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Passion may seem an odd word choice when paired with career, but rest assured that one of the most important elements of personal happiness is being passionate about your career and your job. You do not want to be one of those people who live for the weekends and dread Sunday evenings. Life is too short to not love the work you do.

Will you love your work and your career as much as your passion for other things and people? Why not? It is completely possible to not only find the career that is a perfect match for your skills and interests, but one that also inspires you and fuels your desire to perform better, work harder.

Do you think you’re too old, too entrenched in your current career? Or maybe too young and filled with too many ideas (or doubts) about what you want to do with your life? Or maybe a recent college grad who now realizes you chose the wrong major and career path?

Regardless of where you are in life — where you are in your career — there is always time to discover — or rediscover — what you’re truly passionate about and turn that interest and passion into a new career.

Finding a career that you have a passion for is all about obtaining fulfillment. Some of these jobs may also not be the highest-paying jobs in the world, but career passion is not about the money, it’s about how the job makes you feel inside. Loving your job and career will go a long way to loving your life — so, take the time to find your career passion. The ideal scenario is one where you find a career that combines what you love to do with you’re great at doing.

One of the best tools for clarifying your underlying interests, passions, and possible career paths is to sit down and reflect on a series of questions about how you have lived your life thus far. These questions are designed to really make you think and reflect on who you are as a person and what you want to become.

So, find a place where you can sit down for a while, grab a pen and some paper, and start the process. You don’t have to respond to all these questions in one sitting… and it might be best, once you have answered all the questions, to take a break before you try to determine what your answers mean for your future. The only real rule for this exercise is to be honest with yourself.http://www.careerberg.com

About your favorite activities. What do you love to do in your free time? Try to brainstorm 5-8 activities. Don’t count activities you have to do or are doing to make yourself look better to college admissions folks. Identify the activities that you truly enjoy. Once you’re done writing them down, look for a theme.

About the skills that come naturally to you. What are the skills that come to you without thought and effort? Are you a math whiz who can easily add and subtract large numbers in your head? Can you hear a foreign language and immediately be able to replicate the inflections? What are some of the things you are a “natural” at? Brainstorm 3-5 of these skills.

About your favorite classes and subjects. Looking back through your school years, what were the classes — or specific subjects — that you enjoyed the most — that inspired you to learn more? These do not need to be the classes in which you received the highest grades; rather, these are the classes that you actively attended because you loved the course material. Make a list of your favorite classes and subjects and look for some themes.

About your dream jobs and careers. If you could do any job in your life, what would you choose? You may have done this exercise in elementary school, but it’s time to do it again; however, you can keep the same ones you chose then and any others that interest you now. The key is to ignore any roadblocks and simply choose dream careers. So, for example, even if you always wanted to be a fighter pilot but are not eligible because of health reasons, still put it on your list. Write down at least five careers that you think you would enjoy.

About discovering the types of things that energize you. What types of things energize you? Think about people, places, and activities. For example, if you are a diehard competitor who rises to the occasion no matter how tired you are, then competition should be on your list. If visiting the zoo is still something that gets you excited, put it on your list. Try to develop 3-5 examples.

About examining your lifelong interests. Examine the past 5 or 10 years for activities, subjects, or causes that you have been deeply involved with at a personal level. What are some of your long-term interests? For example, if you have always loved bicycling, have a poster of Lance Armstrong (or one of his wristbands), ride your bike as often as you can — and for as long as you can remember, put biking on your list. Record your list of interests — and then look for themes and connections.

About areas where you are already perceived as an expert. What are a couple of areas where your friends and family see you as an expert — or at least as someone who is knowledgeable about the issue? Are you the person in your family whom everyone finds when they are having a problem with their computers? Are you an expert on all things related to baseball? Write down as many examples as you can think of where you are an expert.

About removing outside influences and pressures about what others think should be your career. Sometimes we think we want a career in a certain career field simply because we have been told so many times that we’re perfect for it (even if we hate the thought of ever doing it). So… try and separate true interests from ones where you have been influenced by others — or ones you are pursuing because you feel you should to please someone else. Write them down your true interests (if you have not done so already earlier).

About the values you most cherish. What are the values you hold dear and that help guide how you live your life? Make a list of them. This one may be the toughest for you to tackle, but think about the core values and principles with which you live your life. Typically, these are most influenced by your upbringing — your family’s values and your religious beliefs. This question is critical because you will never be happy or satisfied in a career that does not offer the same values that you possess.

About the subject areas you most enjoy reading about. When you are in a bookstore or the library, what are the subjects of the types of books and magazines that you are drawn to? What Websites do you visit the most and devote the most time to? These subjects can be related to your classes and schoolwork but should not be ones that you are required to read; rather, these are subjects you enjoy reading for your own pleasure and knowledge. Develop a list of your favorite subjects.

About discovering the best types of work environment for your personality. What type of work environment fits you best — the fast-paced, always changing, or the slow-paced, predictable? If you’re a student, this question might be a little premature for you to answer, but you could also think about the various classroom or teaching styles you have experienced in the past and see if you prefer one style over all others.

About reviewing your volunteering and community service experiences. What types of volunteering have you done or wish you have done? Again, as you make this list, think about experiences you would participate in even if you were not using them for college applications. What types of community service appeals to you? Look for a theme in terms of the types of organizations, types of people, or types of service you perform.

About examining the majors and prospective career paths taken by your friends. Make a list of the careers that your closest friends work in (or plan to work in). See anything that really grabs your interest? Write them down. Please note that this examination is not about copying what your friends are doing, but rather, because friendships are formed around common interests and bonds, examining their plans may provide some insight into your interests.http://www.careerberg.com

About understanding your deeply rooted beliefs — your life’s calling. Have your friends and family told you repeatedly that you would be excellent in a particular job or career? Do you have a deeply held desire for a particular career? Do you think about your calling in life? It sounds corny — or maybe even sacrilegious — but some people are born for certain careers. For me, it about being a teacher, about empowering people and making a difference in their lives. What’s yours? Write them down.

About the types of things you currently do to help people. When your friends or family ask you for help, what are the types of things they ask you to help with? What are the types of things you wish people would ask you to do? If you’re still struggling with this one, use this prompt: People I know often ask me for help with… Make a list.

About the goals in life you want to achieve. What are some of the big goals you want (or still want) to achieve in life? Do you want to save lives?Makes lots of money? Be a movie star? Live in a big house? Save the Earth? Become president? Think big here — and think about the top couple of goals that mean the most to you right now. (Note, of all your answers, these will probably change the most as you move through life.) What types of careers might help you accomplish these goals? Write down answers for both goals and careers.

Finally, it’s about putting together all your self-discovery results.Gather your assessments, preliminary research, and answers to the questions and see if you can find a couple of obvious themes running through them. Don’t rush this process… contemplate. Make a final list of potential jobs and career paths.

Final Thoughts
Everyone deserves the opportunity to live a life of fulfillment and passion. Whether you are a student struggling to find a major or someone later in life looking for a new career and a fresh start, you can (or should) always find time to discover the right career for you — the career that will fulfill your career passions and lead to a life of happiness and fulfillment. Look deeply inside yourself and remove all obstacles (real and perceived), and you will be on your way in your journey for finding your career passion, achieving career success, and living your life.

http://www.careerberg.com

http://www.careerberg.com

OK, you’re graduating from college soon. Time to give your resume and cover letter a checkup to ensure they are as powerful as they can be. Powerful new grad resumes and cover letters have several things in common, so you can kill a number of birds with one stone with this checkup.

1. Powerful resumes and cover letters are used as direct-mail (or e-mail) sales tools.

It’s important to remember the purpose of a resume and cover letter. They don’t have to perform the task of getting you a job since very few people are hired sight unseen. All they have to do is get you an interview. So the primary mission of a resume and cover letter is arouse the reader’s interest and sell yourself enough so that you get asked to meet with the employer.

The lesson here is to keep your documents concise and to the point. You don’t have to include everything about yourself, and you should not include anything that’s not relevant. You don’t have write your autobiography. Now, granted, some college students have the opposite problem. Instead of limiting the information they list on their resumes, they worry about not having enough. Others are tempted to list every class they’ve taken, every award, and every extracurricular activity. Many of these items may be worthy resume components, but for every item you’re considering inserting into your resume, ask yourself, is it relevant to the kind of job I’m seeking?

Course work usually isn’t necessary unless it’s unusual or you have very little else to list in your resume. Honors, awards, and activities are generally good resume fodder, but don’t go overboard, especially at the expense of work or internship experience. I knew one new grad who had an impressive list of honors and awards. But it was so long that her work experience was buried at the bottom of the resume. Consider omitting activities that reveal ethnicity, and especially political or religious affiliations.

Let go of high-school activities and honors unless they are truly exceptional or demonstrate an early interest in your chosen career. Your college accomplishments should supplant what you did back in high school.

2. Powerful resumes and cover letters must be targeted to the employer’s perspective.

When constructing your resume and cover letter, put yourself in the mind-set of the employer. Ask not what the employer can do for you but what you can do for the employer. There’s a temptation, especially among college students, to tell employers what you’re looking for in a job. We frequently see that tendency in Objective statements. The old chestnut about “Seeking challenging position with growth potential,” is so overused that it is meaningless to employers.

Employers want to know what you can do for them, how you will benefit their companies, how you will impact their bottom lines. While they’re not totally oblivious to your career hopes and dreams, your aspirations are not their primary concern.

3. Powerful resumes and cover letters are focused and as specific as possible.

The sad truth is that resumes and cover letters are read for between 2.5 and 20 seconds. So you have only the briefest moment to catch the employer’s interest. The employer wants to know as quickly as possible: What do you want to do and what are you good at? He or she doesn’t have time to wade through lots of text to find out.

So how can you sharpen the focus of your resume and cover letter?http://www.careerberg.com

• Consider an Objective Statement  to sharpen a resume’s focus. The objective statement can be as simple and straightforward as the title of the position you’re applying for, which can be adjusted for every job you apply for. Or you can embellish the Objective statement with language telling how you’ll benefit the employer. Something like:

Objective: To contribute strong ________ skills and experience to your firm in a _________ capacity.

In this day of being able to manage our own computer files, you could have several versions of your resume that are exactly the same except for the objective. A specific objective is always better than a vague or general one.

• Include a Professional Profile. A profile section, also known as a “Summary of Qualifications,” can help sharpen your resume’s focus by presenting 4-5 bullet points that encapsulate your best qualifications and selling points. It’s often a good idea to list relevant computer and foreign-language skills in this section instead of burying them at the bottom of your resume, as many job-seekers do.

• Tailor cover letters to specific jobs. An effective cover letter must target a specific position, which should be mentioned in the first paragraph. Don’t list several possible positions or say that you’re willing to consider any position. If you do, the employer will see you as unfocused or even desperate.

• Also consider specific tailoring for resumes. According to a new study by Career Masters Institute, employers want resumes to show a clear match between the applicant and a particular job’s requirements. A “general” resume that is not focused on a specific job’s requirements is seen as not competitive. Now it may not be realistic or practical to change your resume for every job you apply for, but you can change certain elements, such as the aforementioned Objective statement and the Professional Profile section. Another alternative is to have more than one version of your resume. Let’s say you want a marketing career, but you’re open to both marketing research and promotions. You could craft a version of your resume for each niche.

• Consider adding a graphic. This suggestion is pretty radical, and it’s not for everyone, but a very small, tasteful graphic on your resume and/or cover letter could sharpen your focus. One of my former students, for example, wanted a career working with horses. She placed a tiny horse graphic at the top of her resume. Her career focus was instantly apparent. Another student pursuing a law career used a tasteful scales of justice graphic; another interested in international business had a small world map graphic.

4. Powerful resumes and cover letters make the most of your college experience.

Too many college students miss the opportunity to exploit valuable experience on their resumes and cover letter because they overlook unpaid experience. Experience is experience. It doesn’t have to be paid. Anything you’ve done that has enabled you to develop skills that are relevant to the kind of job you seek is worth consideration for resume and cover letter mention. That’s especially true if you don’t have much paid experience. The key, as noted in #1, is relevance. Consider the following in evaluating what experience and skills you’ve gained that are relevant to what you want to do when you graduate:

• Internships
• Summer Jobs
• Campus jobs (work-study)
• Sports
• Entrepreneurial/self-employed jobs
• Temporary work
• Volunteer work: school, church, club, not-for-profit organizations
• Research papers/projects
• Campus activity positions
• Fraternity/sorority/social club positions
• Extracurricular or sports leadership positions

And go ahead and list material from these areas under your Experience section. Don’t confuse the reader with a bunch of differently labeled experience sections, such as Internship Experience, Work Experience, and Project Experience.

5. Powerful resumes and cover letters portray your skills as transferable and applicable to what you want to do.

You may think what you’ve done is not relevant to your future career, but you can probably spin the experience so that it demonstrates the transferable and applicable skills that most employers want:

• Teamwork
• Leadership
• Communications
• Interpersonal
• Computer

The value of transferable skills is a major reason I urge students to list sports in the Experience sections of their resumes — because athletics so often provide the teamwork, leadership experience, and competitive drive that employers seek.

6. Powerful resumes and cover letters focus on ACCOMPLISHMENTS, NOT job duties and responsibilities.

In the recent study by Career Masters Institute, content elements that propelled employers to immediately discard resumes included a focus on duties instead of accomplishments, while documented achievements were highly ranked among content elements that employers look for.

Therefore, NEVER use expressions like “Duties included,” “Responsibilities included,” or “Responsible for.” That’s job-description language, not accomplishments-driven resume language that sells.

Instead, emphasize the special things you did to set yourself apart and do the job better than anyone else.

Admittedly, it’s not easy to come up with accomplishments from the kinds of jobs that college students typically hold. But it’s important to:

• Start tracking your accomplishments NOW.
• Start HAVING accomplishments NOW!

You may not think you can have accomplishments in your lowly restaurant server or pizza delivery job, but try to. Ask your boss what you can do to improve. Strive to win any awards (such as Employee of the Month) that your employer offers. Find ways to go above and beyond your job description.http://www.careerberg.com

7. Powerful resumes and cover letters use action verbs and KEYWORDS!

Action verbs in your resume and cover letters increase the strength of your writing and make you sound dynamic to employers.

Almost as important as using action verbs is avoiding weak verbs:

• Do. Try “conduct,” “perform,” or “orchestrate.”
• Forms of the verb “to be.” Instead of “was,” say “served,” “functioned,” “acted.”
• Work. Everyone works. Be more specific. Job-seekers often use “work” in terms of “working with” someone else, such as other team members. In that context, “collaborate(d)” is often a good substitute.
• Received. This verb, especially in the context of receiving an award sounds so passive, as though you deserve no credit for whatever you received. Always say you “earned” an award or honor rather than “received” it.

Threatening to overtake verbs in importance on resumes and cover letters are keywords. Employers are increasingly relying on digitizing job-seeker resumes, placing those resumes in keyword-searchable databases, and using software to search those databases for specific keywords — usually nouns — that relate to job vacancies. Most Fortune 1000 companies, in fact, and many smaller companies now use these technologies. Experts estimate that more than 80 percent of resumes are searched for job-specific keywords.

The bottom line is that if you apply for a job with a company that searches databases for keywords, and your resume doesn’t have the keywords the company seeks for the person who fills that job, you are pretty much dead in the water.

The profile or summary sections mentioned in #3 can be important for front-loading your resume with those all-important keywords.

8. Powerful resumes and cover letters contain NO typos or misspellings.

Remember that it’s not enough to spell-check your documents because you may have used a perfectly spelled word — but it wasn’t the word you wanted. For example, a word frequently seen on resumes and cover letter is “possess,” but some job-seekers accidentally spell it “posses,” which is the plural of “posse.”

Proofread your resume and cover letter. Put them down for a few hours, come back, and proofread again. Then get a friend or family member with a good eye to proof them for you.

9. Powerful resumes and cover letters are reader-friendly.

The Career Masters Institute study ranks easy readability highest of all resume characteristics in terms of first impressions. The employers surveyed ranked use of bullets second highest.

Use the following to make your documents reader-friendly:

• Bullets in resumes (and sometimes in cover letters)
• White space. Make sure your documents have reasonable margins. In my opinion, the default margins in Microsoft Word are wider than they need to be (1.25″ on the left and right and 1″ at the top and bottom). Margins can be as narrow as .75″ if needed. My partner uses the “thumb test.” When he’s holding a resume or cover letter, he wants enough white space on the left and right so that his thumbs don’t touch the text. Of course, he has big thumbs, so 1″ left and right margins suit him better. Also make sure you have a line of space between all the jobs listed on your resume and between all resume sections. For cover letters, equalize the white space at the top and bottom of the letter so that it is centered vertically on the page.
• Type large enough to read (no smaller than 10.5 point).

Now, about the one-page “rule.” Job-seekers, especially new grads, are often cautioned to keep resumes to one page. And it’s good advice. You should keep it to one page if at all possible. But if your experience is exceptional, don’t sacrifice readability just for the sake of keeping the resume to one page. I’ve seen job-seekers use nonexistent margins and tiny type just to squash their resumes onto a single page. At the same time, if your resume spills over to fill just a small part of a second page (less than half the page), it’s probably best to condense to one page by cutting content.

http://www.careerberg.com

10. Powerful resumes and cover letters include every possible way to reach you.

Powerful resumes and cover letters do no good if the employer can’t reach you. Most college students wisely list both their campus and home addresses and phone numbers on their resumes.. Don’t forget your cell phone number, if you have one. In fact, don’t overlook any way an employer could reach you, including fax and pager numbers, if available.

When you’re in job-hunting mode, make sure the outgoing message on your residence-hall answering machine or voice-mail sounds professional. I’ve called many students in their dorms and gotten some pretty outrageous messages that would likely turn off employers.

A good way to ensure you have all relevant contact information on both your resume and cover letter (remember that the two could get separated) is to use the same “letterhead” on both documents, which also makes for an attractive package. It also never hurts to repeat your most important contact information in the last paragraph of your cover letter.

http://www.careerberg.com

When I landed a job in a top public-relations firm after my college graduation, I thought the toughest part of my entry into corporate America was over. I dumped my extra resumes in a recycling bin and eagerly awaited a paycheck that would scarcely cover my rent. I looked forward to worldly business trips, stimulating office brainstorms, and hanging out with my co-workers every Friday at happy hour.

A few years later, I had never made it to a happy-hour gathering because on Friday nights I was passed out on the couch. I held an entry-level position for 16 months while people with half my intelligence and work ethic lapped me. My resume listed four positions in three years because I was always on the lookout for a better opportunity that would bring the ever-elusive job satisfaction.

Eventually, I considered joining the large numbers of my friends who were leaving the corporate world in favor of business or law school. The idea of going back to school is tempting, and why not? We’re comfortable with the concept of school. We know how the story goes. If you work hard, you get good grades, and everyone is happy.

The business world, as millions see on NBC’s The Apprentice every week, is another animal entirely. Politically motivated and fraught with nonsensical change, corporate America is not a natural fit for ambitious graduates who leave school expecting results from a logical combination of education and effort. Suddenly, the tenets of success we were taught since kindergarten don’t apply, for getting ahead in the business world may have nothing to do with intelligence or exceeding a set of defined expectations.http://www.careerberg.com

Today’s employees technically have more occupational choices than previous generations, but since the turbulent economy has limited our options, we face escalating uncertainty about our careers. More employees are seeking counseling than ever before, and job jumping, spurred by stress and dissatisfaction, has become the norm. Here are six tips to help you win at the business world’s game:

• Develop a marketable corporate persona: Think of yourself as a publicist with the task of promoting you. Learn to capitalize on your skills, succinctly assert your achievements, and project a corporate persona — or your most mature, professional, and competent face.
• Establish profitable relationships: Business networking is a valuable tool to gain information, increase your visibility in your field and make connections that will help you move forward in your career. Seek out new contacts and potential mentors whom you like and admire and whose interests you share. On the home front, don’t expect your boss to figure out what you’re all about. Determine her priorities, find out what she wants from you, and brainstorm ways to surpass her expectations.
• Master transferable skills such as goal setting, effective communication, and time management: You might not know exactly what you want to do with your life, but transferable skills will serve you well no matter what future path you decide to pursue. Make your time count now by working with your boss to set specific, reasonable, and attainable goals for your present position that will help you advance to the next level.
• Stay motivated despite trying circumstances: There’s no doubt that the business world can be frustrating, but remember that you can choose your response to your environment. If you make a conscious decision to begin each day with a positive outlook, negative conditions at work can’t take that away from you. Aim to increase your self-awareness so you can better understand your emotional hot buttons.
• Get people to cooperate: Always keep in mind that other people don’t care what you want — they want to know what’s in it for them. By approaching negotiations with an attitude that allows both parties to win, you’ll be more effective at eliciting cooperation and ultimately getting what you want.
• Be proactive about your career growth: Approach your performance review strategically by soliciting feedback on your progress, identifying new goals and growth opportunities and hammering out a long-term promotion plan. When asking your boss for a raise, be prepared with a list of contributions that have positively impacted the bottom line. http://www.careerberg.com

When you’re struggling to survive in a corporate job, it might be an achievement just to make it through the day. But if at any point you feel like taking these steps is not worth the effort, just consider how much time you are likely to spend in the business world. Assuming you work from age 22 to age 65 for 235 days a year, you’ll be on someone else’s clock for about 80,000 hours, or one tenth of your life. Isn’t it only fair that you do everything you can to create a rewarding job experience?

Melissa had been the ideal worker, always willing to take on new projects, work long hours and weekends — until last year. There were subtle changes at first. Her demeanor turned from always positive to a growing streak of negativism. She began to have problems sleeping. She felt frustrated with a lack of progress within the firm, and a growing sense of no longer being a part of the team. She started to use sick days for the first time — some for a nagging number of illnesses, some for “mental health” days. Luckily for Melissa, she had some friends who recognized the problem she was suffering from was job stress. http://www.careerberg.com

What is Job Stress?

Job stress is something we all face as workers — and we all handle it differently. There is no getting around it. But, not all stress is bad, and learning how to deal with and manage stress is critical to our maximizing our job performance, staying safe on the job, and maintaining our physical and mental health. For workers like Melissa, infrequent doses of job stress pose little threat and may be effective in increasing motivation and productivity, but too much — and too prolonged — can lead to a downward spiral — both professionally and personally.

Some jobs, by definition, tend to be higher stress — such as ones that are in dangerous settings (fire, police), that deal with demanding customers (service providers), that have demanding time pressures (healthcare), and that have repetitive detailed work (manufacturing) — but stress is not limited to any one particular job or industry.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, states that job stress, now more than ever, poses a threat to the health of workers –- and the health of organizations. NIOSH defines job stress as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. Stress also occurs when the situation has high demands and the worker has little or no control over it. Job stress can lead to poor health and injury.

Job Stress Statistics

Numerous studies examining job stress sound an alarming bell about the mental and physical health of American workers:

• A Northwestern National Life study found that 40 percent of workers report their job is “very or extremely stressful.” And that one-fourth of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives.

• A Families and Work Institute study found 26 percent of workers report they are “often or very often burned out or stressed by their work.”

• A Yale University study found 29 percent of workers feel “quite a bit or extremely stressed at work.”

• A Princeton Survey Research Associates study reports that three-fourths of employees believe the worker has more on-the-job stress than a generation ago.

• A Gallup Poll found that 80 percent of workers feel stress on the job, and nearly half reported that they needed help in learning how to manage it.

• According to an article in Shape Magazine, women are 60 percent more likely to suffer from job stress than men. http://www.careerberg.com

Symptoms & Warning Signs of Job Stress

While the causes can be something other than job stress, here are the most common symptoms and early warning signs of job stress and burnout:

• Apathy

• Negativism/cynicism

• Low morale

• Boredom

• Anxiety

• Frustration

• Fatigue

• Depression

• Alienation

• Anger/irritability

• Physical problems (headaches, stomach problems)

• Absenteeism

Causes of Job Stress

There are two schools of thought on the causes of job stress. According to one theory, differences in individual characteristics, such as personality and coping style, are best at predicting what will stress one person but not another. The focus then becomes on developing prevention strategies that help workers find ways to cope with demanding job conditions.

The other theory proposes that certain working conditions are inherently stress-inducing, such as fear of job loss, excessive workload demands, lack of control or clear direction, poor or dangerous physical working conditions, inflexible work hours, and conflicting job expectations. The focus then becomes on eliminating or reducing those work environments as the way to reducing job stress.

Strategies for Managing Job Stress

While many of the methods of preventing job stress need to be developed and supported by the organization, there are things that workers can do to help you better manage job stress.

Here are 10 tips for dealing with the stress from your job:

1. Put it in perspective. Jobs are disposable. Your friends, families, and health are not. If your employer expects too much of you, and it’s starting to take its toll on you, start looking for a new job/new employer.

2. Modify your job situation. If you really like your employer, but the job has become too stressful (or too boring), ask about tailoring your job to your skills. And if you got promoted into a more stressful position that you just are not able to handle, ask about a lateral transfer — or even a transfer back to your old job (if that’s what you want).

3. Get time away. If you feel the stress building, take a break. Walk away from the situation, perhaps walking around the block, sitting on a park bench, taking in a little meditative time. Exercise does wonders for the psyche. But even just finding a quiet place and listening to your iPod can reduce stress.

4. Fight through the clutter. Taking the time to organization your desk or workspace can help ease the sense of losing control that comes from too much clutter. Keeping a to-do list — and then crossing things off it — also helps.

5. Talk it out. Sometimes the best stress-reducer is simply sharing your stress with someone close to you. The act of talking it out -– and getting support and empathy from someone else — is often an excellent way of blowing of steam and reducing stress. Have a support system of trusted people.

6. Cultivate allies at work. Just knowing you have one or more co-workers who are willing to assist you in times of stress will reduce your stress level. Just remember to reciprocate and help them when they are in need.

7. Find humor in the situation. When you –- or the people around you — start taking things too seriously, find a way to break through with laughter. Share a joke or funny story.

8. Have realistic expectations. While Americans are working longer hours, we can still only fit so much work into one day. Having unrealistic expectations for what you can accomplish sets you up for failure — and increased stress.

9. Nobody is perfect. If you are one of those types that obsess over every detail and micromanage to make sure “everything is perfect,” you need to stop. Change your motto to performing your best, and leave perfection to the gods.

10. Maintain a positive attitude (and avoid those without one). Negativism sucks the energy and motivation out of any situation, so avoid it whenever possible. Instead, develop a positive attitude — and learn to reward yourself for little accomplishments (even if no one else does).

Final Thoughts

Okay, so it’s a cliche, but your health is everything. You need to take care of yourself, and no job, customer, or boss is worth putting yourself at risk. Find a way out through one or more of our 10 strategies. Take control of your situation — and fix it — and you will have better mental and physical health, as well as better relationships with the people around you. http://www.careerberg.com

Here are the keys to successful career assessment. Follow these simple rules and you should achieve success in this self-discovery process. http://www.careerberg.com

• Do be aware that assessments are available to help guide you toward the right career for you. A qualified career counselor can administer, score, and interpret these assessments. A number of free career assessments also are available on the Internet, though many experts question their reliability.

• Do keep your expectations in check when you take free online assessments. You may attain some direction and guidance from these tests, but don’t be overly reliant on them for magic answers.

• Don’t discount the possibility that these free online assessments might suggest to you some career ideas and directions you had never thought of and that are worth further exploration.

• Do take several different assessments to help you learn more about yourself and to help you determine which tests provide the most reliable results for you.

• Do print out and retain the results of the assessments you take online. Compare results, and see if you can see patterns — a “career snapshot” — beginning to emerge.

• Do trust your gut. If a free online assessment tells you something about yourself that doesn’t ring true, disregard that information. http://www.careerberg.com

• Don’t rely on free online assessments alone for self-discovery and career guidance. Meet with a career counselor; college students and alumni usually have free or inexpensive access to counselors. Supplement the results you’ve obtained from free online assessments with other assessments the counselor might administer. Ask the counselor to help you interpret and integrate the results of various assessments.

• Do use career assessments with a variety of other self-discovery activities, such as examining your strengths and weaknesses and the activities you most enjoy and least enjoy.

• Do have fun taking career assessments. Self-discovery is almost always an enlightening and often entertaining process. http://www.careerberg.com

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How many times will you change careers in your lifetime? If you’re like most people, you’ll change careers at least several times over the course of your life. How successful you’ll be in making transitions among careers can at least be partially attributed to the amount of career planning and preparation you’ve done.

Every job-seeker needs to take the time to step way from the day-to-day grind of work and spend quality time reflecting on your career and developing some plans for your future. Whether you love your current job and employer or feel frustrated and confined by your job, career planning can help. Think of career planning as building bridges from your current job/career to your next job/career; without the bridge, you may easily stumble or lose your way, but with the bridge there is safety and direction.

This article provides you with some basic guidelines for both short-term and long-term career planning.

Short-Term Career Planning
A short-term career plan focuses on a timeframe ranging from the coming year to the next few years, depending on the job-seeker. The key characteristic of short-term career planning is developing realistic goals and objectives that you can accomplish in the near future.

As you begin your career planning, take the time to free yourself from all career barriers. What are career barriers? There are personal barriers (such as lack of motivation, apathy, laziness, or procrastination), family pressure (such as expectations to work in the family business, follow a certain career path, or avoidance of careers that are below your status/stature), and peer pressure. And while career planning and career decision-making is an important aspect of your life, do not put so much pressure on yourself that it paralyzes you from making any real choices, decisions, or plans. Finally, career planning is an ever-changing and evolving process — or journey — so take it slowly and easily.

To help you with your career planning, consider using the following exercises to their fullest potential.

Career Planning Exercises:

1. Analyze your current/future lifestyle. Are you happy with your current lifestyle? Do you want to maintain it or change it? Be sure to identify the key characteristics of your ideal lifestyle. Does your current career path allow you the lifestyle you seek?
2. Analyze your likes/dislikes. What kinds of activities — both at work and at play — do you enjoy? What kind of activities do you avoid? Make a list of both types of activities. Now take a close look at your current job and career path in terms of your list of likes and dislikes. Does your current job have more likes or dislikes?
3. Analyze your passions. Reflect on the times and situations in which you feel most passionate, most energetic, most engaged – and see if you can develop a common profile of these situations. Develop a list of your passions. How many of these times occur while you are at work?
4. Analyze your strengths and weaknesses. Step back and look at yourself from an employer’s perspective. What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? Think in terms of work experience, education/training, skill development, talents and abilities, technical knowledge, and personal characteristics.
5. Analyze your definition of success. Spend some time thinking about how you define success. What is success to you: wealth, power, control, contentment…
6. Analyze your personality. Are you an extravert or an introvert? Do you like thinking or doing? Do you like routines or change? Do you like sitting behind the desk or being on the move? Take the time to analyze yourself first, then take one or more of these self-assessment tests.
7. Analyze your dream job. Remember those papers you had to write as a kid about what you wanted to be when you grew up? Take the time to revert back to those idyllic times and brainstorm about your current dream job; be sure not to let any negative thoughts cloud your thinking. Look for ideas internally, but also make the effort to explore/research other careers/occupations that interest you.
8. Analyze your current situation. Before you can even do any planning, clearly and realistically identify your starting point.

Once you’ve completed these exercises, the next step is to develop a picture of yourself and your career over the next few years. Once you’ve developed the mental picture, the final step is developing a plan for achieving your goal.http://www.careerberg.com

Career Planning Steps:

1. Identify your next career move. If you have been examining multiple career paths, now is the time to narrow down the choices and focus on one or two careers.
2. Conduct detailed career research and gather information on the careers that most interest you.
3. Pinpoint the qualifications you need to move to the next step in your career or to make the move to a new career path. If you’re not sure, search job postings and job ads, conduct informational interviews, research job descriptions.
4. Compare your current profile with the qualifications developed in step 3. How far apart are the two profiles? If fairly well-matched, it may be time to switch to a job-search. If fairly far apart, can you realistically achieve the qualifications in the short-term? If yes, move to the next step; if no, consider returning to the first step.
5. Develop a plan to get qualified. Make a list of the types of qualifications you need to enhance your standing for your next career move, such as receiving additional training, certification, or experience. Develop a timeline and action plans for achieving each type, being sure to set specific goals and priorities.

Long-Term Career Planning
Long-term career planning usually involves a planning window of five years or longer and involves a broader set of guidelines and preparation. Businesses, careers, and the workplace are rapidly changing, and the skills that you have or plan for today may not be in demand years from now. Long-range career planning should be more about identifying and developing core skills that employers will always value while developing your personal and career goals in broad strokes.

Core Workplace Skills: communications (verbal and written), critical and creative thinking, teamwork and team-building, listening, social, problem-solving, decision-making, interpersonal, project management, planning and organizing, computer/technology, and commitment to continuous/lifelong learning.

Identifying Career/Employment Trends: How can you prepare for future career changes and developments? The best way is to stay active in short-term career planning. By regularly scanning the environment and conducting research on careers, you’ll quickly become an expert on the career paths that interest you — and you’ll be better prepared for your next move.

http://www.careerberg.com

Gone are the days when a pat on the back for a job well done or a gold watch after 25 years of service were enough to keep employees happy , productive and in the end profitable.

Different employees need to be rewarded in different ways. You may wish to rewarded in different ways at different times of your life and career.

For example if you are a person who is newly married and saving for a home the best reward for you may be an increase in pay.

However s several years later with a young you may felt that the best rewarded is time off or 3 day weekends in the summer to better spend precious time with his family.

Good managers and supervisors are flexible in their reward tactics. Employee recognition and reward programs are often now be seen as an investment rather than an expense.

Traditionally recognizing superior job performance beyond the old fashioned compliment and occasional bonuses has previously not been a priority or concern in most Human Resource (HR) departments,

And to make matters worse often bonus or reward programs were changed in midstream.

This changing of the rules was often done arbitrarily on the whim of “management privilege” causing frustration on the part of employees and often great resentment. As a result morale suffered often in the most productive employees on staff. It is often said that 85% of the results in any organization and certainly the role models of new employees come from the top 15 % of staff.

You should be aware of a major trend that is brewing in the workforce.

Masses of the most senior, experienced employees that were born during the “Baby Boom” are getting ready for their retirement and thus exiting the work force.

As a result many job seekers and employees are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their employment expectations,

What can you ask for from your management superiors and as well look for in their hiring process?

Employment recognition , awards and remuneration come in many varied forms – from simple salary increases , bonus structures , physical rewards of course such as shiny plaques and art work ,

Employees can be rewarded in “point to point reward programs for high end merchandise, memberships in elite clubs and health clubs can also be a form of remuneration to look for.

As well you could be rewarded as an employee by expensive dinners, sports tickets, vacations and of course physical cash bonuses.

However be aware of awards that are “not rewards “well at least to you.

The interviewer or manager may speak strongly of a “trip “to some exotic location such as Hawaii or Fiji. However once there it turns out that this trip is actually a “Moonie company indoctrination “session where you are held captive in an isolated resort compound: You will be lucky if you see the light of day outside of the “ meeting” and in the evening slave over so called vital “reports” and assignments .. So much for the “trip’ being a reward.

In the end as in life the simple things are really what to look for in the hiring and employee recognition process.

Either some form of effective increased salary – be it a simple salary or bonus structure , increased time off – vacations , 3 day weekends, shorter day periods or a benefit that you would otherwise have to pay out of your pocket – for example a company car , lunch allowance or a paid health care plan are best.

At the worst as your grandmother may have told you “When in doubt give cash “.

Different employees are rewarded in different ways and at different times in their career. Managers have to be flexible. Employees and job seekers should realize the major trend of baby boomers retiring as they come of age. Both job seekers and employees should realize that they are in a much better bargaining position when it comes to their pay , bonuses and conditions they receive .

When writing your resume, one of the first things you have to consider is your career objective. I’ve been there before and I know how challenging it can be to come up with something note-worthy. In this case, it doesn’t hurt to look for outstanding career objective examples for resumes you can base on.

You might wonder why your resume needs to have an attractive career objective. How does a sentence or two affect the long list of achievements in your resume?

Well, for starters, the career objective is usually the first line your potential employers will see once they scan your resume. From that one line, they would most likely recognize which candidates have creativity and spunk; and which candidates are simply just like the rest.

Unless you want your resume to be stuck with the rest of the commoners stash, you’d better take these career objective examples for resumes a little more seriously.

Example # 1: To use my graphic design skills in creating attention-grabbing graphics that sell.

Most career objective examples for resumes start out with “to” rather than “I.” In a way, this makes your career objective less about yourself, and more about the job and company you’re applying for.

Remember, your potential employer is always asking “What’s in it for me?” So you better come up with benefits that speak directly to their mind and emotion.

If you’re a fresh graduate, using “to” to begin your sentence is a safe choice.

Example # 2: Feature editor offering four years of experience in magazine story line-ups and special reports.

This second career objective example is mostly used by those have been there and done that. They now have the experience and the gall to state their position and what they specialize in.

If you’re a reputable person or authority while attending college, and would like to use this particular objective form, you need only to replace “Feature editor” with something like “Former Writers Club President” or “Cum Laude Graduate.” Then show them how they could benefit from your academic know-how and experience.

Example # 3: Seeking an entry-level position in pharmaceutical management to utilize my communication skills and Degree in Pharmacy.

This last example shows how important it is to be specific about what you want and what you can offer.

However, you can’t be overly specific, for it might only give your potential employers the impression that your skills are limited to a particular set or limited to operating specific programs only.

Knowing which of the various career objective examples for resumes to base your own ideas on, helps you stand out from the rest of the applicants. It gives others the impression that you know exactly what job you want and how your skills come into the picture.

The career objective is usually the first line your potential employers will see once they scan your resume. So unless you want your resume to be stuck with the rest of the commoners stash, you better take a close look at the career objective examples for resumes in this article.

It’s a question that has been tackled by thousands. In fact, there are literally tens of thousands of leadership studies, theories, frameworks, models, and recommended best practices. But where are the clear, simple answers we need for our daily work lives? Are there any? Dave Ulrich, Norm Smallwood, and Kate Sweetman set out to answer these questions to crack the code of leadership. Drawing on decades of research experience, the authors conducted extensive interviews with a variety of respected CEOs,academics, experienced executives, and seasoned consultants and heard the same five essentials repeated again and again. These five rules became The Leadership Code. These five rules the book argues can be effectively used by all leaders, regardless of their context or organization. The five rules/leadership code are:

* Strategist – shape the future.

* Executor – make things happen.

* Talent manager – engage todays talent.

* Human capital developer – build the next generation.

* Personal proficiency – invest in yourself.

This gives you a platform/guidance for developing your leadership capability. The authors say by following this code and 60% to 70% of the leadership challenge will be met. They accept that the remaining 30% of leadership effectiveness, will depend on how you deal with specific issues that will vary from organization to organization. I do think that the first four are not really shocking. There are hundreds of books and resources, which describe these rules. The most interesting one is personal proficiency. Personal proficiency has five sets of resources: physical, social, emotional, intellectual and spirituality. This personal proficiency is the basis upon which the rest can be developed. If there is a lack, or not enough attention to any of these aspects, the other four rules will suffer. For sure!

Physical

The role of a leader puts great demands on the physicalcondition and stamina of the leader.Most hours are spend sitting down behind a desk, in the car, in meeting rooms. This is not healthy for the body. So, it is crucial to plan at least three times a week time for physical exercises, preferably outdoors. That activity has two benefits. During the physical exercises you can clear and clean your head, your thinking. When you are done, you will have a new and refreshing perspective on the challenges at hand. And you will be less tired from all the meetings and conversations, because you have a good physical state.

Social

It is crucial to have a view and understanding of the world around you. If the leader is only focussed on the business, he or she misses a lot about what is happening in the world. This can be in his own family and community, but also in the wider perspective. One of the most fulfilling activities is to be a volunteer.This is beneficial for yourself and for the organization as well.

Emotional

For your own physical and mental health, it is crucial to be aware of your own emotions. Are you often angry, impatient or disappointed? Any other emotion? If you hide those emotions for yourself, it will take a while to burst out of its cocoon, but then you are in trouble. So, it is better to be aware and to accept those emotions. Then you can examine what the cause is and address that cause. Even better is to have a personal coach who will be your confidential sparring partner and trustee.

Intellectual

Here we are talking about learning agility.The world moves so fast, that you can no longer rely on your previous experience or know-how. You have to keep up to date with the latest trends and developments. Not only in your area of expertise, but also in general. This can be done through reading, attending seminars, and listening to podcasts. A great way to learn is to meet regularly with people with different backgrounds. They will offer you new insights and perspectives. Everything in the world is so connected to each other that you need to learn to develop a holistic way of seeing. Only then you can see the problems and challenges, as well as the solutions and opportunities.

Spiritual

To keep your own flame burning, you need to make sure that you regularly add some fuel. This can be done through meditation, going to church, reading, or whatever suits you. You have to provide meaning to your own, personal life as well. Your values and beliefs have to be sustained continuously. Most leaders do not give priority to this personal proficiency. The result is that they really exhaust themselves (and their teams). The current challenges require that you be energetic and enthusiastic and not deplete your own resources. So you have to make sure that you fuel them regularly and continuously!

http://www.careerberg.com

Economic times constantly change and organizations adapt to these changes. For you to find career success, you must be pro-active about your job. What are the career secrets of those who soar to the top in their careers no matter what the economic environment is in the world?

The following are ten career secrets you can use to “recession proof” yourself and find career success no matter what the economic situation is:

1. Find Out What Your Organization Needs for Career Success
Invest the time to investigate and understand your organization’s mission, goals, and values. Your organization may be facing challenges and the person who can tune into what the organization needs to be successful and provide the solution can write his/her own career success ticket.

Remember, to get what you want in your career, you must help your organization, your department, your manager succeed. Focus on what is important to your manager and provide the solution. If customer service is important, speak with your manager in terms of creating customer solutions. If your manager is a numbers person, quantify all your results, etc.

2. Be a Change Agent for Career Success
Organizational change will change the way you do your job. There is no escaping the changes that are happening around us all the time. Learn to embrace these changes so that you can learn how to take advantage of the career opportunities available from being a change agent.

How do you do this? Be pro-active and ask questions about the change. How does it affect the organization? What challenges will there be implementing the changes? How will these changes affect the way you do your job? And the most important question, “What can you do to help implement the changes?”

Once you receive the answers to these questions, and are able to act on the answers, you are way ahead of the “change curve” and will be looked at as someone who can “make things happen” within the organization. This will lead to countless career opportunities

3. Be the Master of Your Job for Career Success
Invest the time to learn as much as there is to know about your job. Many times, employees will become complacent and master only the few tasks that they do 80% of the time. Then when a career opportunity comes up, this employee doesn’t have the skill set to take advantage of a promotion or raise.

Take the time to read trade journals, go on the Internet to job related sites, and ask questions to master the understanding of your job. With the wealth of information there is in the 21st century, there is no excuse for “not knowing.” http://www.careerberg.com

4. Volunteer to Make a Difference for Career Success
Volunteer for assignments that expose your skills. Look for especially challenging projects that other people have declined.

Also volunteer to mentor others within your organization. This will show and develop your leadership, management, and interpersonal skills. Keep management posted on your challenges and how you are working with the person you are mentoring to overcome these challenges.

Volunteer to write a department or organizational newsletter. This is another way to benefit a large group, while showcasing your skills and ideas.

5. Be a Solution Creator and Not a Problem Maker for Career Success
Anybody can find problems within organizations. My experience is that you don’t need to find them…they will find you. Some people have a special skill for finding problems and reporting them.

Develop the skill of looking at these problems as “opportunities for advancement,” step back and analyze the opportunity, and develop ideas for overcoming the problem. Make sure you communicate these solutions during meetings, e-mails, memos, and conversations with management. You will soon be looked upon by management as someone who can overcome obstacles and make things happen within the organization.

6. Handle the Next Level at This Level for Career Success
If you are a manager and want to become a vice president, then start working like a vice president. Find a vice president that is open to mentoring you for the next level. Remember, that vice president will not be promoted to the next level unless the organization sees that the vice president has developed someone to take his/her spot. It might as well be you. Plus, you can lighten the vice president’s work load.

Explain to the vice president what you want to accomplish so that everyone has a clear understanding and that this is a win-win situation for all involved.

I hear, “I’m too busy already to do this.” Well, let me ask you, “How badly do you want the promotion?” We are all busy. It’s up to you to enhance your time management and delegation skills so that you can take on these tasks that will prepare you for the next job level.

Note: Dress as if you are already at the next career level. When you dress for the next level, this makes it easier for the decision makers because they can already envision you at the next career level.

7. Announce That You Want It!
Many times employees miss out on promotions because the decision makers and career influencers do not know they are interested in being promoted.

Announce that you want to go to the next career level!

Take time to sit down with your supervisor, manager, director, etc., and let them know you are interested in going to the next level. Ask them for their honest assessment of your skills. Then ask what you need to do to be ready when the next career opportunity appears.

Also announce your career aspirations to influencers in the Human Resources Department. Remember the more people they can hire from the inside, the less work they need to do. Make it easy for them to hire you.

Announce it to any one who can influence the decision for your promotion.

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8. Network and Join Groups to Accelerate Career Success
Join and be active in committees within your organization for career success. This shows management that you care enough to make a difference. It also allows a larger assortment of managers to experience your skill set outside of your normal duties.

Also join professional groups and associations for career success. Professional groups and associations are a perfect way to let influencers outside your organization become aware of your skills. Remember, these influencers most likely work for other organizations and may be in positions to hire new employees. Don’t just join, participant in the association’s activities to show your creativity, teamwork, and other skills.

Join and let your organization know you’ve joined these groups. This will show your organization that you are an employee who is taking action to stay ahead of the “career success curve” and can contribute to the organization.

9. Tell Your Job Story for Career Success
Let as many people within your organization and outside your organization know what you do and how well you do it. Make sure you tell your job story at meetings, company conferences, and retreats and to customers. Make sure you tell them with passion!

Many people are shy about telling their career story in a group setting. Because of this fear, you may miss out on the one opportunity to let other people know what you know. One of the most important groups that you could ever join to overcome this fear is Toastmasters. This is a worldwide organization with over 175,000 members dedicated to helping members improve their public speaking, evaluation, think-on-your-feet, and leadership skills. The main reasons you should join Toastmasters are the following:

* Toastmasters can give you the confidence to approach any opportunity with confidence.
* Toastmasters can give you the speaking skills to stand up in front of a group and present your point in a persuasive manner, while others may shy away from this opportunity.
* You develop your leadership skills by learning how to do effective, positive, and encouraging feedback and evaluations, while learning how to empower the receiver to do better.
* You have the opportunity to develop your leadership skills by volunteering for positions at the club, area, state, regional, and international level. I always say if you can’t get the skills at your organization, you can get it at Toastmasters.

10. Build a Nest Egg for Career Success
One of the biggest barriers to creating career success is not building a financial nest egg. When you are at a financial disadvantage, you are less likely to pursue job opportunities, invest in educational opportunities to increase your skills; and, most importantly, you may develop an overwhelming fear of losing your job while in your present position.

Eliminate your debts so that you can freely pursue any career opportunities that present themselves. It’s no fun knowing that you wanted a certain job but couldn’t pursue it because of financial obligations.

I challenge you to apply these ten career techniques today! You will see immediate job results and go to the next career level no matter what the economic environment may be.

The following are ten career secrets you can use to “recession proof” yourself and find career success no matter what the economic situation is.

http://www.careerberg.com