Career Communiqué x-Press

A personal note from Annemarie...

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Friday 18, August 2006

Hi,

Welcome to another edition of Career Communiqué x-Press.

I always enjoy Friday’s - not only is it the close of another week but I am also able to catch up on all the little jobs that I have not been able to get to during the week. A few months ago I decided to schedule Friday as my ‘product development’ day where I dedicate time specifically on product creation, writing articles and any other creative tasks that I really enjoy doing, but often don't get the time for. I had originally blocked out one hour every morning at the start of the day, however found that I was not as productive, nor were the creative juices able to flow as I knew I had a million other things on my plate to get to at the completion of the hour. Not very inspirational at all! So, blocking out my Fridays has definitely worked well for me. In fact, one of the products that I have developed is being launch in our Resources section below.

Are you scheduling some 'you time' in your diary or is your schedule so fully booked that you never seem to have time to do things just for you! If the later is true I encourage you to begin blocking out time in your diary just for you, even if this is for one hour. This may allow you to get to that ever-increasing pile of unread books, or begin that exercise program [you’ve been committed to starting every new year], or even just doing an activity that you find relaxing and don’t often get time for. You may be pleasantly surprised how much of an impact even one hour can have! But remember, make sure you take yourself right away from temptation (your work) to avoid distraction.

Job warning signs. Are you failing to listen to those crucial tell-tale signs that it may be time to leave?
Are you currently avoiding the warning signs or not sure what to be looking at for? If so, you’ll want to read our article in Coach’s Corner.

Until next time,

To your success!

Annemarie Cross
Career & NLP Coach

In this issue...

Coach's Corner: Job warning signs: How to tell when it's time to move on.

Ace that Interview: Avoid being screened out: maximise the reference checking process.

Monthly Specials: Slash 20% from anyone of our Interviewing Success Programs.

Resources & Tools to Catapult Your Career: Powerful Resumes! EXPOSED! 6 key writing strategies to secure that interview!

Coach's Corner

Job warning signs: How to tell when it’s time to move on.

There are many reasons why a person can remain stuck in a “not-so-perfect” role, one of which is the inability to notice the warning signs thus preventing them from taking any action.

If you have experienced a slight hint of dissatisfaction in your current role or you are not sure whether you are ‘living your passion’, either try our Career Quiz, or review a few of the most common warning signs below. I have also identified a few approaches that you can implement to support you in moving forward confidently toward your purposeful career.

You know it’s time to take action if:

§	Your role is beginning to affect your health with some of the emotional and physical symptoms including:
	- sleeplessness or depression,
	- weight gain/loss,
	- frequently becoming ill,
	- chronic fatigue/exhaustion or tiredness,
	- anger at those making demands,
	- self-criticism for putting up with those demands, cynicism/negativity and irritability,
	- a sense of being besieged,
	- exploding easily at seemingly inconsequential things,
	- being tired all of the time,
	- not wanting to get out of bed in the mornings,
	- feelings of helplessness. This is probably one of the more serious warning signs as if left unaddressed can lead to burnout. If you recognise any of the above symptoms, it would be advisable to do something today whether this is an internal change or moving companies altogether.

§	You have consistently felt bored, uninspired and unchallenged in your role for quite some time which generally means you have outgrown your position.
	If left unaddressed, boredom too can lead to burnout so it may be feasible to begin planning how you can make your role more interesting and challenging. If you like the industry and prefer to continue working with the company, you may consider approaching your boss or management and stating what it is you would prefer to become involved in? Are there special projects which are of interest to you? Perhaps there may be opportunities for further development which would support your advancement to another more challenging role within your company. Note: As hiring and retraining new staff members can be a costly exercise (in terms of time and money) the company may be willing to invest in your training to support your internal advancement, as you would already be familiar with many of the company operations.

§	The thought of changing your job is continuously coming up for you confirming that your role is not challenging enough or that something is not being lived up to.
	Ask yourself: - What exactly is it that is causing me to think about change? - Has anything happened within my work environment that has changed any of the dynamics [i.e. change of management, industry downturn, change of colleagues] and how has this affected me? - What steps can I take that will allow me to change this?

§	The opportunity to participate in key projects (which previously you were a key member of), is becoming less frequent, or you are no longer the ‘go-to’ person when specialist advice is needed. This may mean that the job has outgrown you, indicating that you may have to undergo some professional development in order to keep up with current trends.

Other questions you may consider include:
-	If this was the only job in the world, what would I being doing differently that would enable me to rekindle my motivation?
-	What resources do I have available to make this role more fulfilling?
-	What could I do that would make it more inspiring that I have not done already?
-	What steps can I take today that will allow me to make my work more meaningful?

One of the most important things to recognise is that you do not have to accept the situation that you are in - you have the ability to make a choice!

If you are ready to begin making choices today and feel you could benefit from having a partner to support, encourage and inspire you, I hope that you would consider working with me. It would be an honour to support you in reclaiming meaning and fulfilment in your career! Drop me a line at: annemarie@annemariecross.com

To your success!

Annemarie

Ace that Interview!

Maximising the reference checking process.

The employment meeting went extremely well. The interviewer was impressed with your abilities; you answered the questions superbly; and you were able to develop an excellent rapport with the interviewer and other staff at the company.

So, now just the reference checking process, BUT, unfortunately you did not make it to the following stage. Why not? Everything went so well. What possibly could have gone wrong?

How often do I hear similar comments from candidates who are at an absolute loss as to why after such great interviews, their applications have been denied.

Have you ever thought that perhaps your reference may be letting you down?

The general procedure a candidate follows in locating and providing references to support their application is either to:

-	provide a list of contactable references on their resumes at the time they send their initial application, or:
-	provide contact names after being requested to do so at the interview without any prior consideration.

Are these two methods basically what you are currently doing in your career campaign? If so, you need to be aware that both of these methods can be detrimental to your job search.

10 key steps to Ace that Interview! provides a step-by-step process on how to prime your references in order to elevate their communication and contribution during the reference checking process so that you are continually portrayed as a top candidate!

Want to strengthen your chances in order to survive the reference checking process? Send me Ace that Interview today!

Monthly Specials

A 20% saving from any one of our Interviewing Success Programs, which include:

	Behaviour Profiling Report (Interviewing Insights Report - enabling you to prepare for the interview process by displaying your general characteristic, ideal work environment, value to the organisation and interview questions).
	Behaviour Profiling e-Worksheets (accompanying the Interviewing Insights Reports) to leverage unique strengths and value you offer a potential employer).
	10 Key Steps to Ace that Interview book (for more information on the book, click here).
	10 Key Steps to Ace that Interview e-Workbook (40+ pages of exercises to be completed alongside the book).
	One-hour interview coaching (delivered in 2 x 1/2 hour telecoaching sessions or 1 x 1 hour session).

Click here for further information on how you can outshine your competition in your next interview!

Resources & Tools to Catapult Your Career

ATTENTION JOB SEEKERS! Want to seize control of your job search and ensure you maximise your chances of snaring that interview by making yourself irresistible to a potential employer?

	Did you know that:
æ	in today’s fast paced and competitive job market your resume will only receive about 15-20 seconds to make an impression, and
æ	thousands of job seekers are loosing out on job opportunities due to a dull and uninspiring resume? So what lasting impact is your resume making? Powerful Resumes!: EXPOSED - 6 crucial writing strategies to Secure that Interview! e-Course shows you how to create a powerful marketing tool that will allow you to outshine your competitors and catapult your application to the top of the pile. [Fast-track your application to the top of the pile today!]

Want to use this article in your ezine or website?

You can as long as you include this complete copy with it:

Career & NLP Coach and author Annemarie Cross provides specialised services for people striving for success and fulfilment in their careers. With an inquisitive, inspiring and influential approach, Annemarie has supported and empowered clients from diverse backgrounds across Australia and the globe in their journey to regain clarity, confidence, contentment and balance within their lives and careers. To learn more about her book, 10 Key Steps to Ace that Interview!, and sign up for more FREE tips and solutions like these, visit her site at http://www.annemariecross.com

Have a question you'd like answered in this ezine? Submit your question to: info@annemariecross.com

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