tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11542808408263239432024-03-12T20:13:11.900-06:00Doors Closed & Doors OpenCareer Advice from a guy, who has advertised thousands of jobs, read way too many resumes, makes up interview questions in his sleep, and yes has even hired a few people... linked-in https://ca.linkedin.com/in/jaysonlavergneJay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-63723073444206570802017-12-19T14:15:00.003-07:002017-12-19T14:19:03.010-07:003 Tips Most Recruiters Won't Tell You About Writing Your Resume - Christy Childers<strong><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><em>This article was so good that I decided just to repost and give all credit to Christy Childers of Facebook</em></span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">3 Tips Most Recruiters Won't Tell You About Writing Your Resume</span></strong><br />
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Look I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if your resume gets the time of day, you'll get an average of 7 seconds (if you're lucky!) to give them enough to want to learn more. And the key is - leave them wanting more! Your resume is purely bait. BUT it needs to be legit bait that looks worthwhile because a hiring manager can sniff out an artificial worm a mile away. Here are some tips to get you started:<br />
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1. Cut the BS at the top. I mean it.</span></u> </h2>
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9/10 resumes begin "<em>excellent communicator, proficient in Microsoft Office, fast learner, good problem solver...</em>". You get the idea. But do people actually think the other 999+ resumes will read "<em>terrible at communication, never touched a pivot table, and you're going to have to spend minimum of 6 months babysitting me to help get me up to speed</em>"?? Not a chance. And the reality of it is hiring managers simply skip over the "Summary and Skills" section(s) because they know there is a high probability it is BS. <strong>So instead make a better use of that real estate and communicate these skills in other ways throughout the body of your resume.</strong> For example, simply proofreading to avoid typos or spelling errors will reflect good communication skills and attention to detail. Another way to demonstrate you actually have strong Microsoft Excel skills - and do it in a credible way - would be to reference it in several bullet points throughout your experience. Which brings me to our next point...<br />
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2. Use bullet formatting. No one has time to read that..."stuff".</u></h2>
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<li>Bullets help bring attention where you want the attention</li>
<li>Bullets make it easier for you and the reader to organize and prioritize </li>
<li>You're also less likely to overlook errors when proofreading</li>
<li>And if you still don't believe me, what percent of students enjoyed math word problems as a kid? My point exactly.</li>
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3. Quantify, Quantify, Quantify. </u></h2>
You need to keep your audience in mind at all times. Chances are pretty high the hiring manager has never worked for your current company and has no idea the responsibility level you have even if you have the most obvious job title in the world. The problem is so many candidates assume too much and have challenges articulating their experience outside of "<em>Well, I did everything!</em>" One way to alleviate this is <strong>to include quantifiable information that will help your reader understand the necessary context to determine you are worth an interview</strong> over "the other guy".<br />
Quick pulse check: who would you rather interview below?<br />
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<li><strong>Candidate A:</strong> "Provided great customer service and regularly exceeded customer service score goals across multiple customers."</li>
<li><strong>Candidate B:</strong> "Exceeded customer service score goal of 90% or above for the past 6 quarters and consistently ranked in the top 5% out of 500 team members servicing Fortune 500 accounts."</li>
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OK that might be a little overkill but you get what I'm putting down. Now here are some questions to get you started on this:<br />
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<li>How did your performance compare to peers? Above average or in the top 20th percentile? </li>
<li>What kind of volume are you handling, how often, and across how many locations/business units/other nuances that make your job more complicated? (i.e. "<em>Processing bimonthly payroll for 500 employees located across 4 countries</em>" is a lot more impressive than "<em>Processing payroll for entire company</em>")</li>
<li>What metrics were used to measure your performance? And how did you actually perform against those metrics? How many months/quarters/years have you demonstrated that performance?</li>
<li>Did your role or team experience incremental growth, value, or efficiency due to you being in the role vs. the person before you? Did a process previously take 10 hours and you simplified it down to 2 hours? </li>
<li>Is your company avoiding additional costs/risks because you're doing such a great job? (i.e. "<em>consistently came in 20% under budget and met every deadline avoiding $1M in potential fines") </em>Boom. [insert your mic drop here]</li>
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At the end of the day, you're providing a lot more value than could ever be articulated in 1-2 pages of a resume, but remember to cut the BS, use bullets, and quantify and that interview is all yours! </div>
Jay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-43903046513273522622017-11-06T12:37:00.000-07:002017-11-06T12:37:19.497-07:00Using Indeed.caJob seekers should be using Indeed.ca - Canada's busiest job site - with consistently the top Google hits for jobs. <br />
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How does Indeed do it? The company is primarily a job aggregator - Indeed has a program that searches the internet for jobs and posts them on their site. kind of like stealing but companies don't mind at all since this increases their recruitment efforts. Then capitalizing on that trend, Indeed charges companies for features, just like Kijiji, to make the job advertisement stay on top of the page and to rank higher in searches base on keywords.<br />
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But for a job seeker, there are better ways than just going to the Indeed.ca homepage once and a while and entering in search words...<br />
<br /><u>Here are 2 simple tips for better use of indeed.ca</u><br />
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<strong><u><span style="color: black;">Tip #1 - </span></u></strong><br />
<strong><u><span style="color: black;">Use the Advanced Job Search function</span></u></strong><br />
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Look under the Blue Button <strong>Find Jobs. </strong>See in grey the words <strong>Advanced Job Search</strong>. Click on that set of words and voila<br />
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Refining your search can yield much better results.<br />
<br /><strong><u>Tip #2</u></strong><br />
<strong><u>Use the Send me new jobs function.</u></strong><br />
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Once you have an advanced search that gives you some jobs you like, on the top right of the screen should be a gray box <strong>Get new jobs for this search by email.</strong><br />
<br />When new jobs match, you get a daily email with the list. You can then be sure not to miss a job and don't have to actively be searching. Great to research who is hiring, salaries, what experiences employers are seeking. But even better to be able to be one of the first ones to know about the job.<br />
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<br />Jay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-15622008904809225562016-10-17T14:15:00.000-06:002016-10-17T20:06:09.390-06:00"When you’re afraid to start, it’s usually because you’re afraid to fail."<i><br /><b>When you’re afraid to start, it’s usually because you’re afraid to fail.</b></i><br /><br />On my twitter feed today was an article The Best Productivity Habits of Famous Writers. To me, a great literary work is the height of individual accomplishment. It amazes me that someone can conceptualize and create a novel, let alone one that is in the canon of great works. <br /><br />Right away, I was shocked by the author's summary of an interview with Toni Morrison - "When you’re afraid to start, it’s usually because you’re afraid to fail."<br /><br />In your career search, are you afraid to fail? Is updating your resume on your to-do list, never to be started? Do you really know what you want to do but haven't taken even the first step?<br /><br />Be brave and understand that failure is part of the process - especially for great writers. <br /><br /><br /><b style="background-color: yellow;">Here is the whole text of the article:</b><div>
<b>LifeHacker - Kirsten Wong</b></div>
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<b>The Best Productivity Habits of Famous Writers</b><br />Contrary to our romanticized notions, writers don’t just sit around all day, drink coffee and Scotch, and wait for inspiration to strike. Like any other job, they have to be disciplined and productive. While that does involve lots of coffee, it also requires hard work. Here’s how some famous authors have kept their nose to the grindstone. <br /><br /><b><u>On Getting Started </u></b><br /><br />It’s not just writers; we’ve all struggled to create something from scratch. It’s overwhelming to stare at a blank page, spreadsheet, or presentation. The pressure to create something awesome makes the process it harder than it has to be. <br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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Toni Morrison: Change Your Definition of Failure </div>
<br />In an interview with the National Endowment for the Arts, author Toni Morrison talked about failure. When you change the way you think about it, she says, it’s a lot easier to get work done: <br /><br /><i>“Pay very close attention to failure, rather than get depressed or unnerved or feel ashamed. As a writer, a failure is just information...I recognize failure, which is important; some people don’t – and fix it, because it is data, it is information, knowledge of what does not work. That’s why writers need rewriting and editing...What you do is you identify the procedure and what went wrong and then correct it. If you think of writing simply as information, you can get closer to success.” </i><br /><br />This is solid advice for not just writing, but any project, really. When you’re afraid to start, it’s usually because you’re afraid to fail. When you think of failure as a necessary part of the process, you’re motivated to start because failure has a place and a purpose. <br /><br />Plus, when you reframe failure as “gathering information,” you look at your work objectively and analytically, which makes it easier to improve. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
John Steinbeck: Focus on the System, Not the Goal </div>
<br />Sometimes it’s hard to get started because your project is so big, it’s hard to image you’ll ever finish. Here’s John Steinbeck’s trick to make a huge goal more digestible: <br /><i><br />“Abandon the idea that you are ever going to finish. Lose track of the 400 pages and write just one page for each day, it helps. Then when it gets finished, you are always surprised.” </i><br /><br /><i>“Write freely and as rapidly as possible and throw the whole thing on paper. Never correct or rewrite until the whole thing is down. Rewrite in process is usually found to be an excuse for not going on. It also interferes with flow and rhythm which can only come from a kind of unconscious association with the material.” </i><br />In other words, focus on the system, not the end-product. Steinbeck suggests that it helps to break up your work into smaller milestones, too. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
Neil Gaiman: “You Learn By Finishing Things”</div>
<br />Perfectionism is another reason we find it hard to get started. We analyze our work to death because it has to be perfect, then we get paralyzed and never start at all, or we abandon a project halfway through. Neil Gaiman has some great advice to beat perfectionist procrastination: <br /><br /><i>“When people come to me and they say, “I want to be a writer, what should i do?” I say you have to write. And sometimes they say, “I’m already doing that, what else should i do?” And I say you have to finish things...You learn by finishing things.” </i><br /><br />There’s a case to be made for giving up on stuff, sure. However, when you finish something, even if it’s not perfect, you gain some valuable experience. You know what works and what to fix. The process is easier the next time around. <br /><br /><b><u>On Staying Focused </u></b><br /><br />Once you’ve started, you have to keep going, and that requires discipline. You have to power through distractions even when you’ve plateaued and lost your initial motivation. Here’s how three famous authors have done it. <br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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Zadie Smith: Disconnect From Distractions </div>
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Over at The Guardian, novelist Zadie Smith offers some straightforward, practical advice for writers. This one applies to almost anyone, though: <br /><br /><i>“Work on a computer that is disconnected from the Internet.” </i><br /><br />I actually stumbled upon this trick myself on a flight when I couldn’t connect to Wi-Fi. I worked on an assignment offline and was surprised at how much more quickly I was able to get it done without periodically responding to an email or checking Twitter. <br /><br />Obviously, if your work requires Internet access, this isn’t doable. The point is, if you want to focus, it helps to do whatever you can to block out distractions. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
Jerry Seinfeld: Don’t Break The Chain </div>
<br />Software developer Brad Isaac relayed this Jerry Seinfeld story to us a while back: <br /><br /><i>“He revealed a unique calendar system he uses to pressure himself to write. Here’s how it works. He told me to get a big wall calendar that has a whole year on one page and hang it on a prominent wall. The next step was to get a big red magic marker. He said for each day that I do my task of writing, I get to put a big red X over that day. “After a few days you’ll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You’ll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job next is to not break the chain.” “Don’t break the chain,” he said again for emphasis.” </i><br /><br />You can implement this advice for just about anything, from finishing a novel to launching a business. It helps nip procrastination in the bud with a daily, visual cue. It also gamifies your discipline. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
Raymond Chandler: Write or Get Bored </div>
<br />If you only work when you’re inspired, chances are, you won’t get much done. You have to make time for your projects, even projects that require creative thinking. <br /><br />The problem is, we often schedule time for our projects, but then we just aren’t feeling it, so we use that time to go for a walk, check our email, call an old friend, or fiddle with some other distraction. <br /><br />Raymond Chandler reportedly had a rule about this. He blocked time into his schedule for writing, and if he didn’t write, his only other option was to do nothing. <br /><br />In other words, write or get bored. <br /><br /><b><u>On Warding Off Writer’s Block </u></b><br /><br />Writers get writer’s block, and if you work in any other industry, you’ve probably dealt with something similar. It’s simply a mental block that gets in the way of progress. Maybe you’re uninspired. Maybe you’re just burnt out. Either way, here’s how a few famous authors have pushed through those blocks. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
Colson Whitehead: Embrace Adventure </div>
<br />Colson Whitehead’s advice for beating writer’s block is one of my favorites. In a satirical article at the New York Times, Whitehead suggests: <br /><br /><i>“Have adventures...Keep ahead of the curve. Get out and see the world. It’s not going to kill you to butch it up a tad. Book passage on a tramp steamer. Rustle up some dysentery; it’s worth it for the fever dreams alone. Lose a kidney in a knife fight. You’ll be glad you did.” </i><br /><br />Obviously, it’s a satirical post, but still, this is good advice! I mean, you probably don’t want to get into a knife fight, but breaks can make you surprisingly more productive. A study published in Psychological Review, for example, found that the best violinists practiced no longer than 90 minutes at a time, took breaks in between, and also took a 20-30 minute nap in the afternoon. <br /><br />Plus, when you break out of your comfort zone and say yes to things, you find different, smarter ways to work. It’s also easier to brainstorm and harness your creativity. You learn new things and challenge your confirmation bias. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
Ernest Hemingway: Stop Mid-Sentence </div>
<br />If you like closure, this tip might be difficult, but it’s incredibly effective: stop writing mid-sentence. Or, if you’re not a writer, stop while you’re on a roll with whatever you’re doing. Here’s how Ernest Hemingway put it: <br /><br /><i>“The best way is always to stop when you are going good and when you know what will happen next. If you do that every day … you will never be stuck. Always stop while you are going good and don’t think about it or worry about it until you start to write the next day. That way your subconscious will work on it all the time. But if you think about it consciously or worry about it you will kill it and your brain will be tired before you start.” </i><br /><br />You don’t literally have to stop mid-sentence; it’s more like mid-idea, while you’re in the middle of your flow. This trick also makes it a lot easier to get started when you come back to your work. You eliminate the pressure of the blank page and you can just jump right in. <br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
Anne Enright: Imagine Your Death to Find the Problem</div>
<br /><br />Sometimes we get stuck when we feel disconnected from our work. Maybe you’re writing a book and you no longer think it’s worth writing. Maybe the project you pitched at work now seems stupid. <br /><br />Here’s a trick author Anne Enright suggests to overcome this kind of block: <br /><i><br />“Imagine that you are dying. If you had a terminal disease would you finish this book? Why not? The thing that annoys this 10-weeks-to-live self is the thing that is wrong with the book. So change it. Stop arguing with yourself. Change it. See? Easy. And no one had to die.” </i><br /><br />I love this idea because you don’t abandon the project; you figure out what’s wrong with it. Rather than give up, take a moment to think about why the project doesn’t work or doesn’t excite you, then keep going. This way, it stays out of that big pile of unfinished projects. <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "elizabethserif" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
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Jay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-44851670535331991272016-10-14T11:23:00.003-06:002016-10-14T11:23:39.760-06:00Finish these sentences....... and get some ideas of work that is right for you!Finish these sentences....... and get some ideas of work that is right for you!<br />
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<i>Zen and the Art of Making a Living </i>made a huge impact on me and my career direction (I think I have owned 5 copies and still have 2 on my bookshelf). <br />
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Here are some of the key sentences I've modified from his work to ask people I coach. Try them out!<br />
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">………………..is
what I really want to do to create income for me to live like I want.</span><br />
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">More
than anything, I really want to do something about………. in my community.</span><br />
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">More
than anything, I really want to do something about………………in Canada/the world. </span><br />
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The
times I have been the most creative were……..</span><br />
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The
times I have been the most committed to something were……….</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I
want to serve …….......... (think ages, incomes, groups by interest, location, ethnicity, languages, et cetera).</span><br />
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">If there are 10 of my best friends/coworkers in a room, I (do this)……………………</span><span style="text-indent: -24px;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -24px;">better than most of them</span><br />
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">If there are 10 </span><span style="text-indent: -24px;">of my best friends/coworkers</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> in a room, </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> I (do this)……………………worst</span><span style="text-indent: -24px;"> than most of them</span><br />
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">If
I was a product on a shelf, customers would buy me since I'm……………………</span><br />
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<span style="text-indent: -24px;">The best job I ever had was…………………</span><br />
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">In
a perfect work day, I would:</span><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Wake up at……………….<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Wear to work……………..<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Go to (settings for work)…………….<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Work with tools like……………..<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Spend most of my day doing…………………<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I would work with people like……………..<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Finish my work day at……………………….<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I would earn, per year, about………………</div>
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<br /></div>
Jay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-67447348146458803692016-10-04T15:50:00.001-06:002016-10-15T11:30:44.058-06:00Great questions for your first weeks of work<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span lang="EN-CA">First week of work<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first week of work can be very intimidating. But be calm, enjoy the fact that you have started with a clean inbox and no phone messages, no assignment, no deadlines.....</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But the first weeks of a new job are the ideal time to set expectations. Once you know what is expected of you, there is a certain piece of mind.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">So, if you don't know already, sit down with
your boss in the first weeks and ask about your performance management. Since you have no track record with the organization, there likely are expectations but no judgments. By figuring this out, you can set your internal systems to know what you need to do & if you have done it on a moment to moment basis.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Here are
some good questions but there are more: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">- What is your short and medium
objectives for me? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">- What are the metrics or KPI (Key Performance Indicators)
for me/ for this position/our unit/our organization? Can I keep track of the numbers myself? Where is that
information? How can I run a report?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">- What does a top person do in the 30 days? 90 days? 1st year? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">-
When will we meet to discuss my performance over the year (weekly 1-1,
biweekly, 6 month review, 12 month reviews?). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">- What do great people do in this
job different from average people? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">- What do I need to do to be considered a
strong team player here?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Another great thing to explore is the
decisions behind your hiring..way too many times is a detailed assessment done
on a person (aka the hiring process) then all that information is never brought
forward. Again, this is helps define the expectations they have for you and some of their judgments.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Here are some typical questions for that line of thinking: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">- What
strengths did I have that led you to select me? (since this is what the
organization is "buying" then you should know)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"> - What gaps were
exposed when i was interviewed, compared against others, and compared to the
job qualifications? (since this is what you likely should work on).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Of course if you judge some of answers aren't in line with your own expectations, it might be time to review the resume again.....</span></div>
Jay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-14278414846470027492016-09-29T20:28:00.001-06:002016-09-29T20:28:17.617-06:00Top Tips for building a successful Linked-in profile<header id="article-header" role="banner" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="article-banner-image-wrapper" itemprop="image" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" role="presentation" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="article-banner-slate" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 396px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
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A Veteran’s top tips for building a successful Linked-in profile</h1>
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</section><figure class="entity-image entity-image-user" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: content-box; background-image: initial; background-origin: content-box; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-radius: 49.9%; border: 2px solid transparent; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 48px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 12px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 48px; z-index: 2;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaysonlavergne" rel="author" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #8c68cb; cursor: pointer; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; height: 44px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Jayson Lavergne CHRP" src="https://media.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/shrink_200_200/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAiqAAAAJDZiMTg2MGU2LTIyNmYtNDU4MS1iMTMzLWJmY2Y5M2RiMDc4Yw.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: none; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 44px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 44px;" /></a></figure><div class="entity-content" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: 22px; transform: translateY(-50%); vertical-align: baseline;">
<h2 class="entity-name" itemprop="author creator" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 1.7rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 2rem; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px 12px 0px 0px; text-overflow: ellipsis; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaysonlavergne" rel="author" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; opacity: 1; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jayson Lavergne CHRP</a></h2>
<h3 class="entity-headline" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.54902); font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 400; line-height: 2rem; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px 12px 0px 0px; text-overflow: ellipsis; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">
Senior Talent Specialist for National Defence (Civilian)</h3>
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I just finished passionately lecturing some unwitting colleagues on my best linked-in practices for profiles and thought I share. Your comments are welcome.....</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<u style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Here are my top 11 hints for a purposefully effective Linked-in profile:</strong></u></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
1. Linked-in is the blend of professional and social media. <strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Balance your tone with professional and personal.</strong> The use of “I” (a faux pas in resumes) can be suitable in some cases. However, unprofessional posts, pictures, and comments can make your linked-in seem like a crass attempt at humour.</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2. Linked-in is primarily a networking device. Tell your stories (concisely) to attract the right networking opportunities. You need to understand your purpose to use this tool – more clients, a new job, networking in a large company, recruit workers– then create that content. You also need to understand your competitive advantages.</strong></div>
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3. Ensure your picture is professional & add a background. There are 6 pages of background choices but some stock photos from the internet that have meaning to you can be effective. I had cherry blossoms from Japan on mine since I visited there this spring. Now I have switched it to hockey on a pond.</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
4. Add any credentials that matter to your name – such as PMP, MBA, Peng</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
5. <strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Your professional headline is likely the MOST important element of your whole profile. Make sure it tells the story you want. By default, it loads the title of your most current job and most current employer (formatted like Sales Manager at the Bay). Click the pencil icon next to the headline and customize it to position yourself</strong> (see point 2)</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
6. Current employer and most recent education show up on in your profile main section. <strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">You can reorder employers/education</strong> in the relevant section to ensure to you tell the Linked-in story you want to tell (again see point 2, hopefully it is sinking in by now)</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
7. Optimize your profile for mobile devices. Most web-hits now come from mobile phones. On those devices, your summary is only about 80 characters with spaces, then gets cut off. <strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Make sure you use those first 80 characters with purpose</strong>. The vast amount of people will not expand a section to see the whole text.</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
8. Optimize your profile with SEO (search engine optimization) principles. One of those is <strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">repetition of a key words and their synonyms</strong>. So if a headhunter is looking for a welder, the profile with the word welder and synonyms that occurs the most time in a single profile is likely to be the top hit. And the vast majority of people focus on the first three hits in search engines.</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
9. <strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Be connected with the right organizations.</strong> Usually this means when you search for employers or schools, the company logo comes up. There are many times a single person makes and error (Department of National Defense – instead of Defence) and others follow them. Many people like to switch from people to companies to see who you know in common so you need to be linked with the right organization. Some headhunters will run reports on who works for key competitors to look for talent.</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
10. Back again to point #2, the summaries of your experiences in each of your current and previous roles needs to tell the story you want. <strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">THIS IS NOT YOUR RESUME!</strong> Maybe you indicate what you are interested in. Maybe you comment on a current project. Maybe you pick the experience that is the job you want to really do next. Be purposeful and concise – 2-3 sentences, maybe a short bullet list.</div>
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<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">11. Besides building a great profile, there are behaviours you must use to execute your purpose. If not, it is like going to a party and standing in the corner not talking to anyone. But that is for another article.</strong></div>
</div>
Jay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-19025482462463992252012-08-22T20:35:00.002-06:002012-08-22T20:35:41.010-06:00Top 10 list for phone interviews<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
A friend asked me the other day for tips on handling a phone
interview.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
Here is what came to me in my 3 minute email blast:<br />
<br />
<br />
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1. Have all your "stories" laid out so you can
tell specific success stories. </div>
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<br />
2. Sheets of paper and a pen (no kidding, some people don't) so you can write
down the questions</div>
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<br />
3. Be patient when talking - it can be difficult not to talk on top of each
other</div>
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<br />
4. Like all interviews, manage the time. You could even use a stopwatch since
it is not in person, to ensure your answers are 3-4 minutes long.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br />
5. Using names can show you are a STAR. Write down their names to start, then
when they ask a question, answer them. "Well, Brian, when I produced a
series of reports on...." and you can also thank them by name at the end
too.</div>
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<br />
6. Have the laptop/ipad/desktop ready for quick googling.</div>
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7. Avoid distractions. Watch out for dogs barking, doorbells, other phones...I
have had a </div>
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few that I could hear the TV <v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f">
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<br />
8. Don't take the cordless into the bathroom with you - seriously, again it
happens more than you think.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br />
9. Use some transition type phrases once and a while - Would you like to hear
more, am I speaking to fast?, I could go into more detail if you would like...
since you can't see them, it can be difficult to know what is going on over
there.</div>
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<br />
10. Practice. Look at the job ad and create a few questions you might ask
someone.</div>
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Let's face it - a
phone interview is like an open book exam. Prepare and you should be able to
handle the normal questions with ease and professionalism<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 11px/14px "lucida grande", tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><br />Jay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-49269218323019218622012-08-08T20:58:00.001-06:002012-08-08T23:48:56.378-06:00I'm backWow that was a well needed rest!<br />
<br />
My passion was not enough to sustain my schedule and my mental health. At the end of June I was feeling run down and exhausted. I think I needed someone to put the silver blanket around me.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lj1b68UVp7U/UCMkB9upYLI/AAAAAAAAACQ/Xb6b1A8ZOe8/s1600/SuperStock_1773R-23021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lj1b68UVp7U/UCMkB9upYLI/AAAAAAAAACQ/Xb6b1A8ZOe8/s320/SuperStock_1773R-23021.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
But all I needed was a little inspiration and I am ready to get back in the race (to extend the metaphor to it's bitter end!)<br />
<br />
Back in May, I met a guy, had a few beers and gave him some advice. I told him that if you are looking to stretch your career or take it in a different direction, your worst enemy is going to be job boards and HR recruiters. They will screen you out because your expertise is not clearly evident - you haven't done the work before so how could we expect you to do it in the future.<br />
<br />
We discussed how he might frame his resume and how he needed to talk with the hiring managers and senior leaders. He needed to talk about transferable skills, his attitude, his successful behaviours and his potential.<br />
<br />
Well, it seems he got through... & I got an email today.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">"<span style="background-color: white;">I wanted </span><span style="background-color: white;">to thank you for the resume advise and information on HR managers that you </span><span style="background-color: white;">were able to pass on. The information has proven invaluable as I have seen </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">first hand the role of the HR managers as the 'gate keepers' in their </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">effort to keep people out!</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /><span style="background-color: white;">On the positive side of things I did find a company with an opportunity </span><span style="background-color: white;">that I was very interested in, and although not 100% qualified (I lack </span><span style="background-color: white;">the direct experience as we discussed) they decided to look</span><br /><span style="background-color: white;">past it and offered me a position as a project manager. I start August </span><span style="background-color: white;">20th. I am very excited, and have no doubt that your assistance with </span><span style="background-color: white;">looking at my resume and the advise you gave me was the tipping point for</span><span style="background-color: white;"> the company being able to see the qualifications I did have instead of the </span><span style="background-color: white;">ones I didn't." </span></i></span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If anyone else needs a little push or a fundamental paradigm shift, please feel free to contact me or access what I already have out there.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://jay-lavergne.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">http://jay-lavergne.blogspot.ca/ </a><o:p></o:p></div>
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TWITTER <a href="http://twitter.com/jayblavergne" target="_blank"> @jayblavergne</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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LINKEDin <a href="http://ca.linkedin.com/in/jaysonlavergne" target="_blank">Jayson Lavergne </a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span lang="FR-CA">iTunes <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/doors-close-doors-open-blog/id532874916">http://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/doors-close-doors-open-blog/id532874916</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>Jay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-25626719947453878502012-06-25T18:58:00.001-06:002012-06-25T18:58:46.504-06:00Me in my new job<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Wow, how some things change. Only months ago, I was in an office tower wearing a suit and tie. Now....</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nn3LQetsSRw/T-kEdr0c3YI/AAAAAAAAACE/kQVr32jrbp8/s1600/IMG-20120622-00031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nn3LQetsSRw/T-kEdr0c3YI/AAAAAAAAACE/kQVr32jrbp8/s640/IMG-20120622-00031.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Jay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-68975798255562343022012-06-15T12:04:00.001-06:002012-06-15T12:04:15.475-06:002 recent finds for Career Advice!Think this blog is good?<br />
<br />
Well, check out :<br />
<br />
a. the <a href="http://t.co/v6L1jcHr" target="_blank">Career Management Best Practices group</a> <a href="http://t.co/v6L1jcHr" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> on Linked-in.<br />
<br />
b. the iTunes podcast <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/career-tools/id299826841" target="_blank">Career Tools</a> <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/career-tools/id299826841" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>. 246 episodes on all sorts of topics. I listened to one last night and felt like an amateur.<br />
<br />
Lots of great advice from all sorts of great people.<br />
<br />
<br />Jay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-84764247623684087092012-06-14T22:48:00.003-06:002012-06-14T22:48:55.633-06:00Decision Making Tools - support for BlogTalk radio Episode #3<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<i><b>Episode #3 of my blogradio cast is available on iTunes (search for Doors Close Doors Open) and at <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doors-close--doors-open/2012/06/15/episode-3--making-decisions">http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doors-close--doors-open/2012/06/15/episode-3--making-decisions</a></b></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Thank-you
to all of you who continue to visit my blog (over 4400 hits since April 4) and
now are tuning into my podcasts (over 300 in two weeks). As always, I will ramble
in some sort of direction and give you some tools that I have found in my/our
journey and my professional that can help.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
I find a real lack of decision
making tools in Career Development literature and web-sites. I think it is "assumed" we all CAN and DO make good decisions regularly. We all know the saying about assumptions..... </div>
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<br /></div>
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Here is how I made my decision and I hope it can show you some of the steps.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
When I was faced with a decision on my career transition, forced a bit by the
news my office was closing, I did 7 things.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
The 1st thing I did was to reach
out to those in my circle of trust. I needed them to help me understand
the problem I was facing and I felt I needed to be heard and understood.
There are no resources here just the strength and humility to admit
weakness and vulnerability.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
So the 2nd thing I did when I was
overwhelmed by choices was to start writing stuff down. I took all the documents
and wrote out scenarios. I made list of pros and cons. I pushed
numbers into on-line pension calculators. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
The 3rd thing I did was resort to
quiet time, mediation, nature in order to unclutter all the work I just did.
I love Sharon Salzberg. She has a really great approach to
meditation. You can find her book "Real Happiness" on-line and
on the web at <a href="http://www.sharonsalzberg.com/" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> (<a href="http://www.sharonsalzberg.com/">http://www.sharonsalzberg.com/</a>)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
The 4th thing I did was to push
aside my past decision making practices and explore new ones. I found the
wikipedia page on decision making and it opened my eyes to ways to decide <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decision_making" target="_blank">CLICK HERE </a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decision_making">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decision_making</a>.
I especially liked the segment about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bounded_rationality" title="Bounded rationality"><span style="background: white; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">bounded rationality</span></a> - <span style="background: white;">the idea that human decision-making is limited by
available information, available time, and the information-processing ability
of the mind. It identified two styles: maximizers and satisfiers. From
the wiki:</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">maximizers try
to make an </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimal_decision" title="Optimal decision"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080;">optimal
decision</span></a><span style="background: white;">, whereas <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satisficer" title="Satisficer"><span style="color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">satisfiers</span></a> simply
try to find a solution that is "good enough". Maximizers tend to take
longer making decisions due to the need to maximize performance across all
variables and make tradeoffs carefully; they also tend to more often regret
their decisions (perhaps because they are more able than satisfiers to recognize
that a decision turned out to be sub-optimal)</span></i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
Aren't all our decisions limited by
information and time? I am a satisfier and it make my life easier but I also tend to pay a bit more or get a bit less. Who are you?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
The 5th thing I did was Google for
worksheets, taking the first stage of writing things down but now forcing me to
think in different ways. I found www.MindTools.com . There are heaps of
worksheets for decision making, complete with tips and tricks at <a href="http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_TED.htm#models" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> <a href="http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_TED.htm#models">http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_TED.htm#models</a></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
I printed some off and started to
calculate and figure out what choices meant in real terms. Really help flesh-out some of my options. I really like the <a href="http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/worksheets/CareerChoiceWorksheet.pdf" target="_blank">Career Choice Worksheet </a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
The 6th thing I did was similar to
the second thing - to quiet my mind again. I refocused on work, play, sport,
and music for a few days. I let all the work, worry settle in and tried
to tap into my intuition. Intuition can be powerful but must be, I
believe, validated with facts. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
And lastly, the7th thing I did was
I came back to my loved ones. I told them what my conclusion was, what
risks there were and what changes they might be in store for. Only with
their agreement and understanding did I make my choice.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br />
Did you notice the circles I made? I started with loved ones and ended there two. I had two different "work" stages and "play" stages. Hey, that's life!</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
And a friend Kyle introduced me to this wonderful depiction of life in all its organic, non-liner splendour...<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5ukSii7_0ks/T9q7KIRulFI/AAAAAAAAABo/YBY-EGrYZxQ/s1600/success-what-people-think-it-looks-like-really.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5ukSii7_0ks/T9q7KIRulFI/AAAAAAAAABo/YBY-EGrYZxQ/s320/success-what-people-think-it-looks-like-really.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>Looping back in your decision making,alternating between your brain and your heart, by trusting others, and by seeking new ways of doing this, your journey may lead you in every direction but in the end will lead to success.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></i>Jay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-70539059378172872772012-06-14T06:14:00.000-06:002012-06-14T06:18:47.401-06:00Making Career DecisionsJoin me tonight at 9pm (MST) for episode #3 of my blogtalk radio show.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doors-close--doors-open/2012/06/15/episode-3--making-decisions">http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doors-close--doors-open/2012/06/15/episode-3--making-decisions</a>
<br />
<br />
Tonight I will focus on Making Career Decisions. After all the self examination and brainstorming, now comes the task of refining ideas, evaluating choices, and actually deciding what you will do.<br />
<br />
Decision making can be very stressful and is one of the toughest steps, especially for my affected colleagues in the Federal Public Service. Combining rational and intuitive techniques as well as involving your circle of trust in the process can help optimize the decision.<br />
<br />
I look forward to you logging on and chatting on-line during my show or calling in.<br />
<br />
Remember, archived shows are available on iTunes as podcasts and on the blogtalk radio site. See you tonight!<br />
<br />
<br />Jay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-63992275758052338592012-06-08T07:12:00.000-06:002012-06-08T07:12:08.285-06:00Resume KeywordsI haven't said too much about my new job yet. <br />
<br />
I am now in the private sector as the Recruitment Team Lead for a large industrial construction company called JV Driver. The company has 5-6 major construction projects on the go (by major I mean over 500 people on site), a fabrication facility with about 1200 people making pieces for modular construction and putting them together, and a head office with about 300 people working hard to support everyone. With 5% unemployment and most jobs requiring a specific skill set, this is quite the challenge for a recruiter!<br />
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Here is how I find the right person for the job. And trust me, most corporate recruiters & staffing agencies use this technique too)<br />
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So let's say a construction manager calls me and asks to hire someone, say a piping coordinator. My first question is what will that piping coordinator do. He will likely say the coordinator will issue field installation work packages (FIWP) and work with the turnover coordinator.<br />
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I then go into the resume database and my first thing is to keyword search for FIWP. Why? Well, that is a good way to narrow down the 50,000 resumes in our system to the ones that can do the job. <br />
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So the lesson for all of you is that it is CRITICAL for you to be specific in your resume. By specific I mean:<br />
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- use specific jargon, like "work packages". For an administrative assistant, it might be "switchboard" for a book-keeper, it might be "balance sheet", for an drafter it might be "as-built". <br />
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- use the specific acronyms. You noticed I searched for FIWP first. That is because that is what people who really use them call them. Here are some examples SAP (a software), EPCM (engineering companies), ATS (the family of softwares recruiters use)<br />
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- use client/partner company names. Sometimes, the easiest fit can be from our competitors or people who have worked on a project. So if I worked with the Oilers and needed a marketing specialist, I might put in other hockey teams names (Flames) then (marketing) and see what my database matched to. So, even if you didn't work for the Flames, if you worked with the Flames or use Flames material, you should ensure it is in your resume. <br />
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For me that looks like this<br />
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<i>- placed over 500 students into summer jobs such as biologist and legal assistants. Most students came from major universities like the UBC and Carleton and ended up working in 35 federal departments including Environment Canada, Health Canada, and the RCMP.</i><br />
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- use synonyms. Most of us have employer-specific jargon that does not translate well, say like in the specific database. Use the most common ones in brackets behind the specific. So, if you had a custom built HR database, you might want to say HRMIS (Peoplesoft), since Peoplesoft is universally well know.<br />
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There are two main ways to ensure key words are featured in your resume. One style isto create a keyword section near the beginning of your resume, with about 20 key words (2 rows of 10). A good idea but I prefer another way. The second way is to create behavioural-based sentences where there is a description of the specific situation, the specific action that was taken, and the specific result of the actions you took.<br />
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Here is an example:<br />
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<i>- while on the Horizon project at Suncor, met construction targets by managing over 100 piping spools and issuing 50 FIWP.</i><br />
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<b>Did anyone notice that I didn't advertise first? </b><br />
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The lesson there is when you apply, even to a specific job, have in mind that your resume is usually going into a database for future use. So don't just try to win that job, put your best foot forward for all jobs in that company. More on that in a later blog<br />
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Have a good weekend<br />
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<br />Jay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-65101113326702971402012-06-05T20:50:00.004-06:002012-06-05T21:02:26.066-06:00Check out the bulletin boards!I love to observe - to read, to listen, to look around. Whether it be at a grocery store, the public library, or at Starbucks, I love to check out the bulletin board. Full of thumb tacks and tear-off strips of paper, bulletin boards are full of opportunities - to learn, to buy, to network, and maybe even to get a job!<br />
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You see, back in 1995, I came across an ad on my university's bulletin board. Japan Arts was seeking students to be extras and was holding auditions. Though it took some courage just weeks into my stay in Tokyo, I decided to go by myself to a hotel at the designated time. I took a number and taped it to my chest, then stood in a line from shortest to tallest.<br />
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The stern looking Japanese staff came over and pointed at me and the three guys around me. Seems we were the perfect height for the costumes and since we were roughly the same height, we wouldn't look strange standing beside each other on stage.<br />
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I got a call for my first show the next week. The pay was great - transit paid for, $70 US for each practice and $110 US for each performance. And that wasn't the best part...<br />
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It was for the New York Metropolitan Opera's tour of Japan. I got to be in Tosca, directed by James Levine, set design by Franco Zeffrrelli, and starring Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo. Opening night was attended by the Japanese Royal Family and I got to stand 5 feet from Pavarotti as he sang his solo.<br />
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They picked us 4 guys because, literally, we carried the fat lady off the stage (when she died in Lucia di Lammermoor). How cliche.<br />
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Here is a picture of me (to the right) backstage at the Ueno Bunkakaikan with my friend Scott (to the left), now working for a multi-billion dollar private hedge fund in New York.<br />
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So, stop once and a while and read the bulletin board around you. You might find a babysitter, a gently used bike at the right price, a new local yoga studio, or even, a terrific career opportunity.</div>
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<br /></div>Jay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-36946406122358203932012-06-04T21:03:00.002-06:002012-06-05T21:03:21.259-06:00Episode #2 - Exploring your optionsJoin me this Thursday, June 07, at 9pm MST for the second episode of Doors Close, Doors Open blogtalk radio. The link is <a href="http://tobtr.com/s/3330963">http://tobtr.com/s/3330963</a><br />
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Episode #2 will be about exploring your options after you have evaluated yourself. Trying career options on for size to see the opportunities and risks, the benefits and the drawbacks is an important second step in career transition.<br />
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Now that the jitters are gone, I will try to be the energetic speaker that I can be. And please, send in your questions and share your stories before or during the show - I am truly running out of clever things to say!<br />
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<b><i>I am excited to announce that I have created a podcast channel on iTunes. You can sign up and listen to my archived shows on iTunes by searching for Doors Close in the search engine or by using this link <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/doors-close-doors-open-blog/id532874916">http://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/doors-close-doors-open-blog/id532874916</a>.</i></b><br />
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<br />Jay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-43787909180072213922012-06-01T20:03:00.000-06:002012-06-05T21:05:26.342-06:00Kijiji as a job boardHave a bike to sell? Concert tickets you need? Kijiji is usually the answer.<br />
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But do you know that Kijiji has job postings, too? <br />
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In Edmonton, as of now, there are 21,614 jobs and in Calgary 20,344 jobs!<br />
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Now recruiting in the private sector, this came to my attention today when the instructions how to post our logo on Kijiji ads was emailed out. <br />
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Check it out these great Kijiji job ads:<br />
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<a href="http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-jobs-accounting-mgmt-Executive-Director-W0QQAdIdZ384264693" target="_blank">Director of the Alberta Liberal Party (click here)</a><br />
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<a href="http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-jobs-accounting-mgmt-Staff-Accountant-W0QQAdIdZ383968924" target="_blank">Staff Accountant (click here)</a><br />
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<a href="http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-jobs-accounting-mgmt-Human-Resources-Manager-Acklands-Grainger-W0QQAdIdZ382169594" target="_blank">HR Manager (click here)</a><br />
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<a href="http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-jobs-office-mgr-receptionist-Legal-Assistant-W0QQAdIdZ384657649" target="_blank">Legal Assistant (click here)</a><br />
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<a href="http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-jobs-construction-trades-PROJECT-MANAGER-W0QQAdIdZ384786993" target="_blank">Project Manager (click here)</a><br />
<a href="http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-jobs-programmers-computer-System-Analyst-W0QQAdIdZ384664352" target="_blank">System Analyst (click here)</a><br />
<a href="http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-jobs-programmers-computer-Share-Point-Developer-W0QQAdIdZ382495790" target="_blank">Share Point Developer (click here)</a><br />
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(I should have known since my wife's recent job search was almost exclusively done on Kijiji - her results: 4 applications, 3 interviews, 3 offers, and she took the best one)<br />
<br />Jay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-58139477858415950112012-06-01T06:08:00.000-06:002012-06-05T21:07:20.589-06:00Episode 1 - Evaluating yourself (resources)Thank-you to at least 5 of you who I know were listening last night to the first ever Doors Close, Doors Open BlogTalk Radio broadcast.<br />
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I was very nervous and alone in my office so I think I sounded way too serious. Net time I will bring the Jay that most of you know!<br />
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The radio episode has been saved and is now a podcast which you can access at <a href="http://tobtr.com/s/3307295">http://tobtr.com/s/3307295</a>.<br />
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In Episode #1 - Evaluating yourself - I referred to a number of books and internet sites that I like to use. Here they are:<br />
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<u>BOOKS</u><br />
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<i>Zen and the Art of Making a Living</i> by Laurence Boldt. <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Zen-Art-Making-Living-Practical-Laurence-G-Boldt/9780143114598-item.html?ikwid=zen+and+the+art+of+making+a+living&ikwsec=Home" target="_blank">Click here for a link to his book at Chapters</a>-Indigo; <a href="http://empoweryou.com/" target="_blank">click here for a link to his web-site</a>.<br />
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<i>Do What You Are</i> by Paul Tieger and Barbara Barron. <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Do-What-You-Discover-Perfect-Paul-D-Tieger-Paul-D-Tieger/9780316167260-item.html?ikwid=do+what+you+are&ikwsec=Books" target="_blank">Click here for a link to their book at Chapters-Indigo</a>; clic<a href="http://www.personalitytype.com/" target="_blank">k here for a link to their web-site</a>.<br />
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<i>What Color is Your Parachute</i> by Richard Bolles. <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/What-Color-Your-Parachute-Practical-Richard-N-Bolles/9781607740100-item.html?ikwid=what+color+is+your+parachute&ikwsec=Books" target="_blank">Click here for a link to his book at Chapters-Indigo</a>; <a href="http://www.jobhuntersbible.com/" target="_blank">click here for a link to his web-site</a>.<br />
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<i>Your Money or Your Life</i> by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin. <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Your-Money-Or-Your-Life-9-Steps-To-Transforming-Your-Relationship-With-Money-And-Achieving-Financial-Independence-Revised/9780143115762-item.html?ref=item_page:richrel" target="_blank"> Click here for a link to their book at Chapters-Indigo</a>; <a href="http://ymoyl.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">click here for a link to their web-site</a>.<br />
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<u>WEB-SITES</u><br />
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Know Yourself - <a href="https://careerinsite.alberta.ca/careerinsite/know-yourself.aspx" target="_blank">ALIS Careerinsite (click here)</a><br />
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Authentic Happiness - <a href="http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/Default.aspx" target="_blank">University of Pennsylvania (click here)</a> - 19 professionally developed <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">questionnaires</span><br />
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Self-Assessment - MazeMaster - <a href="http://www.mazemaster.on.ca/selfassessment/index.htm" target="_blank">Government of Ontario (click here)</a><br />
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Transferable Skill Set - <a href="http://www.quintcareers.com/transferable_skills_set.html" target="_blank">Quintessential Careers (click here)</a><br />
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<b>Enjoy your weekend. Find some mental space to explore your values, talents, interests, skills.</b><br />
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<br />Jay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-17415552226924609662012-05-30T20:54:00.000-06:002012-06-05T21:08:34.204-06:0024 hours until 30 minutes of blog radioEarlier this week I made a crazy commitment to host my own talk-radio show about my personal career journey and general career transition advice.<br />
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Since then, I have been worrying about what I am going to talk about.<br />
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Episode 1 will mainly surround the circumstances of early April 2012, when I was notified that my office was going to close and very few people (not me) were going to be offered relocation to Ottawa (wouldn't take it) while others were going to be transitioned out (fancy for laid-off, and yeah that's me).<br />
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It will also focus on the first stage of career transition - evaluating yourself. I will offer some of my tips and tricks, as well as introduce you to some handy web-sites and books.<br />
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However, feel free to email any questions to me at <a href="mailto:jaysonlavergne@gmail.com">jaysonlavergne@gmail.com</a> or call into the show.<br />
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We go live at 9pm MST tomorrow at <a href="http://tobtr.com/s/3307295">http://tobtr.com/s/3307295</a><br />
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Talk to you then.<br />
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JayJay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-52655897889744118352012-05-29T20:39:00.001-06:002012-06-05T21:13:33.356-06:00The resume - part 2 - the Volunteer SectionI started talking about resumes (<a href="http://jay-lavergne.blogspot.ca/search/label/Resumes" target="_blank">click here</a>) and left the conversation hanging. I mentioned there was more, so....<br />
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Lets go to what is normally near the end - Volunteering. Being a volunteer is a tough job, where the reward is not money. Volunteers have deep commitment to serving others & they help our communities thrive. Whether it is health, education, culture, the arts, the environment, we all benefit from the actions of volunteers.<br />
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Normally, people put Volunteer experience on their resume to make the argument that they care about and give back to their community, and it also might show what causes they care about. But by putting this on your resume, it seems like you are just putting your hand up and saying you will help with anything. <br />
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But I think that many of you do (or could) use your expertise, your skills, and your passion to "professionally" help volunteer organizations.<br />
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Most volunteer organizations are run just like businesses. They need executives, leaders, managers, supervisors, finance, public relations, HR, project managers, IT, sales people, administrative assistance, procurement . . . <br />
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Reflect on some of your past volunteering. Was the work relevant to the job you are making your resume for? Are some of the skills and behaviours applicable to that job? <br />
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If you think so, then use this section of your resume just like you would your paid work-experience.<br />
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A sample section in a resume might look like this:<br />
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<u>Volunteer Experience</u><br />
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<i>2011 Government of Canada United Way Campaign</i><br />
<i>Regional Office Coordinator</i><br />
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<i>- led the annual campaign in my office of 15 people & achieved our donation target of $3,200</i><br />
<i>- planned specific events for the office, including 50-50 raffle, and participated in Canada Place wide events</i><br />
<i>- facilitated speakers to come to explain the role of the United Way in our community</i><br />
<i>- grew giving through payroll deduction by 40%</i><br />
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If you do not have any great volunteer experiences, then go out and get them. Trust me, these organizations can't have enough volunteers! <br />
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Also, volunteering can be an excellent way to change or grow your career-relevant experiences, skills, and competencies. If you want a career in public relations, manage the publication of a newsletter (or better yet, a blog). If you want a career in HR, help advertise, assess, and on-board new volunteers. If you want a career in environmental sciences, adopt a local grove of trees or wetland. If you want a career in project management, manage a large community project, like a new playground build, and so on and so forth. Most of these organizations won't interview you for the "job" and will let you learn as you go.<br />
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Along the way, you might nurture your commitment to serve others even more, your community will benefit from your brain & your sweat equity, and you will be a good role model for others. You will also realize that the reward of a great career is not the salary - it is playing a role you love to benefit others.<br />
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.....and while volunteering, practice your networking!!Jay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-2906897002179950192012-05-28T11:29:00.003-06:002012-06-05T21:16:12.816-06:00Radio, radioI am embarking on a new adventure in Career Advice - TALK RADIO. Yes, that's right, you heard it here first.<br />
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This Thursday, May 31, 2012 at 9pm MST (Alberta Time), I will be web-hosting Episode #1 of Doors Close & Doors Open. <br />
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To hear the show, at 9pm Thursday, go to <a href="http://tobtr.com/s/3307295">http://tobtr.com/s/3307295</a>. <br />
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<b>I would love for you to participate. Here is how:</b><br />
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1. You can call in using the number 347-826-9928 (not toll-free so consider Skype or another reasonable option) and we can have a live chat.<br />
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2. Email your questions to <a href="mailto:jaysonlavergne@gmail.com">jaysonlavergne@gmail.com</a> and I will answer them on the air.<br />
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3. Tweet comments <a href="mailto:to@jayblavergne">@jayblavergne</a> and I will read those on the air.<br />
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I look forward to talking with you more than talking to you. Episodes will be archived and available to listen to - details to follow.Jay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-63702695526931883432012-05-26T15:22:00.001-06:002012-06-05T21:22:36.304-06:00We are all Effected<i>Workforce Adjustment, WFA, affected, surplus, lay-off, alternation</i>, blah, blah, blah . . . let's face it, everyone working for the Government of Canada is just plain <b><u>effected</u></b> these days.<br />
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Now, the word-du-jour is affected but I like effected. Typically a noun, effected means something produced by a cause (in this case Budget 2012). But, as a verb, it means to bring to completion. Wow, that is so true.<br />
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Beyond the obvious (quite possibly my career with government being completely over), my career really has now come full circle - a completion. <br />
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I feel like I did in June 28, 1990, leaving high-school and not needing to go to school another day if I didn't want to (luckily I did want to). I feel like I did in June of 1996, when I flew home from Japan with all my University courses complete with no job and no grad school. I feel like I did in the early spring of 2000, when I was getting ready to complete my 2-year contract and return to Canada. All those times, the future was uncertain, the options were limitless, but the risks to my survival (food, shelter) were around every corner.<br />
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<i><b>What lessons did I learn from those times . . . </b></i><br />
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1990 - Education is a doorway to opportunity. I met so many people, learned so much, and with the piece of paper I got, I have had a great career. Education was fun, challenging, and difficult. But looking back, one of the best decisions I ever made. <br />
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<b>Bringing it forward to now -</b> My education created my career and my income, and for that I am thankful. Like, really thankful. But if I want more out of my career and more income, I really need to take this opportunity to retool.<br />
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1996 - The economy was bad, and so the career prospects. I felt like I had no control, no chances at success. Now it was nowhere near the crap of 1982, which decimated my family. But it was hard to be so eager without anyone to woo me.<br />
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<b>Bringing it forward to now -</b> There are windows of prosperity in economies. Around the world, Canada is weathering the global recession fairly well. In Canada, there have been worse times. In some provinces, particularly the prairies, there haven't been much better times. I am changing careers in one of the good times and I should be thankful.<br />
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2000 - I was managing English teachers in Japan with an Arts degree and no real career in Canada. I was worried about what kind of job I would get. I was worried about what kind of career I would have with an Arts degree. So I sat down with a Career book and worked through the exercises (defining your values, examining your skills, looking at your personality). I have stayed remarkably true to what I discovered then.<br />
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<b>Bringing it forward to now -</b> My career since 2000 has not been an accident. I planned to raise a family in Edmonton and I have. It made the decision to consider relocating to Ottawa a simple NO. I knew that I wanted a defined career, so I chose HR and I still want to be in HR. All my education since 2000 has had an HR focus. I got my CHRP credentials. I have worked in HR now for 14 years. And, when I was told of my fate, I looked and found another HR job. <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">What lessons have you learned from your past that you can rely on now? </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Are you investing in education?</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Do you realize the relatively positive economy we live in? Are you thankful?</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Have you really worked on YOU and made some decisions for your career?</span></b><br />
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<br />Jay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-54075384109414695692012-05-25T06:15:00.001-06:002012-06-05T21:23:14.443-06:00Casual FridaysI hate Casual Fridays. <br />
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Here is why - some people take it way too far. A t-shirt might be ok, but an Iron Maiden concert shirt? Sneakers might be ok, but flip-flops? Work-out clothes? Seriously, it is still work & not a vacation.<br />
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Dress with some professionalism just in case the vice president decides to descend into your office or an important client arrives at reception. Even in a casual work atmosphere, there are limits to what is acceptable.<br />
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<a href="http://www.workopolis.com/content/advice/article/2304-preparing-your-work-image" target="_blank">Click here</a> for a good article in the Workopolis Career Resource library about your work image.<br />
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Happy FridayJay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-87472287884922024572012-05-23T18:37:00.000-06:002012-05-23T18:37:36.399-06:00Reference Checks - part 2This needs repeating so I am going to......<o:p></o:p><br />
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Did you know that reference checks have a predictive accuracy of 13% but are
used in 96% of all hiring decisions? To put that into perspective, checking reference
can predict performance at about the same rates as astrology and self-assessment.<o:p></o:p><br />
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References, in my experience, tell you the more about what the referee is
like. Truly, I usually learn more about the person I am calling than the person
I am calling about. Also, they can be full of "I can't recall" and
"you should ask someone else" since many people use referees from
many years back or referees they have never had a significant relationship with.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Take charge of your references so that they help you get that job!<o:p></o:p><br />
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1. Ensure you keep track of your great relationships. Do you know where your
boss in 2005 is today? Try keeping the relationships going after you part ways by
sending Christmas cards, email, including them in social media, or buy a few beers every
once and a while.<o:p></o:p><br />
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2. Use quality referees only, people that have very good view of all
your work behaviours including attendance, project results, teamwork, and
interpersonal skills. Often, a referee from another city can not do this...<o:p></o:p><br />
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3. Prepare your referees with the job ad you applied to, the resume you
applied with and some of the interview questions your were asked. This can get
the referees prepared to match what you did to what the hiring manager needs<o:p></o:p><br />
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4. Go a step higher and give your referees a list of accomplishments while
you worked together, complete with what you did, why you did it, who you did it
with, and what the results were. These can be great memory recalls for a
referee who has many employees, a short memory, or if it has been a few years.
If they want to use some of these examples, the answers will be well developed.<o:p></o:p><br />
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5. Don't burn any bridges unless you are a damn good swimmer! Recent bosses
will be the best referees so make sure your performance is great & make
sure you exit the company gracefully.<br />
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Most people leave checking their references to chance. Be different, take
control, and reap the rewards. And hey, you never know - referees could be a great source of jobs opportunities!<br />
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<br />Jay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-4488959761406553702012-05-19T09:06:00.000-06:002012-05-19T09:09:24.506-06:00One Door ClosesOn a personal note, today was my last day at my job. I was there at 6:20am and left at 5:45 pm. I pushed more paper, sent more emails, and tied up more loose ends than I can beleive. <br />
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Why is getting laid-off so productive?<br />
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But, there were some tough moments. I hugged a few people I don't normally. Water wells up in my eyes and I wonder why. I took a long, quiet, late day pause gazing into my empty office and thinking of all the time spent at the desk, the great conversations on the phone, the notes sent on the computer, talking to people sitting in the chairs, waving at people as they passed me by....<br />
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Even now, as I mark the end of a journey, blogging and sipping a well-earned beer I am fighting back some real emotion.<br />
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Why is getting laid-off feel so tough?<br />
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Have a great long weekend with the people you love and I will report on the great, new adventures that await me on Tuesday!Jay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1154280840826323943.post-21067522152780586272012-05-18T06:07:00.002-06:002012-05-18T18:47:34.735-06:00Being Human (aka doing some things poorly)There are things in this world that I really don't like: Rush (the band), coconut in my dessert, and Motivational Posters. You know the ones - pictures of soaring birds and quotes about success, acheivement, goals.<br />
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I respect Rush but am hard-wired to love 3 minute pop songs with 3-4 verses and a chorus, even better if there are hand-claps and a few la,la,la's.<br />
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I understand that coconut is great since I love to eat it straight out of the shell. I just think of it more as a fruit/nut and don't like it with my sweet, sugary after-dinner treat.<br />
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But I am fundamentally opposed to Motivational Posters. In my view, their sole purpose is to drive people to perfection. Perfection is not human. I am not perfect, nor am I going to be, nor do I ever want to be.<br />
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I believe that once people & organizations embrace our collective true humanity - our strengths, our weakness, our intuition, our emotions, our spirituality - then we can acheive success. It is not pretty for most of us. <br />
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I still feel angry and hurt when I talk about my office closure. At the same time, I have never felt more free or successful since the news of my office closure. Why? - well, I am 200 pounds of nerves and hormones and 40 years of good times and bad times. I am not perfect<br />
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Another case in point is my spelling. Have you noticed that I am a terrible proof-reader? I am so excited to publish my blog and driven to capture my stream-of-thought, that I rarely check my work for grammar and spelling. Does it make me a failure? Does it make my advice poor? <br />
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It is just me - full of great ideas with some deficencies. I am okay with it. Are you okay with your weakness? Figure yourself out and really work with who you are. Sure, work on new skills and polish up those weaknesses. Even better is to align yourself with complimentary people, people who your strengths help them and their strenghts help you.<br />
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So, I would like to thank Kristy who has agreed to come on board my blog and will help edit past & future posts. <br />
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Off to Starbucks for coffee - one of my key weaknesses.......Jay Lavergnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16523964206562286933noreply@blogger.com1