“Personality can open doors, but only character can keep them open.” ~Elmer G. Letterman

“The best job goes to the person who can get the job done without coming up with excuses or passing the buck” ~Napolean Hill

What About Politics?

Political Astuteness is something that you may not learn in school; however, it plays a significant role in success in business.

“Man is by nature a political animal.” ~Aristotle

Take Control
It’s important to keep in mind that you are responsible for your own career. Don’t Expect the Human Resources Department to plan your career. In fact, don’t expect anyone else to be concerned about it either.

There have been times in my career when someone has taken an interest in my promotion; however, it has always been in their own best interests to do so. Remember, companies are in business primarily to make money.

Dress for success
There is a clear distinction between how a President, a Senior Vice-President, a Vice-President, and District Manager dress. You should dress just a cut above your current level.

Above Everything, Have Integrity

“If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.” ~Alan Simpson

You will find that the concentration of integrity increases the higher you go in an organization.

Remember Who You Work For

Always Support the Company
It’s true that where your treasure is, your heart will be also. There will be ample opportunities on a daily basis to bash your employer. Resist those opportunities. Keep in mind that (1) you chose this company, (2) they pay you, and (3) you can leave if you want. The leaders of the company will not be impressed by your ability to complain.

Make Your Boss and Your Boss’s Boss Look Good
As a practical matter, you are most likely working to take your boss’s job. Hopefully, your boss will be promoted, which will leave a vacancy. If your boss is not going anywhere, then the next level will have a major impact on your next position.
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GOING ONLY FOR BRANDING
Do you stick only to the top name job boards or portals? If yes, you are denying your chances of getting into specialized positions. Specialized groups or non-enterprise companies often steer clear of top names. Choose your resume posting based on the kind of recruiters that visit a given job boards.

OUTSOURCING YOUR JOB HUNT
If you are getting a peer or a consultant to do your job hunt to the level of making contact with a prospective employer – stop doing this now. You can get help to the level of someone gathering job order description or information for you. You make connect – use the opportunity to create an impression.

RESUME BLASTING
Do you treat your resume like a promotional mailer? Distribute it all over the place or get a group email ID and broadcast? This means (1) Your cover letter or your resume is not customized for the job order in hand – Resume customization in lieu of arranging the skill sets for the given job order. (2) You do not follow up; there are employers who seek to measure your interest with the follow up method that you adopt. Plus your prospective employer or their job consultant knows that you are hunting around, which will reduce your market value.

Another aspect of mindless blasting is clicking the APPLY FOR THIS JOB button wherever you see it. When you submit your resume to a job where you do not have minimum qualifications – and you have a reason to doing so – make an offline connect.

75% of email traffic received by a generic ID such as careers@bestemployer.com is junk. If you rely only on email to get your next job – forget it. Your resume is probably in the junk folder.

PRIVACY
Do not write a tell tale resume with private information. We’ve heard enough and more about misuse of private information. Another aspect of privacy – using Internet at work to coordinate your job hunt. Wake up – Even a mom & pop street corner store can afford a network and a firewall in it.
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Several Days – One Week Before the Interview

1. Spend some time to research the organization and the position at hand. To find company-specific information, visit your local library, run a search on the internet, or talk to current or former employees about their experiences and impressions of the company. Study up on the company’s products and services, industry, target market, annual sales, geographic location(s), structure, history, officers, and any other key information. Are there any new trends in the industry?

2. Identify the organization’s major competitors and do some basic research on how they differ (either positively or negatively) from the company at which you are interviewing.

3. Prepare specific examples of how your skills and experience make you a strong fit for the organization’s needs. Practice answering directed questions about your experience, education, and skills and how they relate to the position at hand. Being prepared to draw colorations between your experience and the needs of the organization is one of the most important interviewing skills you will need.

4. Identify your strengths and weaknesses. Be prepared to talk about your weaknesses, but find a way to frame them positively. For example, “My biggest weakness is that I am a perfectionist. It may take me a little extra time to get a project done to my satisfaction, but you can be guaranteed that the work will pass even the most stringent review, be 100% accurate, and that no detail will be overlooked.”

5. Prepare several intelligent questions about the company and position that will demonstrate your knowledge of the company and your sincere interest in the position.

6. Try on your suit and make sure that it is still well-fitting and in good repair. If necessary, make arrangements to have it altered or find alternate dress.

The Day before the Interview

1. Contact the company to confirm the date and time of your interview. Also confirm the name and title of the individual(s) you will be meeting.

2. Get directions to the interview site. Be sure to double check the directions using a map. This will ensure that you know the way and also give you an approximate travel time – don’t forget to allow for extra time for rush hour!
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Let’s be completely honest. Everyone has their own dreams and expectations about retirement. Upon retirement, some folks plan to travel around the world while others simply plan to take excursions to their local beach. Whatever the retirement plan that you may have, being able to implement your goals takes a certain degree of financial security. The problem however is that financial security does not just happen but requires careful planning, commitment and yes, money.

To be a successful retiree, you must successfully transition yourself into retirement in order to meet your retirement objectives. In addition, you have to plan the amount of money you need and what you want to accomplish with your savings. After all, you’ll likely spend 35+ years in retirement so you must start planning now. In this article, we will discuss 10 ways that you can successfully transition yourself into retirement. They are as follows:

1. Debt Reduction – Make sure that you do not carry your debts into retirement. Therefore, commit yourself to paying off as much of your debts as you possibly can. Eliminate car payments, credit card debts, personal loans, etc. Do what you have to do now to squash debt and make sure that you don’t obtain any new debts either.

2. Have a Nest Egg of Emergency Funds – Have enough liquid funds in hand to cover at least a few months of expenses, without eating into your investments. Be prepared for the unexpected expenses while you transition into retirement. After all, emergencies will certainly come up but if you have a certain amount of savings, you won’t have to worry about them.

3. Adequate Insurance Coverage – Make sure that you have adequate insurance to cover your life, health, homeowners’, and auto insurance policies. Reassess your insurance needs on a yearly basis to ensure that they suit your retirement needs. Be open to making changes as needed and check out your employer’s retirement coverage. Many of folks have been unpleasantly surprised to learn that their employers will no longer cover their medical expenses after they retire. So, if you find out now, you can take the necessary steps to protect yourself and your family.
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