http://directyourcareer.com/blog from MEA Strategic Solutions, LLC Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:48:52 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://directyourcareer.com/blog/looking-for-a-job-is-a-full-time-job.html http://directyourcareer.com/blog/looking-for-a-job-is-a-full-time-job.html#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:48:03 +0000 Mike http://justmike70.wordpress.com/2008/06/07/looking-for-a-job-is-a-full-time-job/ http://directyourcareer.com/blog/looking-for-a-job-is-a-full-time-job.html/feed 6 http://directyourcareer.com/blog/performance-appraisals-should-be-boring-not-a-surprise.html http://directyourcareer.com/blog/performance-appraisals-should-be-boring-not-a-surprise.html#comments Sun, 29 Jan 2012 12:10:56 +0000 Mike http://justmike70.wordpress.com/?p=15 For many years, I have been against annual or semi-annual performance appraisals, sometimes called reviews.  The idea that once a year you and your boss sit down face to face and talk about how you did the entire previous year just seems unnatural.   The business guru Dr. W. Edward Deming agrees with me. Surprise!! I have had no bad experiences with reviews.  I haven’t had a bad review or a surprise review.  I simply believe that there is little if any value in this annual display of power whereby you are talked to by your boss about what should be discussed every single day of your career.  I cannot imagine what would happen if your boss actually said “Bill, on October 13th at 3:45, you came back a few minutes late from your break.  On January 3rd, the spreadsheet you gave me hand an error in it.  So, I have to give you a low grade, and therefore no raise.” ******************Advertisement********************************* Tired of sending out resumes with no response? I can help! Download The Professional Guide to Creating Killer Resumes Step by step instructions on how to create a professional resume! ************************************************************** Could you imagine the surprise?  Why wouldn’t he [...]]]> http://directyourcareer.com/blog/performance-appraisals-should-be-boring-not-a-surprise.html/feed 0 http://directyourcareer.com/blog/fitness-physical-emotional-and-spiritual.html http://directyourcareer.com/blog/fitness-physical-emotional-and-spiritual.html#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:36:38 +0000 Mike http://justmike70.wordpress.com/?p=34 One of the secrets to Turbo Charge your Career is being fit. I am not talking about joining a gym necessarily. I am talking about getting physically, emotionally, and spiritually fit. Pump Me Up To be physically fit, all you need to do is eat food that is good for you. You know what that means. If not, go to http://thetennisdad.com/blog and my son Ryan will help you. Also, it means getting enough sleep, and limiting your alcohol consumption. I recommend you quit alcohol completely, but moderation is fine as well. And stop smoking. Today. For exercise, walk around the block to get your heart rate up. Use it or lose it!! Emote with me baby The next key is emotional fitness. This is a complex subject that I address in my book, but basically it means clearing up all of your emotional baggage. Address your relationship problems. Apologize to those you have hurt, get over the men or women who have hurt you, and resolve to address all future mistakes immediately. There is a lot to this to process, but making amends and dealing with mistakes quickly is very important to emotional well-being. I See Dead People The part [...]]]> http://directyourcareer.com/blog/fitness-physical-emotional-and-spiritual.html/feed 0 http://directyourcareer.com/blog/choosing-your-career-the-perfect-job.html http://directyourcareer.com/blog/choosing-your-career-the-perfect-job.html#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:16:15 +0000 Mike http://justmike70.wordpress.com/2008/05/24/choosing-your-career-the-perfect-job/ As a career coach and senior executive, I can’t tell you how often I hear people say “I hate my job.  I just don’t know what to do with my life.  I really hate my job.  What do you think I should do?” That is a very tough question that I can’t answer for you.  It is a completely personal choice based on a lot of factors.  I can also tell you that that question does not always come from high school seniors or college students either.  Many of my clients, men and women in the 40′s and 50′s still express the same concern. Their dilemma is very understandable since we really receive little or no actual guidance on this subject in our youth. High school guidance counselors are geared more to making sure you get into college if that is what you want to do.  Most people simply trip into their careers, or have their careers chosen for them by their parents. What are you passionate about? Choosing a job is not that hard. Anyone can do it. Just look around you and say “I want to be that when I grow up.” But, choosing a career that you [...]]]> http://directyourcareer.com/blog/choosing-your-career-the-perfect-job.html/feed 1 http://directyourcareer.com/blog/your-bosss-dog-house.html http://directyourcareer.com/blog/your-bosss-dog-house.html#comments Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:45:38 +0000 Mike Anderson http://directyourcareer.com/blog/?p=194 Does your boss have a dog house? No, not the kind that he keeps his Black Lab in. I mean does he need to keep someone in the figurative dog house all the time – the one you go into when you are in trouble? Woof I have worked for several bosses that keep a dog house. They seem to need to keep someone in the dog house to stay focused. They target a person or an area of the business with all of their energy, and as long as someone is in the dog house, everyone else is just fine. Sit! I remember working for one such guy. He was one of the meanest people for whom I’ve ever worked. He was belligerent, insulting, and had a very short fuse. When he would get upset with anyone, they basically went in and stayed in his dog house until someone else messed up. I remember spending almost all of my spare time working to stay out of the dog house. What a waste of time, but it did make me better. So, how do you stay of out of the dog house? First, keep to your commitments. If you sign [...]]]> http://directyourcareer.com/blog/your-bosss-dog-house.html/feed 3 http://directyourcareer.com/blog/i-need-a-new-job.html http://directyourcareer.com/blog/i-need-a-new-job.html#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:15:36 +0000 Mike http://justmike70.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/i-need-a-new-job/ In recent weeks, several of my clients have asked my help in finding them a new job. They each have different reasons for wanting to change jobs. Some just want more money. A few are not comfortable with the financial health of their current employer. And, I have one entry level client and one recently “outplaced” client that just need help getting started. Finding a job is not necessarily that hard, but finding the right job does take a plan. There was a time in the recent past when people would just shotgun resumes or respond to every job ad they saw. That method does work, but it is a lot more painful in terms of time, and success. If you think about it, you need to hit the right company at the right time looking for your credentials. Odds seem a little against you. So, it is best to create a plan of attack, and to work your plan. The first rule of thumb that people need to know in the job search is that, as non-scientific it may be, you should expect to spend about one month per $10,000 of salary hunting for that new job. If you [...]]]> http://directyourcareer.com/blog/i-need-a-new-job.html/feed 0 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 Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:49:30 +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/chain-of-command.html http://directyourcareer.com/blog/chain-of-command.html#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:48:26 +0000 Mike Anderson http://directyourcareer.com/blog/?p=260 I spent four years in the United States Navy. I learned a great many useful life lessons during that time, but the most significant lesson I learned was to respect the chain of command. In a military context, the chain of command is the line of authority and responsibility along which orders are passed within a military unit and between different units. Orders are transmitted down the chain of command, from a higher-ranked soldier, such as a commissioned officer, to lower-ranked personnel who either execute the order personally or transmit it down the chain as appropriate, until it is received by those expected to execute it. In general, military personnel give orders only to those directly below them in the chain of command and receive orders only from those directly above them. Thank you sir, may I have another? The concept of chain of command also implies that higher rank alone does not entitle a higher-ranking service member to give commands to anyone of lower rank. For example, an officer of unit “A” does not directly command lower-ranking members of unit “B”, and is generally expected to approach an officer of unit “B” if he requires action by members of [...]]]> http://directyourcareer.com/blog/chain-of-command.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 Wed, 28 Dec 2011 08:28:00 +0000 Mike Anderson http://directyourcareer.com/blog/?p=729 http://directyourcareer.com/blog/get-ready-for-that-interview-3.html/feed 80 http://directyourcareer.com/blog/get-ready-for-that-interview-2.html http://directyourcareer.com/blog/get-ready-for-that-interview-2.html#comments Sun, 25 Dec 2011 05:02:36 +0000 Mike Anderson http://directyourcareer.com/blog/get-ready-for-that-interview-2.html So, you’ve spent hours and hours searching job boards for openings. You contacted all of your friends, joined social sites like LinkedIn, and expanded your network. You’ve tweaked your resume to the point that you are really happy with it. And you’ve sent it out more than a dozen times. All that hard has work paid off and you’ve finally received a call back. They want you to come in for an interview. Yikes! Are you ready? Preparation You have 72 hours to prepare for your interview. I guess its too late to lose ten pounds, or work on your tan, huh? Too late to get that MBA or latest certification I suppose. But, all is not lost because there are many things you can do that your competition is not doing, and I will tell you what that is. What to wear First, you need to decide what you are going to wear. No matter what the dress code is of the company to which you are applying, you must dress in business attire. For men, that means you need a conservative dress shirt, a tie, and a suit or sports coat/blazer. Make sure all of your clothes fit [...]]]> http://directyourcareer.com/blog/get-ready-for-that-interview-2.html/feed 0