Free Career Workshop at Devry University

Danielle Schmidt will be conducting the Resume/Interviewing breakout part of the this Workshop.

Friday, April 30
1-5:30 p.m.
Devry University
Westminster Campus, 1870 West 122nd Avenue, Westminster, CO 80234

DeVry University has been a leader in career-focused education for more than 75 years.
Join us for our Career Skills Workshop – four workshops that can help you jump-start your
new career and help you understand how to become more marketable.

Following the workshop sessions, there will be networking time for attendees and
presenters. The workshop presenters are leaders of industry with years of experience and
knowledge of the skills you need to be successful in today’s competitive job market.

Workshop Details
Four 40 minute workshops:
* Resume Writing and Interviewing
* Networking and Utilizing Social Networking
* Career Direction and Consultation
* Powerful Trends for Professional Growth

Open Clinics during the workshops:
Resume Writing

FREE To The Public

To RSVP or For More Information
303.280.7600
dbarrett2@devry.edu

To Have or not to Have a job objective on your resume

I recently did a small poll on LinkedIn with people in the Career Management field and asked “Should a resume have an objective on it?” The responses were both for and against and, as one responder put it, there is no right or wrong answer.

Some of the reasons against the job objective were:

• Too narrow a focus for job opportunities
• Many are too wordy, fluffy and meaningless
• The objective is all about you instead of the company
• The hiring authority may dismiss your resume because there is no opening

Some of the reasons for the job objective were:

• It focuses your resume to the job you can do and want to do
• It states who you are in the job market
• It works when you are applying for a specific job
• It respects the reader’s time by stating what you are looking for

Many people are putting a title of the job they are seeking at the top of the resume instead of a job objective such as Customer Service Professional or Staff Accountant to identify what they want to do.

Several responders talked about putting your objective in a Cover Letter.  In my experience cover letters are read after your resume is reviewed and there is interest.  Perhaps that is a topic for another poll.

Finally, what is most important, whether you have a job objective/title or not, is a well written Career Summary at the beginning of your resume. Putting a job objective on your resume is up to you and when you do make sure it is short, specific and has no “Fluff”.

www.dmscareercoach.com

How to create and implement your company target list

One of the most effective job search activity is marketing yourself directly, via the phone, to hiring managers of the companies you WANT to work for.  Here are some tips:

Create the list:
* Start with a list of 20 target companies
* Review Business Journal publications and read company articles to find companies that peak your interests and match your values
* Look on the internet and in the Book of Lists to identify targets
* Find out about the companies your family, friends and the people in your network work for
* Drive around your favorite areas and make note of companies

Preparing the call:
* Get as much info as you can on the company via the internet and networking
* Find the name of the hiring manager by calling the company directly or on-line
* Prepare a script or outline to present yourself
* Write down your intention for each call and visualize the call going well

The call:
* If you reach voice mail, leave a message. When you call back your name will be recognized
* Call at different times of the day, typically hiring managers can be reached early in the morning or after 5 pm.
* Match the tone of the hiring manager while speaking to them, if they speak slowly then you speak slowly and so on
*Be sure to suggest how you will follow-up, such as a call back on a specific date.
The more calls you make the better success you will have, right!

Also:
Submit your resume or the on-line application to HR o to cover all bases
Ask for a referral of other hiring managers in or outside the company

Direct marketing yourself to companies is not the easiest activity but it can be very effective.  So move away from advertised jobs and find the company where you really want to work.

www.dmscareercoach.com

Traditional (Linear) and Non-Traditional (Non-Linear) Career Paths

Do you know which fits your lifestyle? by Danielle Schmidt, dms Careers.

Mike has worked 10 years in a large corporation. He got his degree in Finance at a top university and Mike has had 4 promotions at his current company. He is making mid six figures and has grown throughout his career. He lives alone with his dog in a beautiful home with a fantastic view.

Jon has three jobs, a wife and three children. He works at a hardware store 4 days a week, has his own lawn care business on the weekends and has a small internet business selling his art pieces. He works 45 hours a week and makes enough money to support his family and have fun vacations. His wife has a traditional job with benefits.

Sophie makes a comfortable living as an executive coach. Her job out of college was a Junior High French teacher. After a move she waited tables, something she did throughout college. After some networking, Sophie became a retail buyer, made another move and found a 24 year satisfying career in staffing and recruitment. Due to a job loss, Sophie decided to pursue her dream of working on her own and from home. It is important to to learn and love her work.

Mike took the more traditional approach to is career path by starting with one company and continue to climb the corporate ladder. Jon and Marcy took non-traditional approaches, the portfolio career and the zig-zag career respectively.

Here are a few examples of Traditional or Non-Traditional paths:

Traditional Career approaches:
Lateral career-keep the same type of job, such as an Executive Assistant and may move from company to company a few times
Upward mobile career- stay with a company and move up the ladder through promotions
Stable career-Same position in the same company for most of your life

Non-Traditional
Portfolio career- a few jobs or income sources which may have similar connections
Zig-zag career-having several different careers throughout your life
Full-time temporary or part-time work

Ultimately it depends on what fits your lifestyle, attention span,values, talents and motivators. Success is only decide by you and luckily we have many definitions of success.

Do you want to know what career path fits you best?
www.dmscareercoach.net

Top Ten Signs that you need a job change

Steve Jobs has been quoted that to be truly satisfied you must do what you believe is great work.  Since our work, job, career takes up about 50 hours of our 168 hour week then to be truly satisfied with that work will help us be happier in our whole life. Right?

We are all tired of our jobs once in a while, and we would all like to be somewhere else once in a while.  Yet if you are consistently seeing the following signs, then you are ready for a change.

Here are some signs (of many) that you are ready to find a better job or more fulfilling career.

10. You dread Monday morning on Sunday night.
9. You feel depressed when you walk into your office.
8. You watch the clock and sigh.
7. You procrastinate on projects ’cause you are just not in the mood.
6. You daydream about being somewhere else most of the time.
5. Your customers, co-workers and boss get on your nerves
4. You call in sick often.
3. On Monday at 10am you are looking forward to Friday.
2. You check out Indeed.com for job openings Monday afternoon.
1. You say out loud “I hate my job” and mean it.
It is a shame to have this one life and not love the job your are in. It is more than OK to start seriously looking for a  better job, but most importantly, to know what you are looking for in your ideal job or career.
A career coach can help you clarify that ideal job and help you create a strategic plan of action to get that job. Action is everything. Why Wait?

How a job seeker can benefit from Career Coaching

How confident are you about looking for your next job? Are you using all the possible ways to find a job?  A career coach helps with just that, your confidence and techniques for your job search.  A career coach can help you achieve weekly goals to move your job search forward in these areas:

• Create a resume and cover letter that reflects who you are and what you have accomplished
• Network to find job opportunities that are not on the job boards and recruiters
• Direct contact to companies that you would like to work for
• Clarify your values, motivators and skills to make sure you are going after the right job for your own satisfaction and contentment
• Help you “brand” yourself so you are communicating your uniqueness in the job market

Above all, a career coach is focused on you and your specific needs and is your personal guide through the process of the search.  If you believe in investing in yourself to get the best job possible, consider using a career coach.

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