http://directyourcareer.com/blog from MEA Strategic Solutions, LLC Fri, 18 May 2012 16:19:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://directyourcareer.com/blog/what-do-you-know-about-your-employees.html http://directyourcareer.com/blog/what-do-you-know-about-your-employees.html#comments Fri, 18 May 2012 16:19:00 +0000 Mike Anderson http://directyourcareer.com/blog/?p=767   Charley Charley, a new retiree-greeter at Wal-Mart, just couldn’t seem to get to work on time.    Every day he was 5, 10, 15 minutes late. But he was a good worker, really tidy, clean-shaven, sharp minded and a real credit to the company; obviously demonstrating their “Older Person Friendly” policies.  One day the boss called him into the office for a talk. “Charley, I have to tell you, I like your work ethic, you do a bang up job. But, being late so often is quite bothersome.” “I know boss, and I am working on it.” ”Well good, you are a team player. That’s what I like to hear. It’s odd though your coming in late.   I know you’re retired from the Armed Forces. So, what did they say if you came in late back then?”  ‘‘They said, ‘Good morning, Admiral, can I get you coffee, sir?”’ What do you know about your employees?  Some of them have skills and talents that are far beyond what you see of them day in and day out. The Problem Several years ago, I had an opening for a computer programmer.  One of the computer operators approached me with an [...]]]> http://directyourcareer.com/blog/what-do-you-know-about-your-employees.html/feed 1 http://directyourcareer.com/blog/get-ready-for-that-interview-3.html http://directyourcareer.com/blog/get-ready-for-that-interview-3.html#comments Tue, 01 May 2012 00:41:59 +0000 Mike Anderson http://directyourcareer.com/blog/?p=729 http://directyourcareer.com/blog/get-ready-for-that-interview-3.html/feed 81 http://directyourcareer.com/blog/is-college-worth-it-2.html http://directyourcareer.com/blog/is-college-worth-it-2.html#comments Sat, 28 Apr 2012 23:03:46 +0000 Mike http://justmike70.wordpress.com/?p=94 Obviously, that is a loaded question.  I can assure you that all of the people who have dedicated their lives, professions, and livelihood to education will and should give you an emotional “YES”!  But what of the rest of us that worked hard in high school to get good enough grades to get into a top notch university?  What about the parents and students who pay something south of $100,000 to get a four degree with absolutely no promise of a job afterward?  And lastly, what about the 60 credits you are required to take, called electives to augment the 60 credits of your major so as to give you a well rounded education?  When is the last time you used “The Planets, Stars and Universe” in your new job as an accountant? You need to go to the Business Office I have always held that there are two parts of  the university environment.  There is the education part, the one we all understand whereby college professors teach classes, do research, and publish papers.  This is the part where crotchety old people who don’t work in the real world, essentially inculcate young heads of mush with the important facts they [...]]]> http://directyourcareer.com/blog/is-college-worth-it-2.html/feed 0 http://directyourcareer.com/blog/what-does-your-resume-say-about-you-2.html http://directyourcareer.com/blog/what-does-your-resume-say-about-you-2.html#comments Sun, 15 Apr 2012 10:40:43 +0000 Mike http://justmike70.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/what-does-your-resume-say-about-you/ I have read thousands of resumes in my career as a C-level executive. To be honest, I usually read the first couple of lines and scan the job titles of the candidate in an effort to glean what I am able to as quickly as possible. Do you know why? Not because I am too busy or too lazy to read them. No, it is because they are often so boring and poorly formatted that I can hardly get past the first few lines. Read me! To get hiring authorities to read your resume, candidates must find ways to create an eye appealing format. Whether you are an entry level candidate, or a senior executive, the first two people that read your resume are generally completely unqualified to make a determination as to whether or not you are qualified for the position for which you are applying. Executive Recruiters or internal HR staff only know on a superficial level whether your qualifications match up with the requirements of the job. Normally, knowing that is that is the job of the hiring authority, but only if your resume has passed on to them through the hands of the first level gate [...]]]> http://directyourcareer.com/blog/what-does-your-resume-say-about-you-2.html/feed 4 http://directyourcareer.com/blog/behavior-attitude-and-training-bat.html http://directyourcareer.com/blog/behavior-attitude-and-training-bat.html#comments Tue, 10 Apr 2012 05:31:45 +0000 Mike http://justmike70.wordpress.com/2008/06/05/behavior-attitude-and-training-bat/ As managers and as employees, our work place demeanor is composed of three major components that I call B.A.T. – Behavior, Attitude, and Training. These three components are all that are needed for us to perform effectively, and to assess someone else’s performance in any task that is undertaken. Unfortunately, business people seem to misjudge performance by mistaking a change in one component for another when assessing performance problems. I will explain. According To Webster The dictionary defines behavior as a manner of behaving or acting. Not very specific is it? In my world, what I mean by that is assessing how someone deals with a variety of stimuli. For example, continuing to come in late is a behavorial problem. Using language deemed inappropriate by your workplace culture is also behavior related. The stimuli affecting the behavior can be work related, or completely un-work related (ie: a fight with your spouse). Attitude is a slighty different animal. Attitude is defined as a manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation, especially of the mind, as in “he has a negative attitude”. Attitude is a little tougher to assess because it is more subjective, [...]]]> http://directyourcareer.com/blog/behavior-attitude-and-training-bat.html/feed 7 http://directyourcareer.com/blog/5-lessons-about-how-to-treat-others-author-unknown.html http://directyourcareer.com/blog/5-lessons-about-how-to-treat-others-author-unknown.html#comments Sat, 07 Apr 2012 01:46:22 +0000 Mike Anderson http://directyourcareer.com/blog/?p=554 1. First Important Lesson – “Know The Cleaning Lady” During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: “What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?” Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. “Absolutely,” said the professor. “In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say “hello.” I’ve never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy. 2. Second Important Lesson – “Pickup In The Rain” One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided [...]]]> http://directyourcareer.com/blog/5-lessons-about-how-to-treat-others-author-unknown.html/feed 9 http://directyourcareer.com/blog/the-tazmanian-devil-2.html http://directyourcareer.com/blog/the-tazmanian-devil-2.html#comments Thu, 05 Apr 2012 23:23:36 +0000 Mike http://justmike70.wordpress.com/?p=33 One of the first things I learned in business about people is that there are marathon runners and there are sprinters. What I mean by that is that some people can only work on a project or hold a thought for a short period of time before losing their focus and moving on to something new. By moving on, or sprinting to the next project, they leave the actual work to the marathon runners, you know, the guys that just plod along making sure everything is working. There used to be this cartoon character on TV that I loved called the Tasmanian Devil. You could tell he was about to burst onto the scene because in the distance you heard this whirl of wind and could see a dust cloud up in the sky. As he got closer, all you could see was this tornado looking thing approaching until it came to a sudden stop. The Devil would stand still, looking side to side only with his eyes, keeping very still, before spinning away to another location to stir things up. Everyone was afraid of the Tasmanian Devil. *********************Advertisement********************* Are you tired of sending out resumes without a response? Interviews [...]]]> http://directyourcareer.com/blog/the-tazmanian-devil-2.html/feed 1 http://directyourcareer.com/blog/how-can-i-negotiate-a-higher-salary.html http://directyourcareer.com/blog/how-can-i-negotiate-a-higher-salary.html#comments Tue, 13 Mar 2012 23:33:02 +0000 Mike http://justmike70.wordpress.com/2008/06/14/how-can-i-negotiate-a-higher-salary/ Brad Karsh, Yahoo! HotJobs Question: I just received a job offer, but I feel the salary is too low. How can I negotiate a higher salary? Answer: More money. Let’s be honest, we all want it. So how can you get it? When it comes to negotiating your new job offer, you walk the fine line between coming off like a savvy employee looking to maximize your worth and being greedy. Here’s what you do. 1. Know what you’re worth. Knowledge is power. It’s much easier to negotiate if you know where you stand relative to others in your field. Your first stop should be the Yahoo! HotJobs salary calculator. Also check with friends and family who may work in your field or at your level. See what they make. Once you have that information in hand, here’s what you might say: “From the information I’ve pulled from salary surveys, a financial analyst with four years of experience in Cleveland makes between $65,000-$75,000. I feel that your offer of $62,000 is low. Based on my experience and accomplishments, a salary of $70,000 which falls in the middle of the range would be more appropriate.” 2. Think beyond salary. Salary may [...]]]> http://directyourcareer.com/blog/how-can-i-negotiate-a-higher-salary.html/feed 0 http://directyourcareer.com/blog/do-you-have-gratitude-in-your-attitude.html http://directyourcareer.com/blog/do-you-have-gratitude-in-your-attitude.html#comments Mon, 12 Mar 2012 23:06:24 +0000 Mike Anderson http://directyourcareer.com/blog/?p=502 A young, 21 year old college student asked to meet with me yesterday.   He was ending an internship and wanted to ask me several questions that might help him when he entered the real work force next year. He asked me all the normal questions about how I achieved my success.  He wanted to know about my family, and if I considered myself successful.  I answered those questions with rather stereotypical responses which seemed to satisfy him.  Then, he asked me something which surprised me a little bit, and my answer seemed to surprise him too. “So Mike, I really appreciate your time today.  You’ve really helped me.  I have one more question for you.  What life lesson or advice would you give a 21 year college student?” he asked. I sat for a second and said “Be grateful for everything you have and don’t waste time wishing for the things you don’t.  Celebrate your health.  Appreciate your family, friends and the love you have in your life.   If you have a car, be grateful that you do, and don’t waste time being sad it isn’t better.  If you take the time to be grateful for what you have, God, [...]]]> http://directyourcareer.com/blog/do-you-have-gratitude-in-your-attitude.html/feed 5 http://directyourcareer.com/blog/never-burn-your-bridges.html http://directyourcareer.com/blog/never-burn-your-bridges.html#comments Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:01:08 +0000 Mike Anderson http://directyourcareer.com/blog/?p=900 Since I was a young man I have been hearing  that I should “never burn my bridges”.  I understood that to mean that in any situation or relationship, I should exit that relationship with integrity, honor, biting my tongue, and leave without destroying  what may be left of friendships that I had made. The Romans Started It! I think there are several origins of the phrase “don’t burn your bridges”, but the one I like the best was that Roman commanders would often order the burning of bridges after having crossed them to prevent their own armies from fleeing in the face of danger.  I found that pretty dramatic, and most likely pretty effective.  If a soldier tried to flee, he would eventually be backed up against the river, and simply have to fight, or die trying.  There was no going back. While that may have been a pretty effective way to get unwilling men to fight, it has no place in your career.  People leave jobs for many reasons, but my research indicates that most people leave because they don’t like their bosses.  They generally like their job and their company, but their boss is simply too difficult to [...]]]> http://directyourcareer.com/blog/never-burn-your-bridges.html/feed 0