How Do I Know If My Plan Is Worth The Risk

“How Do I Know If My Plan Is Worth The Risk” Help from our Community “How Do I Know If My Plan Is Worth The Risk?” * Denise is just getting her confidence back after being made redundant. She's made small steps towards setting up her own business, but she's doubting her ability to follow it through. How do you find the strength to keep going when your inner critic speaks so loud? What's your career history and current job? I was recently made redundant from a social affairs change charity where I was a business fundraiser. Prior to that, I was working for a youth charity and, before that, a major cancer charity, raising money through strategic partnerships with companies, using my skills in networking, negotiating, project management, innovation, marketing, and brand management. I've always felt that I needed to personally resonate with the cause and feel that my work is meaningful. That's why I moved from the larger organisations to smaller charities, because I wanted to have a connection with beneficiaries make more of a positive difference to people's lives. Before that, I'd worked as a trainee stockbroker (until I realised I didn't want to make money for people whom it seemed to me were glorified gamblers). I went to university and did a degree in business and information systems, which eventually led me into corporate charity fundraising. How do you feel about your work? The aspects of the work I used to enjoy were being able to use my business and account management skills in an environment that had a real social purpose. I enjoy diversity, meeting new challenges and coming up with innovative new partnerships to reach common goals. It's taken me some time to unwind after the redundancy, which I took voluntarily because my role had been changed and I wasn't happy with it. The whole process was quite emotionally draining so my confidence really took a knock. Management processes were poor, there were hardly any staff benefits and I decided it wasn't worth the ill effects on my mental health. It has taken me several weeks to adjust and reflect on what I'd like to do next. What would you like to be doing instead? My sensible side says I need security in my work. Having flexibility is also really important to me because I have a young son. I've always thought about cooking as something I could do whenever there's been a major junction in my life, but I've never felt like I've had the guts or been ready. I'm from Trinidad and it's not often you see cuisine on offer from this Caribbean Island. Now I've had the space to think about things, I'm starting to think maybe there is a niche for my style of cooking as a reflection of who I am. The landlady at my local pub has offered me a night for customers to try out my food, which will be good in terms of helping me to get some practical experience, which I don't have, and to see if I really enjoy doing this after having imagined it for so long. I'm not sure yet whether I'm ready to set up on my own, or if I want to go down the road of doing supper clubs and a pop-up restaurant. I figured this would be a good opportunity to see if I can scale up my cooking and everything that involves in a way that I'd enjoy. There will be elements that I won't enjoy, but sharing my happiest food memories with other people â€" that's what I'm excited about. Once I made the decision to do it, opportunities just seem to have appeared. I found that my local council runs a free ten-week course for food business start-ups, so I've signed up for that as well. Even knowing that I'm doing something for me, that it could be the start of a new adventure, gives me such a buzz. What's the biggest obstacle in your way? I'm not sure I'm brave enough to carry it through. I go through stages of believing I can do this, followed by stages of doubt. I'm confident about my cooking skills and I have experience in business and project management, but when it comes to doing this kind of thing for yourself, it's a lot harder to think pragmatically. It's one thing cooking for family and friends, but I don't have any catering experience so I don't know if I'm good enough to scale things up yet, especially for people who don't know me. The more I see other people who've done something on their own, the more I realise that no-one ever feels 100% ready. Going to a Careershifters event also helped me realise that. Meeting other people who were looking to change their situation reassured me that I've not totally lost the plot! But there's a part of me that is really terrified. I sometimes wonder whether I should just sack off the whole idea and join the rat race again. I've thought about the worst thing that could happen and how I could draw on my project management experience to prepare for that. I know I'm capable, but how do I know if I'm good enough? And how do I know whether it's worth the risk? Can you help Denise? Have you been in a similar situation, or are you in the same boat right now? How do you think Denise could move her shift forwards? Do you know anyone she could talk to? Share your thoughts in the comments below and click the thumbs-up button to show your support. Give Denise a cheer of encouragement by hitting the thumbs-up button here:

Resume Templates on Reddit

Resume Templates on RedditThere is a wealth of information out there on resume templates for the internet, but very few if any free resources for ideas. The more you know about resume writing, the better you will be at it. Most people do not use the same resources that are available to them, which is why they get so frustrated trying to create their own.Wikipedia is a great source for any questions that you might have about resumes. They have answers to many of the most common questions that people have.Resume templates on reddit can also be a great resource. Redditors like to post resume templates for different career fields.One of the best sources of templates for free is the most common job search engines like Google and Yahoo. If you spend enough time searching through these search engines, you should be able to find some decent free templates that will serve you well in creating your own resume. Some people even have websites where they post their resume templates, and if you wa nt a free template for something like this, then you can try looking there as well.If you are trying to decide between paid and free resume templates, there is no way to really know which is better. Some people like to use the free ones because they can modify them and change them to fit their specific needs. It is important to use these to avoid having to pay for templates you do not want to use.Resume templates on reddit can be a great place to learn about job hunting and apply for jobs. Many of the users of the forum have resumes for different career fields. It is also a great way to see what kind of job openings are available in different cities around the country.Always make sure that you read the rules and posting guidelines before you actually submit anything. Some of the users in the forum posts may be looking to promote a website that is selling their resume templates. This could get you banned from the forum.If you need to create your own resume, check out the free resume templates on reddit and follow the instructions to create them. The more professional your resume looks, the more likely you will get a call for an interview.

We Need to Pay More Attention to Career Paths Marla Gottschalk

We Need to Pay More Attention to Career Paths Marla Gottschalk Most of us join an organization with the intention to progress career-wise. Finding an employer who will help us develop our skill set, discover motivating paths and avoid stagnation is vital. Yet, even in this day and age â€" these qualities can prove elusive. Our managers simply dont have the time to help us sort it out and the information available internally can be spotty, unclear or inaccurate. To be truthful, the deficit to explore our future path begins early in the job search process, where the information provided with which to make career decisions is sorely lacking. This information deficit can continue, when employees struggle to find information to inform their career journey. Ultimately, both engagement and retention suffer. This problem is multi-faceted. But, there are two sides Id like to consider here: 1) The information shared during the recruitment phase and 2) the quantity and quality of information available to current employees seeking internal growth paths. Sadly, there exists a lop-sided emphasis on talent acquisition vs. career development. (Yes, recruitment is an integral element of the talent pipeline, which I respect.) Admittedly, this has much to do with the inherent difficulty of capturing the complexity of roles within organizations, describing them accurately and securing the right mechanisms to communicate that information. As a result, employees often (as a last option) seek a change organizations to reach their career development goals. Moreover, because recruitment channels receive the lions share of attention â€" managers seeking talent within their own organization might acquiesce and fill the role from the outside. This sets up new problems on both sides of the exchange. Firstly, built knowledge about both the organization and the work at hand walks out the door with the established employee. Secondly, employees must again play the role of the newcomer and all that brings â€" wasting precious time mastering a new culture and its own contextual concerns. (I am ever hopeful that HR tech will begin solve these problem for us. Listen to a discussion concerning implementation of the Fuel50 platform at Ingersoll Rand here.) Some of the informational issues could at least partially impacted during recruitment â€" where the information provided concerning roles, triggers early decisions about the job-candidate match. There has been progress in recent years to abstain from job descriptions that are simply a long lists of needed skills, responsibilities and requirements. However, there is one category of information that may be rarely shared â€" but could offer a wealth of information to potential job candidates. This is information concerning career paths of those that went before them. If shared in some way candidates could at least envision how they might develop professionally if they committed to a longer-term tenure. As an illustration of this issues discussed here, Ive just read another article about strategies to attract talent, with the word lure in the title. This article provided useful information â€" but somehow utilizing the word lure in reference to a job candidate defeats the purpose. We should set out to attract contributors in a transparent and informative manner. This involves putting the right information out there, so that effective decisions are made. For example, the context concerning a role does matter. How will you actually apply a specific skill set? What outcomes will you working toward? (See a great video from Ruutly about this very topic here). In summation, we need work together and solve these information gaps. If we are to tackle the engagement crisis, we need to look beyond the initial role that an individual holds and look ahead. This inevitably involves how we describe and communicate internal opportunities that will comprise their   future. Yes, all of this requires much more thought and devoted resources. Yes, this would require organizations to adequately describe roles internally and keep track of contributors paths. Yes, this involves paying greater attention to internal recruitment within organizations. Yes, this would involve an even greater level of transparency. However, collecting and communicating more information concerning where starting point A might lead during organizational tenure, could not only attract future employees â€" but keep a few more great people down the line. Dr. Marla Gottschalk is an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist. She is a charter member of the LinkedIn Influencer Program. Her thoughts on work life have appeared in various outlets including Talent Zoo, Forbes, Quartz and The Huffington Post.

The One Thing I Did (Repeatedly) To Change Jobs - Classy Career Girl

The One Thing I Did (Repeatedly) To Change Jobs I get asked a lot how I made the transition from a job that I wasnt completely happy with to working full-time on growing  a business I LOVE with my husband. There is one thing that I always look back at that was the defining choice I made to help me change jobs. Now, just so we are clear,  it wasnt just one thing I did. It was one thing I did repeatedly for an entire year.  Big changes take time and 2011 was that pivotal point in my career and life. The growth of Classy Career Girl was not overnight. I have been doing daily actions every single day since I started this site in March 2010. What was the one thing I did for an entire year that made all the difference? The One Thing I Did (Repeatedly) To Change Jobs Read the post that started it all. My Networking Challenge announcement from December 2010. And at the end of 2011, I added 48 new people to my network and strengthened relationships with 48 friends, co-workers, and family members. Not to mention, a year of networking like crazy gave me a lot of valuable insights of what it takes to be a good networkerâ€"something I never thought I’d be able to claim. In the above video, I share what I learned from the networking challenge. If there is one thing I would recommend that you start now, it is a networking challenge. Even if you have to start with 1-2 people each month or start with people you know already and get your confidence up to expand into the  people you dont know, it truly will make all the difference for you. I promise! Talking to people about your goals and learning more about their careers and lives will give you so much valuable information about the direction you will want to take next. I started my networking challenge speaking with consultants and HR professionals thinking that was the direction I wanted to go into. But, as I continued to do informational interviews and attend networking events, I soon realized that the people I started reaching out to became career coaches and entrepreneurs. If I had never done this challenge, I never would have discovered my true calling and path as an entrepreneur. How  could you  use this one thing to change jobs?

The One Thing I Did (Repeatedly) To Change Jobs - Classy Career Girl

The One Thing I Did (Repeatedly) To Change Jobs I get asked a lot how I made the transition from a job that I wasnt completely happy with to working full-time on growing  a business I LOVE with my husband. There is one thing that I always look back at that was the defining choice I made to help me change jobs. Now, just so we are clear,  it wasnt just one thing I did. It was one thing I did repeatedly for an entire year.  Big changes take time and 2011 was that pivotal point in my career and life. The growth of Classy Career Girl was not overnight. I have been doing daily actions every single day since I started this site in March 2010. What was the one thing I did for an entire year that made all the difference? The One Thing I Did (Repeatedly) To Change Jobs Read the post that started it all. My Networking Challenge announcement from December 2010. And at the end of 2011, I added 48 new people to my network and strengthened relationships with 48 friends, co-workers, and family members. Not to mention, a year of networking like crazy gave me a lot of valuable insights of what it takes to be a good networkerâ€"something I never thought I’d be able to claim. In the above video, I share what I learned from the networking challenge. If there is one thing I would recommend that you start now, it is a networking challenge. Even if you have to start with 1-2 people each month or start with people you know already and get your confidence up to expand into the  people you dont know, it truly will make all the difference for you. I promise! Talking to people about your goals and learning more about their careers and lives will give you so much valuable information about the direction you will want to take next. I started my networking challenge speaking with consultants and HR professionals thinking that was the direction I wanted to go into. But, as I continued to do informational interviews and attend networking events, I soon realized that the people I started reaching out to became career coaches and entrepreneurs. If I had never done this challenge, I never would have discovered my true calling and path as an entrepreneur. How  could you  use this one thing to change jobs?

Writing a Resume For a Domestic Staff Position

Writing a Resume For a Domestic Staff PositionThere are several things that you should consider when writing a resume for a domestic staff position. Remember that you are going to be filling in the same role for a domestic staff, but this is not to say that you will be filling the same role.When you are writing a resume for a domestic staff position, there are some important points that you should keep in mind. First of all, you should look at your previous jobs and the skills that you have learned from them. Most employers hire people who have a lot of knowledge about their industry, so make sure that you look for this information.Next, you should also look at your personal background before you are writing a resume for a domestic staff position. You should try to find out all the details about you and your life before you start your job search. You might want to consider looking at your previous school or work experience before you even start looking for a job.When you are looking for a career as a domestic staff position, make sure that you will be able to show your skills. Your employer might hire you based on your ability to give them quality service. So you might want to try to look for the skills that you possess. You might find it hard to do this, but it might be worth your time to search for them.In order to write a resume for a domestic staff position, you should not forget to check whether you have the required qualifications. There might be some requirements that might come with your job description. These requirements may include how many years you have been working, and what kind of education that you have. Make sure that you have enough education and experience in order to prove your skills to your employer.You can also find out whether you have post-secondary education. There might be some requirements for those who are already in the workforce. In this case, you should find out if you have the required qualifications in order to ensure that you can satisfy the requirements for the job. Make sure that you check on all the requirements that are available to you.You should also gather a number of professional references that can help you in making a resume for a domestic staff position. You should know the requirements for you to be able to get a reference. Many people use their friends, family members and other professionals as references. You can also contact the employers in your locality for referrals.When you are writing a resume for a domestic staff position, you should take note of these pointers. You can find that it will help you come up with a resume that will really impress your employer. This will also help you get the job of a domestic staff in no time.

Staying Focused On Your Career While Unemployed

Staying Focused On Your Career While Unemployed Photo Credit â€" pixabay.comIf you have just lost your job, it may be comforting to know that there are many like you.?On average, more than 54,500 people were fired or laid off every day in 2016, according to statistics released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Still, being unemployed can be a worrisome situation. Not only does it take away your steady source of income, it also puts your career on hold and creates doubts about your future.?Instead of letting the situation undermine your confidence and ambition, you should take advantage of your free time during unemployment to map out a new and better career path.eval?Here are some ways to help you stay productive while unemployed.1. ?Come to Terms with Unemployment?The first thing you need to do is let go of the feelings of rejection and frustration that result from losing your job. There is nothing you can do to change the situation now except move forward. If you are experiencing financial problems, you should look for ways to overcome them, such as getting a part-time job, taking out a loan, or applying for unemployment benefits.?You may not beeligible for unemployment benefitsif you resignfrom your job, but you have a better chance of qualifying if you were fired or laid off.?2. Evaluate and Investigate Career OptionsThink about what you like or dislike about your previous job and create a theoretical job description based on the evaluation. This will serve as a description of your ideal job when you start searching for a new job. Then, search job listings in career websites and trade publications to find opportunities that match the description.3. Send Out ApplicationsIn order toimprove the quality of your job applications,you should take care not to apply for too many positions. Target jobs that suit your skills, experience, and passion, and spend more time and effort on each application to ensure that it is well-composed, clear, and concise. Avoid including too much information in your job applicatio ns.?Prospective employers have to go through many applications, and they may lose interest in your applications if they are too time-consuming to read. Also, try to find out if your connections and former colleagues have some good leads for you.4.Improve Your Skills and ResumeSome industries change rapidly, and they require their workers to keep their knowledge and skills relevant in changing times. Whether or not you are seeking employment in these industries, it is advisable that youlearn some new skillsto stay relevantwhile you are looking for a new job.eval?There are many things that you can do to improve your skills and resume, including taking up a course, joining an internship program, and getting a part-time job. You may also want to consider doing some volunteer work. Volunteering is a great way to get a good reference, learn new skills, and establish new connections.If you will make an effort to be productive while you are unemployed, you will make a good impression on you r prospective employer. This can significantly boost your chances of getting hired.

Is Business Changing Will There Be a New Normal

Is Business Changing Will There Be a New Normal Theres a trend these days in HR, Marketing, Customer Service, leadership and certainly other areas within organizations.   It is the use of social media. Like it or hate it, it is infiltrating business at all levels.   It makes me wonder, which came first, the desire to share more freely or the tools of social media?   Oh, but that is not the purpose of this post. I was reading Fistful of Talents overview of HR Tech 2010, a conference for HR professionals. Josh Letourneau wrote: Lets stop looking backward by measuring the efficiency of transactions and start living in the moment, focusing instead on interactions. Interactions are partially about the social media exchanges.   Interactions are also about a flat corporate structure. Letourneau wrote: Todays leading edge organizations also realize that the OrgChart is nothing more than a hierarchical grid of (ideal) reporting relationships, with the real value truly being created by the series of relationships and informal interactions that arent evident in beautiful boxes and lines. Leadership best practices, motivation in the work place, being a Linchpin, all of these theories point in the same direction.   The old fashioned way of doing business aint working so well any longer.   We are living in a new world with new ways of getting things done. Corporate structure may not be helping the company get things done. Cash rewards dont really engage employees Recruiting the best talent might be better off as a distributed process Each worker can use their true gifts if they try. These are just some of the points. GenX and GenY may somehow be behind this with their passion for all things technology.   Boomers generally dont want to accept it. This on the heels of John Jantsch from Duct Tape Marketings post on 5 Trends that Will Shape Business in 2011.   He writes: This year we will simply stop talking about social media as though it were some new, sexy, foreign cousin of marketing. It’s just a fact of marketing life and will get integrated into strategy and tactics alike in ways that produce ROI. So what might these changes mean for job seekers?   If you are looking for the kind of work environment you had for 20+ years, I am pretty sure it is going to be difficult to find, at least in the smaller companies. Be resilient! For GenX and GenY, be true to your values.   Find the right fit.   It is out there and the numbers are growing. I hope this got you thinking about the future, where you want to be, and what you want to be doing.

Tough (Question) Tuesday Whats your top priority

Tough (Question) Tuesday Whats your top priority Nothing Matters More by DesignBucket As a Renaissance Soul, the word priority chills me through and through. Dont tell me I only hafta pick one thing! Dont make me choose! But yet, the truth remains that if you dont make something a priority, then nothing is a priority. Also, saying no to something means youre saying yes to something else. Cliched yet true. So let me ask you now: Whats your top priority?* * OK, fine, if you cant pick just 1 make it your top 2-3. But no more than 3, k? Ill meet you in the comments section, with a sweater to stop the Renaissance Soul shakes! Ill absolutely pass it around.