Career Communiqué x-Press

A personal note from Annemarie...

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Friday, 15th February 2008

Hi,

Welcome to this issue of Career Communiqué x-Press, and an especially warm ‘hello’ to all of our new subscribers. We consider it a real privilege to have you join us!

Following on from last fortnight’s article on goal setting, another very important task that I like to do at the beginning of the year is to completely clean out and un-clutter my cupboards, desk, filing system etc to ensure I begin the year with a completely fresh and organised workspace.

In fact, this year, not only did my office get a complete clean out, but also the entire house, with no box, drawer or area left untouched. I started out by committing to do one room per day and worked my way from top to bottom. After cleaning my walk-in-wardrobe I had seven large plastic bags full of clothes, shoes and craft materials (that I had kept since I was a teenager, thinking that one day, I would have the time to complete my projects – who was I kidding) that was either thrown out or handed over to the local Opp-Shop.

What a liberating feeling it was to clear out so many items – things I had been hanging onto that were really serving me no purpose whatsoever other than taking up valuable space. In fact, I’m going to have one of these major clean outs every six months so that the clutter does not have time to build up again.

I wonder what areas of your office or even your life could do with some un-cluttering? Do you have ‘stuff’ that is not serving you well? Is your ‘clutter’ preventing you from being the best you can be, either in your work or your personal life? Remember, change nothing and nothing changes.

My coaching request for you this fortnight is to make one change, even if only small, to allow you to begin ridding yourself of your clutter.

Remember, we always welcome contact and feedback from our subscribers and visitors, so pop across to our Ask Annemarie site and submit your topic of interest, question or comment. Or visit our Career Communiqué blog. We'd love to hear from you!

Upcoming programs and workshops

New programs and workshops are currently being organised.

Keep watching this space.

From Stressed Out to Stress Free: Ten powerful stress-busting tips

Feeling stressed and under the pump at work with things just not easing up? Is life and career balance something you only seem to be able to wish for? Are you tired of not being able to spend as much time with your spouse and children as you would like due to your mounting 'To Do' list? Then this fortnight's article is especially for you. Adopt these ten powerful stress-busting tips today and reclaim your sanity and balance - your health depends on it!

Until next time, to your success!

Annemarie Cross
Career Management Specialist

In this issue...

Coach's Corner: From Stressed Out to Stress Free: Ten powerful stress-busting tips

Ace that Interview: How to answer the dreaded "What is your current salary?" question

Your questions answered: "Is it wise to summarize 7 years of working in one (and the ONLY company) plus other personal details in a one-page resume format?"

Resources & Tools to Catapult Your Career: Powerful Resumes EXPOSED e-Course

Coach's Corner

From Stressed Out to Stress Free: Ten powerful stress-busting tips

Due to the skills shortages occurring across numerous industries and professions (and the increasing difficulty organisations face with the hiring of skilled staff), often means that existing staff are working longer hours, due to the additional job functions being placed on their shoulders. Unfortunately with greater workloads there are often higher levels of stress due to diminished life/career balance.

Can you relate to increased workloads and stress levels? If so, you are certainly not alone. Workplace stress is fast becoming an epidemic and a primary cause of anxiety, depression and heart disease.

If you are in a work environment that is constantly high pressure with an overwhelming amount of work, here are ten stress-busting strategies that you should begin to adopt today.

1.	Avoid becoming the “yes” victim by learning to ask for help, or becoming more assertive and comfortable in saying “no” if asked to take on extra work by colleagues or demanding clients who continually present impossible deadlines.
2.	Remember Pareto’s 80/20 principle – you most likely will make 80% of your income out of 20% of your client base. What portion of your client base makes you the most money? Which clients are the most profitable? Concentrate your time and energy on these clients.
3.	Establish firm and realistic goals; and stick to them. Aim to complete the most crucial projects so as not to become enslaved to an excessive workload and bogged down with trivial tasks. You can also use the 80-20 principle here too in that 20% of what you are doing is probably vital to your business and its growth, however the other 80% that drains your energy and time can probably be outsourced or delegated to somebody else.
4.	Learn to delegate and avoid temptation to do everything yourself. Outsource any daily and repetitive tasks that do not necessarily require your expertise so that you can concentrate on more important issues that pertain to your expertise.
5.	Set yourself a reasonable limit of hours for your working day and working week – and stick to it. Block out ‘you time’ in your diary and make sure that you spend this time on you. Avoid being tempted to do work.
6.	Take regular ‘power’ breaks; get up; stretch; walk around; change your posture. Drink plenty of fresh water to rejuvenate yourself.
7.	Incorporate change into your routine to avoid getting stuck in a rut. Following strict schedules and performing repetitive tasks can lead to boredom, disinterest in your work, and eventually burnout. Rotate your schedule; incorporate a new task into your day; or put aside some time to develop your skill-set – anything that adds an element of change to your daily routine.
8.	Maintain a regime of proper nutrition and physical exercise: Exercise is an excellent way to relieve tension and stress so when scheduling your diary, block in 20-30 minutes of exercise at least three or four times per week. Increasing your fitness level can also benefit your productivity and level of awareness plus assist in avoiding other physical ailments. Get plenty of sleep; when we are asleep our bodies rejuvenates itself.
9.	Recognise the specific time of day where you get your best work done. My best time of day is the morning, particularly early morning, so if I know I have work that will requires my undivided attention and concentration I will schedule that during the early morning.
10.	And most important – take time out for yourself and your family. Maintain an active personal and social life outside of work. Your life should not revolve solely around work, but rather follow a healthy balance that incorporates time for yourself, your friends, and your family.

Worried that your stress levels are impacting negatively on your health and wellbeing, and believe further coaching would be beneficial? Drop me a line at annemarie@annemariecross.com.

To your success!

Annemarie

Ace that Interview!

How to answer the dreaded “What is your current salary” question.

Providing dishonest information during any stage of the interview should be avoided and this holds true when it comes to salary negotiations. It is not acceptable to lie about your current (or previous salary/wage), and if you get caught out in a lie this could seriously tarnish your image and undermine your future credibility and standing with the company.

Consider incorporating bonuses, training opportunities, health benefits, expense

accounts, and any other allowances and benefits that are included in your package. For instance you may be on a $50,000 salary, but be expecting a bonus of $10,000; have a company car (valued at $15,000); and a travel/client allowance of $5,000) – which grosses $80,000. Rather than saying “I am on $50,000”, you could say, “My current salary package with bonuses and other allowances topped $80,000.”

Want to learn more about how to strategically handle salary negotiations? You can!! Grab your copy of 10 key steps to Ace that Interview! today Send me Ace that Interview today!

Need to get your hands on 10 key steps to Ace that Interview! immediately for an unexpected interview? Get a copy of our e-Book version delivered directly to your inbox! Send me Ace that Interview today!

Note: Want to learn more about how our laser-focused interview telecoaching sessions can drastically improve your interview performance? Click here to find out how.

Your questions answered...

Each fortnight we will answer one of our subscribers career-related question and/or issue.

Do you have something that has you confused? Send us your question to: annemarie@annemariecross.com and we will endeavour to answer it in one of our upcoming issues of Career Communiqué x-Press or in our Career Communiqué blog.

This fortnight's question comes from Edrick, when he asks:

Dear Annemarie,

"Is it wise to summarize 7 years of working in one (and the ONLY company) plus other personal details in a one-page resume format?"

Edrick,

That’s a great question and my response would be – it depends.

Before you consider cramming everything into a one-page layout you will need to consider the circumstances surrounding your career move, your job target, and whether you can market your expertise and achievements in such a limited space. It is far more difficult to develop a powerful marketing statement in only one page in comparison to a two page format.

If you believe a one-page resume is a better option because you have only worked with the one company, here are a few things you should be aware of.

▪	Even though you may have worked with the same company for 7 years, you may have shifted throughout the company within several roles and various departments due to your successes – thus demonstrating hard work and dedication. Demonstrating this progression within the company would be advantageous.
▪	If you have delivered numerous achievements in the company which are relevant and transferable to the role you are applying for, then a one-page format may require you to omit these extremely important successes.

In most cases a one–page resume just does not provide the job seeker the opportunity of providing a clear overview of the experience and value they bring to the table, so I would seriously re-consider using this format when you create your document.

By the way, I think the last time I used a one-page resume was for a secondary school student seeking her first part-time position. She had no previous experience – only her studies, school involvements and extra-curricular activities to speak of. This information, along with a opening profile, her strengths as well as impressive comments from her teachers made the one-page layout an eye catching and interesting document.

All the very best!

Annemarie

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:

in today’s fast paced and competitive job market your resume will only receive about 15-20 seconds to make an impression, and

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!: x-POSED - 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 Management Specialist and author Annemarie Cross provides specialised services for people striving for success and fulfilment in their lives and their careers. With an inquisitive, inspiring and influential approach, Annemarie has supported and empowered clients from diverse backgrounds across Australia and the globe in accelerating their levels of success in the job market and the workplace. To learn more about her book, 10 Key Steps to Ace that Interview!, and sign up for more F^REE tips and solutions like these, visit her site at http://www.a-e-c.com.au

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

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