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Tuesday, December 17, 2019

10 Tips for Getting Your Dream Job in 2020


Updated on DECEMBER 17, 2019 by JOSEPH MERCER



The new year brings the hope of new opportunities and change for many individuals. Many people are making New Year’s resolutions to do everything from getting in better shape to quitting smoking. But what about that old job that you have been working on for years that seems to be going nowhere? Or what about those that are still struggling to find gainful employment.
10 Tips for Getting Your Dream Job in 2020
Well, 2020 is a great year to look into gaining better employment, improving your quality of life and getting on the pathway to success. The ManpowerGroup North America, based out of Milwaukee, recently predicted employment increases in many sectors of the American job market in a recent Employment Outlook Survey, which highlights the employment plans of employers across America.

With those facts in mind, we need to start preparing now to be ready to take advantage of employment opportunities in the year 2020.

Here are my ten tips for getting that dream job in 2020.


1.  Create a Listing of Your Accomplishments 

Tracking your accomplishments equips you with the foundation information needed for the resume and interview phases of the job search process. An accomplishments list is a record of the accomplishments and achievements you have obtained in your career. It outlines the major contributions you have made to each career position you’ve held and any recognition you received on or off the job. It is not a description of your job duties; it describes the results from you doing these duties.

2. Build a Recommendations Portfolio

The cornerstone of any Job Seeker's employment campaign should always be their recommendations. You should reach out to people you know and trust and try to gain good recommendations from them and ask if you can also use them as a reference for any potential employer inquiries. Be sure to obtain their current phone numbers, email addresses, and appropriate times to call. LinkedIn is an excellent platform for requesting and displaying recommendations.

3.  Manage Your Online Reputation

These days your online reputation is often reviewed by potential employers when considering you for employment. In many cases, your social profiles will be the source of your first impression to the hiring authority. So, get some professional-looking photos on your LinkedIn profile and other professional networking sites. Update your LinkedIn profile and optimize it so that it has the most UpToDate information, contacts, recommendations, skill information, etc. These factors will go a long way to making a positive first impression on a potential employer and provide a chance for you to highlight your skills and accomplishments.

4. Create a Professional Development Plan

What is a professional development plan, and why is it important for those currently in the job market?

A professional development plan is a list of actionable steps to achieve career goals. Not only does it help you to define your aspirations for the future, but it also shows potential employers that you are seeking continual improvement and that you will become an even greater asset to their organization in the future. Things that should be included in your development plan are reading lists, certifications to obtain, seminars to attend, and professional training and college courses.

5.  Join Professional Organizations

Joining a professional organization or club related to your job field is a very important step for a job seeker. First, it is a great networking opportunity where you will meet lots of people in your field and sometimes potential employers. Second, professional organizations provide insight into the type of skills and certifications required to advance within your career field. Most importantly, stating that you are a member of a professional organization on your resume shows that you are an active member of your career community and that you consider your employment as a profession and not just a job.

6.  Review Job Listings

When you first start to look for a new job, it is important to do your research and get to know what is available out in the job market. In other words, do your research. Don’t just look for variations of your current job; look for career alternatives as well. Create a target list of companies that you would like to work for and the types of employment opportunities that you would like to pursue. Finally, create job alerts on popular job search websites that will inform you when jobs that fit your search profile are available.

7.  Set Aside a Daily Time for Job Searching

To be successful in your job search, you have to be consistent. The best way to do this is to have a dedicated time set aside each day to work on your job searches and your application submissions. This time could be in the morning before your day gets busy or in the evening before you go to bed. Whenever you decide, make a ritual out of it and stick with it.

8.  Update Your Resume and Cover Letters

A blanket resume designed to fit all positions is no longer an option in today’s job market. You need to keep your resume updated and ensure that you tailor each resume submission to fit the requirements of each job announcement. Make sure to identify all applicable skill sets required for the position and you highlight your accomplishments rather than your duties. Your cover letter should not restate your resume. It should highlight how you plan to contribute to the employer’s organization and the skills and experience that you have to offer them.

9.  Know Your Worth

One of the most important aspects to think about when considering new employment is how much you are going to get paid. You should conduct salary research within your career field to set reasonable expectations for yourself when conducting job searches and conducting interviews.

10. Refresh Your Wardrobe

As previously stated, a great first impression goes a long way with hiring officials. Updating your interview attire is a simple way to gain a win in the first impression category.



Thank you for reading — it means a lot to me. I appreciate your sharing as well. Please follow me on Medium, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn — I’d love to connect and be a part of your network team. On social media I share my own articles, but also those that I find helpful and relevant to business, success, entrepreneurship, leadership, community enhancement, and personal development. You can find out more about me at career-moviation.com.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Get Prepared for Your Opportunity

Updated on NOVEMBER 30, 2019 by JOSEPH MERCER



I've often heard it said that it's better to be prepared than to be lucky because luck may gain you access to something but preparation and knowledge will help you keep it. The same is true with opportunity, many people sit around waiting for the perfect opportunity to occur for them; but what is an opportunity if you are not prepared to take full advantage of it when it occurs. Preparation is the key to "sticking the landing" when it comes to opportunity.


“Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.”
- Bobby Unser

Chances are, your career won't start out at the top. You will have to strive for success and spend countless hours reaching for what is destined to be yours. But if life does provide you with that opportunity; you have to be ready when it arrives. Ready to seize the moment and claim your destiny. But “getting ready for life’s opportunity” is easier said than done. How can you get ready for a trip you have never been on before?

1.  When opportunity knocks do not complain about the noise


One thing to remember about opportunity is that it will never show up in a form that you expected. Benjamin Disraeli, said that we are often surrounded by opportunity but we are too busy with our lives to recognize it. Opportunities show up in our lives everyday and they pass us by because we do not recognize them as opportunities.

2. When opportunity knocks be up and dressed


Many people are living their lives driving in the slow lane with their gear set on neutral. They have the belief that when opportunity arrives, they will miraculously shift into high gear, skip three lanes over into the Fastlane and conquer success. Opportunity only works if a person is prepared for the challenge. Don’t expect the opportunities in your life to slow down or wait for you to catch up. Remember, an opportunity is an opening in the Fastlane not a reduction in speed.

3. Open the door before opportunity knocks


Being prepared takes more than practice, you have to assume the role and start thinking like you have the opportunity prior to its arrival. This means networking, volunteering, and studying practice being in the Fastlane before the opportunity arrives so that when it does you will be ready to roll!

Opportunity preparation is about doing what you can do within your control to increase the odds of you recognizing the opportunity, being in the right place for the opportunity, and being prepared for the opportunity.

Thank you for reading — it means a lot to me. I appreciate your sharing as well. Please follow me on Medium, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn — I’d love to connect and be a part of your network team. On social media I share my own articles, but also those that I find helpful and relevant to business, success, entrepreneurship, leadership, community enhancement, and personal development. You can find out more about me at joseph-mercer.com.



Sunday, November 24, 2019

How to Survive in a Toxic Working Environment

Updated on NOVEMBER 24, 2019 by JOSEPH MERCER



Toxic work environments not only affect our work life but they also affect our home life and our relationships too. There have been many discussions on how to deal with working in a toxic working environment but I would like to challenge this topic from a different approach.

Its often said that the best way to deal with a toxic workplace is to tune it out, stay positive and to not bring your problems home with you. I think that this is impossible. You are intimately effected by your surroundings as nature has shown us time and time again. Rather than ignore the situation and hope for the better I believe that there are other positive steps that you can take to change your situation from bad to good.


Toxic Work Place Signs

  • Narcissistic Boss: Your boss is a spotlight seeker who loves to be the center of attention. Dominates meeting conversations and other discussions. Very reluctant to give credit to subordinates or offer recognition for your accomplishments. He or she will drop names of important people often and remind everyone of their position in the organization. They often have a self-centered agenda and want to exploit you as a means to achieve it. Routinely calling upon you to work beyond your job description and established responsibilities.

  • Everyone Wants to Leave: When morale is low and the environment is exceptionally dysfunctional, everyone wants to leave and find a better situation. They seek to move to a different department or even to a new organization. If the attrition rate is high in your organization then this is a clear sign of a toxic work environment.

  • Everyone's Pissed: No one seems to be in a good mood or inspired by the work they are doing. The conversation is always centered around the employees' unhappiness and discontent.

  • Bad Communication: Changes occur without being staffed or communicated with the rest of the employees. Meetings are held in the absence of key stakeholders resulting in poor decisions and planning efforts for the business or organization.

  • Employee Sickness: Employees suffer from high levels of illness due to burnout or fatigue. Some employees call in sick because they just do not feel like coming to work and dealing with the stress.

  • "My" Leadership Philosophy: Bosses and managers reference employees and resources as personal belongs. Degrading the team dynamic and the concept of employee ownership within the organization.

  • Boy's Club Mentality: An exclusive group of men within the office , which may not be senior leaders, serve as the gateway and decision making authority for the organization.

  • Culture of Discrimination: Qualified women and minorities are often passed over or not considered for promotions and raises, which are given to under performing men.

Toxic Workplace Affects on Employee Health

The affect of a toxic workplace does not stop when you get off the clock in most cases it follows the person home and they think about their work problems at home. The more toxic the environment the dramatic the effect is on the employee's home life. 

This toxicity can also have an affect on their mental and physical well-being as well. Impacting the employee's quality of sleep for example which raises the risk for other more serious medical conditions.

Toxic Workplace Affects on Employee Relationships

Your relationships with your friends and family can also be adversely affected by a toxic environment at work. In many cases the emotional baggage and stress one feels at work is taken home with them and displaced on the ones they love. This cause critical issues in relationships and broken homes some of which never be recovered.

Prolonged exposure to a toxic workplace can lead to use of alcohol, prescription drugs, and even illegal substance abuse all of which can hurt a person's personal and family life. Life is too short to live under these conditions. There are things you can do to improve your situation.

Escaping a Toxic Workplace

If you find yourself in a toxic work environment, you need to know that its not your fault. Many people have found themselves in the same type of situation, but you have the power to change it for the better.

1. Change What You Can Control

A toxic workplace exists because people allow toxic elements to go uncontested in their organizational culture. Address these issues with your Human Resources Department and/or Senior leadership if necessary. Allow them a chance address your concerns.

2. Value Yourself

In a toxic work environment it is easy to become depressed and loose self-value due to the way you are being treated and/or disrespected on the routine basis. Remember that you have value and that you are critical part of the team.

3. Seek Community 

Find a community of people who appreciate and respect you as a person. This will reinforce your since of belong and provide you with a since of self-worth that you may not be getting at work. You can find this at church, a charity organization, or even a community sports team.

4. Be Authentic

Be true to yourself. Do not let the things that occur at work change who you are inside. Speak up for yourself and say what's on your mind.