so many sales reps from online recruiting companies trying to get you to sign up for their program, how do you really know which online recruiting method or internet site is right for you?

The problem of “where” to look for your best candidates is usually rooted in the problem of not knowing exactly “who” you are looking for. Before you can even begin to select the appropriate recruiting method, online or otherwise, you need to clearly identify the type of person that you are looking for and then narrow down the places that they’re most likely to see your ad. Knowing how to properly target your job ad is critical in capturing the attention of your best possible candidates. Carefully placing your ad is even more important if you’re on a budget, and who isn’t? You don’t want to waste time and money putting expensive ads everywhere that won’t reach your target audience.

Once you know the “who”, the “where” starts to narrow itself down. Here are 5 online recruiting methods that will get you the candidates that you’re looking for.

Online Recruiting Method #1 – Use your website for recruiting new hires. Just like your organization’s website is often the first impression you make on a potential client, your Career Opportunities page is often a potential employee’s first look at what you have to offer. Make it count. Create a website that markets your organization as an Employer of Choice in much the same way you would use your website to market your products and services. Remember to speak in terms of benefits not features and explain the advantages to your potential employee of choosing your organization over another. You can even Include pictures (even videos) of the people in your organization working and playing. Add testimonials from your current employees about how they enjoy being a part of your organization. These will work just like your client testimonials in your marketing material.

Unfortunately, most small and medium-sized businesses usually have their careers or job opportunities page buried too deeply within their site and the candidate needs to go to a lot of effort to find it and apply for a position.

Online Recruiting Method #2 – Post job listings on professional association websites to find new employees. There are guilds, groups, associations and networking affiliations for everything from architects to zoologists so with a little investigation and a few keyword Google searches you can find any number of websites catering to your target employee. Better yet, if you find local chapter websites for these national sites, post a job listing on these.

You can also use the information on these sites to research salary ranges, typical job descriptions, benefits programs and educational requirements. This information will help you offer the best possible work experience for your new hire.

Online Recruiting Method #3 – Career Services websites like Monster, Workopolis and TheLadders, are excellent places to post job listings. Again though, keep in mind who you are trying to attract. Some Career Services cater to specific industries, professions and experience and salary levels. Finding a Career Services site that targets your industry or niche will greatly increase your odds of getting noticed by the right candidates. And you can often “try-before-you-buy” at these sites as well so take advantage of this kind of offer. If you can, have a look at some of the resumes that they have on file to be sure that they’ll match your needs.

Online Recruiting Method #4 – If you need to hire someone with a degree or other higher level education, then have a look at college, university and alumni association websites. These sites often have career sections in their websites for both new grads as well as their experienced alumni. You could also supplement this type of online recruiting technique by presenting at their job fairs and career days activities.

Online Recruiting Method #5 – And finally, don’t forget the Social Networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook. These types of sites are becoming increasingly popular for both employees and employers looking to hook up. Both of these sites also offer opportunities for you to create a second online presence for your company in addition to your regular website. Take advantage of this secondary web presence to emphasize the many and varied career opportunities available with your company and begin creating that pool of qualified candidates that your business will need to grow.

Partnering With a Career Agent A Lifetime of Benefits

Are you a victim of this unprecedented economy, with record high unemployment rates? Are you currently working in a position that does not offer the professional and personal growth you were promised when you on-boarded? Do you feel like it’s time to begin seeking a new employment opportunity, so that your career goals remain on track? If you answered yes to any or all of the questions posed, it may be time for you to consider partnering with a Career Agent.

What exactly is a Career Agent, and how do you connect with the best in the field? Simply described, a Career Agent is a Recruiting Specialist who focuses only on working with clients and job candidates in your industry. For example, if you are involved in Executive Nurse Management, you would want to seek out a Recruiter who targets matching medical facilities with people in your field of expertise. While there are generalists who recruit and place professionals across all industries and professions, it is important to work specifically with the Career Agent who is going to be able to present you with multiple opportunities, and provide you with the coaching and support that will exponentially increase your chances of receiving job offers.

Why would any professional choose to work with a Recruiting Specialist, versus simply performing a job search on their own? Browsing the web, reviewing help wanted ads, networking, creating and revising resumes, writing personalized cover letters, submitting applications, interview preparation, setting up interviews, following up with hiring managers, offer negotiations, and going through a resignation all are very time-consuming tasks associated with the job search process. While it is very possible to handle an employment search at the entry-level, it becomes more cumbersome from mid-level positions through executive management. Working with a Career Agent ensures that your best interests are addressed throughout the process, and enables you to consistently have a higher overall earning potential.

Here are some basic tips for finding and working with a Recruiting Specialist:

Social networking websites like LinkedIn and Twitter are great places to locate Recruiters in your field.
Call the Recruiter directly, to discuss how they can assist you. Just like in any industry, some Recruiters are better than others, and this is often apparent when you discuss your prospective business relationship.
Understand that in most cases, the Career Agent or Recruiter is paid by the employer when they successfully place you in a job. In essence, they are representing you at no charge. If a Recruiter tells you they want money up front from you – continue comparison shopping.
Your Recruiter should be available when you need them, during business hours. When you leave a message, you should expect to receive a call-back within a reasonable amount of time.
Any good Recruiter will ask you to provide them with a list of companies you want them to target on your behalf. This is one of the ways you have access to unadvertised jobs through a Career Agent.
The Recruiting Specialist you work with should be communicating with you on a regular basis. Their goal is to represent you, not only for the particular job change you are currently involved with, but over the course of your professional life.
Working with a Recruiter who specializes in your field can greatly increase your chances of receiving the quality job offers you are seeking. While it’s possible to accomplish finding a new employment opportunity on your own, this can be a time consuming task that may not provide the desired results. Seeking out a Recruiting Specialist ensures your career is kept on track, and that you have the personal and professional representation necessary to remain competitive in today’s job market. Keep your competitive edge over the course of your professional life – partner with a Career Agent today.

How to Get Noticed by Recruiters

Recruiters are very important to the hiring process because they are the gatekeepers to introducing you as a qualified candidate to hiring managers. We want to talk to you about the strategy that you should take when talking with recruiters to help convince them that you are the right candidate for the job. This is very important and we want to help prepare you for success. People need to take their careers very seriously. This means that you must be presentable, professional, and ready to talk business when you meet recruiters. Corporate recruiters are so important to the hiring process for organizations. There are small, medium, and large size corporations that have their own internal recruiters to help them fill positions for their companies.

After all, companies can not deliver services or products to their customers without great people supporting their mission. You may not get a lot of chances to meet a corporate recruiter but when you do then you have to professional to make a good impression. You do not want to make a lot of jokes and show that you are immature for the demands of the position. After all, people want to hire candidates that can do the position very well.

Recruiters are matchmakers

Hello, candidate. Let us introduce you to our friendly recruiter, the gatekeeper. The gatekeeper’s job is to let only people who are worthy pass through the gates. If you impress the recruiter then they will let you pass through the gates and into the lobby of the office building where you sit and wait to meet the hiring manager. Recruiters are not people who you should be scared of at all. They are actually very good people who are in the business of reducing the unemployment rate for our nation. This is actually a very rewarding business. Recruiters are really in the matchmaking business. This is similar to a matchmaking service like eharmony or any other major dating website. Except there job may be a bit tougher. Think about this for a second. When you go onto an online dating website, you use the system to help you find matches for your potential dates.You perform the searches online looking for that special someone who may peek your interest. Well, recruiters use systems like monster, dice, career builder to look for matches for their employer. They provide a service in finding candidates who would be a great fit for their organization. This is a tough job because a recruiter needs to determine a candidate’s ability to do the job based on a resume search. They then do a call with the candidate to do an initial interview to see if they have the potential to thrive in their corporate culture.

Have a good resume

When you create an online profile on a dating website, it is essentially your online resume for love.You are going to take the time that you need to fill out the profile to make sure your best qualities shine. After all, you want to meet that special someone who can make you happy. Well, this is not so different than creating a resume to get the attention of recruiters. You want to make sure that your resume stands out. Even if this means getting a professional resume writer to help you design, and develop your resume to meet your career goals. Your resume is the first opportunity for you to make a lasting impression on the recruiter. Make sure that you have your employment dates filled out properly, position descriptions which properly documented, education and certifications listed, and references ready to be provided. You want to show recruiters that you are prepared and that you can be trusted to do the job well.

Be confident

The most important thing is to remember to be confident in your capabilities. If you show any hesitation in your ability to do the job or learn then recruiters will notice. If you are really not confident then take the necessary training that you need to learn your job well. Recruiters only want to bring in people who are confident and capable of doing a good job for their organization. Recruiters take pride in bringing in great talent to their companies. Company innovation and service is built on their human resources. So, please be confident in your self. You are valuable, important, and can make a difference. There is no one like you on this planet. You are truly special and have a lot to give an organization. Best of luck to you.

How to Make the Most Out of Recruitment Agencies

A recruitment agency is a very efficient way to get a job as more and more companies are choosing to outsource their recruitment function to employment agencies.

For that reason, these agencies have contacts with many companies, much more than a candidate can personally come up with on their own.

Types of Recruitment Agencies

There are two types of agencies-specialists and generalists. While specialized agencies seek for employees in a single field such as accounting, general agencies cover the whole spectrum of skill sets while providing jobs only in a fixed geographical region.

Your selection of a suitable agency should depend upon what type of job you want, specialized or limited to a particular geographical region.

Shop Around

Getting the right match for you as well as for the company is a priority for the recruitment agency, as both are their clients. To find a recruitment agency that fulfills your requirements, you need to shop around a bit.

You should gather detailed information about the recruitment agency such as the companies it recruits for, its performance record, its market reputation, and so on, before you select one.

Be Specific

You should clearly state exactly what you are looking for-your skill sets, your expectations, and the profile of the job you are seeking. This makes the task easier for both of you; it will save your time as well as theirs.

Develop Good Rapport

Build a good relationship with your recruitment agent. If you have a good relationship with them, they will work harder to get you a good job.

It’s just human nature to work harder to help people we get along with!

Create a Good Impression

When you are visiting your recruitment company for the first time, dress as you would for a job interview. This creates a good impression and makes them realize your sincerity.

You might be asked to perform a specific job, or they might also offer you some sort of training, which usually comes free of charge. You should take advantage of it and create good rapport throughout with your recruitment agent.

Stay In Contact

Ideally, you should have regular contact with your agent. This will increase the likelihood that he will think of you first when an appropriate job comes up. If you do not hear from your agency in a week, you should give them a call. It might be that no appropriate job has come up, but it might also be that they are no longer considering you for a job since they haven’t heard from you.

As the agency finds a suitable job for you, you can let the agency negotiate your salary if you are a newcomer and have no idea about pay scales. Once again, this helps in building healthy relationships with the agency.

The agency will benefit in the long run by providing good service, because you will be more likely to come back to them the next time you’re in the job market.

Taking note of all these points and practicing them when choosing a recruitment company will increase your chances of getting a good job – and one that you’re happy with.

Tips and Secrets to Help You Change Careers

The following tips and strategies are guaranteed to boost your behavioural interview performance:

1. Ooze STAR Quality – Whilst gearing up for the behavioural interview, bear in mind that interviewers want to hear thorough descriptions of past performances. To satisfactorily answer a behavioural interview question, you must include the following three components (characterised by the acronym STAR): the Situation or Task you were involved in, the Action(s) you took in order to make changes and the Result(s) that were achieved by those actions. For instance, if asked to narrate how you turned an angry customer into a happy one, it is not sufficient to say that you apologised to the customer. You must narrate what led to the customer’s dissatisfaction, describe how you stepped into the situation and how, as a result of your timely intervention, the customer who was previously threatening to take his business elsewhere happily purchased new products and services. In a nutshell, the best interviewees are talented ‘true story’ tellers.

2. Flaunt Your Talents – Resist the temptation to base all your narratives on job related proficiencies. If you are a talented musician, do say so at the interview. If you are a former Olympic contestant who climbed Mount Everest barefoot, let your interviewers in on the secret too. If you’ve written a book, bring an autographed sample copy or two along. Employers want to interview (and hire) talented people. Be interesting if you want to stand out amidst the dozens of interviewees who claim they can do the job. Frankly speaking, it is not enough to get the job done; one must also bring valuable talents to an organisation. If you want to make a good impression, show off your talents where appropriate. Varying your narratives will also enhance your credibility because capable people tend to put their talents to work in their everyday lives. For example, if you are an effective time manager during working hours then you should be demonstrating those time management skills at home also.

3. Perfect Your Practice – Rehearse answers to likely behavioural interview questions with the help of family and friends, co-workers and career counsellors, mentors and managers. Everyone has unique perspectives and nuggets of wisdom to offer. If possible, get your line manager to go through likely interview questions with you as he or she is likely to know what interviewers look out for in a candidate. Maintain a great relationship with your boss and you’ll be let in on the trade secrets.

4. Remain Confident – Even the most talented actors and actresses get nervous before a big performance so it’s natural to feel a little apprehensive before your behavioural interview. A good way to keep calm whilst waiting for the interview to begin is by focussing on the talents and activities you enjoy tremendously e.g. singing, painting, or playing golf. When you walk into the interview room, be sure to smile, make eye contact and shake hands firmly. It also helps to create rapport by making small talk. For instance, ask your interviewers what talents and activities they enjoy in their spare time and draw emphasis on common interests during conversation. Remember that people respond more favourably to those who are like them and behavioural interviewers are no exception.

5. Listen Carefully – Make sure you listen to each question intently and stop to think before you answer. For instance, many behavioural interview questions are multi faceted i.e. several questions merged into one. For example: What do you do when priorities change quickly? Give one example of when this happened AND There are times when we work without close supervision to get the job done. Tell us about a time when you found yourself in such a situation and how things turned out. If you fail to listen attentively, you may forget to answer certain parts of such questions! A good way to keep track is by discretely holding out multiple fingers before attempting multi faceted questions, dropping a finger after each sub-question has been answered.

6. Speak Naturally – Speak clearly and confidently, in keeping with your natural style. For instance, if you are a slow talker don’t try to talk fast just because you want to sound really keen on the job and if you are the serious sort don’t try to be funny either. Maintain eye contact with your interviewers throughout the behavioural interview as this will make you come across as honest, confident and intelligent. Just be your best self and you’ll make a positive impact at the interview.

Behavioural interviews are not difficult for those who have taken the time to find hidden talents and discover their purpose in life. By passionately communicating how your talents, skills, values and behaviours benefit your prospective employer, you can put yourself miles ahead of your competitors and make the career changes you desire.

Develop a Mindset for Success With Your Next Job Interview

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Interviewing is not easy and searching for the job in the construction, engineering and environmental industries is difficult enough on its own.

Interviews are almost like first dates where you are being challenged and judged by the organization you are interviewing with. Most job candidates do not realize though that they have more power than they think in an interview situation.

There is a lack of highly qualified professionals today in the construction, engineering and environmental industries and the truth is that you are also interviewing the organization just as much as they are interviewing you. Is this a company you actually want to work for as a civil engineer? Is this the ideal environment for a biologist? What would be your career path within the organization to achieve your goals?

Having the basic realization that your voice matters in an interview can empower you to take control of your career and find an opportunity that fulfills your career expectations. You are on a mission, after all to find the best job that suits your career needs.

By keeping these basic tips in mind as you interview it will help you find the best job for your career:

Demonstrate Your Desire To Stick Around

The interviewer is most likely swamped, wanting to fill open position quickly with qualified personnel. This is especially the case if you are applying for a position with ongoing projects that require immediate leadership and technical expertise. Hiring managers want to know that you are somebody they will not be seeking a replacement for in three months, especially if you are undertaking a major construction project for the company.

Demonstrate Your Institutional Knowledge

Do your research ahead of time and demonstrate to the interviewer that you are aware of how they operate. Show that you understand their projects and marketplace. You may even want do some research to gain an understanding of their existing projects. Make yourself aware of their competitors and past accomplishments; so that you are ready to ask intelligent questions about the organization and their future growth plans.

Ask Questions

Asking questions demonstrates interest. Feel free to ask if the position you are interviewing for is new or if there has been another employee working in the role? What projects you would have responsibilities for? Ask the Interviewer their thoughts on the position? Just make sure that you are asking professional questions that will give the employer a favorable impression, as well as, lead you to make a good choice in accepting a position with an employer for your career success.

Take Advantage Of Opportunities To Meet Staff Members

If you are asked to meet other members of the team, jump on the opportunity. Not only will you be able to see if you are a good fit with other team members, but you can also ask other questions about work-life balance and each employees professional backgrounds and expertise.

Be Aware Of Red Flags

Look for deal-breakers as you interview including difficult managers, odd personalities, lack of long term work or an uncomfortable workplace. Ultimately, it is important that you trust your instincts and look for work environments that suit your needs.

Just remember: even if your interview does not lead to a new career opportunity, you have gained great experience for the next interview. It will allow you to create a helpful set of skills that will aid you in the future.

Top Reasons to Use Career Advice Services

Should you be looking for and using career advice services? Nearly anyone who is looking for a job or who is hoping to move up in their industry can benefit from these professionals. Do you have goals outlined for yourself? Are you taking every step possible to move from where you are today to where you need to be in the future? For those not happy with their current position and want to do something more, this type of service can be ideal. Depending on the location you visit, they can often provide you with ample training and help that can make all of the difference.

Assessing Your Future

One of the first reasons to turn to career advice services is because they can help you to set the goal. You may need to talk to someone to determine what your needs are, where your goals are right now, and where you want to be at in 10 years. In short, it is a good idea to know what you can do and what you want to do so that you can plan to close that gap.

Exploring Your Options

The next thing for the provider to help you with is to find out what options are available to you right now. You may need to go back to school or get some additional training at this point to achieve your goals. In other cases, you may need to move into a different position or entry level opening in the field that you want to be in. It is important to know where your options are so that you can work towards getting to that point.

Creating a Powerful You

These providers will then work with you to ensure you have what it takes to get into that position. For example, they will help you to create a resume that shines. They will work with you to create cover letters and correspondence that can help you to get the interviews you need. They will provide you with help in preparing for a job interview, including helping you to handle the tough questions that interviewers often ask. They can even help you to negotiate a contract or salary with the company you hope to work with after a successful interview.

Career advice services can help you to get from where you are today, unhappy and unappreciated, to where you want to be in the future, in the job that helps you to feel good about yourself. The key is to know how to get there. That’s what these professionals can help you with – getting to your goal in the shortest time possible.

Behavioural Interviews Tips And Strategies

The following pointers will help you excel at behavioural interviews:

1. Become Career Wise – It is important that you first of all define what you want to get out of the behavioural interview. Would you be content with an average performance or do you dare to be outstanding? Are you seeking valuable interview experience or are you determined to make a major career change? Does the role fit in nicely with your long term career goals or will it merely be a stopgap? Before commencing interview preparations, take time to identify and define your career objectives.

2. Get Nosy – Whilst preparing for your behavioural interview, bear in mind that employers are searching for multi talented individuals with experiences, knowledge, behaviours and skills that will add long term value to their organisations. Thankfully prospective employers don’t expect you to figure out these desirable talents and behaviours all by yourself; they provide plenty of information via job advertisements and specially trained career personnel. Way before the behavioural interview, it is wise to ring your prospective employer and ask if you can come round and spend some time at the recruiting department. During sit-ins at the recruiting department, be sure to closely observe appropriate employees (e.g. the staff you will be working closely with if hired) for the talents and behaviours that the advertised job demands. Whether or not your prospective employer is able to arrange a sit-in, find out as much as you can about the company by visiting its website, speaking to its staff, reading relevant press articles and asking family and friends for helpful information.

3. Master the Ad – Job advertisements are often filled with clues as to the specific talents and behaviours employers find desirable. If you are serious about your career change, read job ads slowly and carefully until key points have been committed to memory. Pay particular attention to the style of language in which the advert has been written. For instance an upbeat style implies that the company is informal in its approach whereas a serious tone is typical of more conservative organisations. After you’ve read the ad at least five times, grab a pen and map out three separate columns on blank paper. In the first column, write down all the skills and talents required to perform the job successfully (e.g. computer, supervisory and organisational skills), in the second column write down the typical behaviours required of you (e.g. career minded, self starter and team player) and in the third column list the ethos and values of the organisation (e.g. creative, puts the customer first and so on). Next, read the ad a few more times to make sure all the useful information have been extracted from it. Memorise the lists in the three columns repeatedly.

4. Make Believe – You will improve your performance at behavioural interviews if you can first put yourself in the prospective interviewer’s shoes. Imagine for a moment that you are the person conducting the behavioural interview. Would you hire yourself? What kind of interviewee would you be on the lookout for? Which questions would you ask candidates at the interview? What sort of talents and behaviours would you find indispensable? Write down your thoughts and ideas and take them into account as you prepare for the behavioural interview.

5. Know Thyself – Do you know who you are? Generic personality tests aside, have you made concerted effort to discover your purpose in life? Before attending your behavioural interview, take time to find hidden talents and discover your unique purpose. Employers love behavioural questions because they are an excellent tool for discovering talents and behaviours that candidates may not even be aware of. For instance, when a behavioural interviewer asks you to ‘give an example of how you dealt with a difficult colleague in the past’, that interviewer is trying to find out if you are a talented people manager. By narrating the various ways in which you have gotten the best out of difficult co-workers, you are demonstrating your people skills whether or not you have ever thought of yourself as a people person. However, interviewees who know themselves to be talented people managers will be able to prepare real life case studies that showcase their people management skills to maximum advantage. It certainly pays to be self aware when preparing for a behavioural interview.

6. Use the Clues – Return to the lists of talents and behaviours that are crucial to the job role and ask yourself how many of those qualities you possess. Reflect on your career history, paying mind to the many ways you have demonstrated these desirable talents and behaviours in the past. For instance if adaptability is one of the desirable behaviours, ask yourself when you have had to adjust to changes over which you had no control. If ambition is one of the desirable attributes, ask yourself the last time you undertook a project that demanded plenty of initiative. Recall projects or ideas that were implemented primarily because of your efforts. Think of numerous real life examples that demonstrate your willingness to adapt to change. Repeatedly practice likely questions based on the talents and behaviours you extracted from the job ad. Search engine searches will also throw up websites that list frequently asked questions.

To be honest, people who fare best at behavioural interviews are those who have taken the time to find hidden talents and discover their purpose in life. By passionately communicating how your talents and purpose complement your prospective employer’s ethics, values and business objectives, you can put yourself head and shoulders above your competitors and make the career changes you desire.

Importance Of Career Management In Wealth Creation

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Investing money wisely is important. Financial discipline and Expense control put money in your hands. But your career is the biggest contributor of money. Career Management and Wealth management go hand in hand. It is this which allows you to invest. So managing your career and growing it is by far the most important aspect if you plan on increasing your wealth. Again these are for people who are beginning their careers and from the perspective of long term wealth management. I am not touching on the nuances of HRM but putting down a few random thoughts for improving your career and life in general.The article is specific for readers from India though most of the ideas expressed are universal.

a. Appraisals

Take them seriously. Prepare early. Data is the key. Keep a tab of your key result areas [KRAs] and review monthly. It is a good idea to pin it up somewhere so that you can see it. Your boss is not going to remember conversations or verbal confirmations. So if any deviation is taking place remember to keep a record by shooting off an email. An argument is the last thing you need at the time of that appraisal meeting. If your KRAs for this financial year are being fixed or are already fixed please go through them in detail. Check if your performance is conditional on something. If yes, get it included or send a note in writing pointing this out.

b. Improve yourself -Learn new things

Try to read up on your area of expertise. This is not to apply theory but to understand and open your mind to new possibilities and ideas. There are many online courses that are on offer now. Take up something that will add value to what you are doing. If you improve your knowledge soon you will have people around you asking for your opinion. Become the local expert, it will do you a lot of good in your career development.

c. Job Hopping versus growing roots

A job change is a very personal decision. It is also a decision which should never be deferred if it is needed. The last thing you need is a frog in the well syndrome. If you are good at what you do, then there are companies out there looking for people like you. If you are unhappy with the company you are working in and if your contribution is not being recognized go ahead and quit. If you are a disgruntled employee it will show in your work output and attitude. It becomes a vicious cycle and you end up doing injustice to yourself and your employer. Sticking with an employer is ideal if your movement up the corporate ladder is guaranteed.

Reasons for job hopping can be numerous, the most common being higher pay. Do not hop jobs for frivolous reasons like a better designation or more take home pay. Do some analysis and ask around before you jump. See growth prospects, training and how the company views promotion from within for senior posts.If your current organization gives you ample opportunity to grow and learn diverse skills it is better to stay with the organization. Ask yourself if you are doing the same job that you were doing for the last several years, if the answer is yes then it could be time to quit and look for opportunities to widen your skill set. Hard work is recommended but don’t sacrifice yourself at the corporate altar. Take care of your health.

d. Office Politics

What goes around comes around. I guess in a very competitive the ubiquitous knife in the back is the most feared weapon. It is best to focus on your work and give results. If you get into office politics, soon a smarter guy will come around and you might end up being the victim. If you stay out you will be ignored and you have more time to show your mettle at work. If you are the target, relax, losing your cool is only going to make the situation worse. Take it in your stride and talk it out, resolve it. Then forget it. If you are at fault, an apology can do wonders. Do not meddle in fights of feuding colleagues. Do not take sides. Let them resolve it themselves.

e. Share Knowledge

Keeping knowledge to yourself will not make you a better person. If you think the best strategy is to become indispensable then you are in for a big surprise. Nobody is indispensable. Period. If you are a division or a project head ask yourself – if I leave tomorrow, will things run smoothly? If the answer is yes, then you are really successful. It shows you have put systems in place and you run your division/project well. If on the other hand you think there will be chaos then you are holding things too close to your chest. The best way to learn is to teach others what you know.

f. Time Management

Gadgets, office gossip, social networking, Internet, blogging, writing columns are all time killers. Keep all these from eating away your time at work. Keep your office life and social life separate. You will find that you are able to finish your work early. Sure, you should have some fun in office but be aware of the time you spend on it. Think twice before you commit a deadline for a task. Give notice in advance if there is a delay. If there is a problem, nip it in the bud; go to your boss with a solution. A little bit of honesty can save time and energy for all concerned. Do not think that the problem will get resolved by itself. Most often than not, Murphy’s Law will catch up and you will have a bigger fire to fight.

Your career is the fountain of your wealth. Manage it wisely. There are many more factors that go into making a successful and rewarding career. If you have any pointers, please feel free to contribute.

Top Tips to Climb the Corporate Ladder in Quick Time

Career management has become a topic of widespread discussion these days. The nature of work has changed quite dramatically in recent years, and also have the nature of careers. There is a wide choice offered for anyone looking to make it big in a profession these days. Proper planning and then implementation of the same has become vitally important for anyone looking for professional growth nowadays. With the competition getting tougher by the day, it is imperative that you do a thorough analysis about your strengths and weakness before you go along your chosen career path.

Career management demands that you have an entrepreneurial spirit and treat your career, just as you would treat a business. Accordingly, you should do a thorough analysis of your strengths and find out what is that you bring to the table. You should make an honest analysis of your knowledge, expertise and your skill sets. You should think of yourself as a brand that is on offer in an extremely competitive market. Once you have assessed yourself you can then go about promoting yourself as a brand.

Career management is all about promoting yourself in the right manner. Once you have identified and created your own niche, then you need to go about devising a campaign targeting potential employers, just as in the case of a brand. You should meet potential employers and tell them as to how you differ from others when it comes to experience, values, skills and knowledge. You must make a conscious effort to differentiate yourself from others.

Networking is the key to career management. It goes without saying that you need to constantly look for building relationships. You should go about connecting with people who can be of help to you in reaching your career goals. It is therefore important that you develop good interpersonal communication skills in order to do so. Once you take care of these key aspects, you are literally bound to go places in your career.