Business Experience is YOUR Security Cover
Some may want to interpret "independent" to mean WITHOUT others. None of us are truly independent or able to make it in life alone. All of us depend on family. Friends. Our church family. Schoolmates. Business associates. And others. You may hear someone say, "she is a self-made millionaire" or "he did it all by himself" and believe it. NOT SO by a mile. There is NO ONE who can make a million dollars without others being involved in making it possible. Seldom, if ever, is it possible for any of us to "do it all alone". I've racked my brain and every time it takes two to tango. Two to get married. Three to make a crowd. Four to make a quartet. Five makes a quintet and so on to infinity and beyond. "Independent" is doing everything you can on your own steam. Not leaning on someone else when you don't need to. Carrying your own weight. Paying your own way. Not leaching off others. Being your own person. You have self-esteem. Believe in your talents and gifts from God. Be willing to use them for others. You share life in its fullness. See the bright side. Seek beauty as it unfolds. Your awareness takes in the good around you. Gloom dissipates in your presence. My kind of guy or gal! LOOK INSIDE YOUR BUSINESS -- Your employees are NOT independent of your decisions. Paychecks are expected. Benefits are needed for self and family. Vacations earned and anticipated. Dependable equipment to do the work. Environmental issues. Conditions (good or bad) in the workplace are critical to your success. You, the employer, are expected to meet the needs of your employees. Money must be available to FUND your payroll. Insurance premiums for employees' welfare and protection of your assets must be paid. Lease payments on your equipment come with regularity. Ergonomic chairs and desks are important for the good health of your employees. And many more demands must be met daily, weekly and monthly. Turn your "cheek" to the other side. YOU are NOT independent either. ALL OF US depend on each other. Employees are hired to do the work that generates the FUNDS to make the payroll; pay for benefits; the vacations; the equipment; and the latest furniture designs. SECURITY OF THE PAST No big surprises about job security today Vs prior years. At least not this day, time and place. Unfortunately, a lot of employees used to think his/her employer was "for life". All you had to do was stay out of trouble, work hard and do as you were told. After 40 years, you get the gold watch and told to enjoy your retirement. Remember those days? Places like the utilities, the telephone companies, the post office and others had a unique situation. All of them had a "monopoly" and no competition. All you had to do was go to the rate commission and present your case that costs were outrunning your profits. BINGO!! Approval was given to 'raise' your charges without challenge. Deregulation changed "some" of that. Interstate commerce changed life among the trucking industry giants. Many went "belly" UP. Could not survive in a FREE economy and had no choice. Consolidation happened. Results were good and bad depending on how you survived the ordeal and challenge of a 'free' marketplace. None of us ever heard about any of these companies having a layoff. Few ever got fired and usually it was a really bad scene. Do Government employees ? national and local ? have job security unmatched in the private sector? It seems to be so. Average employees made average wages; get average promotions; average annual increases in pay; average vacation time and average benefits. No more, no less. Just one of the pack and most do an average job in return. It all depends on your level of ambition and motivation. SECURITY TODAY YOU are your own security. Stay ahead of the "pack" and you are the last to go. Let technology pass you by and you'd better not let the door hit you on the way out. Stop learning and you are GUARANTEED job obsolescence. Talent is the KEY to job security. Unless you can make a real contribution to the success and future of your employer, you are NOT needed. Brainpower is our most valuable asset in the current marketplace. Ability to THINK. Envision the future and its effect on our goals. YOUR OWN BUSINESS Many of today's newest entrepreneurs are formerly employees of large national firms. Some that did not survive the current economic climate. Others were caught up in downsizing; outsourcing; early retirement; and all the reasons for unemployment. Even with 96% employment (under 4% unemployment in many large cities) there is still a lot of unrest within many large firms. Stockholders are demanding profits. Wages are under extreme pressure. Prices are locked. Expenses are cut to the bone. Competition is ruthless. Small businesses require RISK taking, too. There are NO guarantees. Franchises do NOT come with a NO fail contract. Been there. Done that! Lots of reasons for one business to make it while another goes down the tubes. Your own business is NOT a guaranteed security. YOU are the KEY. It is your vision and your energy, knowledge, talent and skill. Your willingness to work 15 and 18 hour days to build a business. A business WITHOUT a business plan is headed for the dump. About like trying to take a trip from the East coast to California without a roadmap. Unless you already know the way, you are guaranteed to miss your destination BIG time. ActionTip: Be responsible for YOUR own destiny. Lifetime employment is a thing of the past for most. Trust God's plan for your life. Invest in your talent. Get an education to propel you into success. Your worth is in your ability to THINK. A Business plan is an imperative. All businesses begin and end without a guarantee. Risk takers wanted! Don Monteith spent 32 years in the Staffing Business. His firm placed thousands of job candidates in their dream job. Today, he shares his Career Path expertise at his FREE website - http://www.Career-Coaching-Central.com | | | | RELATED ARTICLES Successful Job Interview Tips Congratulations! You've finally landed that job interview you've been waiting for. Now the real work begins! Remember, resumes don't get jobs; they merely get you in the door. Here's how to make your resume come alive and make a good impression. Benefits of Maintaining a Career Portfolio Have you ever tried to contact a past employer only to discover they are no longer in existence or your former manager has moved on and been replaced by someone else? Of course, if you are an avid networker this shouldn't be much of a problem when it comes time to provide proof of your experience, education and accomplishments. A portfolio of your career should be developed and maintained using all documentation of your career history in order to overcome any problems that could arise in proving any aspects of your career. It should also include your most up-to-date resume which will be based on the contents of your portfolio. Include documents pertaining to your education including continuing education such as diplomas and certifications. Have any of your past managers sent memos or emails to you or your colleagues mentioning any of your accomplishments? Were your accomplishments published in the company newsletter, local newspaper or a trade magazine? Annual reviews, award certificates, and documents or articles recognizing your contributions to projects and/or business growth are proof of your accomplishments and major contributions. Be sure to clip the articles, print the emails, save the memos and add them to your portfolio.Document volunteer experience you have gained. Although you didn't receive compensation from volunteer experience, you gained some kind of experience and maybe even recognition for your efforts. Were you able to help an organization overcome a major hurdle that hampered their mission? Did you provide assistance to the members of an organization? Were you instrumental in developing new marketing methods to spread news about the mission? Were you instrumental in the expansion of the organization? Anything that can document your career history could prove to be valuable in your career advancement or job search. In the event you are unable to make contact with a former manager or provide up-to-date contact information to a potential employer, your career portfolio could serve as a means of proving your value to the potential employer. Don't take your career lightly. Document your career and maintain your portfolio. Your children and children's children will also thank you in years to come because they will have proof of your accomplishments and the mark you made in history, too. What Makes Americans Hate Their Jobs? This Advice Turns That Epidemic Around Here are the sobering facts: studies show that almost 70% of all employees dislike or downright hate their jobs. These dissatisfied, disillusioned people have no further career goals. Dreading the workday is a common heartache in millions of homes. Our job-hating crisis leads to lower productivity, adversely affects our economy, and -- worst of all -- causes strain on personal relationships. Should You Lie On Your Resume? Warning: Lying on your resume could cost you your job and your freedom. Job Interviews: Identifying & Using Your Most Important Asset When you're looking to get hired or get promoted, what do you think is your most important asset? Your experience? Knowledge? Skill? Talent? Planning Your Successful Career: 15 Ideas "Doing a good job is one of the most important ways to move up the ladder", says Dr. Don Bagin, Professor of Communications at Glassbro State College. 10 Steps to Escape the Job World and Create the Life You Really Want 1. GET THE POINT ? OF LIFE, THAT IS. How many of us will look back in our old age and wish we'd gone to more meetings or put in more overtime. The point? Despite pressure to "play it safe" by sticking with your day job ("...but dear, you have a good job, you want to be HAPPY too?") you have every right to follow your entrepreneurial dreams. With the realization that life is for living comes the understanding that it is up to you ? and you alone ? to create the kind of life you really want. 2. GET THE RIGHT PICTURE. Be honest. How much time do you spend bitching about your lousy boss, hellish commute and on and on? As satisfying as a good gripe session is, you're wasting precious energy on the wrong picture. Five minutes a day spent visualizing your ideal work-life and fashioning a plan to get you there will move you far closer to your goal than 30 minutes of complaining about what you don't want. Bottom line: You won't see yourself doing it until you can see yourself doing it.3. GET CLUED INTO YOUR PASSION. The most successful entrepreneurs love what they do. Haven't quite figured out where your passion lies? Start paying attention to situations or things that grab and keep your attention. Focus less on your skills (what you CAN do) or your resume (what you HAVE done) and instead, try to tune into what it is you really LOVE and WANT to do. What types of things did you love to do as a child? What kinds of characteristics or talents do people compliment you on? What kind of work or lifestyles do you envy? If you don't yet have the knowledge or skills to turn your heart work into a business venture, make it your business to fill the gaps.4. GET A GRIP ON "IT." In her book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, Susan Jeffers says IT is what scares you ? and ultimately, what's holding you back from going after your dream. Perhaps your fear centers on money, or that you're not "smart enough," or that you'll fall flat on your face. Let's face it ? shaking up your life is scary. Yet, "Unless you walk out into the unknown," says Tom Peters, "the odds of making a profound difference in your life are pretty low." So go ahead and indulge in your worst-case fantasy. Then get busy figuring out what steps you can take to prevent it from happening.5. GET REAL. You've seen the easy money pitches: "Earn $1,000 a week stuffing envelopes in the comfort of your own home." Sounds great, right? Now, snap out of it! Launching your own business takes time and effort. You should also expect a drop in income ? at least in the beginning. Now is the time to revisit the ideal life you outlined in Step 2 and ask yourself, "How much do I really want my ideal life? What am I willing to do or give up to get it?" If you are serious about living life on your own terms, the sacrifice will be worth it.6. GET INFORMED. Change always seems scarier when you have either inadequate, or worse, inaccurate information. Go to the library. Join associations. Talk to people who have started similar businesses. Take classes. Read trade publications. Subscribe to ezines. The more informed you are, the less "risky" the risks become. 7. GET READY. A goal has been described as a dream with a deadline. Take out a calendar. Even if you haven't nailed down all the details, you should still go ahead and set a target date for when you want your "new life" to begin. Besides being a great source of motivation, knowing how much time you have between now and "D-ream day" lets you create a realistic plan for hitting it. 8. GET SUPPORT. Enthusiasm is contagious, but so is pessimism. Avoid the nay Sayers and try to seek out others who share your passion for living life on your own terms. Consider meeting weekly with other aspiring entrepreneurs to generate ideas, share information and help each other stay on track.9. GET GOING. To keep from being overwhelmed ? yet still make headway ? break your larger goal down into more manageable steps. Then, no matter how hectic thing get, pledge to take at least one action a day. Even the smallest actions ? jotting down a new idea, reading a single page, or making one phone call ? start to add up. And, once you actually get the ball rolling, it's hard to stop!10. GET GRATITUDE. At the same time you're setting your sights on achieving your future goal, be mindful of how much abundance you have in your life RIGHT NOW! Changing course is a journey. Count your blessings and enjoy the ride. When you think about it, it's all we really have. How To Write The Perfect Cover Letter: Be Brief--And Be Gone! The best cover letters are 'one-page wonders.' Why? Because they suit today's busy employers who are already overloaded and often overwhelmed. The best way to catch their attention is to 'be brief?and be gone.' Leave them wanting more?so they'll call you for an interview?which is just what you hope for. Write a letter that makes your point about the job you want, displays your enthusiasm, and clearly asks for the opportunity to meet in person. How Important Is It To Stand Apart From Others In An Interview And How Difficult Is It? Any professionally trained interviewer can attest these questions are the most asked by people involved with job-hunting. How important is it? Absolutely vital! ? How difficult is it? Not hard at all. Resume Objectives: How Do You Know if Resume Objectives Are Right for You? Some experts say NEVER bother with resume objectives.While others say they should be an essential element onevery resume. Building Your Army of Supporters: How to Build Strategic Relationships in the Work Place! Once you have accomplished your task of getting in the door and getting the job the real job of career advancement begins! The Last Minute Interview Your breath catches in your throat - at last, an interview! Elated, you write down the time and place of the interview, who to ask for, say thanks, and hang up! Resumes That Rock (16 Expert Tips) It's never too early to update your resume, even if you're not searching for a new job. Why? Updating your resume is a valuable reminder to yourself of your practical value to employers. Self-Preservation Techniques For The Unemployed Looking for work can be difficult, frustrating, anxiety-provoking, and demeaning. How to Make Money as a Reflexologist Being a reflexologist is one of the top five career choices in the field of holistic health. The trend shows that more and more people are turning toward holistic practices to enhance traditional medical therapies. Being a reflexologist also allows the practitioner to create a flexible schedule in many circumstances. Resurrecting the Perfect Resume, Part One Is your resume dead? Don't be so quick to say, "No way!" Of the hundreds of resumes I've seen written by job seekers of all backgrounds and educational levels, easily 95% qualify to be labelled as dead-but-not-yet-buried. You Are Not Entitled to a Job! Résumé Tips 7 Steps to Interviews that Win the Job These days, interviews don't come easily. When you get The Call, make the most of your time -- and go for it! You Can Identify a Problem Solver As an executive recruiter, I interview a lot of people. And while most candidates find a way to look good on paper, their resumes don't always reveal how good of a problem solver they are. Yet all of my clients want to hire problem solvers - people who can walk into their operation and make their problems go away. This is understandable. Business, of course, is all about problems. In fact, whether your business is in growth mode or decline, you will always have problems. And it's management's job to either come up with the answers, or hire people who will. This article is about the latter. How We Learned about Solving Problems Job Search 101 The whole job search effort is completely exhausting and at times just plain pathetic. It is what it is and if you are unemployed know that the job search experience is one familiar to everyone at some point and time, so don't feel alone. One of the major mistakes many job seeks make is not being able to keep the whole job search experience organized. Remembering who you spoke to on what day, concerning what job can be a true "mission impossible."
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