Saturday, July 30, 2011

Posted: 30 Jul 2011 08:39 AM PDT

I recently saw "Bridesmaids" for the second time (yeah, it's that good). The main character has a job in a jewelry store. Being unlucky at love, she goes on a rant about love never lasting while helping a cute couple select an engagement ring. I won't spoil the rest for you, but it occurred to me that the scene was a fairly typical Hollywood version of life at work. Unrealistic workplace portrayals, often bordering on fantasy, are usually what we see represented in movies.
The following have become standard movie clichés about the office:

* The boss's daughter is always a hottie – Not only is the daughter hot, she dresses slutty and doesn't work because she drops by the office any time to see Daddy. It's required that the new hire instantly fall in lust with her, resulting in career mayhem.
* The boss is always rich – Because he likes you, he takes you to his prestigious country club where you play doubles with Federer and Nadal, who are also members.
* Completing one big project gets you instantly promoted – If you successfully do that one big project, not only will you save the corporation, you'll be promoted to CEO. You also get perks like a company Lamborghini Gallardo and penthouse apartment.
* You don't need any skills or experience to do a job – This is especially true in a medical emergency when you have to do neurosurgery on the fly even though you're a carpenter. You then become head of that department in the hospital.
* You quit your job, telling off your horrible boss – Your boss is then immediately fired, publicly shamed, you immerge victorious and justice prevails.
* You can arrive at and leave your job at any time of day for any reason – No need to invent a fake doctor's appointment. If you want to breeze in at 10 a.m. or just pop into Barney's for a scarf in the afternoon, it's cool.
* Everyone takes a week's worth of work home at night – Couples in 1,000 thread-count sheets and sexy jammies have laptops propped up in bed with them, working furiously throughout the night. Conan is never on while they work.

* You are rewarded handsomely for your hard work – Just keep busting your hump because you'll get that 200% raise in the end. You've earned it!
Awwww, the movies! Which work movie clichés drive you nuts?
This post was written by Jobacle contributor Nancy LaFever.

How to Find Qualified Job Candidates | Career Rocketeer

Link to Career Rocketeer - Career Search and Personal Branding Blog

How to Find Qualified Job Candidates

Posted: 30 Jul 2011 03:30 AM PDT

One of the frustrating things recruiter experience is not finding qualified applicants. An equally frustrating thing for qualified candidates is not getting their resume into the hands of a hiring manager. Who is to blame for this situation? In my opinion, the recruiter it to blame and the system or process they use to find candidates.
Most companies pass resumes through a series of filters. Fine, the filters are designed to find that one gold nugget among hundreds and perhaps thousands of applicants. However, what often happens is the filter produces more gold dust than gold nuggets.
The problem with electronic filters is they pan for candidates. What's wrong with that? Well, if you really want to find gold, you need to locate a larger vein. I know, the electronic filter is working overtime and now I want to add more. No, that is not what I am suggesting. Too often, recruiters are passive, waiting for the ideal candidate to land in their pan.
I find it ludicrous that recruiters can't find qualified candidates. The key word is "find." They have the best panning technology available but they still can't find qualified candidates. There must be at least one nugget among those thousands of resumes. Electronic filters screen out more candidates than they screen in. Think about that for a moment. They screen out more candidates than they screen in. Oh, that's because those applicants are not qualified. Really, I know many qualified applicants and you do too, that never made it past the first filter. Is that a problem with their resume or the filter? It could be both but I believe it is the filter.
It may be costly, unproductive, and anti-technology to have recruiters review every resume but how much is a gold nugget worth to the hiring organization. As a senior human resource executive, my team and I combed through hundreds of resumes to find one or two candidates to hire for our executive training program. These hires would be our future leaders. The first time we did it we found four and hired them. The next time we received even more resumes and we hired six. Was this the best use of my time and my team? That depends on how much a gold nugget is it worth to your organization. Could an electronic system have helped? Certainly, would we have hired the same number of nuggets? I can honestly tell you we would have missed a couple.
There is a lesson here for job seekers as well. Don't send your resume down stream hoping it will land in the pan. Make sure you use in your resume some of the key words and phrases contained in the employer's description of the job and the qualifications they are seeking. Remember gold weighs more than stones and other debris. Translation, your resume needs to have some weight to it.

Guest Expert:
Tom Cairns is a former Senior VP, Presidential appointee, human resources warrior, adjunct faculty, and breakthrough thinker. He draws from his business, education, and government experience where his hands-on approach and uncompromising integrity produced measureable results. He is known as a specialist in succession planning, mergers and acquisitions, project management, leadership development and coaching, and strategic planning. He is performance driven and has the ability to connect with people inspiring them achieve unparalleled results. You may contact him via e-mail at tom@cairnsblaner.com. Follow him on Twitter. His website and blog is: http://www.cairnsblaner.com.

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Be Fluent in Sarcasm

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 05:54 AM PDT

Last night sipping red wine with my two sisters, Julie, my youngest sister casually said this, “Be fluent in sarcasm.” It resonated with me. Not only because she is one of the funniest and most carefree people I know, but because we were discussing the topic of growing older and responsibility. Even though we’re getting older, it’s important to have fun and grow older with a light heart.
I’ve been doing a lot of personal reflecting this week likely due to the fact that my 15 year high school reunion is this very weekend. The oldest of three girls, I have been sometimes labeled as the bossy and serious type. More conservative than my younger siblings. Sometimes it’s rough being the first. <insert sarcastic tone here.> It might just be, however, where I get my competitive streak.
Happiness, laughter, and love keep us young. Be fluent in sarcasm. Major in happiness. Grow memories. Don’t take life so seriously. Live a little so shut off your cell phones, disconnect your computer, and do something this weekend you love.
This weekend I’m toasting my youth. While I like to reminisce I’m not going back.
How are you staying fluent in sarcasm? And is it working?
Photo Credit Soda Head & Topatoco.

3 Steps to a New Career (a.k.a. How to Pull a MacGyver!)

3 Steps to a New Career (a.k.a. How to Pull a MacGyver!)

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 10:00 PM PDT

Finding a new career path today involves 3 fundamental steps. But before you can implement them, you need to understand two important concepts: A) The sky is NOT the limit. B) Constraints inspire creativity - a.k.a. Your career needs you to pull a MacGyver!

To get this useful advice and many other helpful career resources, visit us now at CAREEREALISM.com.

#1 Use for a Personal Brand

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 08:55 PM PDT

I have found that the majority of people who have created a personal brand don't understand it's true purpose. Which means, they aren't creating an effective brand. More importantly, they aren't using the technique properly.

To get this useful advice and many other helpful career resources, visit us now at CAREEREALISM.com.

What Job Seekers Still Don’t Understand

Posted: 29 Jul 2011 08:24 PM PDT

This week, 4 well-known female career coaches got together to talk about what job seekers are still not understanding about job search in 2011.The experts included:

To get this useful advice and many other helpful career resources, visit us now at CAREEREALISM.com.