Six Steps to Avoid Becoming Obsolete (or Worse) on the Job

The Client: It only seemed natural that James was angry. Wouldn’t you be angry if you were being passed over for a promotion? And this wasn’t the first time. Last month, there was a really big project being drafted by the Leadership Team that was loaded with more authority, more responsibility and, of course, more money. James was sure he was a sure-fit for the position. But to his dismay, it was offered to a younger, less tenured employee. Now a much juicer promotion was on the table and that promised even more than the other position. A company car, high visibility among the company’s Board of Trustees, overseeing a huge division and more prestige than he ever imagined (but so sorely desired). But it was not offered to him. As a matter of fact, not only was it not offered but he was never even considered for the promotion. To make matters even more distasteful, it was offered to an employee whom James used to supervise less than two years ago.

Anger, frustration, resentment and fear combined with a huge dose of denial quickly became intimate and frequent visitors to James’ psyche. How could he be treated so unfair especially in view of all his years of experience and skills? Didn’t that mean anything? Wasn’t he entitled to being recognized for all that he’d given to the company. All those early morning arrivals before anyone got to the office and he was always the last one to leave. Several years ago he launched and completed a very successful project and was congratulated by the President of the company himself. Didn’t that mean anything? How could they treat him so callously. A man of his stature.

The Problem: James’ situation is more common to the workplace than not. In this day of career-minded, not-ready-to-retire Baby Boomers and as-yet-to-be-career-fulfilled Generation Xers (remember them?), the workforce is literally an “Employers Market”. Yet, many of these workers find themselves struggling either to find employment after having been downsized or to feel valued. It is the latter situation that this article is intended to address.

James’ problem was not related to his technical performance, ie., his ability to perform the duties required of his position for which he was hired. He has a long history of receiving stellar performance evaluations by his supervisors. Rather, James’s problem was related to his inability to understand the “new” rules of the workplace and to incorporate them into a regular practice. You see, James started his career believing that if you go to work early, stay late, come in on weekends and always be ready to “take one for the team” then your efforts would be recognized and you would be justly rewarded. Hey, that’s how it worked for his dad, right? Well, yes, but that’s not how the workplace of the 21st century operates any longer. At one time it was, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” That’s now been rewritten to, “It’s not what you know or who you know. It’s who knows you!”. Loyalty to the employer as well as loyalty to the company used to be the heard on the old job airwaves. Now, the station has a new frequency on station, “WII- FM” or more commonly known as “What’s In It For Me?” The rules have changed and poor James needed help to figure it out. That’s where I came in!

The Solution: James was wounded and needed, even more than a promotion or higher salary, a boost in his self-confidence. Like many others, James’ identity and self-esteem were tightly wound into his job to the point where it was hard to separate the two. Helping James to renew his self-image was job #1. For the purpose of this article, I will condense the timeframe, but since James was motivated to work, he was able to do some remarkable things in a very brief timeframe.

The Outcome: We examined some of his beliefs about himself and looked at the things he values. It wasn’t long before James was able to redefine and separate “who” he is and the core of his essence from his career and vocational Self. James could now see that his worth was more than a paycheck or a promotion or anything external to himself. We then focused on developing strategies to help him improve his chances to getting on-the-job recognition (yes, that is still important to him, but now the degree to which he weighs its importance has been shifted to a more tolerable level).

Here are some highlights of the strategies James and I co-created:

Job Vacancy Indonesia People are hired because they are liked and fired because they’re not! It’s not often that people are hired or promoted solely because of their technical skills. Sometimes the best technical skills a candidate has that makes them a good hire is their ability to drop twenty foot putts with a fair degree of frequency or they can play “like Mike!” More often than not, people are hired because the company feels they “fit” into the existing culture. Find out what your supervisor likes in his/her employees and what he/she values in themselves. Find out why you were hired and make sure you keep those skills and qualities in constant view.

It really is about “who knows you”. Equally important is who knows you. Make it a point to find out who the movers-and-shakers are in the organization and find out why. Informational interviews are effective. Also, asking others why they consider someone to be a leader within the organization is another way to gather helpful information. Once you have the information you need, develop a strategy that ensures they get to know who you are and your value to the company.

Vacancy 

11 Commandments For Smart Negotiating

By Lee Miller

The job market is the best it's been in 20 years. The Commerce Department estimates that U.S. businesses will need to hire one million new computer scientists, engineers, systems analysts and computer programmers by 2005.

Yet graduates with degrees in computer science are being produced at a fraction of the rate needed. The Information Technology Association of America reports 190,000 current job openings for web experts and other information-technology specialists, and similar shortages are cropping up in other industries as well.

These market conditions provide a great opportunity to negotiate an excellent compensation package, but only if you understand how.

There are 11 basic commandments to help you negotiate the best possible deal when changing jobs, whether internally or with a new company. They are: 

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee 

Be prepared. The more information you have about your market value and the prospective employer, the greater your likelihood of success. This is the first commandment because it's the most important. There's a wealth of information available on the Internet, at the public library and through professional associations and networking groups. Time spent learning how to negotiate and preparing for negotiations may be the best investment you'll ever make.

Recognize that employment negotiations are different. When the negotiations are over, you'll have to work with the person with whom you're negotiating. Moreover, your future success may depend on that person. So, while you want to negotiate the best possible deal, you need to do so in a way that doesn't damage your image. At the same time, the employer's primary concern isn't negotiating the least expensive compensation package it can get away with. Rather, their focus will be on getting you to accept the job.

Understand your needs and those of the employer. To be successful in this type of negotiation, you need to examine your priorities. What do you really want? Are you comfortable with a low salary and a large equity stake? Are you able to handle dramatic swings in income from year to year? Understanding your needs will also help you determine the type of company you want to work for. For example, a family-owned company may be able to offer a competitive salary and a large bonus based on results, but may not be willing to offer significant equity to a non-family member. A start-up company, on the other hand, may not be able to offer market salary, but will typically offer stock options. By recognizing what an employer can and can't do, you'll be able to determine what issues you should press.

Understand the dynamics of the particular negotiations. Sometimes you'll have skills that are in great demand. And sometimes, you may be one of several qualified candidates the company would be happy to hire. Sizing up the situation and understanding the relative position of each party will help you determine when to press your advantage and when to back off.

Never lie, but use the truth to your advantage. It's not only wrong to lie, but in employment negotiations, it's ineffective. If you lie during negotiations, sooner or later you're likely to be caught. Once you are, even if you don't lose the offer, you'll be at a tremendous disadvantage, and your credibility will always be suspect. On the other hand, total candor won't be rewarded. You're under no obligation to blurt out everything you know. You can determine what you want to say and how you want to say it, and try to put everything in its most positive light. One key element of your preparation should be to recognize areas of concern so you can rehearse how to handle them when they inevitably come up.

Understand the role fairness plays in the process. The guiding principle for most employers when negotiating is fairness. Within the constraints of their budget and organizational structure, employers usually will agree to anything that's fair and reasonable to hire someone they want. Appeals to fairness are your most powerful weapon. Thus, you should be able to justify every request you make in terms of fairness. For example, if other computer programmers in similar companies are being given sign-on bonuses, you should expect to be treated no differently. Your prospective employer will want you to accept its offer and feel that you've been treated fairly. Understanding the importance of fairness as a negotiating principle can make the difference between success and failure.

Use uncertainty to your advantage. The more information you convey to a potential employer about your bottom line, the more likely it will limit what you get. Before making an offer, a company typically tries to determine what it will take for you to accept the position. With that information, the prospective employer will be able to determine the minimum package it needs to offer. While they may not offer you as little as they can get away with, if you've divulged too much information, they likely won't offer you as much as they might have otherwise. By not disclosing exactly what your current compensation is or exactly what it would take to get you to leave your job, you'll force a potential employer to make its best offer.

Be creative. Consider the value of the total package. Look for different ways to achieve your objectives. Be willing to make tradeoffs to increase the total value of the deal. If you're creative, you can package what you want in ways that will be acceptable to the company. You'll also be able to find creative "trades" that allow you to withdraw requests that might be problematic to the company in return for improvements in areas where the company has more flexibility. That way, you can maximize the value of the package you negotiate.

Focus on your goals, not on winning. Too often in negotiations, the act of winning becomes more important than achieving your goals. And it's also important not to make your future boss feel as if he's lost in the negotiations. You'll have gained little by negotiating a good deal if you alienate your future boss in the process.

Know when to quit bargaining. The one sure way to lose everything you've obtained is to be greedy. There comes a point in every negotiation when you've achieved everything you could have reasonably expected to gain. While most companies will want to treat you fairly and make you happy, few companies want a to hire a prima donna. Being perceived as greedy or unreasonable may cause the deal to fall apart. Even if it doesn't, you'll have done immeasurable harm to your career. This brings us to the 11th and most important commandment:

Never forget that employment is an ongoing relationship. Job negotiations are the starting point for your career with a company. Get too little and you're disadvantaged throughout your career there; push too hard and you can sour the relationship before it begins.

Writing a Cold Call Cover Letter

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee

It is a simple truth that nearly three jobs out of four are never advertised. You will never know about them. If you really want to increase your chances of getting a job, you have to find a way to tap into this employment source. This is where the cold call cover letter comes into play.

However, these are often the most difficult type of letter to write. You have limited information about what kind of jobs the company may have, about its current staffing needs and about their needs. Nevertheless, there are certain things you can do to create a powerful cold call letter.

As with all types of cover letters, you must address this letter to a specific person. Never write to the generic "sir" or "madam". Don't send the letter to a Human Resources Department where it will likely never get read.

Make sure that the letter is tailored to the company. Mass mailings of form letters are rarely effective. Spend your time and energy doing some research on the company. Go to the internet or career center and find out whatever you can about the company. What do they do? What are they proud of? What are their current projects or directions? These questions will help you to craft a great letter.

In the introductory paragraph specify your area of expertise. Don't leave the reader guessing about what you can do or about what kind of job you are looking for. Show the employer that you are interested in working in a specific area in the company.

Communicate clearly the type of work that you want to do within the company. Even though you are not applying for a specific job, you still need to target your cold call letter to a particular type of job. If they like you, and if they don't have a specific job in your area, they may create one or they may offer you another job for which they think you are a good fit. Don't worry about not being considered just because a specific position is not available. After all, the purpose is to impress the company enough to get your foot in the door.

You really need to show the employer why you have a specific interest in working for them. This is where the research you have done really comes into play. Show the employer that you have a particular skill set that meets their current needs and that you can fit in the organization especially in its current direction.

Keep in mind that this letter must be designed to impress. After all, as far as you know, the company has no need to hire. You are asking them to take a look at you and maybe even to find a position for you. By no means should you think that you are asking for a favor.

The cold call cover letter should convince the company that it needs you-that you are the answer to their needs. Your letter needs to create enough interest to get them to call you and schedule an interview.

High Vacancy Rates Leading to Excess Office Space

By Andre Nixon

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy 

There is currently an excess of office space in Las Vegas leading to a high rate of vacancy. The rates are in the range of 17 to 19% which is very high. The financial meltdown in U.S had affected the real estate domain pretty badly, leading to shrinkage in demand of office space in Las Vegas. In the year 2008, the work space required touched a low figure of 637,800 square feet. People need to wait till the end of 2010 for the vacancy rates to get lower and approach the normal rate of 10%. New office products are already being visible online in the current year which is a healthy change from the past year. With so much work space lying vacant, the construction work of many executive office suites has naturally been kept on hold.

The vacancy rates have already started to decrease and new employment opportunities are being created gradually. With the currently pending constructions works again being started, one can expect many of the ongoing projects to be completed within the next 9 to 12 months. The market is thereby expected to stabilize along with recovery in all the major industrial and financial domains. With the prevailing uncertainty, offices owned by banks are involved in most of the sales being done now. Banks are also trying to seize this opportunity by concentrating on sale of office space in Las Vegas. They are enhancing their portfolios with competition from the private players being less. The private bodies / individuals are waiting for the situation to be better.

It is worth mentioning that in 2008 the commercial real-estate markets were facing a major credit crunch. But in the current financial year, the previously hesitant financial institutions are offering real-estate loans to those possessing adequate quantity of equity and having a good credit / business history. Currently the credit card companies are following a safety-first approach and keeping their money intact. The earlier they start relaxing this approach the faster can the business recovery in office rental and office space be achieved. The average rental charge of office space in Las Vegas is about $2.5 per square foot. Many projects have already been completed, like the 65,000 square-feet Hughes Airport Center, the 144,300 square-feet Eastgate Plaza II (Houston), etc.

Commercial offices are right now apprehensive of buying any office properties and are rather willing to get office space on lease. With every passing day, one can notice an improvement in the housing market situation. Executive office suites are mainly being provided in Henderson, Summerlin, Central Vegas, and near the airport. The highest vacancy rate was noticed in the northern part of Las Vegas with figures touching an abysmal 31.6%. Although any category and size of business can get office space in Las Vegas, commercial / business real estate is not much in demand in downtown Las Vegas. Shared office space, temporary work space, furnished units, serviced units are all provided in Las Vegas by the real estate agents / brokers. Monthly and short-term lease options are being preferred by businesses rather than long-term leases.

DA Promotion Board Vs Vacancy Promotion - Field Grade Officer Promotion Tips

By Charles Holmes

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy 

In the Army National Guard, Field Grade Officer promotions happen two different ways. They are known as: DA Boards & Vacancy Promotions. Let's cover them in a little more detail below.

Vacancy Promotions: In my opinion, vacancy promotions are the fastest and easiest way to get promoted in the Army National Guard. Here's how it works. Several months before you meet your minimum time in grade requirements, you should seek a position in the next higher grade.

For instance, if you are a Major, you should begin looking for a Lieutenant Colonel slot once you have been a Major for at least three and a half years. That way, when you meet your minimum four year time-in-grade requirements, you can submit a state-level promotion packet.

At this point, your state will convene a promotion board to review your packet. Once they approve your promotion, you will get a promotion order and your promotion packet gets forwarded to National Guard Bureau to begin your Federal Recognition (FED REC) process. The FED REC process takes 3-4 months (normally). Once your FED REC process is complete, you will receive a NGB (Federal) promotion order.

Since you are already in a position in the next higher grade, you will get promoted. That's how simple it is.

DA Promotion Board: Each year, the Department of the Army holds promotion boards for Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard Officers. Each promotion board selects a group of officers based upon their date of rank. For instance, the DA Promotion Board might review Captains with a date of rank between January 2005 and August 2006.

At this point, the Department of the Army identifies all officers that fall into that date of rank category. Prior to the start of the board, officers are notified via mail and/or email that their packet will be presented to a DA Promotion board on a specific date.

Next, officers have the responsibility to ensure their packet is updated and current. They must get a new DA Photo, ensure their DA Form 2-1 is accurate, and update their records to include awards, OERs, etc. Most promotion boards provide a checklist for the officer to follow.

On the day of the DA Promotion Board, the DA Promotion Board reviews the packet of each candidate to ensure they meet minimum Army education standards, civilian education standards, APFT and Height/Weight Standards, etc. They also review the DA Photo to validate that it is accurate and current. Finally, they review the Officer Evaluation Reports to evaluate performance and potential.

At the end of the DA Board, the DA Board publishes the results.

In one respect the Active Duty Army and Army National Guard handle promotions differently. In the Active Duty Army, you receive a sequence number when you are selected at a DA Promotion Board. Everyone is given a sequence number. A sequence number is similar to an Order of Merit List. The list starts with #1 and ends with the last officer on the list. When their number comes up, they get promoted. Also, the Army finds them a job in their next higher pay-grade.

Unfortunately, the Army National Guard handles things differently. First of all, you do not get a sequence number. You get a letter of selection for promotion, BUT you must still find a unit vacancy within your state. If you can't get a slot, you won't get promoted. There are many officers who were selected for promotion by a DA Promotion Board, but never got promoted because they couldn't find a slot.

Career Change For Teachers - Ways To Choose Better Options

By Abhishek Agarwal


Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy  

A Career change for teachers can lead to plenty of soul searching about the options available for employment and the skills required for securing a new job. There can be several reasons for a teacher to want to change career after a few years in teaching. For some it may be stress due to teaching in person; for others it could be because of sheer boredom. While for most teachers job satisfaction is high and they enjoy their interaction with the students, in some cases the environment at the school itself may change, leading to stress and a subsequent desire for career change among teachers. In other cases, they may want to explore options in the outside world and find out if something will be more rewarding according to their temperament and ability.

Most often, a lateral move is possible, if seeking a career change for teachers. Instead of teaching in person, they can shift to teaching the people that are pursuing distance education, to writing of books or in development of curricula. If seeking a change due to environmental reasons, the options include giving private tuition. If the teacher wants a change from personal interaction, then syllabus and course development could provide the desired career change.

However, if the teacher wants to leave the profession of teaching completely, then the person has to consider the transferable skills and seek out job options in other fields. A teacher will inevitably have excellent communication skills, ability to conduct research, administration ability and interpersonal skills. All these are useful in several fields. If at all the teacher needs new skills to find a new job, there are several courses available for skill development.

Career change for teachers can be facilitated because of their interaction skills. Instead of working with young students, they may choose to work with elderly people or in a job that requires interface with the public, such as in a call centre. Woodwork, art, horticulture, and writing are other fields that utilise the mental capability of the teachers and provide avenues for creativity. Career change for teachers is relatively easy with some retraining, as they have a number of skills that are used to develop young minds and can be used in other jobs with equal ease.

Skills in communication and teaching can also be used to move to a career of a trainer, to train new recruits at their organisation. Thus, while doing away with the stress part of teaching, they can still effectively use the skills that are necessary to teach successfully. The years of experience stands them in a good stead and need not be wasted at all. A qualified teacher can be employed easily. With just a little training, career change for teachers can open several new options for them.

Resumes That Will Blow Your Potential Employers Away

By Jacoby Smith

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

There are so many kinds of resumes out there. There are the good ones, the attractive ones, the lousy ones and of course, those which will blow your potential employers away. I think that's going to be a very tough one to make. I do think that it's possible. There can be two situations for that though. It's either the resume is too good that the employer will call you the minute he finish reading it or too lousy that he can't imagine a good job seeker would write.
Of course, all job applicants want the first reaction. So how do you get to that?
Start by knowing yourself. You are your own weapon. So you have to know what you can bring out to the battle. Analyze what you can offer to the company. Check if you've got what the potential employer is looking for. If not, then don't bother to waste both of your time. Find a job that will make your potentials grow. Although it's a tough game out there, there will always be something that will fit your capabilities and skills. After finding that perfect fit, prepare your resume.
Express yourself. Through your resume, you have the tool to show off yourself. Make sure that it's the best side. Highlight your strong vision by showing that in your job objective. It should be a precise and direct to the point statement.
List your qualifications. Either educational or skills wise, you are qualified to apply for that job. That means that you need to show why. List them according to what you think will fit to the position you are applying for. Just make sure that they're 100% real.
Work it. Potential employers are interested in your previous work experiences and why you left a job. It's important to show in chronological order what you've done. There's never a small job or big job. Just know that listing them would show that you have been working. Every experience helps in making you a better worker.
Check your weapon. Re read what you wrote. Don't under estimate the power of a wrong sentence and what it can do to the overall effect of your resume. It has to be in a perfect working condition so that you're sure that it will have the potential to really help you.
And finally, attach a cover letter. Make sure that it's a great one. It's your timer to the ticking time bomb.

4 Tips On Updating Your Resume

By Paige Mercer

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy   

We live in an uncertain world. You may have a great job right now, but you never know how long you are really going to have it. There is very limited job security anymore. Many companies do have layoffs especially when profits start to slip a bit and the growth of the business begins to stall. It's a good idea to always be prepared with an updated resume in case anything happens or in case anything better comes up for you. Learn some tips that will help you keep your resume updated.

Consider setting a date where you will update your resume no matter how secure your job seems at the moment. A good time to do this is New Year's Day or even your birthday. Take some time and go over your resume and making sure all the information is current. By setting a goal to update your resume once a year, it will always be fairly current and ready to submit on a moment's notice.

You may want to start updating it sooner if the industry you work in is going through some changes. If you hear about layoffs happening at your company, start updating your resume right now. You will need to be able to get a jump on the others who have similar skills and experiences and be ready to take a new job as soon as possible.

It is important to have your resume in order before doing a job search. You need to have it on hand and ready else you can end up looking a bit foolish when someone wants it and it's not ready. With the intense competition for jobs these days even one day can make a difference in whether you get an interview or not.

Here is a list of the things you may need to update on your resume:

1. Start off by updating your contact information. For many people, this changes often. We change phone numbers, move, or even just get a new email address. You don't want an email or phone number on it that you haven't used in a while. Prospective employers need to be able to contact you.
2. Make notes of rewards and accomplishments that you have received since the last time you updated this document. Even if you don't think some awards won't make much difference to a future employer you should add this. Employers have been known to make the final decision on a job based on the fact that one applicant belonged to a service group.
3. Get recommendations from people right now. It doesn't hurt to ask even if you aren't looking for anything new. Having letters of recommendation on hand is smart so you will always be ready to go to an interview without waiting for someone to write a letter.
4. Update your references. Some of these might be people you aren't in touch with anymore. Some might have moved or changed phone numbers which needs to be updated. Make sure your references are reputable people that know your character. It is a good idea to let them know you will be using them for a reference so they aren't taken by surprise when they get a phone call.

If you don't need to update and of the things listed above, you might consider adding new skills and experiences so that your resume doesn't look so stagnant.