Want to make forward progress in your career?

Being ambitious in your career doesn’t mean you need to be a ruthless workaholic who uses other people to climb the ladder; it means being curious, hardworking, excited, and open to new opportunities, even when you least expect them. It means taking an active role in your own process—whether that’s going out on a limb to ask a senior staff member to coffee; proactively seeking feedback; or intentionally surrounding yourself with industrious coworkers you admire. Whether you’re just starting out in the real world or looking for some guidance through a professional rut, read these simple, yet effective career-building strategies to help you meet the right people, expand your horizons, and ultimately land—and thrive—on the right career path for you.

Talk to Someone With the Job You Want

Are you new to the job market or looking to make a career 180? Don’t underestimate the power of an informal informational interview. Find someone in the occupation to speak with, pick their brain: Ask what the job entails, what skills are needed, what level of education you’ll need, what professional organization you should join—and even if you can shadow the person at work for a day. Then take steps to qualify yourself for the position, and make sure the person in charge of hiring—whether you’re applying for a new job or for a promotion—knows you’ve taken them.

Find the Upsides of Office Politics

Whether you want to be or not, you’re in the game, this doesn’t mean you should be petty or step on people’s toes; instead, make an effort to really absorb what’s going on around you, learn who’s in charge of what, and understand how work gets done in the organization. Build genuine relationships with others by being a team player, being professional, and avoiding gossip, and unprofessional outbursts.

Take Advantage of Your Connections

Sometimes it is about who you know—and that shouldn’t be a bad thing. Think about the person who’s hiring for your dream job. Do you know someone who might know them? Or someone who knows someone? Ask around: You want somebody to put in a good word for you. It’s not cheating, it’s smart and how so many great connections and successful careers get started.

 

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Take control of your job search like a boss.

Consider the hiring manager’s perspective

Keep in mind that, even if you’re desperate for a job, the company is almost as anxious to find someone capable to hire. Most companies need to attract the best talent, but don’t have their pick. Even at Google, the talent war is real.

And here’s a pro-tip that will help boost your confidence: The hiring manager wants to hire someone who will make them look good in front of their boss.

If you can show them that you are that person, then you’ll be exponentially more successful in your interviews.

Prepare to answer classic interview questions

Interviews have enough unknown variables to potentially throw you off. Because of this, you should try to prepare for as many of the known variables as you can. These are questions like…

  • “Tell me about yourself.”
  • “What’s your greatest weakness?”
  • “What’s your biggest strength?”
  • “Tell me about the time you overcame a challenge.”

The thing is, you can crack almost any interview, as long as you have a good answer to the tell-me-about-yourself question. Don’t make it chronological. Instead, pick 3 qualities and tell 1 story for each.

Competence Triggers

Have a firm handshake

When you walk into the interview room, subtly wipe your possibly clammy/sweaty hands on your pants or skirt and get ready for the first competence trigger – the handshake. If the interviewer doesn’t initiate one, feel free to extend your hand yourself, and give their hand one firm shake.

Relax

I know, I know – relaxing in an interview is easy to say, but hard to do. Here are a couple tactics that you can use to stay relaxed and confident:

  • Remind yourself of the work you’ve done upfront – Practice interviews, research, coffee meetings, etc. If you’ve done your best to prepare, then you’ll do your best at the interview – which is all that you can ask of yourself, whether or not you get the job. In line with that…
  • Ask yourself, “What’s the worst that can happen?” – More often than not, that means totally bombing the interview and not getting the job – not fun, but then again, it’s not the end of the world, either.

If you have time, you can also quickly run to the washroom to calm yourself down, have a few quiet moments, and take a few deep breaths.

Show your excitement and enthusiasm

You can do that by reminding yourself about how cool the job or company sounds in the job description, or even about all the stuff you can buy once the dough starts rolling in – whatever gets your blood pumping.

So, before you walk into the interview room, slap on a big grin on your face, and reflect your enthusiasm in your…

Body language

In an interview, you want to come across as confident and personable. How to be more personable will be covered in the next section, but to accomplish the first one, you need to take up space when you sit, and minimize movement. If you’re sitting in a chair, lean forward a little – this shows that you’re interested. Speaking with your hands is OK, so long as you slow down your movements.

 

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Career Advice for Women

Networking Horizontally:

Networking is one of the most crucial parts of building a career or business. One ignored part of networking that is extremely useful is Horizontal Networking. Networking doesn’t always mean attending events or trying to connect with someone you admire. Networking can also mean getting close with the people in the trenches with you as you evolve in your career. Over the years, those people will move on to other positions and you never know how you can help each other in the future.

Passion:

The most important quality to have to move ahead in your career is to show passion in every job you have. Even if you are not in your dream job, you need to put your best foot forward.  You never know who you will meet or who will end up shaping your future. Remember that your career or business is a marathon, not a sprint.  Do not try to be an overnight success or a one-hit wonder. Slow and steady wins the race. Take your time to develop the skills you need. No one expects you to know everything out of the gate.

Be Bold:

Be audacious! Treat your career as an exciting story, one you want to tell, each chapter adding new experiences and capabilities to your professional and life journey. Be passionate, show up and do what you love. Push other women forward, too.

Instinct:

Go with your gut. Never doubt it. Nurture it. Make it stronger. Make listening to it part of your self-care routine. It will never lead you astray. Even if it tells you something you don’t want to hear, trust that voice; it will guide you to the right destination. If it recommends a career transition, a new job or circle of friends, trust it blindly. Make that a foundation you can always turn to in moments of doubt or on hard days.

 

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3 things to differentiate you in the workplace

Always Acknowledge People Who Help You

It may sound simple to acknowledge those who offer assistance, but it’s genuinely a significant gesture. Whether someone gives you five minutes of his or her time or an introduction to a potential employer, it’s important to let that person know that it meant something to you. And when he or she or someone else needs help, return the favor. Consider it good karma.

Own Your Mistakes

Everybody makes mistakes. Even if you try hard not to, it will happen at some point. Of course, you will do what you can to avoid making a grave error, but sometimes even that happens. While your instinct may be to run away and hide, that is the worst thing you can do. Admitting your error, finding a way to fix it, or at least taking an action that mitigates its effects, will help restore your reputation.

Be Your Own Cheerleader 

Root for yourself. If you aren’t your own biggest fan, who will be? Take note of and pride in all your successes and positive attributes. Don’t wait for someone else to tell you “job well done!” Reflecting on your achievements will spur you on to accomplish even greater ones.

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Do you have a plan for your career?

Have a Job Target You Believe In

Be clear on what you want, why you want it and what qualifies you… Without clarity from the very start, virtually every stage that follows will be based on little more than a hunch — and that is an extremely fragile foundation for navigating a dynamic job search. You begin by engaging in some form of assessment. It could involve taking a standardized assessment instrument, keeping a journal or talking with people whose advice and feedback you value — friends, family, or a career coach. The goal is to achieve self-awareness in the form of a career target. The next, and equally important, step is a reality check. Here is where you determine that the goal you selected makes sense. Is it appropriate for you and is it attainable?

Create a Plan

Identify a few key features, such as, why is finding a new job important to you? What is your ideal time-frame for finding a new job? …What are types of companies you’d like to work for? When will you perform job searches — is there a day of the week that you will meet for coffee with your networking connections? What’s your timeline for updating your resume and cover letter? Post the plan somewhere you will see it and put important dates on your calendar. Most people don’t plan their search; they simply go about it in a haphazard fashion, so you’ll be ahead of the game. If you plan your search, you’re committing to a new job and will be more likely to find the job that you love.”

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Emerging Job Trends in Seattle and Bellevue

It will be harder for job seekers to land interviews

There are two reasons for this. First, employers are utilizing a more cumbersome applicant screening processes.  Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) require more time to sift through all available information to source the best candidates, using more forms, questionnaires, etc. as part of the screening process.  Second, employers are automating some jobs at the expense of employees.  As a result, job seekers should invest ample time in self-assessment process, in order to understand how their skills and background best fit each targeted position.  Then, effectively communicate their skills and experiences to employers.  A key outcome of this trend, Richards points out, is that résumés and applications must be more meticulously tailored to specific openings, in order to be selected for an interview.

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Tough Sales Job Interview Questions Asked in Redmond

“Why do you want to work in sales?”

The biggest mistake you can make when answering this question is to simply say, “Because I like it,” or worse, “Because the money is good.” This doesn’t really tell the interviewer anything they couldn’t have obviously guessed—and it certainly doesn’t help to set you apart from other candidates.

Successfully answer this tough question by focusing on your sales history. Think back to when your passion first began. Was it because of a summer job? Or maybe it started as early as childhood. Briefly illustrate this passion with real-life examples and include a success story, if possible. Then tie it in to why you still want to work in sales. Employers will take note of this longstanding drive and remember your answer because of your personal story.

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Bellevue Sample Thank-you letter

This is a sample letter, its just a template please customize to fit your situation

Good afternoon, XYZ,

Thank you for taking the time to speak with me yesterday about the staff writer position with Business News Daily.

It was a pleasure meeting with you, and I truly enjoyed learning more about the role and the company. After our conversation, I am confident that my skills and experiences are a great match for this opportunity.

I am very enthusiastic about the possibility of joining your team and would greatly appreciate a follow-up as you move forward with the hiring process. If you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me by email or phone. Thanks again, and I hope to hear from you in the near future.

Best regards,
ABC

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Miscellaneous Resume Tip’s

Ditch “References Available Upon Request”

If a hiring manager is interested in you, he or she will ask you for references—and will assume that you have them. There’s no need to address the obvious (and doing so might even make you look a little presumptuous!).

Proofread, Proofread, Proofread

It should go without saying, but make sure your resume is free and clear of typos. And don’t rely on spell check and grammar check alone—ask family or friends to take a look at it for you, or come to Career Paths NW and our experienced recruiters can help you with your resume.

Save it as a PDF

If emailing your resume, make sure to always send a PDF rather than a .doc. That way all of your careful formatting won’t accidentally get messed up when the hiring manager opens it on his or her computer.

Name Your File Smartly

Ready to save your resume and send it off? Save it as “Jane Doe Resume” instead of “Resume.” It’s one less step the hiring manager has to take.

Constantly Refresh It

Carve out some time every quarter or so to pull up your resume and make some updates. Have you taken on new responsibilities? Learned new skills? Add them in. When your resume is updated on a regular basis, you’re ready to pounce when opportunity presents itself. And, even if you’re not job searching, there are plenty of good reasons to keep this document in tip-top shape.

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How to add Education to your resume

Experience First, Education Second

Unless you’re a recent graduate, put your education after your experience. Chances are, your last couple of jobs are more important and relevant to you getting the job than where you went to college.

Also Keep it Reverse Chronological…

Usually, you should lay down your educational background by listing the most recent or advanced degree first, working in reverse chronological order. But if older coursework is more specific to the job, list that first to grab the reviewer’s attention.

But Skip the Dates

Don’t list your graduation dates. The reviewer cares more about whether or not you have the degree than when you earned it.

Highlight Honors, Not GPA

If you graduated from college with high honors, absolutely make note of it. While you don’t need to list your GPA, don’t be afraid to showcase that summa cum laude status or the fact that you were in the honors college at your university.

Include Continuing or Online Education

Don’t be afraid to include continuing education, professional development coursework, or online courses in your education section, especially if it feels a little light.  “Online courses are a more-than-accepted norm nowadays, and your participation in them can actually show your determination and motivation to get the skills you need for your career.”

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