November 2016 – Accelerated, Collaborative Technology Training Services

Your Guide to Making Unrelated Experience Look Relevant on Your Resume – Kat Boogaard

Nov 282016

Perhaps you’re a few years into your career with just a few jobs under your belt. Maybe you’re an experienced professional looking at making a pretty major career change. Or, perhaps you entered the military right out of high school, and now you’re looking for your first civilian job.

Regardless of your specific circumstances, you’re dealing with an all-too-common problem: You know exactly which jobs you’d like to apply for, but the majority of your work experience up to this point seems completely irrelevant.

Believe me, pretty much everybody’s been there. I remember sifting through openings when I was fresh out of college—with work experience that equated to a part-time pizza waitress and someone who did all of the grunt work at a law firm—and getting frustrated by the fact that I would never be able to make myself look impressive (or relevant) enough to even get my foot in the door.

Yes, it can be somewhat discouraging. But, if up until this point you’ve reacted by either crying, cursing, or contemplating throwing your computer out the window, it’s time for a serious change.

Luckily, there are a few different tactics and strategies you can use to make even the seemingly most unrelated experience appear more applicable to the position you’re applying for. Follow these six steps, and you’ll be armed with a resume that makes you look like a no-brainer fit.

November 28, 2016
Posted by dherrig1 at 10:03 am
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Career Success, Resume Tips

Horatio Alger National Career & Technical Scholarship Program

Nov 212016

On this page you can find the Association’s scholarship programs for students who plan to pursue career or technical training. Scroll down to check out the eligibility criteria.

Horatio Alger National Career & Technical Scholarship Program (510 awards up to $2,500 each)

Receive up to $2,500 to pursue a career or technical certificate/degree

Have completed high school (or earned a GED)
Exhibit a strong commitment to pursue and complete a career or technical program at an accredited non-profit post-secondary institution in the United States
Demonstrated critical financial need (must be eligible to receive the Federal Pell grant as determined by completion of the FAFSA)
Demonstrated perseverance in overcoming adversity
Be under the age of 30
Be a United States citizen

The application will be open with a rolling deadline until all awards have been given out.

Applications will be reviewed monthly.

Apply Now

Read More: https://scholars.horatioalger.org/scholarships/about

November 21, 2016
Posted by dherrig1 at 9:45 am
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Scholarship

What You Can Do Now To Ace a Job Interview – Val DiFebo

Nov 212016

The Fortune 500 Insiders network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in business contribute answers to timely questions about careers and leadership. Today’s answer to the question to: “What’s the most important question to ask job candidates in an interview and why?” is written by Val DiFebo, CEO of Deutsch New York.

There is no one question a candidate can answer that will seal the deal and show me how they will approach a job. It’s how they answer a series of questions; how they tell the story of their own career experience and the questions they ask in return that show me what someone will bring to the table.

One way I like to start off with is to ask candidates: “Tell me your story.” I don’t like to read their resume and just infer a story – I want to hear someone lay out and share their own narrative with me: what they love; how they’ve tackled challenges with an out-of-the-box approach; what’s led them to sit at my desk and ask for this job. I’m hoping to uncover their sense of curiosity, their passion – two non-negotiable qualities at a company like ours.

By the time someone has reached my office, their skill set is not the question. They have already established themselves as a candidate with the talent and experience necessary to do the job – I’m not looking to see if they can handle a role; I’m looking to see how they will handle it: do they approach every challenge with the same linear thinking, using mainstream methods time after time? Or are they rolling with the punches, letting outside influences pique their curiosity and drive them to unearth fresh solutions to every hurdle they face?

November 21, 2016
Posted by dherrig1 at 9:37 am
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Career Success, Interviewing, Social Skills

Keys to Career Success for Millennials, From Successful Millennials – Leah Arnold-Smeets

Nov 142016

Millennials are the largest living generation in the U.S., and they just so happen to dominate the workforce, too. While it’s a definitely a good thing that so many millennials are hungry for career success, it also means that it’s that much harder for them to get ahead of the pack in their careers. If you’re one of these 20- or 30-something professionals looking for some tips on getting ahead, here are a few to get you started.

Be a Winner at Working Hard

According to fellow millennial Nicole Smartt, who is the co-owner and vice president of Star Staffing and author of From Receptionist to Boss: Real-life Advice for Getting Ahead at Work, “One of the biggest things younger workers can do to get ahead is be an exemplary leader, take on extra tasks and ask what more [they] can do.” More specifically, Smartt recommends that millennials be winners at working hard and constantly “learn, grow, and improve.”

Although I don’t necessarily agree with Smartt when she tells millennials to “never clock out,” she does win me over with her advice that career success is all about who you know.

“Become an owner of your career through connections,” she says. “Find the right people/mentors who match your goals, attitude and energy level.”

November 14, 2016
Posted by dherrig1 at 10:59 am
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Career Success, Social Skills

Better Listening Skills Could Mean More Promotions — Here’s How – Lisa Quast

Nov 072016

I recently had the opportunity to compare the difference in listening skills between my 7-year-old niece and a grown adult (my sister). My niece won.

My niece told me exactly what I had said in a previous conversation, while my sister could barely remember the topic we discussed. That’s when my niece reminded us of a very important lesson.

With a very serious look on her face she informed us: “My teacher told us that listening is the most important skill we need to succeed in life. She also said it’s a way to show respect to the person talking.”

Then she put her hands on her hips and looked at my sister. “How come you weren’t paying attention to what Auntie Lisa was saying, Mommy?”

As I stood there doubled over laughing while my sister rolled her eyes at me, it made me think about how often adults fail to listen to others – at home and especially at work.

November 7, 2016
Posted by dherrig1 at 9:54 am
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Career Success, Social Skills