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Goal Setting for 2018 – and How to Achieve Them!

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It’s that time of year again—2018 is here! It’s a great time to set some professional and personal goals for the year ahead. Setting goals is how you monitor and measure your success throughout the year. But what’s the best way to go about it?

First, try thinking about the end result. Where do you want to be this time next year? Your goals may include a new job, or a promotion in your current one. Perhaps you’d like to learn a new skill to enhance your marketability, or improve your health. If you have the time, your list may also include becoming more active in volunteer work you’re passionate about. For me, it was joining the American Legion so I can get reconnected with veterans.

Be creative; think outside the box. At this point, you’re simply brainstorming. Once you have your list, you’ll want to prioritize and break each item down so that it’s manageable and attainable.

Strategies for Setting Goals

When writing goals, using the SMART method will help you make sure your goals are Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relatable (to you), and Timely. Instead of saying “I’d like to take a few classes,” get specific on what classes you’re interested in taking. For example, if you want to take a web design class, find out where you can take it, when it’s offered, the cost, and what materials you need.

The SMART method lets you break down a goal into smaller more achievable segments. It also lets you measure your progress and make adjustments! Be sure to state your goals using positive terms - “Do this…” instead of “Stop doing this…” The language we use is so important! We want to encourage vs. discourage ourselves!

Strategies for Accomplishing Your Goals

Once you’ve identified your goals, it’s important to identify any obstacles or challenges you may encounter in achieving them. Are there any financial constraints? Does your goal depend on other people? Do you have or can you make the time to work on the goal? These are all important considerations to set yourself up for success. Evaluate each goal for potential issues and address or adjust as needed. Then, you can begin putting them into action!

Celebrate Small Victories

Maintaining momentum is critical to achieving long-term goals. One thing that really helps with momentum is to celebrate the small victories along the way. For example, don’t wait until you complete that entire web design class before you celebrate. You should celebrate when you pass each test, or complete a major assignment. These small victories help to create a visual “thermometer” of your goal, and the ongoing acknowledgement will allow you to monitor your progress along the way and keep you connected to the end result.

A Message of Gratitude from Human Solutions

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Like me, I imagine you’re deep in preparation for a joyful holiday with family and friends!

However you choose to celebrate this special day, I️ do hope you’re are able to spend time reflecting on the past year and focusing on the many lessons and blessings that have come your way.

Our team at Human Solutions would like to express our sincere gratitude to you for allowing us to be a part of your journey this past year. Your hard work and commitment to finding your place in the workforce and living your best life is inspirational to us all. Keep up the great work!

Here’s wishing you a healthy and happy holiday.

Be grateful for what you already have while you pursue your goals. If you aren’t grateful for what you already have, what makes you think you would be happy with more.
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

November—A Time for Reflection and Projection

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It may sound a bit cliché, but I always make a point of taking time in November to reflect on the past year and all that it has brought to me, and be thankful for every bit of it. I think about the opportunities that came my way, as well as the more difficult, challenging times, and I feel grateful for both. It may seem strange to say that I’m grateful for the challenges, but I really am. I believe that it’s through our most difficult times that we learn our greatest lessons and receive our highest blessings. It’s a great way to practice self-care; making sure my priorities are in place, and caring for myself as well as I care for others.

For me, journaling throughout the year makes it easier to look back. Reading through the journal helps me recall the details that are so easily forgotten over time. Journaling may not be your thing, and that’s fine. Whatever way you have of remembering your big events of this past year, I encourage you to spend some time this month reflecting on them—how they came about, how they affected you, and what lessons you learned from them. Look at life events as well as work because they both help to shape the person you are, personally and professionally.

A few tips for reflection:

  • Make two lists: Life Events and Work Events.
  • On each of the lists, jot down everything you can recall that happened during the year that had an impact on you in some way. It might be a birth, a death, a job you started, or something completely new you started this year. Be sure to list the positive events as well as the not-so-positive. Remember, we learn and take away something from all of the things that happen to us.
  • Review each item on your list, and think about how it affected you, and you’re your takeaways were. Draw out the positive in each situation, embrace it, be thankful for the lesson it brings, and let go of the rest of it. Letting go of anything that doesn’t serve you will help increase the positive energy.

Now that your lists are complete, and you’ve spent some time reflecting, it’s time to move on to another important exercise in self-care…Projection.

What do I mean by Projection? This is the time when you take the lessons you’ve learned this year (and in previous years) and use them in projecting your plan for moving forward. Just as you did with your Reflection list, your Projection list for the upcoming year can include personal and work plans. It might include going camping with your kids, taking a class to improve a skill or learn a new one, or expanding your job search.

Whatever you add to your list …

  • Make it measurable and meaningful to you; and
  • Keep your list in plain sight throughout the upcoming year so you can stay on track with your plans.

The items on this list will become some of the things you’ll reflect on when next November rolls around, quicker than a flash!

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Time Management Tips during Job Search!

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Job search can feel like a full time job! To get the most out of our day, setting up a structure with regular tasks will help you feel more in control and less in overwhelm.

Create Rituals
Creating rituals that you do at the start of each day will help ensure your day starts off smoothly. Rituals can be as simple as having a cup of coffee while you’re doing some positive reading or walking your dog around the block – a win-win for both of you! Pick an activity that you enjoy and get started tomorrow. Make adjustments as you go and add something new as you see fit. You can even create rituals at bedtime. This is called “book-ending” the start and end of your day!

Make a Daily To-Do List
After you’ve completed your morning rituals, create a to-do list. I like to call it a success list. It’s an excellent way to get and feel organized before you start actually working. Write down all of the things you need to do – both personal and job related – and prioritize the most important tasks first. This will give everything a place to be (on paper), allowing you to free your mind and increase your productivity.

Free Yourself from Distractions
When you’re working on job search activities, if you’re able, select a location that’s free from distractions. Let others around you know that you’d appreciate some uninterrupted time. Creating a space with limited distractions will allow you to focus on the tasks at hand, create a more professional-sounding environment when you’re on the phone, and increase your productivity. A number of small interruptions will add up!

Own Your Schedule
Do your best to “own” the time you have scheduled for job search activities. Don’t be afraid to tell people “no” or that you’re busy. It’s easy to feel guilty about saying no, but in order to be productive, honoring your time needs to be a priority!

Give Yourself a Break
Many people mistakenly believe that the key to maximizing productivity is working around the clock. The problem is that when you do this, your efficiency will eventually take a nose dive. Without taking a break, you are more likely to begin working slower and making mistakes that you normally wouldn’t. It’s important to put your best foot forward during job search. When you give your brain some time to relax, you can jump back into a task feeling refreshed.

By simply making a few simple adjustments to your day, you can increase the likelihood of a productive and successful job search campaign. If you need any help implementing any of these strategies, be sure to connect with your Career Specialist.

 

 

How Email Rules Can Help Manage Your Inbox

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If you're like me, it doesn't take long for dozens of emails to invade your in box. Job-search activities require a lot of organizing and follow-up just to stay on top of things so you don’t miss those important inquiries and leads. Wouldn't it be wonderful if your computer could improve your email management so that nothing slips by you? Well, help is out there, and it works really well if you commit to it.

The Outlook email rules offer a simple solution for organizing and managing your emails. You can set rules to look for certain keywords when an email comes in to your inbox, and then take a certain action with the email based on that keyword. Keywords might include a person’s name, a company name, industry, or even words like “interview” “appointment” or “application.” Once a keyword is found, the rule might say to move it to a certain folder that you’ve set up, such as “XYZ Company” “Responses to Applications” or anything that will help you organize the emails with others that are similar.

Using Email Rules to Manage Your in Box and Increase Efficiency

The most common use of Outlook rules is to organize email into folders and subfolders.

Following are a few examples of rules that can help you in managing your job-search related emails:

  • Emails from specific people or companies. Create a rule to find messages from a certain person or company (ex. John Doe or ABC Company) and move them to a folder with that name. This works well if you’re working with a career services provider, or perhaps someone at a particular company that you’re in negotiations with.
  • Emails regarding specific jobs. If you are registered with job search sites that send you leads on particular industries or jobs that meet your criteria, you can create a folder to house those emails.
  • Emails on a certain subject. You can even create a rule to find messages from anyone that contain certain words, such as "Interview” or “Job Offer” in the subject line, and move them to a folder labeled "Priority." This will ensure that you see those emails first and act on them immediately.
  • Combine rules. Rules can actually be created that combine two rules into one. For instance, you can create a rule to find messages "from John Doe" with the word "Interview" in the subject line, and move them to a folder labeled "Priority – John Doe."
  • Calendar Items. This rule is especially helpful to keep you on track with your scheduled interviews. Create a rule to send calendar items to a folder labeled "Calendar" or “Interviews.” It may be necessary to make several rules to achieve total calendar management.

Each time a new email arrives, decide immediately whether a new rule would improve your email management. If so, set it up right then before you get busy on other things. It only takes a minute to set up a rule.

You can also create a rule to send a message to your cell phone when you receive an email from a certain person. This is great when you’re waiting to hear from that one very important prospective employer.

How to Create Rules in Outlook

The Rules Wizard is found under the File menu. In the gray area are several boxes. Find the box labeled Manage Rules and Alerts. An email rules tab will open. Follow the wizard to create a rule.

  • Select the right template. Select "New Rule" and you'll find templates to either Stay Organized, Stay Up to Date, or Start from a Blank Rule. Select a template to organize your inbox and improve your time management. After selecting a template, create instructions for when the rule should be enforced. Click the underlined text to see additional choices. Select "Next" for more choices or "Finish" if you have set all criteria you want.
  • Specific Conditions. Step 1 will allow you to set additional conditions for your rule. Use Step 2 to say when the conditions will be fulfilled. Click "Next" or "Finish" if this rule is now complete.
  • In Step 1, choose how the message should be handled. Again, Step 2 states when to apply the rule. Choose "Next" if complete.
  • Name the Rule. Save the rule and choose whether to run the query now or apply it to all future email meeting that condition. Select "Finish."

As you can see, your choices are almost unlimited. Give rules a try and see how quickly those dozens of emails can become 10 or 20!

Making Good Use of Your Human Solutions Client Portal

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Have you taken the time lately to check out the Human Solutions client portal – Your Employment Network? It’s an amazing source for resources to boost your job search campaign, available specifically to you as a member of Human Solutions’ Ticket to Work Program.

Here are just a few of primary tools and resources you’ll find in the client portal:

Job Search Resources. After joining the Ticket to Work Program, you may think, “How do I get started?” This section provides you with tools to assess your mindset, skills and abilities related to returning to work.

Resumes. Writing a resume and cover letter can be intimidating. No worries! We walk you through the process, offering templates, tips and tools that will assist you in building a customized resume and cover letter that will get you noticed!

Job Search Tools. This very important section provides you with tools to help keep a varied approach to your search, getting you that much closer to being hired.

Interviewing Skills. After utilizing the Job Search Tools, you can move on to this section, which focuses on how YOU can meet the needs of a potential employer—from establishing rapport to closing the deal.

The Client Portal is available to you 24/7. Take advantage of the tools to set you up for job search success. When you joined Human Solutions’ Ticket program, you were sent your login and password. If you don’t remember, just enter your first initial and last name (no spaces) and click on Lost your password? to reset it. Click here to get started: https://youremploymentnetwork.com/.

Of course, the Human Solutions team is always available to help you. We encourage you to take a look and explore what we have to offer. If you need assistance, please let us know!

How to Improve Your Job Search with a Job Aggregator

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Searching for a job can seem like a daunting and challenging task. Fortunately, there are tools available at your disposal that can make job searching easier and faster. A job aggregator is one of these tools. It allows job seekers to search through employment listings from multiple websites on just one site, which is beneficial to both sides of the workforce.

A job aggregator is essentially a large database composed of job postings from thousands of sites. Another way of thinking of aggregators is to think of them as job search engines. Aggregators may enable you to find jobs that you may not have found otherwise because they show jobs posted on employer websites, association websites, newspapers, and well-known job boards.

An essential step for job seekers and career professionals, when looking for a job, is to determine the best job board aggregator for the desired industry. The easiest way to achieve this is to determine the type of position you are looking for. Some job search aggregators are designed for career professionals or executive-level job seekers, while others cater to part-time and full-time hourly rate jobs. Some are large enough to cater to any job seeker.

The clearer you are on your employment goal, the easier it will be to decide on the proper job board aggregator for your needs. For example:

TheLadders (www.theladders.com) is targeted toward career professionals. There is a membership fee, but may be a good investment if you are looking for career advancement or executive-level employment. Check with your Career Specialist if you’re interested in posting on this site.

SnagaJob (www.snagajob.com) is an excellent choice if you are looking for part-time and full-time hourly rate jobs. These jobs include some of the country’s largest retailers and consumer-oriented corporations.

Indeed (www.indeed.com) is the best choice if you want an aggregator that lists employment for all experience levels and industries. It is the most frequently visited job aggregator site in the United States.

Once you have decided on the type of employment you are looking for, you should look up the keywords employers use to describe those jobs. These keywords can be used on an aggregator to find a precise match to the position you are looking for. O*Net Online (www.onetonline.org) is a great place to start looking for keywords. A tip to remember when using these sites is that you can focus your search by using filters. Most aggregators can save searches and send email notifications when new job postings in the searched categories appear. Job aggregator sites also have a feature for you to publicly upload your resume. This allows employers to actively search for prospective employees. Some companies may even contact you without you needing to apply.

If you haven’t done so already, be sure to check out one of the job aggregators in your career field! Good luck!

Using the CAR and STAR Techniques to Boost Your Interviewing Skills

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Preparing for an interview is serious business. How well-prepared you are when you sit down with a potential employer will make all the difference in how well you’re able to convey a true sense of who you are, and what you can bring to their company table. Going into an important interview without that preparation would be like stepping up on stage to give a presentation, thinking you can simply wing it and be fine. Probably not going to happen!

There are two common interview techniques that we often recommend to our clients—the CAR technique and the STAR technique. Both are extremely useful for the interviewee and the interviewer. Let’s take a quick look at each. 

CAR Technique

The purpose of the CAR technique is to tell your story. Everyone enjoys a good story, and every good story has a beginning, middle and end. What you’ll do with this technique is create your story (or stories) about your past accomplishments that will give the interviewer a very clear picture of your value as a professional, and the contribution you can make as part of their team.

Writing your story is only the beginning. Once it’s written you must practice it. It’s important to create that clear picture in three to five minutes, or you risk losing the interest of the interviewer. So, practice your CAR out loud to a friend or family member. You can even video yourself reciting your CAR, which can help you with your body language as well; another important aspect of a successful interview.

Are you ready to break it down? Let’s do it!

C = Challenge. This is the beginning of your story, where you set the stage by describing a significant challenge you were faced with in a past position. Describe the situation, why it was important, and what made it a challenge. This first step is crucial to grab their attention.

A = Action. Detailing the action you took to resolve the challenge is your moment to shine. This middle part of your story is your time to demonstrate how you used your knowledge and ingenuity to address the problem and create a positive result.

R = Results. The last part of your story is your great ending! It’s the last-minute, game-winning score in your favorite sports movie. It’s your “King of the World” moment. Finish your story with details about how you accomplished the positive results, including the impact it had on the business. Add a little data to reinforce your story, but keep it brief. The story is more important than the data.

STAR Technique

Much like CAR, the STAR technique is a way for the interviewer to gather useful information that will help them compare their candidates in a structured and unbiased way, and determine the best fit for the position they are seeking to fill.

Similar to the CAR technique, STAR questions typically begin with something like “Tell me about a time when you…” This is your lead-in to tell your story, in much the same manner as the CAR technique. Your response to each of these should be between one and three minutes long.

S = Situation. This is your time to set up the story; describe the situation that required action.

T = Task. One of the main differences between this technique and the CAR, it’s important here to describe your exact role in the situation. Remember, this is about you, not about the team you were part of at the time.

A = Action. Just like with CAR, the action is the most important part of the technique. It’s your time to highlight your response to the situation.

R = Result. When sharing the results of the actions taken, they should be positive, and whenever possible, quantifiable. You may also want to include a bit about lessons learned, and what you might do differently if faced with a similar situation.

Both the CAR and the STAR techniques will allow you to showcase your expertise, leadership skills and creativity. Regardless of the one you choose to use, an experienced interviewer will recognize it, and appreciate your commitment to the pre-interview preparation. This can really set you apart you from other candidates who focus simply on the Action, or middle part of their story, skipping the crucial beginning and the epic ending.

Your challenge is to incorporate these techniques into your interviewing skills and see the difference they can make in your career search!

How to Prepare for the Big Interview

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As you’ve heard many times, finding that one job that is the perfect fit for you takes time, perseverance, and yes, hard work! You’ve done the market research, prepared your stellar resume, posted on the best job boards, made contact with dozens of potential employers, and now your hard work is paying off. You’ve landed an interview for that dream job you’ve been hoping for! Way to go!

After all the work you’ve put into this process to get you this far, you certainly want to be well prepared for your interview now that you have your foot in the door, right? The operative words here are “be prepared.” You need to be totally ready to answer the questions that will likely be asked. While that may sound strange…after all, they’re going to ask questions about you, your work history, your skills, and your goals…all things you already know about yourself, right? Believe it or not, it’s not quite that easy. While you do want to be yourself during the interview, and answer as honestly and freely as you can, it won’t be the same as sitting around the kitchen table with your friends or family talking about your life dreams, wishes and goals. You need to prepare for an interview the same way you might prepare to give a presentation to a group of colleagues or peers.

Some of the most common interview questions are listed below. Read each of these questions carefully, and really put some thought into your responses. Write your responses down and practice saying them in a relaxed and confident manner. Ask a friend or loved one to help you by doing a practice interview. This is a great way to save your answers to memory so you can be thorough without sounding like a recording!

Five of the most common interview questions include:

  1. Tell me about yourself. This is your opportunity to paint a virtual image of yourself for the interviewer. Tell them about your education, work experience and accomplishments as they relate to the job you’re interviewing for. Be careful, though; keep it brief. They want to know about you, but they don’t need an autobiography.
  2. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Describing your strengths may be easy, but sometimes discussing your weaknesses may trip you up a bit. Keep it focused on something business-related, but not necessarily critical to this position. And, always identify ways in which you are improving in that area.
  3. Why are you leaving your current position? It’s best to discuss this in a positive manner. No matter what the circumstances, do not use this time to be negative or disrespectful to your prior employer. Mention things like job growth or desire for advancement. If you were fired from the previous job, and must discuss it, keep it brief, take ownership, and be as positive as possible.
  4. What attracted you to this company/position? Do your research about the company prior to the interview, and then speak to this question by mentioning some of the information you learned in your research. Let them know you took the time to find out about them, and how you see yourself being a good fit for the company and position.
  5. What do you feel best qualifies you for this position? This is where you can discuss your qualifications, your skills and talents, and how they can be utilized to best fill this role.

There are also times, depending on your circumstances, when you may be asked questions that are more difficult to answer. If you are justice-involved, have a disability, or have gaps in your employment history that need explaining, these can all take a little practice beforehand to prepare yourself with the best possible answers. You always want to be honest and forthcoming, but you also want to assure the interviewer that whatever the circumstance, it will in no way interfere with your performance.

Below are a few really good articles to help with these kinds of questions, as well as others that you may want to review. Take a look at them, pick out some of the ones that apply to your situation, and write down answers for them. Then, practice them with a friend to help you get ready for the big interview! And, remember, the team at Human Solutions is here to help as well!

50 Most Common Interview Questions

Tough Interview Questions and Answers

Interview Questions Addressing Employment Gaps

Interview Questions Addressing Criminal History

Interview Questions Addressing Disabilities

May Challenge: Master the Art of Remote Job Searching

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In our last post, we discussed the increasingly popular concept of working remotely. We offered tips on what to look for in a reputable remote job search site, and some of the things you should avoid. I’d like to continue that important discussion and give you some additional tips and resources to help you venture into this new business paradigm.

To identify job search scams, ask yourself a few questions:

  • Is the hiring company’s name listed in the job listing?
  • Do you need to pay to get the job, buy supplies, or invest in the company?
  • Does the job listing sound too good to be true?
  • Does the company ask you to provide your social security number, driver’s license number, credit card number, or bank information?
  • Does the language used in the posting sound odd or strangely written?
  • If you’re unsure of the job, do you really want to risk it?
  • Do you have a bad gut feeling?

Your answers will help you determine if you should move forward or step away. Trust your instincts. Always feel free to discuss opportunities with your Career Specialist.

There’s a very good article at skillcrush.com that provides a clear understanding of what it takes to work remotely. In addition to the obvious—a home office and reliable internet connections, it also requires soft skills that are quite different than those needed when you work in a bricks and mortar office. Some of these soft skills include:

  • Excellent communication
  • Strong collaboration skills
  • Self-discipline
  • Planning and organization
  • Time management

To help you begin your search for remote jobs, we have a few search sites and job boards that we are excited to share with you.

The first and one of our favorites are SkipTheDrive, a free online service that assists job seekers in finding remote and telecommuting jobs.

Now, what’s so great about SkipTheDrive? This awesome site simplifies the job search process by providing pre-filtered job listings that allow for work-from-home opportunities. There is no registration fee and it is free for job seekers. You can browse by industry, company or position, creating a wealth of information that you can strategically filter through. One key feature that we really like is that you can filter your job search by companies offering remote and telecommuting jobs as opposed to a specific position; another way to target your job search.

A small sampling of these companies include:

  • American Express - Best known for its credit cards, American Express is a major financial services company based in New York City.
  • Apple - One common job opening you’ll see at Apple is for At-home advisors.
  • Cisco - A large multinational corporation based in San Jose, California that produces and distributes networking equipment.
  • Deloitte - The largest professional services network in the world, with over $32 billion dollars in revenue in 2013.
  • Google - The internet’s leading search engine by far, with roughly two-thirds of all internet searches processed by Google.
  • Humana - A for-profit health insurance company that is currently ranked #52 on the Fortune 500 (as of 2016).
  • JPMorgan Chase & Co. - The second largest bank in the world, and the single largest bank in the United States.
  • Mayo Clinic - The largest not-for-profit medical practice on the planet, Mayo Clinic has a well-deserved name in the health care industry.
  • Microsoft - One of the world’s most valuable corporations.
  • Pitney Bowes - A business services corporation that specializes in shipping and packaging, and also manufactures essential hardware and software.
  • Thomson Reuters - Based in New York City, Reuters is one of the world’s most recognizable brands in mass media.
  • Xerox - A brand so well-known its name is synonymous with making copies, Xerox employs over 140,000 people worldwide.

If you are seeking a work-from-home or telecommuting job, take some time to navigate through SkipTheDrive. Be sure to check out the Work-from-Home Resources section and the Job Application tracker.

Other sites you might want to check out:

https://skillcrush.com/2014/10/10/sites-finding-remote-work/

http://blog.hubstaff.com/hacks-find-remote-jobs/

https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/8-common-job-search-scams-and-how-to-protect-yourself/

 

There are many reputable online sites, and along with Human Solutions, they are ready to help set you up for success!

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