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Turn Yourself into an Obvious Fit To Get The Job

Are you an obvious fit for the job? How are you going with your job search? Any success yet? Have several months passed by since you lost your last gig? I suggest that you do the following to get a job. Read more

The 10 Must Have Skills If You Want That $ 120k+job

Career success comes from the mastery of skills plus current tools that can be applied across positions, fields or companies. I have 10 Must Have Skills and tools you need to have if you want to improve your chances for that $120k+ job. Read more

What Your Potential Employer Can Find Out About You!

Believe it or not, prospective or potential employer (s)  have access to more information online than you expect and many will “Check You Out” before you’re even offered a job.
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7 Things You Must Stop to Ensure Your Job Search Success

I occasionally have to cut conversations with potential clients short. Why? Because of their attitude. Simply speaking, Your Attitude Determines Your Job Search Altitude, I see it 3 out of 10 times. I know that with that attitude they won’t get hired or have their applications passed along to the hiring manager. I sense it within 30 seconds of being on the phone. I literally smell it. I have seven things you need to stop if you want to reach better heights and see some job search success. Read more

Cheers 2015, GetHired2016!

Are you Fnishing up the year as a job hunter, or are you feeling ready to make a career change in the New Year? I know… it may seem a little early to think about it, but are you ready to say goodbye to 2015? Was it a good year for you? Don’t stress it. It will soon be a thing of the past. Why don’t you start early this time to set a plan for your personal growth in the New Year?

Watch this space for updates on our major upcoming event series of job hunter events

#GetHired2016

We are teaming up for this cool event series with our savvy friends at F O S S L R 

The first event is December 14 2015 in Sydney with 100 FREE seats for TJSC blog readers.

For the meantime, here are T J S C ‘s Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions to move you forward in your work and your career. Even if you want to change jobs in 2016, ensuring your reputation at your current job is good practice. If you’re finishing up the year unemployed, these are good principles to start with from the get-go at your upcoming new job.

How to Get Hired in 2016

#1 Be a Finisher

We all know one of those guys who is all talk, no action. Don’t be one of them. Anybody can start projects, but it’s your mission for 2016 to actually finish something.

You will be known as a finisher, the one who gets things done and makes things happen. A closer. A killer.

If you have a ‘to do list’ longer than 10 items, you’ll need to work late to get it all done, or become more realistic when you create your list. Learn to understand what the priorities are and focus on those. Decide what actions you can take and finish that will have the greatest short term impact, you should be able to count your must-do priorities on one hand.

#2 Take Charge

Improve and master your job. Understand how your position can deliver great value to the business and to your boss. Don’t wait to be told how to do this.

Know the details, the costs, the ROI… No, forget ROI! Real workers deliver ROE = Return on Everything. Seriously! 2016 is your year, so know the results of your work.

#3 Know your Boss’s Priorities

Most of the time, your boss is your biggest asset, and maybe your biggest liability. But you can deal with both by focusing on the right attitude and behaviour for 2016. It is the one and only thing you can control, so bring your best to work every day.

Start the new year by understanding what your boss needs from your position. Why does your job exist? What does the business need from your position? The best time to get a casual chat in with your boss is now (try the Christmas party for starters).

If your boss doesn’t want to talk about it, then you need to figure this out for yourself. If you need to, ask your boss to explain to you why, fundamentally, your position exists. This is your baseline.

#4 Do More

Start by truly delivering on what your boss needs from you. Chances are however that your boss is expecting more, but is too busy to talk to you in depth. He or she may be trying not to overwhelm you with too much.

That’s the ‘2016 Opportunity’ for you: don’t wait to be told what to do. Make the next year work for both of you.

You must know about some things that need to get done in your department, but that aren’t getting done. Just do it. If your boss doesn’t want you to do it, he or she will tell you. But if your boss would like it done and didn’t ask for it–well then you are on the road to being of great value in the new year!

#5 Celebrate your Successes

Set achievable tasks and goals and regularly celebrate them. Toot your own horn! Most managers can’t keep track of everything you’re doing for the business. But 2016 is the year for you to make absolutely certain your boss knows what you’re accomplishing. (I am serious!)

Make a regular list of the noteworthy things you have completed and write this as a message or email to your boss (just in bullet points!). If you have a regular meeting time with your boss, ask for permission to start with your list.

Don’t wait for the question, “What are you working on?”… If that question pops in 2016, you, my friend, have a BIG problem. Make sure that your managers never wonder what you are doing.

You can fill your boss’s head with positive thinking if you set a goal every week or fortnight and tell your boss what it is. If he or she wants your focus elsewhere, then you have just advanced your understanding of his or her priorities.

#6 Ask “What Else Can I Do to Help You?”

This is my personal favourite, and it’s so often done wrong. Who do you ask, your co-workers? No, you ask your boss. If you spend too much time helping your co-workers, your boss is most likely going to ask you why you aren’t focused on your own work – unless of course, your department is full of duds.

It is your job to knock your boss out with great work. If you have lots of time to help co-workers, then you may not understand your job or you may need to ask yourself why your job isn’t keeping you busy (see points 2, 3 and 4).

#7 Accept Instructions 

There’s a good chance that your boss knows more than you do, at least about significant aspects of the business. I know it’s hard to accept for some, and it also sometimes seems like a stretch, but just accept that your boss has a lot to teach you.

If you have a good boss this won’t be a problem, as there will be lots that you can learn, and if he or she is not well-suited for the role, well, I still want you to accept them as your superior.

Suck it up – but be positive and bright! You see, if you have a weak boss, you have a great opportunity to help them. Become a genuine asset to them. Help them succeed.

You could gain a new friend, maybe discover something new about your Manager and if you’re good without being sneaky and narky, your boss’s superiors will notice. If they don’t, you should probably find a new place to work or learn how to toot your own horn a bit more (see point 5).

#8 Visualise Your Sucessful Day

You don’t have to be overly creative to visualise your own success. It’s the sort of thing people do each time they buy a lotto ticket. But the difference is that you are in charge – it is not a ‘luck’ situation.

Sounds weird or a bit too flaky? I assure you, it’s a powerful action you can take to achieve your goals. Visualise it first – close your eyes and see your boss congratulating you on your great work. Hear your manager saying “Thank you.” Hear your peers saying “Congratulations!” Feel yourself shaking their hands or that clap on your shoulder or the toast to your health when you raise the glass to celebrate an achievement.

Why not visualise yourself at this time next year saying to a friend, “2016 was a great year!”

#9 Plan Your Top 5 Goals for the Year

You do have written goals for your life, don’t you? Did you also write your top five ‘make a difference’ goals for your year at work? This is the age of contribution, value and ‘sharing’. I suggest that you consider doing something that truly makes a difference, and preferably a difference to someone else. Volunteering or Pro Bono work could be a start for that – you don’t have to do much, but I know from years of doing both that you will grow and improve your life.

#10 Be a Positive Achiever!

I also know from personal experience, that you will improve your chances to celebrate, if you set small and achievable goals instead of big long term projects. You will enjoy the work more when you celebrate the small successes. People like to be around positive achievers, so in 2016 be patient, be positive and stay focused on the progress you’re making.

On that note, take a break! Enjoy the Festive Season and prepare yourself early for 2016 – whether you’re job hunting from scratch or thinking about a new career for a New Year.  And, when you go out there remember to hunt wisely!

Uli

The 3 main reasons why you don’t get job interviews

Getting a job interview can be hard work, especially if you are in competition with hundreds of other job hunters for each position. Even if you are qualified, you can easily be overlooked or ignored. If this sounds familiar to you, then it’s time to seriously check your applications and your resume to find out what you need to do to secure job interviews. Read more

8 signs that tell me you would sell your mother just to get a job

It’s a bit like dating.  Looking desperate is not going to get you anywhere in your job search. When hiring professionals see or feel desperation in your eye, they question your motives and you lose credibility in an instant. Read more

Six signs that your online networking skills suck

Everyday, you and thousands of job hunters and professionals network online, but very few actually observe the basics to secure valuable and lasting connections or opportunities that can bring new business or a new job. Read more

How to Avoid Job hunter Burnout

In a job hunting space as fast-paced as the online and mobile job ad world, you know there are many tasks you ‘should’ perform to reach more employers with your quest for a new job. Read more

3 Steps to Nail the “Over The Phone” Job Interview

Hiring Managers often prefer phone interviews over Skype or informal interviews to screen potential new hires.  This helps employers to breeze and sort through candidates without committing to the expense and valuable time required for a 1st on-location job interview. Read more