Dubin & Lee Blog

2012’s Best Career New Year Resolution

Are you happy with the direction in which your career is headed?
What are your career goals for 2012?
Could your career path use some new direction?

These are the types of questions that we ask ourselves this time of year.  I took a look at the Best New Year Career Resolutions for 2011, and they are all very appropriate for 2012 with one big, new emphasis.

For 2012, most of what you are hoping to accomplish will have very distinct and detailed plans of attack, but the first step is usually the same for most objectives…

Reach out to my network!

Why?

• Hiring companies search their network first, so you should too!  Over the last 3 years, I have observed that close to 70% of active job seekers who accepted a new job which paid over 130k found the job through a contact.  Most of the time, a company will reach out to whom they know before they post the job or put the job out to a staffing agency.
• The process takes time.  Refreshing an old relationship or developing a new one is a delicate and time intensive process. If you make the process all about your agenda and your immediate need, you will not see much benefit and you will not have much of a relationship.  Nurturing a relationship built on trust and truly mutual benefit takes time; so that is why you need to get started now…before you are in dire need.

How?

• Reach out just to reach out. This is especially rewarding with old relationships or people you were close to at one time, but have lost touch with just due to getting caught up in your day to day lives.  When you reconnect and have a good conversation, you will be very happy you did and so will your long lost friend.  You might even hang up the phone or leave the coffee shop and kick yourself for letting so much time go by. Now, don’t let it happen again!
• Be open.  Be real and don’t try too hard to manage the impression.  Just be you.  Don’t be a negative whiner but openly talk about what type of things you are keeping your eyes peeled for as well as your goals. Do not be timid about asking your contact about what he or she would find beneficial.
• Help!  Walk away from each meeting with at least one action item in mind to help the other person with his or her needs or desires.  This works best if you don’t even mention it but just do it.  I find these tasks renew my energy and enthusiasm. It is amazing how good it feels to get out of our own head for a while and do something strictly for someone else.  This will naturally lead into follow up and staying in touch.

For the first time in 3 years, I took some time off in December to see family and friends that I have not been able to spend time with as my head has been buried in my business. Yes, I am kicking myself and my New Year’s Resolution is to keep these relationships alive as I am truly blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life.

I’m sure you are too!  Call them now!!!!

Help yourself and an Accounting /Finance professional and reach out all at the same time by making a referral with our “iPad for a Referral” promotion that has just been extended through January.

 

Posted by:

Saundra Lee

President

Dubin & Lee

 

Top 5 Best New Year Career Resolutions

There are several reasons why 2011 is going to be the year things happen for your job search and /or career.  The first of which, is making your mind up that it will. The economy seems to be on a slow and steady growth path depending on who you listen to and there is definitely an increase in job postings over the last week or two but that is not the deciding factor as to whether or not you’re career path hits the fast track this year. 

The deciding factor is going to be whether you are going to do the same stuff you did last year waiting for the economy to turn around or you are going to try some new stuff. 

NEW STUFF:  These New Year career resolutions apply whether you are in a full blown job search, contemplating a career move or just stuck in a rut at your current job.

1.       Dress for the job you want, not the one you have.  Yes, this one is purely psychological but it works on yourself as well as people around you.  It might even work better on yourself.  When I dress in FULL business attire, my actions and thoughts tend to follow.  Like what happenned to me, people around you will start to assume a higher level of capability and you will have more opportunity to step out of your comfort zone and the more you do that, the more success you will have. 

Added benefit: If your current company does not take advantage of the all you have to offer and you decide to interview elsewhere, you are going to wish you dressed like you are going to an interview everyday so you won’t raise any red flags by your attire on the interview days or wishing you were Superman and wondering where all the phone booths went.  

If you are not working, keep in mind you never know where you might run into your next opportunity (like a friend of mine did at a coffee shop) and looking the part for a first impression is equally important no matter where it happens.  In other words, don’t walk around looking unemployed!

2.       Create Allies!  When we first start out on our career path, we are not aware the importance of EVERYONE as in building alliances. As we spend more time in the workforce, we see how important it is to have allies for career upward mobility.  Look for ways to help people around you for no apparent reason.  Why you ask?  It will be apparent some day.

3.       Search for Solutions.  If you are working, instead of complaining about issues, take some extra time to come up with solutions.  Whether or not they are implemented is not of most importance.  You will gain a reputation of being someone with answers vs. problems.  This technique can also be used in an interview.

4.       Be a good corporate citizen.  This took me the longest to understand.  At first, I just wanted to do my work and go but there is a limit as to how far that sort of mindset will take you.  Help out with company projects and join committees to increase your exposure, expand your skill set and help you out with resolution #2 & #3.

5.       Outside networking.  While this is probably the most fruitful of the resolutions it is the least practiced by most employed and unemployed and important for both.  Networking  can be uncomfortable and there is mostly no immediate gratification but it is the first step on building relationships we don’t have now and won’t have unless we step outside that comfort zone and gain a little more of a long-term plan for our career.

Dubin & Lee is making every attempt possible to create beneficial, fruitful networking events for jobseekers, professional & corporate recruiters looking for new avenues of talent acquisition and we have one coming up on January 20^th as well as workshops and free webinars on our EVENTS PAGE.

Posted by:

Saundra Lee,President

Dubin & Lee