tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61760740457013795712024-03-05T08:16:04.256-08:00The Modern ResumeA companion to The Modern Resume presentation and writings of Steve Jones.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger354125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-33843145428588871932019-08-09T13:00:00.000-07:002019-08-09T13:00:14.617-07:00Ask About Salary EarlyI <a href="http://voiceofthedba.com/2019/08/09/salaries-in-job-ads/">wrote about salaries </a>in job descriptions on another blog. However, if there isn't a range published, I usually ask about the range in the initial phone screen.<br />
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I'll ask early, usually once I get an idea of what the job entails. The reason is that I don't want to waste my time or theirs. If the salary is too low, there's no point in continuing. I have asked if there is flexibility, and sometimes there is, but often there isn't.<br />
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At the same time, I don't disclose my current salary. It's not relevant. They're hiring me to do their job, at the rate they think is appropriate. It doesn't matter what the last person paid me, since it could be way out of scale (either way) for my skillset.<br />
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Have confidence when you apply for a job, and expect to be paid what anyone else would be paid to do that job, within the range the company has set.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-18840761082735365452018-11-06T09:20:00.002-08:002018-11-06T09:20:55.284-08:00Recruiting ScamsOver at Ask the Headhunter, there is a piece about <a href="https://www.asktheheadhunter.com/12437/recruiting-scams-on-social-media">recruiting scams</a>. I'm not sure how one would have a scam in our industry, but I'm sure it happens. Most likely it's a way someone is looking for short term, cheap help and hoping to get one of you to stick around long enough to get something done before you realize this isn't a good job.<br />
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A couple thoughts.<br />
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First, never pay money for recruiters or interviews. There isn't a reason for you to do this, even if this is travel to another city (outside of driving). The company should interview you on the phone/Skype and decide they want to foot the bill.<br />
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The company should also be paying recruiters for successful placement, so you shouldn't pay them. That being said, beware of recruiters that just want to place you and aren't concerned about a good fit. Make sure you are trying to find a better job that it's really a better job.<br />
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Second, the advice given about researching the opportunity (people, company) is good, but you should <i>always </i>do this. Tackle an interview opportunity as a short book report. Build as much of a profile on the company, hiring people, managers, and position as you can. Learn this and be able to talk lightly about what they do, even reference things.<br />
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Companies like people that show initiative, and learning something about them shows that. Don't stop before the interview. If you get hired, learn about the company and continue to be engaged. They'll appreciate it and you will enjoy your job more.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-29022916568629112872018-10-15T08:01:00.000-07:002018-10-15T08:01:06.164-07:00Does the need to brand ever tail off in your career?I got this question recently from an older gentleman that attended one of my presentations. They were asking if there was ever a time in your career when branding didn't matter.<br />
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There are really two parts to this questions. First, do you ever not need to <a href="http://modernresume.blogspot.com/2018/10/you-are-always-branding.html">actively brand</a>? That's because you are always branding yourself. Second, is your career hurt if you stop actively branding yourself.<br />
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Let me tackle the first item. Is there a time when you don't need to actively brand?<br />
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You don't need to <a href="http://modernresume.blogspot.com/2018/10/you-are-always-branding.html">actively brand</a> yourself. The idea with branding is to stand out from the crowd. Make sure others know what you do well, both in your work and how you carry yourself in a professional setting. The hard and soft skills you have.<br />
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If you're happy in your career, and you feel secure, perhaps you can stop actively branding. As long as nothing changes, that's fine. In this position, you my be just marking time, which is fine. I've certainly had times like this.<br />
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If you're near the end of your career, you've had a lot of experience and good networking contacts, you might not feel the need to advance your career. Maybe you're winding down, or you think that if you need a new position, you can find one and accept a lesser one. Lesser in your mind, which might be different hours, less pay, a different location, etc.<br />
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In these cases, that's fine. What I point out is that you never know when your employment situation might change. If you can survive a change, perhaps with help from a spouse or partner, that's good. Maybe you can work on your brand later if you need to do more in a career.<br />
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The one caution I give is that you never know when your situation will change. I've seen postings on LinkedIn that a company suddenly is going out of business, or has been purchased, or changed directions and is laying off people. I've seen people whose spouses needed to move and they had to quit.<br />
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I would suggest that you brand more earlier in your career and build the habit of tracking your work. It's not a lot of extra effort, and it helps ensure you are always ready for an opportunity, which could be an unexpected opportunity in your current organization. Be prepared.<br />
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I'll tackle the second one in another blog soon. Look for it in the next two weeks.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-24613617597604176022018-10-02T08:06:00.000-07:002018-10-02T08:24:36.434-07:00You are Always BrandingI had a few questions about why to brand, or if branding really helps or hurts in your career. My main response is that you are always branding yourself, but not always in an active way. Often you're creating a passive brand that you don't exploit well, or even at all. Instead, you let your brand sit there passively and hope that it helps and doesn't hurt.<br />
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What's Passive Branding?</h2>
I used the phrase passive branding recently, and then had to explain it. Passive branding is the effect of your everyday actions. You solve a problem at work, and some people get a more positive opinion of you. You make a mistake and cost the organization money, and people think a little less of you. You oversleep and someone else has to do your work, and they think of you negatively.<br />
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These actions are really your reputation, the impression you've left on others. Only those that directly know of the action change their opinion, or those that they tell. There are certainly second level effects here.<br />
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These aren't make or break impressions for your career, but just slight positive or negative opinions. What's bad is that the impressions can be blown out of proportion if they occur at a certain time. Imagine that you have a new child and you're up a lot at night. You are late for work 2-3 times a week for a couple of weeks as your adjust.<br />
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Now imagine a new manager is looking for you to help with some task, and you're not at work. They might think, maybe this individual is just caught in traffic, but what if they happen to look for you every one of the 4 or 5 times you're late in a few weeks. They might start to think you're not dedicated or some other negative view. They might even remember this as the impression of you the next year when they're picking someone to promote, or someone to lay off. Those might have been the only 5 times you were late in 4 years, but they happened to be at the wrong time.<br />
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What's Active Branding?</h2>
In active branding, you are making choices to do things that showcase your positive traits, and de-emphasize your negative ones. You also document and talk about these items in a blog, an interview, and more.<br />
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What if you're late with a new manager because of a child. There's a reason the manager picked you. I'd hope someone told you that you'd been missed, and if so, you go repair your reputation (brand). You apologize, explain the struggle and that it's short term. You let them know that you want to help them and you'd like to set a time, as you'll make the meeting. You've been there on time most of the time, and this is just an adjustment period.<br />
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If you didn't know, and the manager didn't let anyone know, then having an active brand, where you let your manager know other things you've done, how you're helpful, what you've learned, and more, means that at some point those positive items will hopefully get back to the manager. They might then re-evaluate what they think of you.<br />
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If you're a positive influence on the company, and you make sure people know it, maybe you'll get the promotion, or not get laid off.<br /><br />Will it work? There are no guarantees, but if you've done some networking, some blogging, some volunteer work, shown leadership, and kept your profile up to date, you have a good chance at other opportunities.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-48042991957404261122018-10-01T13:07:00.000-07:002018-10-01T13:07:14.668-07:00No Response to a Resume, What do I do?My son went through this recently. He applied for a few jobs, one of which he really wanted. He got called back for some interviews, but not for the job that was his choice. With the others planning on making him an offer, he wondered what he should do.<br />
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He called, and I'm glad he did. I've been in this situation before, and I've been passive. I've let opportunities go by. I don't know that I would have gotten some of those jobs, but I certainly know that I didn't have a chance with my inaction.<br />
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My coaching to him was what I'd tell a fellow professional. If you really want the job, show some initiative and make a call. Let the hiring manager know that you really want the job and you would appreciate any opportunity to discuss the position with them. Apologize for the interruption, but explain you have a deadline with another offer.<br />
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I've done this, and I've learned that it helps. Most managers don't want to hire people. It's not the main part of their job, it's a distraction, and it's a pain. Give them an easy way to pick someone, like you, and they often will.<br />
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It worked for my son. He got an interview.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-26739682530368972962018-09-25T19:03:00.002-07:002018-09-25T19:03:51.456-07:00Take Time for YourselfAs much as I want everyone to actively manage their career, I do think that there are times you need a break. I was reminded of this while reading <a href="https://tidwelltidbits.com/2018/09/16/reflections-on-sql-sat-denver-2018/">Angela Tidwell's reflections</a> from a recent event.<br />
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Life is busy, chaotic even. That's how I feel too often, especially during the fall when there are lots of conferences where I have committed to speaking. With one more child in her final year of school, I'm trying to spend time with her, and still make time for my wife.<br />
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And learn.<br />
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I feel as though my learning plan for a few things this year has gotten away from me, and the weekly times I setup to focus have been missed far too often.<br />
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However, I think it's valuable to understand there is a need for some down moments. I tend to go tot the gym to relax, but I also think it's good to sit and watch the world go by sometimes. I've done some of what Angela did at times, but not enough. I need to sit more, with friends or by myself, and just relax. No TV, no games, no distractions other than conversation or observation.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-86091350200093818702018-08-27T10:13:00.000-07:002018-08-27T10:13:10.660-07:00ApologiesI've let this blog go a bit as life has kept me busy and I apologize for the lack of content. I'll try to start adding in some new pieces on a more consistent basis.<br />
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This is certainly one of the things I warn about in my presentation, which I've actually given a number of times in 2018. My last post was nearly a year ago, and I have to own that I let this go.<br />
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The fall is always a challenge for me, as it's a busy conference season. September and October last year saw a bit of travel for me, and I burned out a bit. November had me start coaching youth volleyball and that ate of must of my time outside of work. Between those items, I dropped the ball here.<br />
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That's my fault and a poor showing for this blog. Again, I apologize, and I'll try to do better moving forward.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-12291731990635534282018-08-24T10:04:00.003-07:002018-08-24T10:05:06.806-07:00Interviewed on Guy in a CubeYou can watch here, where I talk a little branding:<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-23782322663731602652017-09-12T10:09:00.000-07:002017-09-12T10:09:10.565-07:00Salaries and Interviews<p>I ran across this post from Ask the Headhunter, where a reader is asking what to do when <a href="http://www.asktheheadhunter.com/11074/salary-reveal-earns-lower-offer">they revealed their previous salary</a> and got a low offer. First, I agree with Nick. Never reveal your salary. If someone asks, it’s in range they’re paying.</p><p>I’ve never had anyone ask me for a paystub, nor would I provide one. Most companies won’t reveal salary, so there’s really no change that an HR person will be able to check on your salary. However, I have always been of the view that a company pays me to do a job. They value that job at $x. If I do the job, pay me $x. Evaluate me on my merits and make an offer.</p><p>The rational for previous salary is shown in the post, and is essentially so that the current company can negotiate some lower value for themselves. That’s a capitalistic view that benefits the company in the short term, but likely creates more instability and distrust later. I’d expect this type of company will end up looking to fill this position more often then necessary as the person hired will find out they can make more at another company for the same work.</p><p>The other side of this is that if you tell them you make $75k and the job is a 65k job, they might not hire you because you’re overqualified and they assume you’ll leave as soon as you find another $75k job. That’s fair, but it’s also short sighted. I may need a job now, and be willing to work for less. I may enjoy this job, or like aspects of it (short commute, benefits, etc) that are worth some money to me. I don’t want to knowingly remove myself for consideration.</p><p>I don’t reveal salary. That’s between me and the IRS (or your government agency of record in countries outside the US).</p><p>I always ask the range for the job early. I want to know. The company should provide that, and know it. If they don’t, or they say they haven’t decided, I’ll ask for more than I expect. If I think this is a $75,000 job, I’ll ask for $80 or $85. You won’t get that number if you don’t ask, and if you’re confident, maybe you will. If that’s too high, they’ll tell you and you can decide early.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-57388528453277055032017-06-05T12:08:00.000-07:002017-06-05T12:08:03.406-07:00The Half Life of Knowledge<p>Some of us are in industries that are changing over time, and the core knowledge we’ve had in an industry changes over time. Actually, most of us are in an industry that changes. Carpenters still have plenty of jobs, but the way we erect structures is changing and there are better jobs for those that better understand insulation and thicker walls.</p><p>If you are in an industry that is changing more rapidly, some portion of your knowledge becomes less useful. Certainly in technology there are changes that many of us should learn if we want to drive our career forward. However, there’s another side to this.</p><p>Over time, some part of your knowledge becomes less valuable. It’s not that you might never use it, but in terms of driving your career, those items are not valuable. Let me give you an example. </p><p>I used to work with SQL Server 6.5. In SQL 6.5, if you need to track the growths of your databases in case you need to restore in a disaster. That was a cumbersome, painful process. I learned it well, but since SQL Server 7, that knowledge isn’t relevant. I used it into the 2000s, but then it wasn’t something I needed. I might still run into a SQL 65 instance, but for the most part that’s not valuable knowledge.</p><p>To continue to find good jobs, or find new jobs if I lose my current one, I need to learn more. I need to spend time on a regular basis keeping up with different areas of my industry. </p><p>You should as well. Some of you might prefer intensive learning, maybe a week long class. Some of you might like reading a book every few days. Some might like working through an online tutorial every night. No matter what you choose, set up some schedule and keep to it for a few months. Pick a manageable slice of time in your life and commit to it.</p><p>If you aren’t learning and improving, over time, more and more of your knowledge decays. I don’t know how much and that will vary by your career area, but some of it goes away. Try to get at least an hour a week (on average) of learning.</p><p>These days of shorter employment terms mean you might want to always be prepared for a new job.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-41879264982829597412017-03-28T10:46:00.000-07:002017-03-28T10:46:18.014-07:00A Longer Resume<p>I get the <a href="http://www.asktheheadhunter.com/">Ask the Headhunter</a> newsletter as one way of keeping in touch with job and employment trends. Recently they had a post about resumes, and <a href="http://www.asktheheadhunter.com/10432/3-page-resume-long">whether a 3 page resume is too long</a>.</p> <p>The post is really good, and covers some of the advice I’ve given in the past. Networking is your best resource for finding a job, and a resume doesn’t get you the interview.</p> <p>Usually.</p> <p>There are times that resumes do help. Some hiring people (HR, managers, recruiters) do struggle to get referrals, so they count on resumes. You shouldn’t, but be aware the resume does still matter.</p> <h2>What about Length?</h2> <p>The traditional advice in the US is one page. That has grown to two pages, but is three pages too long? As in the post, what I’d say is that the important thing is that you deliver some value to the reader. Let the hiring manager, or hiring filter person know right away that you are a good fit.</p> <p><a href="http://modernresume.blogspot.com/2012/05/resumes-and-keywords.html">Don’t put keywords first</a>. That’s a waste of the six, 30, or 60 seconds I might give you.</p> <p><a href="http://modernresume.blogspot.com/2017/02/touch-your-resume-today.html">Keep your resume up to date</a>. If I want to hire you, I want to know your current skills and status.</p> <p><a href="http://modernresume.blogspot.com/2017/03/format-your-resume-for-manager.html">Keep formatting clean</a>. </p> <p>Tell me what you can do, what you want to do, and give me a touch of evidence to support this. You want to communicate that quickly and easily. Providing supporting information later in your resume, or in some digital profile, is good.</p> <p>The one thing I’d note is that some individuals get annoyed by long documents. I’d stick with two, but you can do something else if you’d like. There are probably other people that don’t like to see something too short.</p> <h2>Make Me Want More</h2> <p>The idea of a resume is that when I look at yours, compared to others, I’m interested. I want to know more about you. I think you’re a good fit and worth examining closer. Your resume draws me in.</p> <p>That’s your goal. Remember that plenty of people will submit resumes for the same opportunity. Yours should be relevant and to the point. I don’t have time to review them all, so I’m looking for something that catches my eye and gives me a reason to spend more than 10 seconds examining the page.</p> <p>Give me that reason at the top.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-36364272616239113512017-03-21T12:26:00.001-07:002017-03-21T12:26:29.830-07:00Format Your Resume for the Manager<p>I once received a resume from an individual that looked like this.</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kFngQSNcHto/WNF-Y1mNA8I/AAAAAAAAOdg/gNxCuHYl1Pw/s1600-h/2017-03-21%25252013_13_34-crowded%252520resume%252520-%252520Google%252520Search%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="2017-03-21 13_13_34-crowded resume - Google Search" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="2017-03-21 13_13_34-crowded resume - Google Search" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MedbJfRASoE/WNF-ZaKgosI/AAAAAAAAOdk/LFwRQbWe_go/2017-03-21%25252013_13_34-crowded%252520resume%252520-%252520Google%252520Search_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="179" height="244"></a></p> <p>It was even worse than this, with smaller type, designed to fit the most characters on a page possible and still have paragraphs. There were lines and boxes all over, ostensibly to separate sections.</p> <p>Perhaps that doesn’t look to bad to some of you, but for me it’s too crowded. Especially as I age, I struggle to read small, crowded type.</p> <h2>The Reviewer</h2> <p>Who will glance at your resume, and give you the 30-60 seconds to decide if they should learn more. They may be young or old, but if they struggle with reading your resume, they may not decide to keep looking.</p> <p>Even as a 30 year old, I disliked crowded resumes with small fonts. I look at enough computer screens. I’ve seen plenty of websites full of content with lots of ads and small boxes. I am less enamored with small type every day, as are others.</p> <p>For the 25 year olds that might look, perhaps size isn’t an issue, but why take the chance. These days there’s a trend towards uncluttered, spread out displays, not the newspaper view of days past where white space was considered wasteful.</p> <p>Use larger fonts, spread your information out, and most importantly, choose those items that make the most impactful statement about your career, or your goals. You pick one or the other.</p> <p>You can always include links to other places, your website, LinkedIn or some other digital profile. These days, most people have access to learn more about you if they choose to.</p> <p>Give them a reason to want more by limiting your resume to the best of you.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-83704580436360953002017-03-14T12:35:00.000-07:002017-03-14T12:35:07.876-07:00Titles or Skills<p>When you look for a job, are you most concerned about the title or the actual work? Do you limit your search to a particular job title, such as C# developer, or do you look widely for jobs that just require C# skills?</p> <p>My advice here is that you look for both.</p> <p>A skills fit is more important than a title fit. This will ultimately be a better match for you and hopefully be a better long term fit. There are certainly other considerations with finding a position, but I’d hope you want to do the work that interests you or that you do well. The last thing any of us wants is to work at a job that doesn’t use our skill set or asks us to do work we don’t want to do.</p> <p>In many industries, a job title does imply certain duties and responsibilities. I would tend to apply for those jobs that match may last title, or maybe the one I think I am ready to grow into. </p> <p>Keep in mind a job title can mean one thing to organization A and another to organization B. Ultimately, your decision to search out positions is a wide net that should help you find multiple options. As you learn more about each opening, you’ll get the chance to move forward with the process. Eliminate some, and keep others, according to your desires and needs.</p> <p>Whether you are looking at a position based on the skills required or the title, I hope that you find the position that’s a great fit for you. Just don’t eliminate positions early because of a title.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-47569791193736577842017-02-27T13:41:00.000-08:002017-02-27T13:41:11.658-08:00Keep in Touch on LinkedIn<p>Everyone should have a network of business contacts. When I began my career, this would have been a small phone contact book I carried around. Maybe a rolodex. These days, it’s LinkedIn for me, though there are other ways to keep a network alive.</p> <p>Ultimately, your network is your best chance of finding a better job, or just a job, when you are ready. That means you should have a network in place.</p> <p>I suggest LinkedIn since so many people are already using the platform in the US. I accept all invitations, but you can choose to do what you want. No matter which platform you choose, <a href="http://modernresume.blogspot.com/2013/01/linkedin-and-connections.html">separate your connections</a>. It’s easy to do, as you get acceptances or invitations, quickly categorize people.</p> <p>Then post items on LinkedIn. I tend to put my blog posts out there, sometimes adding other items. The key is interaction and touches with your network. For those in your “A” network (the closest group), make sure you reach out with email, lunch, something every few months.</p> <p>Keeping a healthy network is the best way to help with job searches and ensuring you will have help finding your next position.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-16160523238415074382017-02-21T10:11:00.001-08:002017-02-21T10:11:32.601-08:00Touch Your Resume Today<p>How long has it been since you updated your resume or CV? If it’s been more than 4 months, take 30 seconds right now to look at it and see if there are changes you can make.</p> <p>If you’ve completed a project, attended an event, written a blog, changed a contact email/phone/address, or something else, update your resume, CV, or online profile now. Take the five minutes to fix things right now.</p> <p>Tomorrow might be the day that you need to look for a job because of a change at work, or perhaps you’ll hear about a fantastic position next week and they want your resume immediately.</p> <p>Note: After you update things, send a copy to a friend for proofing.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-46030918946158980222017-02-01T06:25:00.001-08:002017-02-01T06:25:40.851-08:00Leaving Jobs<p>In the <a href="https://www.brentozar.com">Brent Ozar</a> newsletter recently, there was a post about the <a href="http://secretsofconsulting.blogspot.com/2017/01/what-is-right-reason-to-leave-job.html">right reason to leave a job</a>. It’s a short, interesting read, and one that I like.</p> <p>This site isn’t about leaving an employer. It’s about building a brand to help you get the job you want. Maybe that’s a way to alter your current duties by showing you can do more. Maybe that’s about a promotion inside the company, or just a raise in your current slot. Maybe it’s because you want/need a new employer for some reason.</p> <p>It’s up to you to decide, but I want you to be prepared when you choose to leave. That’s why it becomes important early to network, blog, learn, share, and do plenty to show you’re a great employee as a part of your current job. You never know when you’ll want to leave.</p> <p>Hope for the best; prepare for the worst.. That’s the motto to keep in mind.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-56899319804406220292017-01-16T10:37:00.000-08:002017-01-16T10:37:00.153-08:00Manage Your Hours<p>One of the things that I try to do with this site is help people better market themselves for their next job or review. There are lots of ways to do this, but one way I wouldn’t suggest is to overwork yourself.</p> <p>I note that it’s you doing this as you make the choice to work 60, 70, 80, or more hours a week. Very few jobs require this (there are exceptions), but many employers will gladly press you to work more if you allow this. I see far, far too many people that seem to be unable to push back when asked to work more and more. </p> <p>There’s <a href="http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20170112-if-you-want-to-earn-more-work-less">a BBC study</a> that shows that working much more than others doesn’t pay off. I’d agree. Rather than work an extra 10 hours, what if you declined and spent that 10 hours learning, writing in a blog, practicing skills on a project? I think in a year you’d see a much greater return on your time.</p> <p>You work for you. You should consider yourself a contract employee, even if you get a salary as a fulltime worker. Employers are not necessarily looking out for your best interest and can replace you easily. Many companies are loathe to replace workers, which is another reason you should not work an excess of hours as a general rule.</p> <p>Always remember. Life is short and you work to live, not live to work.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-8552801127658101782017-01-09T12:42:00.000-08:002017-01-09T12:42:10.994-08:00Getting Started Blogging<p>It’s a new year, and the perfect time for you to start blogging about your SQL Server work. I think blogging is a great way to <a href="http://modernresume.blogspot.com/2014/10/showcase-your-knowledge.html">showcase your knowledge</a>, and over time, this can become as important to your potential employers and clients as your resume or CV.</p> <p>This post won’t look at what to write, but rather, how to get started. I’ve divided this up for people that might have written some technical articles and those that haven’t. If you have, feel free to skip the next section.</p> <h2>Starting From Scratch</h2> <p>If you’ve never really written a blog or technical piece, I recommend do this:</p> <ol> <li>Create a folder on a shared drive <li>Open Word (or another WYSIWYG) editor <li>Begin Writing <li>Save the post you’ve worked on as 1_SomeTopic. <li>Repeat, incrementing the number so you get files such as 2_OtherTopic, 3_ReallyInteresting, etc.</li></ol> <p>That’s it. Just begin writing. Don’t worry about publishing, don’t worry about anything else. Just get in the habit of <a href="http://modernresume.blogspot.com/2013/02/choosing-topics.html">putting some thoughts down on paper that talk about the work you do</a>.</p> <p>When you get 10 posts, you are ready to move on. </p> <p>I would recommend you calculate the average time it takes for you to produce a post. This would be the rate at which I’d look to schedule my posts.</p> <h2>Choosing a Platform</h2> <p>The next step when you are comfortable with your writing is to choose a place to publish your work. There are lots of choices, and a <a href="http://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/how-to-choose-the-best-blogging-platform/">good comparison of sites</a> is listed in this article.</p> <p>I like Wordpress.com myself. This site uses Blogspot (for now), but I will likely move it to Wordpress. Blogspot works, but it’s basic and the scheduling and editing tools are more of a pain than those at Wordpress.</p> <p>I also recommend <a href="http://openlivewriter.org/">OpenLiveWriter</a> to write with. I can easily draft posts in a WYSIWYG way, keep the drafts private (and on a OneDrive folder) and then publish to my platform at will. I find this easier than trying to work online. The project looks slightly abandoned for now, but it is stable and useful on the Windows platform.</p> <h2>Scheduling</h2> <p>How often should you blog? I think this is a hard question, but I’d blog at the pace that works for me. If you are a new writer, you should have written 10 pieces and tracked the time to produce those. For most people, this is between 2 and 4 weeks for a piece. Some might do 1 a week, but whatever is possible in your busy life is the pace I’d stick with.</p> <p>My goal is to blog 3 times a week. Sometimes I can do more, but I don’t usually try to do more. It’s better to schedule out posts and ensure I can maintain some level of consistency than I get my posts out right away. Most of the time I have a couple of posts scheduled a few weeks out because I’m not producing news. I’m showcasing knowledge.</p> <p>My advice is to schedule less frequently than you think you should. It’s easier to add in most posts later than try to maintain some pace that causes you stress. </p> <p>This should be fun.</p> <h2>Post Reviews</h2> <p>No matter what topics you choose or the frequency of your posts, it is important that you do a good job in producing them. That doesn’t mean you need 3 peer reviews and a copy edit, but you should take the time to get some feedback from others on your work. </p> <p>If you aren’t an experienced writer, or you worry about the impression your writing makes, then ask a friend, spouse, co-worker, etc. to review a few posts and help you with your grammar, spelling, and the way you communicate the concepts. </p> <p>Communication is a skill, and you will get better if you work at it. However, the best way I have found to do this quickly is to get feedback from others. </p> <h2>Take the Challenge</h2> <p><a href="https://voiceofthedba.com/2015/06/25/sqlnewblogger/">Challenge yourself</a> and start blogging today. Even as little as 15 minutes a week can really help you showcase your knowledge, and give you an edge for your next interview.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-46904326476468869522016-12-09T07:54:00.002-08:002016-12-09T07:54:27.369-08:00Distracted from Your Career2016 has been a tough year for me. More travel and a shift in focus at my own job. While that can be good for my career, and certainly provides lots of content for <a href="http://www.voiceofthedba.com/">my blog</a>, it does mean that I haven't been as focused on my career writing.<br />
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I would like to do more here, and am already planning to limit travel in 2017. I am making a goal to get back to regular posts here on career topics.<br />
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My apologies to everyone following the blog, and I will try to do better next year.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-36132635638748747402016-09-28T19:51:00.001-07:002016-09-28T19:51:29.326-07:00Busy, busy, busy<p>My apologies for not updating this blog lately. I’ve been busy, and working on my career, but I’ve gotten behind updating this blog.</p> <p>I have delivered the Branding Yourself for a Dream Job talk a few times this summer, but I haven’t had any great comments, questions, or ideas for new posts. However, a few people that had seen the talk in the past have noted that the things I’ve suggested have worked for them.</p> <p>I will likely be out of touch on this blog for another month as I have a number of events to travel to and various work commitments, but I’ll endeavor to do a better job keeping posts coming that can help you with your career.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-29728603201085475262016-06-13T13:00:00.000-07:002016-06-13T13:00:22.015-07:00What Did I Do This Year?Recently I had a friend talk to me about completing an annual review for their job. The end result was this person wasn't seen as accomplishing a lot, and didn't get the raise they expected. However, their view was different. This individual felt they'd worked hard all year and had accomplished a lot.<br />
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When I asked the person what they'd done, I received some general thoughts about working on this project or that. The individual was insistent that they had spent a lot of time at work after hours solving difficult problems. When I pressed for which problems, or which projects, there was a lack of detail provided.<br />
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No one is going to track the work you do. Even on big, highly visible projects, it's hard for a manager or others to remember your individual contributions. Even if you complete some project by yourself, your manager will be worried about their own accomplishments, and those of their other direct reports.<br />
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You need to track your accomplishments throughout the year.<br />
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Use a blog, a Word document (back it up), Evernote, OneNote, or something else. Make notes throughout the year and have them ready when you get prepared for your review. Include specifics. Note the tasks that you actually completed and have a specific way to describe them quickly.<br />
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Summarizing your work for the year is almost like a book report. You want to take the story of your work year and provide a report that both condenses the year into a few sentences, but includes specific details that highlight your contributions.<br />
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Very few people will do this, or be prepared in advance, so a little effort can go a long way towards advancing your career inside of an organization. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-79486692240517076182016-05-12T17:12:00.001-07:002016-05-12T17:12:38.270-07:00Karma and ProfessionalismI think it's important that I present a good image to others, which means I'm cognizant of the impression I make with others all the time. Certainly there are times I may do something that isn't professional or may offend others. However I try to keep in mind that the impressions I make are potentially those that might effect my career.<br />
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I ran across this picture. The original tweet has been removed, but I've seen it in quite a few places, so I'm guessing it's real.<br />
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Now, even if it's not, this has probably happened. In fact, I bet it's happened to quite a few people in many industries. I've run late for interviews, as the interviewer, and I wouldn't be surprised if this happened to me some day.<br />
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How should you handle this? Well, as the interviewer I guess that depends on how you feel. For me, I'd think this is the type of person that likely would take shortcuts, or make decisions without regards for others' feelings. If you felt you needed to take a parking space because you're late, at least apologize. Don't curse at someone that's upset. I'd be tempted to tell the person that they are a big disadvantage in this interview as they've shown poor judgment and behavior with others.<br />
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As the interviewee? Apologize profusely. I hope you have a reason, but you should be contrite. If you aren't, perhaps you should work on that.<br />
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We all need private spaces, places where we can unwind and vent about issues. However, if you're anywhere near a business situation, I'd suggest that you consider the person you have a conflict with just might be the person you want to do business with in the future. Adjust your behavior appropriately with that in mind.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-16289603415891916732016-04-05T16:28:00.000-07:002016-04-05T16:28:03.257-07:00Own Your Mistakes<p>I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. In fact, if I listed them all out, I’d probably be embarrassed by the sheer magnitude of the final tally. However those mistakes also helped me grow and learn. Often once I’ve made a mistake, I find a way to train myself to not make that mistake over and over. Easy with computers, harder in other areas, but still possible if you make an effort.</p> <p>I linked to <a href="http://learnthis.ca/2016/01/12-leadership-tips-when-you-are-not-the-boss/?utm_content=buffere3449&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer">a list of leadership tips</a> recently, and #6 on the list is to embrace your slip-ups. Own your mistake and don’t blame others. Apologize, correct the issue, and learn from it. I’ve seen <a href="http://leaderchat.org/2014/12/16/coaching-tuesday-learning-from-your-mistakes/">this same advice for coaches</a> and <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2012/feb/04/teachers-mistakes-classroom-control">teachers</a>, and I’m sure I could find examples from most other professions. Learning from failure is an innate part of humanity, and one you should accept.</p> <p>I’ve coached sports, I’ve managed people. I never expect them to be perfect, and while I don’t want mistakes repeated over and over, I also need to accept a certain number of them. Part of me learning to do that better was learning to own my own mistakes, acknowledging them, and apologizing.</p> <p>It’s not easy. I struggle to say I’m sorry, but between being married for decades and having multiple children, as well as various employees reporting to me, I’ve learned to be better. I try to accept others’ mistakes, as well as my own, and get better.</p> <p>This doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences. There are punishments, payments, losses as a result of mistakes. However bear them with dignity and the resolve to reduce them the next time.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-21502842434931600712016-03-29T12:21:00.000-07:002016-03-29T12:21:02.736-07:00Building Leadership Skills<p>Many people won’t choose to become an organizational leader explicitly. Meaning they won’t become a manager, director, or someone else expected to lead a group of people through various tasks.</p> <p>However, all of us can become better leaders as a part of our daily work. I ran across a list of <a href="http://learnthis.ca/2016/01/12-leadership-tips-when-you-are-not-the-boss/?utm_content=buffere3449&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer">12 leadership tips for people that aren’t explicitly in charge</a>, i.e. not the boss.</p> <p>It’s a good list, and while this might seem like common sense, I think there are some good items to think about for the future in here, not the least of which is communication skills (#4). </p> <p>I think that this is one of the most important things you can do, and it’s why I constantly preach blogging and practice of your communication skills. This is fundamental to the way that most of us interact with others. We must convince them, or question them, or report to them, all of which require good communication skills.</p> <p>If you write often, practice writing.</p> <p>If you speak to others, practice speaking.</p> <p>Learn to become a better communicator above all else, and then look through the other tips to see what you can do better to increase your ability to provide leadership in your career. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6176074045701379571.post-41789232157759434652016-03-10T09:07:00.001-08:002016-03-10T09:07:12.271-08:00Keep Up with Connections<p>I realized today that I haven’t logged into <a href="https://www.linkedin.com">LinkedIn</a> in a few weeks. I usually try to check after an event, and get connections updated with new invitations. However after my last two events, I had a number of family items in between and after. I didn’t check.</p> <p>However I got a message some someone that noted they’d sent me a note on LinkedIn and I hadn’t replied. Ugh, that’s bad.</p> <p>I found this:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtv6LVmngR45jRJjk-AuXTOJVg-R1Lk_BfA2VvSisI9g88rLRKx_KyKG7ioZfD9QQM_Cr9HYDUzF4jXK2s7smecpiY1vdh9r8xALmC7KVLVnUY9odemC0psEU2IJ7CguJECE6zxCltXjo/s1600-h/2016-03-10%25252009_58_42-Store%25255B2%25255D.png"><img title="2016-03-10 09_58_42-Store" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="2016-03-10 09_58_42-Store" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uaU2tmYtx7E/VuGpvF-yBjI/AAAAAAAAOA4/nq6TKXzAnyA/2016-03-10%25252009_58_42-Store_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="244" height="47"></a></p> <p>Yikes. That’s a lot in a month. I’ve tried to check every week or two, so perhaps I’ve had this many and didn’t realize. I spent a few minutes reviewing and accepting invitations.</p> <p>Note, I <a href="http://modernresume.blogspot.com/2013/01/linkedin-and-connections.html">accept all invitations</a>. However <a href="http://modernresume.blogspot.com/2010/10/whos-in-your-network.html">I classify them</a>.</p> <p>I need an appointment to remind me, and I’ve set one up. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghafXxBjhwXFYFMhpPrYNwGSd3VgFEMygtDUsm6lVYqQ4H0B3JAsj4it1O_tDor4I9GKQY4EDYIKxNHToiti3aVUg1wVbi386gEW5m6lDHUolQiiUygF4XPFkyk7RZ4HhkECg8HgOn1vE/s1600-h/2016-03-10%25252010_06_00-Start%25255B2%25255D.png"><img title="2016-03-10 10_06_00-Start" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="2016-03-10 10_06_00-Start" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wb5cNcYUdkQ/VuGpv1zPm0I/AAAAAAAAOBA/S2lbvmQs6J0/2016-03-10%25252010_06_00-Start_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="244" height="62"></a></p> <p>This is a good time for me, late in the day, just busy work to look at connections, which should be quick.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0