Career and Life Change, Career Transition, Executive Career Advice

Career and Life Change, Career Transition, Executive Career Advice In 2011, my husband, Capt. Rob, and I uprooted our lives in Kansas City, MO, to relocate to a tiny town in North Texas, in a community called, Sherwood Shores, on the banks of Lake Texoma. You can read my prior posts on this career and life upheaval, here, here, here,  here  and  here.A couple of years passed before I   began to get my bearings.And, several more years after that, situated in our new digs has promulgated roots.A ribbon of highway connects our lakeside respite to neighboring town Whitesboro, where gaping storefronts and homes line quaint streets. A Dollar General just up the highway a couple of miles intervenes, when eggs or half-and-half deplete.Time and again, Ive been reminded, that giving up to get is integral to this new lifestyle we have chosen. Again and again, we have determined that the gains outweigh the losses, and thus, we remain. Following are seven of those gains, and the accompanying things weve given up, for anyone who may be considering a radical lifes tyle and work-life synergy change:1. What We Gave Up. City Life. The convenience of fine dining selections, upscale theater and multiple shopping districts no longer applies to our lifestyle. The closest city (Sherman) is a 40-mile drive, one way. And, while it offers many of the amenities we need for grocery and clothes shopping, an additional 30+-minute drive is required to get to Dallas for the big-city amenities that we once were accustomed to.What We Gained. We no longer fight the traffic congestion and hurriedness of the city. Our winding and authentic side roads are developed artfully around cedar and oak trees, requiring cars to slow and sidle up to the shoulder of the road in order to let the opposing vehicle pass. Our home, and my accompanying office building open up to a distant lake view every single day of the year, and traffic consists of golf carts and F150s hauling fishing and power boats and an occasional commuter. Wildlife scurries about, unaffected by any invasion of overpasses and highrises.2. What We Gave Up.  Convenient access to doctors and dentists and veterinarians and hairstylists, etc. Similarly, it was distressing to start from scratch building a repository of relationships to take care of our most intimate and important needs. And then to realize, scheduling such servicesespecially when urgently neededwas complicated by the distance from which we were separated.What We Gained. Ive found the culture of service to be an interesting and mostly wonderful dichotomy. In some instances, the reputation for Texas hospitality exudes; in others, theres a feel of detached confidence wrought by locals who exude the spirit of raw independence and hard work. Ive found the rustic Texas decor delightfully overpowering and sensory appealing in my local opthalmologists office, and the syrupy sweet welcome at my local dermatologist, when I visited during a time of vulnerability, an affectionate sound.3. What We Gave Up. A traditional home. While on th e path to invest in a traditional home with undulating space and the finest of household amenities when living in Kansas City, my husband and I chose the route of scarcity, scaling way back in order to build up emotional equity and spiritual growth in North Texas.What We Gained. We now have settled into a two-bedroom, brick ranch, accompanied by rambling buildings and terraces dotting our multi-lot lake property. One of the buildings, a 460-sq. ft. Morgan structure houses my office, where I am writing today, and every day. It is enough, and the smallness releases us of the upkeep demands that would otherwise suffocate us of our precious time and energy we prefer to devote to lake retreats and overall respite.The lots upon which the Morgan building and surrounding decks and structures sit were raw and untended spaces when we acquired our property. Capt. Rob has since renovated and breathed life into the space, creating our go-to outdoor room for relaxing and entertaining.Our Morgan B uilding, and the Surrounding Space, BEFORE Capt. Rob Took the Reins of Transforming our Outdoor Space:Our Morgan Building, After:4. What We Gave Up. Access to building contractors, handymen and other resources with whom to partner in building out our space. It seems that workers are scarce, and reliability even more so, when you move into the unincorporated borders of lake property.What We Gained.   A newfound and for me profound, respect for my husbands creative talents in building out our property, from blank slate to esplanade. I love our space. And would he have been so inclined to dive into such well-thought-out and prolonged projects if it were not so for the need to do so?Courtyard Construction In Progress One of Robs MANY From-Scratch Projects (He also built the deck + the lattice work wall, and later, a bar, pictured in the After photos, above.)5. What We Gave Up.  We both gave up close proximity to cherished friends, and moved away from my parents and sisters in Missouri.W hat We Gained. I now live closer to one of my sisters (in Oklahoma), accommodating intermittent and intimate road trips together to visit my parents and other two sisters families. We also have leveraged our lake respite for sisters weekend events, the third-annual of which we will hold in a few weeks.I feel, despite the expanded distance, a newfound closeness with my family, and with a handful of friends with whom I remain closely connected back home. Moreover, some of the new people weve encountered in Texas have resulted in relationships that knitted a sturdy new fabric of friendshipwith bounds of joy and laughter emanating.New Friends Enjoying Our Favorite Past Time With Us2 of My Sisters in the Bow of Pilar During Sisters Weekend 2017We Now Live Closer to My Husbands West Texas Family, Some of Whom Are Pictured Here!6. What We Gave Up.  Rob jumped ship of a business management career in the automotive industry that was wreaking havoc on his health. While the initial leap was fo r the best, the abandoning of his hard-earned, executive salary was, obviously, a loss.What We Gained. Peace of mind and a slower-paced life unleashed upon us almost immediately. While the path to our new financial course was ambiguous at first, we found our way; the course unveiled itself, over time.   My husbands ingenuity and ability to reimagine his life and career proved itself once again, as he steers the sales helm as General Sales Manager at North Texas Marine.Capt. Rob Departing for the DFW Boat Show7. What We Gave Up.  Noise. What We Gained. Birds chirping, seagulls keaowing, pelicans squawking, boats humming, small planes soaring, water lapping, a chunky water-loving Yorkshire Terrier, dubbed Jolly Roger bounding and 10-lb black cat named Nicky playing, and our 26-foot Delilah, a Four Winns boat housing weekend good times and sundowns.This is Rob, RelaxedLikewise, Me, in My Happy Place, on the Boat, on the LakeA Couple of Pelicans We Spotted on a Spring Boat ExcursionHow This Story Relates to Careerists Needs for Career + Life ChangeMany careerists with their sights set on change feel the pangs of angst at the real losses that attach to embarking on a transition. While the obstacles of pain are apparent, the tools you can employ to climb over or around the impediments are readily available for those who are looking.It is when the desire for career and life change outweighs the toil that you employ the tenacity to win your hearts desires. It is when the impetus to leap to a new path is stronger than staying the course that you make bold moves.Investing in your career story is one way you may  work with me to propel yourself into the next chapter of your evolving life.Before you go, enjoy this 14-second video of Capt. Rob launching our Four Winns, Delilah:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DicLgbJGg8M###

CV Resume Writing Examples

CV Resume Writing ExamplesThere are various CV resume writing examples that you can find in the Internet and they can be a great help in making your resume come across to the reader. The CV resume, writing samples are also a source of inspiration, especially if you do not have much of an idea about writing resumes. However, it is important to understand that not all of these CV resume writing examples are easy to follow and they may sometimes be overwhelming. You should make sure that when you are using the examples you read on the Internet, you should at least be able to understand what the example says.One of the most used CV resume writing examples is the one that asks you to type in the proper information in the correct sequence. You are asked to type in your contact details like your name, address, and telephone number. Another example would be the CV example where you are asked to input in the spelling of the names of the person you are applying for the job.A lot of the CV resu me writing examples can be found on the Internet. However, these samples are often different from each other. For example, you will find some examples that use vocabulary that is more formal and formalized. Others will ask you to use a certain vocabulary that is common in formal write ups and therefore you may feel that you are having difficulty understanding them.A writing sample that uses a lot of vocabulary may be confusing if you do not know the vocabulary that is being used. Another example may be the type of vocabulary that might cause a reader to be too anxious about reading the next paragraph. In order to avoid confusion, it is important to learn what vocabulary the CV resume writing examples use so that you can do a better job when reading the rest of the resume.As you try to use the CV resume writing examples, it is important to remember that they are meant to help you do a better job when it comes to writing resumes. It is true that the examples are meant to help you lear n from them. However, you should still be able to write the resume without having to rely on the examples. You can always choose to copy and paste the resume into a word document and then add your own content.It is important that you understand that the writing samples you read online are not as simple as you think they are. The reason why you need to be careful about how you do your resume is because it is meant to be read. They are meant to assist you so that you can write a successful resume that has everything that the company is looking for. Therefore, you must know how to read a resume.You should also know that it is not enough for you to learn how to write a resume. The next step for you is to actually practice how to write a resume and be able to copy and paste it into a word document. Once you have done this, you will get more comfortable with the content and can take your time in writing a resume.If you know how to read a resume, then you should use this knowledge to do a better job when writing your resume. In order to improve the quality of your resume, it is important to work on improving your skills. Since there are CV resume writing examples available online, it is important to look through them and improve your writing skills.

10 Tricky Interviewers to Watch Out For

10 Tricky Interviewers to Watch Out For No matter how much preparation you do for your job interview, theres no guarantee you wont get an absolute shock in the form of an interviewer with a totally uncomfortable style about them. Sound negative? No, its called being realistic. Ideally youll be greeted by someone whos relaxed, friendly, professional and approachable. Following their lead will be relatively straightforward and natural. Your nerves will be put at ease early on in the meeting, leaving room for you to ace your answers and prove yourself.  Unfortunately,  this perfect type of interviewer doesnt surface  every time. Instead,  you might find yourself confronted with a really difficult person. They might not be the hiring manager you expected to see, or your new potential boss, but for whatever reason, getting this unknown persons tick of approval has become  a pre-requisite for winning your dream role. Interviewer 1: Robotic Rhonda RR might as well be a brick wall with a brain. She asks questions in monotone and stares at you blankly while you reply, offering little conversation in return. She does not show any emotion and appears to be running through a list. Interviewer 2:  Timid Tim You can barely hear TT when he asks questions. He appears extremely nervous and struggles to maintain eye contact perhaps this is his first time interviewing someone? And you thought you were scared! Interviewer 3: Joker Josh JJ has a huge personality, and isnt afraid of trying out his latest comedy routines on you. He makes several inappropriate jokes and you dont know when hes being sarcastic and when hes having you on, waiting for a reaction. You cant help but feel like you arent being taken seriously the whole time. Interviewer 4:  Hyperactive Holly HH  is like a bull at a gate as soon as you walk in. Shes here, there and everywhere. Her questions are fired out of her mouth at a million miles an hour and she interrupts your questions with her own anecdotes. She nods along intensely as you talk and maintains eye contact the whole time. HH is full on! Interviewer 5: Pressurer Paul PP will stare you down and make you work hard. He will ask you difficult, trick questions that dont seem to have an obvious point, he will phrase questions in a negative way  and  make you feel like youre being investigated, rather than interviewed. Interviewer 6: Overly-friendly Fiona OFF really wants to be your best friend. They spend half of your interview time asking you irrelevant questions about your favourite breed of dog and have a oh my gosh, me too! response to everything you say. She doesnt seem too interested in your skills or expertise, but more what ice cream flavour you enjoy the most. Interviewer 7: Rushed Rob RR makes you feel like  he has a million other things he needs to be doing. He makes you feel like his time is unbelievably precious and youre kind of wasting it by being there. Hell shoot questions out quickly and nod along preemptively as you speak, in an effort to speed things up. Interviewer 8: Frowning Fanny FF seems really irritated. She seems offended by everything you say and wears a really sour look on her face the whole time. She makes you feel like youre really annoying her; draining her of all energy. Your attempts at a light-hearted joke to lighten the mood go ignored. Interviewer 9: Hurricane Henry HH is potentially the most unorganised person youve ver come across in your life. He has no idea what hes doing there, what youre doing there, what the role is and what he should be asking you. He has coffee stains on his shirt and his hair looks like a mad scientists. Hes clearly been asked to step in for someone off sick, and hed doing a bad job of hiding the fact he has no clue whats going on. Interviewer 10: Bored Bill BB makes you feel like hed rather be literally anywhere else in the world. He yawns when you speak and asks questions that come out as half-finished sentences that you have to guess the end of for him. How to deal Its important for candidates to be themselves in an interview and let their true personalities shine out, however it is also extremely important to be aware of social cues, as well as the pace and tone being used by the  interviewer, and adapt accordingly. Its exactly the same as if someone you recognise rushes past you in the street, clearly running late to something, and so waves a quick hello to you before continuing on, barely stopping to make eye contact. You would not then call out  that persons name, and have them stop and explain to you how theyve been, how their days going, where theyre off to and so forth its all about knowing when to take someone elses lead. They want to keep moving, so let them. If youre confronted with one of the above interviewers,  youre going to have to follow their lead. Always remember not to say what you think they want to hear, but stay true to yourself and answer honestly. Dont let their intensity or flippant demeanour rock you or stumble you. Dont take their attitude personally they dont even know you. Just focus on delivering the messages youve been preparing for and practicing.

How to Spot the Naughty Elves (Candidates) in Recruitment

How to Spot the Naughty Elves (Candidates) in Recruitment I’m sorry if it sounds like this blog is written by someone who doesn’t like Christmas. Actually, I love this time of year; all the sparkly lights, “good will to all wo/men”, a chance to be generous, kind, to share the Christmas spirit especially if it is a large G+T version. I spend a lot of the year educating people (through how I personally operate and being more explicit to vocalise them to some) in how to be a recruiter with integrity. I am appalled by some of the stories I hear from collaborative R2Rs I advocate, you know who YOU are I have had a few horror stories myself over the years although it has to be said, as time goes on, I am getting better at spotting them and you know what, I avoid anyone I think will display the rather unsavoury side of the stereo typical recruiter. (NB. my candidates are recruiters as I am a R2R so for the purpose of this story, I make the candidate any job role, not necessarily a recruitment candidate) So I have decided to impart my experiences of R2R (since 2002) as my Christmas gift to you all. How to spot a naughty candidate and avoid wasting your time: Set small commitment tasks:  simply after the f2f interview, ask them to call you the next day with their reflections, questions, thoughts on companies briefed on. You would be shocked how many don’t bother so you have to ask yourself, are you going to spend YOUR time chasing THEM? Do they make the amendments to their CV you have asked them to? Ask them to complete it by a set time. Don’t chase them. See if they chase you up on it. Exclusivity:  it is so easy if you can get a candidate to work with your exclusively. You can ringfence your competitors, you can pretty much guarantee you will place them (only if they ARE good!) and you can cherry pick the best companies/jobs for them. Win win for everyone: you, the candidate and your client(s). Asking for a period of time means they can be discerning with you- it puts you under a little pressure but I promise you, it shows you, the recruiter, HOW keen they are to be discerning. If they are registered with everyone, I beg you, the recruiter, to make a wise choice. If they are shopping everywhere, you are so unlikely to place them. So if you ask and they won’t give it- I would advise you tell them you can’t help them. Honesty: ever since I started out in recruitment in 1998, I have always been honest in my style- never hiding things up my sleeve- and I expect the same of anyone I partner with. So when it comes to disclosing WHO ELSE you are speaking to, or have sent your CV to, if you won’t tell me, I can’t represent you. Simple as. How do I know what you are buying into, what concerns you have, what you like about them- Surely if you are open and honest about which other companies know about your job search, I will make sure I better them? The caveat with this is I appreciate when dealing with executive level, there is sometimes a shroud of confidentiality about a senior role, however, I have built MY reputation on discretion so you have to prove that worth to your candidate. If you blow my trust by being dishonest, guarded, misrepresenting anything about you or your background, I won’t represent you. Prompt feedback:  do you have to chase your candidates for feedback? If YOU have to do the calling to see how it is gone, I would suggest that your candidate either hasn’t been briefed properly to do so, if junior, or is actually so complacent that they don’t actually care. I am renowned with my clients for calling very promptly, despite this, I do allow reflection time. My point is, if a candidate doesn’t call me after their interview, I assume they are not committed. One strike? How many chances do you give your candidates? I personally give two. I think giving the benefit of the doubt is a rather Christian attribute (even thought I am actually Jewish!) but once that benefit has been broken once, I rarely forgive again. How forgiving of candidates are you? Is your market candidate led like mine is? Do you pander to your candidates or do you control them properly? As ever, I love hearing your thoughts. I hope my advice has been useful and if you have any further suggestions, feel free to comment! Whether you celebrate Chanukah, Christmas, both or neither, enjoy this festive time of year. Surround yourself with your loved ones, take time to reflect on how YOU behave and set yourself some substantial and measurable goals, not only in relation to revenue and performance, but also HOW you operate as a recruiter too.

Best Objective For Resume

Best Objective For ResumeMost of the applicants have not a clue as to what the best objective for resume should be. If this sounds familiar then you need to read this article carefully. This article will teach you the best objective for resume that is required by most of the major hiring managers. The objective should have a list of skills and experiences that are related to the position in which you are applying.There are many things that you need to consider when you are writing an objective but it is best to focus on two basic things: target and value. The first thing that you need to do is write down a few of your most important skills. You can make sure that the employer knows that you have all the skills that they need by putting them into bullets so that they can easily read.It is important that you put down the skill that you have and the experience that you have acquired. This way, the employer will know that you have learned the job well. Also, they will be able to get a fe el of how experienced you are with that particular type of job. Therefore, make sure that you put down the maximum amount of experience that you have.If you are looking for experience then you need to emphasize the importance of the experience. While other people look for their target skills, you can focus on your experience instead. Put emphasis on your experience and knowledge about the job in order to impress the employer.You will find that the employer wants to know that you will fit well into the interview process. Therefore, you need to write down your qualifications and skills as well as your abilities in order to make sure that the employer can see that you have the skills that they need. By doing this, the employer will be able to see that you will be able to perform the duties that they require.You also need to emphasize the importance of these things. Therefore, you need to use the bullets that you made earlier and put them in the objective. For example, you will find tha t you need to put down the experience and the qualifications. Use bullets that will let the employer see that you have knowledge about the jobs.Also, the skills should be mentioned. If you need help on how to use Excel, for example, this can be placed in the skills section. If you know the specific needs of the company and what is needed from you in order to complete the job, you can put that information in the skills section. Make sure that the employer knows that you are knowledgeable about the particular job.Lastly, you need to remind the employer about your experience. When you write down the information that you need for this section, make sure that you include the experience. In addition, you can also use the experiences that you have gathered as a source for knowledge.

Make Your Career Path Meaningful - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

Make Your Career Path Meaningful Whether you’re just finishing school, university, or even looking for a new career path because you hate your job, why not consider something meaningful? There’s that many different career paths that will change the lives of others for the better. They’ll also change your perspective on life and make you a better person.  Every career path is meaningful in their own unique way. But the one’s that count the most are the one’s helping other people for the better. Take a look at these career paths that’ll be meaningful to the lives of others, and yourself. Public Sector One of the most meaningful career paths to chose. You’ll be helping people on a daily basis that without your help, most likely wouldn’t have made it through the situation they were going through. The training to get into the public sector will be hard, but the job satisfaction you’ll gain will be so worth it. If you enter into nursing for example, you’ll have to go through three years at university, as well as long hours training on a ward. But at the end of it, you’ll have a good starting wage, and a career full of exciting opportunities. Life Changing This is a broad area to cover as there are so many careers that will change your life as well as others. Let’s start with a career in social services. Some children have to go through some truly terrible things, and will witness their whole family be broke apart at such a young age. But with the help of social workers their lives can be transformed back to some form of normality again. Working with the disabled is also a life changing experience for both parties. On their end, you’ll be giving them a chance to experience a normal way of sport. Whether it be through a day out, a sporting activity, or just a bit of company. From your end, you’ll be watching someone who most likely has felt left out mos their life come into their own and learn to love to live life. You can also take a look at career in life coaching. Some people have so many issues and obstacles to pass through, it can be hard for them to find the right path. You could be the guiding light they need, and you can g et life coach training from Animas. All the careers above will be life changing for everyone involved. Other Countries The issues that are going on in other countries are far worse than our own. Humanitarian work is so essential in some parts of the work. The humanitarian aid that’s happening in poverty stricken areas such as Africa, or the areas ruined by war such as in Syria are what’s saving the countries from losing everything. Without the help of you, and others, they’re facing the risk of losing everything they have. If you can’t get the work as a paid job, then look into volunteering. You’ll be able to fill your CV with valuable skills, and it’ll be so rewarding in the end.

Will AI change the human face of HR - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

Will AI change the human face of HR It is easy to understand how technology and finance sectors can benefit from having AI at their command. Surely companies such as Google,  Amazon, or Facebook  would have never excelled the way they did without using AI for their product recommendations, targeting existing and predicting new customers. But how such advanced technology that operates on advanced mathematical models has to do with a department which predominantly has to solve what some may call   “people” issues? Interestingly, there are many ways in which AI can revolutionize HR as we know it, and although it might be too early to make any predictions, as the technology is only slowly being adopted by businesses, we had a quick look to see where this all is heading. More satisfied employees Employee engagement for years has been a mystery for HR. To paraphrase Sydney Smithwho invented the famous analogy of wooden pegs not fitting for the holes in the table   the officer rarely belongs in the office, and the doer rarely gets the things done by default.   It often takes a lot of nurturing to get the person job-ready. Companies for years have been scrambling to retain their talent while learning about their employees’ reaction to incentives, and their motives behind staying engaged. The decisions at which HR arrived have often been dictated by general assumptions and inadequate or outdated data collected from yearly surveys. So it might come as no surprise, that the high employee turnover rate is still a thing. But the process of nurturing engagement among workers is soon to be disrupted, with companies such as Questback, taking “people analytics” to another level with sentiment analysis.Their intelligent Feedback Platform was designed to im prove the employer- employee communication to create a workplace where targets are met and morale remain high. Smarter Application Processes   We all have seen it coming. Recruitment is broken, and need to be resuscitated soon, especially in companies that follow the first rule of globalisation, that says that the talent retention should not be restricted to the local labor pools. But this couldn’t be possible without tools that help HR executives to sieve successfully through piles of CV, and zettabytes of online applications. If you have been sent recently a link to an online interview video platform asking you to record yourself, and felt a little bit perplexed with the whole experience, you might be even more surprised, if we tell you that soon you might be the only human factor in the whole process. From chatbots, or personal assistants as they are sometimes called, that can quickly screen people to interactive games that collect up to 3,000 data points about your behaviour prospective employees will have to soon learn how to game the process, or perhaps stay unemployed forever. Smarter Scouting   reaching out prospective applicants, can be as daunting as going through CV folders. In fact, the more actively you will be looking for the next new intake, the more applications you will need to later examine. Thus, for years, recruiters favoured “the less is more” attitude from more granular, more detailed search, that was often good enough with the means they had at hand. But what might have been working years ago, will unlikely yield the same results now, especially in companies that   are determined to get only best talent on their board. Sampling is the thing of the past, and HR teams need to accept it, if they want to start thinking of recruitment in terms of business initiative, not just roles fillings. With tools available for more effective sourcing such as employment platforms, it will soon be impossible to find a job without having a profile on one of them. Something to look into if you are up for changing a job anytime soon!