Holiday Gift Ideas

Each year near the holidays or graduation, parents of UK students contact me asking for career related gift ideas for their children. Is there someone on your holiday gift list that could benefit from such a gift? Here is a list of my favorite items.

• Leather portfolio suitable for interviews
• Business card holder
• High quality pen
• Tie
• Leather purse
• Pearls
• Business book

There are many classic business and professional development books that make impressionable gifts - especially when a handwritten note is included. Some of my favorites include: How to Win Friends and Influence People, From Good to Great, Never Eat Alone, Drive, and 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Bloomberg Businessweek recently conducted a survey of prominent professors and business professionals seeking their favorite books. What would you add to this list?

Capitalize on the Holidays!

Each year at this time I hear clients say, "I think I will take the holidays off and begin my search again in January". There is certainly a myth out there that no one hires in December or that December is the worst month of the year to be job seeking. By the amount of activity our alumni have been recently experiencing, there is nothing further from the truth! Many of you have been calling and emailing about interview tips and salary negotiation strategies. Yes, the economy is stronger than we have seen in a few years. Use this month to purposefully reconnect with former supervisors, colleagues, and clients. Send cards, emails, or simply make a telephone call wishing others a happy holiday season. Take advantage of holiday open houses and parties. This is the time of year when feelings of peace on earth and goodwill make networking much easier. Social occassions and year end networking can go a long way towards building trust and may help open doors for business opportunities next quarter.

John Maxwell Leadership Conference

Internationally renowned author, speaker, and leadership expert John Maxwell was recently in Lexington for an event that the UK Alumni Association helped promote. It was great to see so many fellow UK alumni from several different industries represented at the conference. There also was a youth leadership track where UK and high school students participated in sessions led by Dr. Tim Elmore.

Dr. Maxwell shared from his recent leadership book Everyone Communicates, Few Connect: What The Most Effective People Do Differently. His presentation was an excellent reminder that success is really just being able to connect with other people. Similar to networking, we need to be conscious of other people and how we can help them. We are either a plus or a minus, adding to or subtracting from relationships. Essentially, connecting is more about character and relationships. The following are some suggested tips for connecting. Be available and open for others. In getting to know someone new, ask them questions. Be conscious of what you can do to help others. Create experiences that make time with others more enjoyable.

If you are not already a fan, consider reading a few of Dr. Maxwell's leadership books to help with your own professional growth and development.

FREE- Professional Development Video Downloads

Last Spring we launched a UK alumni "Third Thursday Networking" series. Each program featured a speaker or panel on a job search/professional development topic. The content has been amazing and alumni who have attended have been able to take away some wonderful contacts and information that has helped them to explore and make successful career transitions. Fortunately, these career downloads are available free for alumni around the world. We hope that you will take advantage of this Alumni Association benefit. The topics include:

Job Search Strategies - Panel of Executive Recruiters and HR Professionals
Generations At Work
Brand You: Marketing Yourself To Employers
How To Land a Non-Profit Job - Features a panel of Non-profit employees
Tips on Making A Successful Career Change - Panel of Successful Career Changers
How To Get A Job At UK - UK HR

We welcome your ideas for future programs. Remember, even if you do not live close enough to attend the event in-person, you can take advantage of free career downloads.

LinkedIn Tips for Your Summary Section

Social Media expert Jason Alba is a "go to" person for tips on using LinkedIn (LI). You may be familiar with his book I'm On LinkedIn Now What? or his DVDs on how to use LinkedIn more effectively. He recommends the following four tips for making the most of your LI Summary section.
1) You are allowed up to 2000 characters in this section - use them.
2) Don't cut and paste your resume in this section (it should go in the Profile section).
3) Tell up to six compelling STAR (Situation/Task, Action, Results) stories emphasizing prior work accomplishments. Quantify when possible (i.e. #, $, %)
4) Load up on industry key words and phrases. Remember to make sure that you stay on brand. Also, communicate what you are passionate about and what you bring to the table.

By utilizing these tips, your LI summary section will be much stronger.

Emotional Intelligence and Work

Several years ago as my UK graduate school days in Educational Psychology were coming to a close, the concept of Emotional Intelligence (EI) was just beginning to appear on the scene. Peter Salovey at Yale University and Jack Mayer a professor of psychology at the University of New Hampshire conducted initial research on the concept and are well known for their continued contributions in the EI field. However, reading Daniel Goleman's best seller Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ is what got me interested. So what is EI? In essence, EI is expanding our traditional definition of IQ and cognitive intelligence to a definition that includes an awareness of our emotions and the ability to use them effectively. In Goleman's later research he developed the argument that non-cognitive factors such as self-awareness, self-discipline, and empathy determine workplace success, as much if not more than, technical skills and I.Q. So how does/can this impact our jobs?

Studies show that EQ is a better predictor of performance than employee skill, knowledge, or expertise. In order to reduce costs associated with turnover, absenteeism, and low performance, progressive employers are finding ways to integrate EQ into hiring and training as well as into corporate culture. Fortunately, EQ competencies can be measurable and learned. To learn more about the links between emotional intelligence and performance at work, Google "The Business Case for Emotional Intelligence" and read more books and articles on the topic.

New Career Lingo

The world of work is rapidly changing and keeping up with the latest career trends is part of my job that I find fascinating. The following are some terms I recently learned.


"VUCA" World - Sounds like it could be derogatory, but it is just an acronym for Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguos. A career development author who spoke at a recent conference used this term to describe our rapidly changing world. You can bet she touched upon the importance of remaining flexible.

"Slash Careers" - This term recently came on my radar in a blog that I follow. It is used to describe how so many professionals these days are combining their interests and skills into more than one job or career - often simultaneously. For example, a client could be a Dental Hygienist/Professional Photographer or a CPA/Jewelry Company Representative. Some people are slashing careers by choice, others are having to combine fields inorder to recreate themselves in this tight economy. Do you have a slash career?

"Slow Careers" - You've heard of the slow food movement that started in Piazza di Spagna, Italy several years ago in protest to the communities first McDonald's restaurant? The "Slow Movement" is a conscious cultural change toward slowing down one's life pace and making decisions in a more sustainable way. The "Slow Career" movement acknowledges that career transitions give one a chance to re-evaluate their life values and while striving to obtain greater balance in each life role. What does slow career mean to you?

Has Your Career Path Been Straight?

In today's tight economy and constantly changing world, we can no longer envision our career path as being a series of upward steps. Most organizations are certainly flatter than they were ten years ago with fewer rungs on the ladder. In fact, there are many times when a lateral or zipzag change can be of benefit. Some examples include:

-An opportunity to learn a new skill set
-A chance to greatly expand your network
-You have become bored with your current industry or field and want to make a change

Like any life transition, do your homework. With adequate preparation, you may not have to begin with an entry level position. Building upon transferable skills and possibly some short-term training, could pave the way. When are some additional times when a lateral career change can be beneficial?

Fall is Approaching - Time to Pick Up Your Job Search Activity

As summer comes to a close, consider recommitting to your job search efforts. These are some guidelines to help keep you on track with your search.

1. Spend at least 25 hours each week on job search activities.
2. Review your resume. Does it need some updating?
3. Update your LinkedIn profile.
4. Find a new LinkedIn group related to your field. Join and actively participate in the discussions.
5. Email former co-workers to update them on your search efforts.
6. Schedule two networking meetings per week. Coffee shops are a good place to meet or at their places of employment. You bring the coffee or muffins.
7. Apply for three jobs each week that may not be open or advertised. Target the hiring department manager and let them know how you could help with their current needs. Do your research first. Follow-up.
8. Schedule at least one informational interview each week.
9. Follow-up with employers that you may have interviewed with but did not get the job. Perhaps they have additional needs or the person hired for the job did not work out.
10. Get out of the house. Find a new networking group to join.

More Job Search Advice from Fellow Alums

I just received an email from a fellow alum who has landed a new position - her employer of many years relocated. She actually found the new position on Indeed.com and was able to research the interviewer (business owner) on Facebook and LinkedIn before the interview. He had done. In looking back at her job search, here is her advice to others in the job search process.

"The best advice that I can give other job seekers is to ALWAYS maintain a positive attitude. Even though I knew I was losing my job, I never let it get me down. You never know who is watching you, where you will meet your next boss, or who might give you a recommendation. I refused to say anything negative about my employer and looked at the job loss as a chance to use my skills and talents at a new company. If you believe in your worth, it will come shining through. Never pass up an opportunity to learn something new. I have more skills than I can ever list on a resume simply because I have always been willing to take on new assignments. It kept the job refreshing and gave me a long list of skills that my next employer needs. Bottom line, even if you are not confident, fake it - if you continue to fake confidence long enough, you will become confident!"

Career Mistakes Not To Make

No matter what career stage we are in, I believe that if we learn a lesson from our mistakes, there are truly no mistakes. With that said, the following is a short list of some common career mistakes that industry experts tell us to be aware of and avoid.

1-Not planning for your future.
How much time and energy do you consciously devote to planning your career? Most Americans spend more time planning their family vacation or what they will do on the weekend than we ever do in planning our careers. In this day and age, we have to be flexible, however, we can still strategize on where we would like to be in 3, 5, and 10 years from now? Don't let time slip away. Set some goals each year. How will your resume look different at your next review? What are your dream jobs, companies, roles?

2-Failing to focus on outputs.
Don't be naive. When push comes to shove, employers want to see numbers. Can you demonstrate that you are bringing value to your company?

3-Failing to network.
This goes for both inside and outside of your company. Do you have a support team outside of your department? Build your own personal board of advisors that you consult with on a regular basis. They can be from a variety of industries. Professionals that you respect who can give you an outside opinion of the company politics you are experiencing. They can help you strategize for your next big project or career move. Several years ago, I was part of a women's career strategy group. We met on a regular basis for over a year. During that time, three of the five members made major career transitions. Our group helped them target positions, discuss pros and cons, prepare for interviews and move to new cities. This was one of the most beneficial groups that I have ever been a part of during my professional career.

What career blunders would you add to this list?
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Considering Work In The Non-Profit World?

-What skills/traits are important to be successful in the non-profit world?
-How is the non-profit world similar and different from the for profit world?
-What advice would you offer for alums considering transitioning to the non-profit world?

A panel of UK alums who work in the non-profit world recently shared advice and their experiences as part of our UK Alumni Third Thursday Networking Series. To hear more, go to www.ukalumni.net/career.

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

Still not sure what you want to be when you grow up? This is a common question that many adults find themselves pondering. Perhaps an unexpected job loss or a personal crisis has you looking deeper into the meaning of life, where you fit, and how you would like to be remembered. If you are at that crossroads and are truly stumped, ask yourself the following questions and look for clues in your responses.

-In a bookstore, what sections do you gravitate towards?
-What are your favorite magazines?
-What hobbies do you enjoy or would like to develop further?
-If you could take a free class at a local University, what class would you take?

Other exploration strategies include taking career assessments, volunteering, conducting informational interviews, and attending events, lectures/talks, or conferences in a field of interest. Hear personal experiences from a panel of career changers at www.ukalumni.net/career.

Free Microsoft Training Available for KY

In order to keep up with changing workforce demands, the State of Kentucky has partnered with Microsoft in an effort to improve citizen's technology skills. April 27th is the last day to apply for Elevate America funding. For more information, go to https://kyelevateamerica.ky.gov/.

Resume Tips

Dan Parker, an Employee Relations Manager with Trane, has over 25 years of experience in Human Resources. He is frequently seen on campus helping with Career Center events such as Resumanias, Mock Interviews, Career Fairs, and the annual Last Minute Job Search workshop. Dan recently shared a list of resume tips based on his own personal likes and dislikes. Here are a few from the list:

- Do not list a lot of unsupported personal attributes such as "organized", "energetic", "good communicator" unless they can be supported by evidence of successful use.

- Use bullets, bold print, and varying methods of highlighting to make your resume easier to read.

- List Community Service/Volunteer Experience. It speaks well of the candidate.

- Always prepare a cover letter.

- Proofread. Proofread. Proofread.

Thanks Dan for sharing these tips.

Last Minute Job Search Event

Last week the UK Alumni Association and the James W. Stuckert Career Center partnered for our 5th annual "Last Minute Job Search" workshop that targets UK seniors. The half day event features break out sessions on a variety of job search topics such as Resumes, Cover Letters, Interviewing, On-line Job Search, Taking a Gap Year, and Branding Yourself. The event culmintates with a recruiter panel sharing advice and tips on "Mistakes Not to Make in Your Job Search". This year's panel featured Louis Bosworth (UK HR), Andrea George (Fifth Third Bank), Jennifer House (Cintas) and Dan Parker (Trane). Powerpoints from the breakout sessions can be viewed at www.uky.edu/CareerCenter (look under News).

UK Jobs

Searching for a job at UK? Did you know that all jobs are posted for at least 7 calendar days?
With that in mind, schedule at least one day per week to search and apply. Use "Quick Search" functions, be open minded, and realistic. Learn more about the UK hiring process with highlights from a recent presentation "Simple Strategies for Your UK Job Search" by Sarah Bowes of UK Human Resources.

American Job Seekers Challenge

The U.S. Department of Labor recently conducted a survey of America's favorite job search and career advancement tools. Over 16, 000 people responded. The results are in six categories - general job boards, niche job boards, career planning tools, career exploration tools, social media job search, and other tools and are now available at Careeronestop.org.

Spring Career Development Programs

-Would you like to know more about "How to Get A Job At UK"?
-Still wandering what you want to be when you grow up?
-Need some new job search strategies?

March Alumni Career Development workshops/events will focus on these topics. For more information, go to: www.ukalumni.net/career.

Spring 2010 Career Fair

Alumni are welcome to attend the Spring 2010 Career Fair

Tuesday, February 23 (Engineering, Agriculture, & Sciences)
Wednesday, February 24 (Business, Nonprofit, and Communications)

A few new updates have been added to the homepage www.uky.edu/CareerCenter
-Career Fair tips have been added under the Events section
-Spring 2010 Career Fair & Resource Guide has been added to the left hand sidebar

Interview Questions You Should Be Prepared to Answer

There are certain questions that you are likely to be asked in your next interview. Make the best of your interview preparation time by practicing your responses to the following.

-Tell me about yourself.
-Describe the key responsibilities in your last job.
-What did you like most and least about your last position?
-Describe a problem you had to recently solve.
-What are some of your weaknesses?
-In what ways are you uniquely suited for this position?
-Describe your personality and work style.
-What are your salary expectations?
-Why do you want to work here?

The Green Workforce

Members of all generations are enthusiastically talking about the “Green Economy”. Go to an O*NET special report “The Greening of the World of Work” (www.onetcenter.org) to learn more about occupations, recent trends, and workforce implications for each of following 12 green sectors.

Renewable Energy Generation
Transportation
Energy Efficiency
Green Construction
Energy Trading
Energy and Carbon Capture
Research, Design, and Consulting Services
Environment Protection
Agriculture and Forestry
Manufacturing
Recycling and Waste Reduction
Governmental and Regulatory Administration

What The Job Seeker Needs to Know about A New Interview Approach

Behavioral based interviews are becoming increasingly popular. The main purpose of such interviews, sometimes called situational interviews, is to document transferable skill sets. Mike Hammond, Group Recruiter with Enterprise Rent-A-Car shares that, “Enterprise uses the behavioral based interview format because we believe that past performance is a direct indication of how one will perform in the future.” To begin the process, interviewers review the pertinent job description and highlight four to five of the most relevant skills. Common skill sets in today’s market may include problem identification, problem solving, being a team player, demonstrating initiative, flexibility or the ability to use a specific computer application or other industry specific tool or skill. Next the interviewer crafts questions that require applicants to tell how they would use that targeted skill or react in a given situation commonly faced in the position.
The interviewer is looking for STARs. STAR is an acronym that stands for the Situation or Task you faced/handled, what Action you took, and what was the Result or outcome. They are seeking short stories that document the skill or how you would handle the situation. It is beneficial to quantify relevant stories by including dollars, numbers, or percentages whenever possible.
Below are some examples of situational interview questions.

· Describe a time when communication with a customer was strained. Tell me how you handled it.
· Think of a day when you had many things to do and describe how you used the time.
· Sometimes we can identify a small problem and fix it before it becomes a big problem. Tell me about such a time.
· Have you generated any new ideas in your most recent position. Tell me about them.

Situational interviews require that the job applicant be well prepared with specific examples of job relevant and transferable skills. You also need to clearly communicate why you have made past major and career-related decisions. Through careful introspection and research into desirable job skills for the targeted position, you will be able to successfully carry out situational interviews.

Update Your Signature Lines

Get the most from your signature lines. Show that you are keeping up with techonology by including not only your email address, but also URL links to your LinkedIn Profile, VisualCV, blog, twitter, website etc.. Be sure that whatever you link to is professional and highlights your unique skills and brand to prospective employers.

Keep Your References Posted

After serving as both a career counselor and a reference, I am surprised at how casual job seekers are when it comes to choosing their professional references and in keeping them in the loop regarding their search. Imagine how shocking it is to get a phone call from an employer asking you about Jane's work ethic when you have not heard from Jane in a few years? Or, consider not immediately recognizing Jane's new last name. When choosing your references, think first of former bosses or supervisors who could vouch for the quality of your work and your work ethic. Then consider using former clients, customers or co-workers. Lastly, consider professionals with whom you have volunteered or served on boards. Your references should be in your network of people that you contact during the year, not just when you need them. LinkedIn is a great way to find people with whom you have lost contact. As a courtesy, keep your references posted on what companies or positions that you are targeting. They should also always have an updated copy of your resume and a copy of the job description for any position for which you are being interviewed. After you progress in any interview process, contact your references to let them know what skills sets or experiences seem to be most important for the search committee. They may have the opportunity to expand upon these if contacted. When you do land the position, be sure to show your gratitude to references with a thank you note, flowers, coffee gift card, or some other form of thanks.

New Year's Resolutions

Most people are back to work this week or are ready to embark upon a fresh job search. Here are a few New Year's resolutions to keep you on the professional development cutting edge. Try to commit to the following:

-Read at least one business book each month
-Join a book club
-Update your resume
-Seek additional training (i.e. CEU, workshop, course etc.)
-Improve your computer/technology skills
-Volunteer on a monthly basis
-Add at least four new people to your network each month