Have You Considered Consulting as a Career? plus 1 more | Career Rocketeer

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Have You Considered Consulting as a Career? Posted: 09 May 2011 03:30 AM PDT An ever increasing number of older executives, and by older I am talking 35-50 years old, have a tremendous amount to offer but find it hard to get back in the game with a dedicated employer; and those over the age of 50 are finding it even harder. So what I have been suggesting to many of these displaced executives is to explore the world of consulting, either for a company or on their own. Now consulting is not a route for everyone to pursue. It takes a certain mindset and personality, and certain fields such as IT, accounting and healthcare among a select few are more fertile for consulting than others. Moreover, going into business yourself may seem risky, but if done right can be a road to job security or a new job. So here are a few thoughts on how you may want to proceed. Determine what you have to offer and put it all down on paper and score yourself 1-10 on how strong you are. For me a 7 and above is an adequate score. Check online, in local papers and with people you know in the community and determine what the demand is for the experience and talent you have to offer. Do not get frightened off if you see there is a demand but also a lot of potential competitors. Put together a business plan if you can, or find someone who can help you with this task. Go to a company like Vistaprint and look into getting business cards made up and some starter brochures. If you are not creative or you're not a good wordsmith get someone to help you with this as well. Explore CRM and lead generation sources and their costs. Find out what others are charging for what you intend to provide. Contact 100 people in your business, personal, family and social network, tell them what you want to do and ask for their help and/or feedback. Remember this above all else, consulting is all about value and building relationships and trust. Moreover success will not come overnight. Make a commitment of at least 6 months and $1000 and see where that takes you. These are very basic tips so if you want more specific details feel free to call me and we can chat. A special FYI and personal invitation: Please join me and your hosts Chris Perry, founder of Career Rocketeer, and Dorothy Tannahill-Moran in their CAREER STUDIOS Free Career Seminar Series on Wednesday, May 25th at 5:30pm PST / 8:30pm EST when I will be the special guest. Your resume is the most visible and active part of your job search, so you want it to be powerful and effective at getting the attention of hiring managers. However many of you don't always know if it does. Join us while we discuss what no longer works and what does work in writing a resume for today's job market. I will cover topics where you will learn: How to identify your audience and determine useful information for your resume; How to determine your true value to a new employer; How to establish a "personal brand"; All about effective Bio Resumes, Leadership Resumes and Executive Resumes; Whether cover letters are obsolete and how/when to create an effective cover letter; Can you send a customized cover letter with a static resume?, and much more. You can register for FREE at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1630943195/pn, All you need to participate is a phone. Register here and we will send the call-in number and access code to you via email prior to the call. Also, enrolled participants will receive a FREE MP3 downloadable recording of this session following the seminar. Plus, as a special gift you will receive a free resume critique and 15% discount from me on any resume or bio you hire me to write. Author: Perry Newman, CPC CSMS is a nationally recognized executive resume writer, career coach, AIPC certified recruiter and SMMU certified social media strategist known for his ability to help his clients get results. You can view his sample resumes at http://www.perrynewman.com, and email him your resume at perry@perrynewman.com for FREE resume critique. Advertise on Career Rocketeer

Interview Question: What’s the Scariest Movie You Have Seen? Posted: 08 May 2011 05:20 AM PDT I had a conversation with someone recently who asked if I had anything exciting planned for the weekend. I said it depends on your definition of exciting. She replied something like a movie. I asked her if she had any recommendations. She said she rented the film 127 Hours and liked it. She then went on to say she also liked horror movies. However, she said most people don’t. I told her I was one of those people. However, I asked her what she liked about horror movies. She said she liked being scared. Honest answer and we went on to discussing other things. However, I did not think fast enough to ask why she liked to be scared. But it gave me ideas. I have since learned there are two theories behind why people like horror movies. One, the person is actually not afraid but excited by the movie. Two, the person endures terror in order to experience relief at the end. The first one makes sense because as much as the filmmaker tries to draw you into the movie you are safe in your theatre seat or couch. At least that is what you believe, until the movie is over and you have to drive, walk, or run home in the dark. Some people have trouble accepting the second explanation citing how can the most fearful event become a pleasant moment. Sounds reasonable, take away the possibliity of a positive outcome and you are back to the first explanation that some people just like being scared. Without debating, the redemptive value of horror movies because personally I don't see any. I asked the same question of someone else, why do you like horror movies, and they told me they were intrigued by the special effects and wanted to know how they were produced. He was a film student. When you stop to think about it we need people who are not easily frightened. In fact, we need people who thrive on the possibility of danger and are excited by it in a good way. The classic examples would be a soldier, EMT, firefighter, or law enforcement. The truth is we need leaders in every walk of life who are not frightened for example by an economic downturn, a natural disaster, plane engine failure, rising gas prices, declining sales, increased competition, or budget deficits, etc. These events are not for the faint of heart. Maybe a good question on a job interview might be what’s the scariest movie you have seen? If they say, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory you should be impressed because it is ranked in the Top 50 of scariest movies. Remember, you are not trying to determine their taste in movies. You want to know if they easily frightened by sudden changes. Do they run from it or run towards it? Guest Expert: Thomas D. Cairns, DBA, is the Principal and Chief Career Coach of Cairns Blaner Group (www.cairnsblaner.com), a consulting company focused on delivering career management strategies and services. He is a career coach for the Graziadio School of Business at Pepperdine University and adjunct professor of management at Azusa Pacific University. Previously, he served as Chief Human Capital Officer, U.S. Department Homeland Security, and Senior Vice President, Human Resources NBC Universal a division of GE. He may be contacted via e-mail at tom@cairnsblaner.com. Advertise on Career Rocketeer

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