Santa's Resume - How would a GCDF improve it?

While browsing my career related blogs this week, I came upon a post featuring a make believe resume for Santa. While it was likely fun to create and made me laugh, I couldn't help but to notice all the things that a GCDF, who had been to our fall Resume training, would have done differently. I encourage you to print out the link and update it as if Santa were your client? Which resume template and section headers would you use?

Many GCDFs were involved in the monumental Work Opportunity Project last year. This groundbreaking empirical survey was based upon 100 intensive face-to-face interviews of randomly selected Eastern Kentucky employers. The participating employers provided a picture of the future workforce needed in Eastern Kentucky. Their responses will pave the way for preparing the workforce by identifying the top skills and traits needed. A national study supports similar findings. To help job seekers better understand the competencies employers deem most valuable, the Career Advisory Board, established by DeVry University, created the Job Preparedness Indicator study, a new annual survey designed to identify and track gaps between the attributes candidates say they have and what qualifications employers need to fill available positions. The survey was conducted online during September, 2011, by Harris Interactive on behalf of the Career Advisory Board, and surveyed 540 hiring managers and 734 job seekers. Interestly, the findings break down the skills employers are ideally seeking at different levels of employment - entry level (initiative and dependability), mid-level (problem solving and communication) and managerial level (leadership). The article goes on to list some strategies to improve job search success and bridge the gap. As part of ongoing professional development, take time to review both studies.

More on Interviews and First Impressions

Past trainings have emphasized the importance of first impressions in the interview. As noted in a recent InterviewSavy blog post, a survey of recruiters conducted by the Society of Human Resource Management (http://www.shrm.org/) found that a hiring decision relies over 40 percent on organizational fit, and the decision to not hire the candidate is made in about 15 minutes by over 50 percent of recruiters (30 percent do so within 5 minutes and another 30 percent do so within 15 minutes!). With stats this strong, mock interviews and time spent thoroughly preparing our clients for upcoming job interviews can't be overlooked. What specifically do you do to prep your clients and make positive first impressions?

Celebrate National Career Development Month

November is National Career Development month and a wonderful time to celebrate our work as career advisors. Each November, I take the opportunity to schedule a few lunch meetings with some of my most respected peers and organize best practice sharing days within some of my professional affiliations. What will you do this month to celebrate?

Job Action Day, celebrated November 7th this year, is all about empowering job-seekers to attain the skills employers seek, taking charge of directing their career, and being vocal and demanding action on job creation -- helping your clients move their career and/or job-search forward. Check out this site for some ideas to incorporate in your tool kit. Especially note the blogs listed at the bottom of the link. What great resources for us a career practitioners.

Learning the importance of Social Media for the GCDF Today

As we begin to delve into the endless ways that social media can assist you in successfully helping clients, let's make one thing clear:

IT HELPS YOU MORE!

Build a professional identity on LinkedIn, follow career experts on Twitter and watch You Tube videos of the lastest interviewing trends.  Sure, your clients will be helped but so are you as a professional.

Today's service model is all around the career advisor as the expert.  You have to know your stuff and be agile with every client served regardless of their work experience.

Simple things that can help you now:

Read a career related book once a month
Build your LinkedIn profile with two connections a week or more
Get a Twitter account if you haven't already.

Finally, use this AMAZING resource with clients. 
It is called "Careers Out There" with host Marc Luber. 

He interviews professionals in careers that your client may be considering.  Very informative, engaging and well worth your time. 

Building Your Linkedin Profile

Hello everyone!!!

We look forward to seeing our GCDF colleagues who are registered to attend the November 18-19 training in Lexington.  It will be focused on the importance of resume editing and development along with social media tips.  We will study Twitter, LinkedIn and the power each tool provides for you are a career advisor.

For now, we encourage you to build your LinkedIn profile and continue to increase your connections.  A recent poll suggested that 80% of hiring managers (nationally) will "google" potential job candidates.  The stronger your LinkedIn profile is, the more likely you are to have that at the top of your Google search.

http://www.linkedin.com/

GCDF CEU Trainings

** November and April trainings are full. We have a few spots left for the July 2012 training. If you would like to register or get on the waiting list, please let Carla know ASAP.**

Hello, everyone!So glad to announce that our GCDF CEU training schedule is set for the next year.

We will not have individual CEU classes based on the year each person graduated. Instead, we will offer three CEU training weekends that are open to all classes of GCDF professionals. The space limit is 21 persons per training. Reservations are on a first come first serve basis. Priority is given to the class of 2007 since their CEU renewal is approaching next year.

Here are the dates:

1. November 18-19, 2011
2. April 20-21, 2012
3. July 13-14, 2012

All classes are at the Sleep Inn and will begin at 3:00pm until 9:00pm on Friday. Saturday will be from 8:00am until 11:00am.

When you reserve the training you plan to attend, please include your GCDF year.

Social Influence Scores and Your Future Career Path

AOL recently shared that the next wave of employment and hiring trends may have a lot to do with your social influence rating. If you have a Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter account, you are already being scored. Companies such as Klout, PeerIndex and Twitter Grader are also beginning to score people in such areas as influence and how many followers or friends they have accumulated. Did you post something that caused others to respond or act?While employers have been using Google for quite some time to conduct background research on possible candidates, social influence ratings are about to take things to a whole new level. The Federal Trade Commission has recently allowed background check company Social Intelligence to start using information on social networking sites as part of routine background checks. Information that is Federally and State protected is excluded from the reports. Perspective employers will be able to obtain a report that has information on your Facebook likes, photos, LinkedIn special groups, tweets, blog comments etc. This could be cause for concern if employers find digital dirt that may reflect poor judgment, illegal activity, or questionable behavior on your part. On the positive side, employers will also have access to information that would be viewed favorably such as professional recognition and involvement.

So use this as a wake up call to review your social media privacy settings and be even more cautious of anything you would not want an employer to find.

Websites and Blogs

So nice to see so many of you at today's Finding Yourself in the World of Work assessment training at Jenny Wiley.

During the training we mentioned how important it is to keep up with trends in our field. The following are some blogs that were mentioned:

http://www.smartbrief.com/news/yourcareer

http://www.careerhubblog.com/

http://www.mastercareercounselor.blogspot.com/

Video Resumes

"Savvy job seekers know that the paper resume is a dated approach to your job search. Having a professional video profile complete with your traditional resume, personality profile, and relevant accomplishments will increase your chance for hire by 30% or more - it just works."

- David DeCapua, CEO TalentRooster


While recently visiting a staffing agency in Lexington, I learned about emerging video resume technology from a company called TalentRooster. TalentRooster allows job seekers to create a video profile that employers can use as a preview of the candidate. Employers, staffing agencies, and recruiters are also using technology such as TalentRooster to conduct initial candidate screenings and to determine who to invite to the interview. Employers can pre-select which questions they would like for the candidate to answer. The candidate then answers the questions using a webcam or built in computer camera, and emails it back to the employer. It is inexpensive and convenient for the employer. A benefit to candidates is that they have time to think about their responses and can record their answers until they are pleased with their responses. Good Morning America even recently spotlighted this new tool. Learn more at TalentRooster. As GCDFs, do you see this type of technology replacing a traditional paper resume?

KCEOC Site Visit

Last week we travelled to Barbourville for an engaging day of training with the KCEOC staff. A highlight of the day was learning more about Carla's emerging theory regarding the differences in Heritage, Contemporary and Progressive employers and how they approach interviewing. Let your mind guess what type of questions each of these employers utilize in interviews. Watch for more details in future trainings.

The Power of Twitter and Social Media

Here is a link to a recent blog post from Master Career Counselor about Twitter.

http://bit.ly/m2HBQK

Daniel Boone Site Visit

In spite of record rainfall for April, we were able to schedule most of our April site visits. Our prayers go out to many of you in communities that are impacted by flooding. Last week we visited GCDFs in Manchester at the Daniel Boone Community Action Agency. After a morning of training and lunch, we toured the 1000 acre Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park and Mountain Life museum. This is a fabulous destination for youth field trips. So much history of Kentucky, and our nation, can be experienced here. Levi Jackson, for whom the park is named, was the first judge of Laurel County. His descendents donated the land for the state park in 1931. The park has a campground, hiking trails, mill, and Mountian Life Musuem. Many of the artifacts in the museum have been donated by local citizens and the Jackson family. The park is dedicated to the memory of pioneers, whose early struggles made possible the settlement and development of Kentucky and other states to the west by way of Wilderness Road and Boone's Trace. The park is also the location of the noted bloody 1786 Indian massacre of the McNitt party.

Trends to Watch

As GCDFs, it is part of our job to keep up with the latest trends. Last December, career counselors from around the globe linked up to brainstorm best practices, new programs, and trends that are impacting and projected to impact global employment, job search and career management. A white paper from the first ever Career Thought Leaders 2010 Global Career Brainstorming Day: Trends for the Now, the New, & the Next in Careers was recently published outlining their discussions. A few things I found interesting were the general consent that resumes are quickly going by the wayside. Google searches and LinkedIn will be the new tools. Another resource that was mentioned was Wordle.net. Wordle allows you to paste any text into it and then it creates a word cloud based on the words that occur the most frequently. This will prove to be extremely helpful in branding and making sure that our clients have the most effective industry key words in their resumes and LI profiles. Just last week I spoke to a group and one gentleman said is HR department just started using Wordle.

GCDFs, what are your thoughts on these new trends and how they may emerge in your region?

The Facebook Generation

New resources are emerging on how to better manage multigenerational workplace challenges. Father-daughter team Larry and Meagan Johnson recently published Generations, Inc.: From Boomers to Linksters - Managing the Friction Between Generations at Work. They specifically focus on the Facebook generation, also known as the Linksters. These 15-19 year olds have some common traits. They live and breathe technology; are more tolerant of alternative lifestyles; are best friends with their parents; and are very involved in green causes and social activism. The Johnsons go on to share 10 Tips for Managing the Facebook Generation. A few of the highlights include:

- Provide them with job descriptions and very clear directions
- Incentivize task accomplishments
- Treat them as valued coworkers
- Create microcareer paths
- Lead by example

With so many of our GCDF's working with this population, what would you add to the list?

Recent training and site visits took us to Gateway and Northeast Community Action Agencies. After training in West Liberty, we viewed the building sites for the new central office for Mountain Telephone and the new Judicial Center. The Judicial Center will house court rooms, offices and the 911 center. Little Caesar's is another new business in town located in an old discount store. It has been quite popular since it opened. We also toured a few local parks where youth and local citizens walk, picnic, and spend time. West Liberty also has a lovely park with war memorials. Lastly, we visited a Mennonite business. At Northeast, we learned about Tractor Supply and Gibbs Hardware (they have a business in Ashland) both likely to open this summer. Additionally, in Olive Hill a clothing factory is supposed to hiring up to 200 people. Thanks to both sites for your wonderful hospitality! Both locations are excited about Job Clubs coming to their areas.

More Research on Nonverbal Behavior

When it comes to interviewing and the workplace, it's not just what we say but how we say it nonverbally. Yes, nonverbal behavior has a stronger impact than we ever realize. A recent study by Amy Cuddy featured in Harvard Magazine (The Psyche on Automatic) focuses on such behavior and how it impacts perceived competence and power. Highlights of the study reveal: -Nonverbal cues associated with lying, happen below the neck -Appropriate self-disclosure, the use of humor, and natural smiles all signal warmth -Large expansive motions signal power and competence With this knowledge, these are variables that our clients can certainly use in their favor.

Site Visit to Paintsville, KY

There was a full house for today's interview training in Paintsville. So nice to see so many of our GCDFs and their colleagues. This afternoon, we visited the historic Mayo Memorial United Methodist Chuch that was built by local millionaire, John C.C. Mayo in the early 1900's. Mr. Mayo travelled extensively in Europe and wanted to share the beauty of European cathedrals with his community. He brought 100 Italian craftsment to Paintsville for the 5 year project. The church was constructed out of native sandstone that was cut and shaped at Thomas Jefferson Mayo's (John Mayo's father) farm, which was located across Paint Creek. The stones were transported to the church by the same aerial tram which Mayo used to construct his mansion. The roof is made of over 12,000 glazed green tiles that weigh six pounds a piece. Its pipe organ was donated by Andrew Carnegie. The church is also well known for its large stained glass windows, designed by Italian craftsman and imported from Italy. The windows portray the Birth, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Christ. We are fortunate to have a private organ recital with the pastor's wife.

Lexington Tops Manpower's List

According to a recent survey conducted by Manpower employment services firm, the job market is rebounding. The survey of more that 18,000 employers in 100 metropolitan areas found that employers in all 50 states report positive hiring expectations, with 33 of the states reporting strong hiring expectations. In fact, the survey revealed that Lexington, Kentucky had the most optimistic forecast of all the metropolitan areas. According to Bob Quick, CEO of Commerce Lexington, the city has a diverse economy that has helped it weather the recent recession. He goes on to say that healthcare, bioscience, life science and high tech have emerged strongly over the past few years. Many related spin off and research companies have benefitted from their close association with the University of Kentucky. Also, Lexington has a growing reputation for small business start-ups and being the home of many creators and inventors. Notice how this list of industries compares to the BLS growing career fields we have recently discussed in GCDF training?

The Job Interview and a science fair project

Our recent visit to Harlan inspired this blog post found on the Master Career Counselor blog:

http://bit.ly/dRDiKM

Harlan Site Visit

Last week our travels took us to Harlan for a day of training, lunch, and a Q & A session with our GCDF colleagues. We are always amazed at how spring seems to hit the mountains first. The trees were starting to bloom and the flowers were also beginning to show off their lovely colors.

LKLP Site Visit

Spring is slowly but surely arriving in Kentucky and that means site visits. This week we enjoyed spending a day with our GCDFs and their colleagues at LKLP. The morning consisted of a training on how we can help prepare our clients for interviews. After a delicious pot luck luncheon, we headed to Leslie County to learn more about the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing.

As many of you know, the Frontier Graduate School of Midwifery was started in 1939 by the Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) as a part of its demonstration project in the care of the mother and child in rural areas of Kentucky. From the beginning, Founder Mary Breckinridge viewed nurse-midwifery as central to health care. When FNS began using nurse-midwives in the United States in 1925, it was able to secure a qualified staff in only two ways, by sending the American nurses to Great Britain for graduate training or by enlisting British nurses already qualified as midwives. In the early years, the FNS offered scholarships to American nurses to go to Great Britain for training in nurse-midwifery, and recruited British nurse-midwives.

If you have not had a chance, plan a visit to Leslie county and learn more about FNS - a true Kentucky gem. Students still come from around the country for nurse training. The history is fascinating and grounds are absolutely beautiful. A bed and breakfast will be opening soon in Mary Breckinridge's former home.

Pathways to Prosperity Study

Many of our GCDF trainings fall back on the discussion of how our current American educational system is failing our youth and what can be done about it. We also continue to discuss to what extent does education pay? How does vocational school training compare to a traditional four year college education when it comes to getting jobs? Afterall, 86% of the jobs in world of work fall under the Realistic Holland code. Read an exciting new study recently published by Harvard on these very topics - Pathways to Prosperity.

The official site for the Workforce Opportunity Project Goes Live

The official site for the workforce opportunity project is now available online for the full report and details of the research.

Visit it soon: http://www.workforceopportunityproject.com/

What do Employers Want?

In GCDF training, our discussion often flows to employability skills and what are employers really looking for in new hires. Many of our conversations have revolved around employers in Eastern Kentucky and their hiring needs. Watch the EKCEP website for the upcoming WOP results that will certainly have a regional focus.

But what skills are employers seeking in recent college graduates? According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Job Outlook 2011 survey, employers are looking for job candidates with these top five skills and qualities:

Verbal communication skills
Strong work ethic
Teamwork skills
Analytical skills
Initiative

How does this list compare and contrast to what you are hearing local employers request?

Workforce Development is Crucial

Your GCDF credential has NEVER been more important than now.   As the government is likely to cut budgets by severe magnitudes, it is critical for you to maintain your professional competencies and show the tangible benefit you bring to the table.

In the past WIA funding has been branded as a source of training.  Anyone that walked through the doors of a one stop, would likely think something like this:

"My friend Bill got some money from you all and I heard this is the place to get trained."
 Thus, the services provided to the client centered on ITA funds.

This is no more.  The government is seeing to that.

What workforce development must do to survive is a simple equation: do more with less. 

This means a focus on partnerships with other agencies and and not duplicate services.  There also must be a bent on helping everyone become a qualified worker for a quality job regardless of their socio economic status. 

In the future, your office will be the "go to place" for:

The best companies that are hiring

The best place for a resume

The best place for preparing for a job interview

The best place for great service and help.

In the end, what matters most is helping the clients you serve have a better life.

An Amazing Offer From NCDA

We have just received word about the following deal! Do read on.

The National Career Development Association is pleased to offer individuals who have successfully completed a NCDA Career Development Facilitator (CDF) training program, from an NCDA approved training provider, a FREE One-Year Trial Membership to NCDA. This means all of our GCDF gradutes are eligible!

Carla and I have been members of the NCDA for several years, and I have attended their past two conferences. In fact, at last year's conference in San Francisco, there were over 11oo people who attended from 40 countries. The breakout sessions were very informative and I really enjoyed getting to meet the rock stars and rising theorists in our field such as Dick Bolles, Sunny Hansen, and Jim Bright.

CDFs can enjoy the following NCDA benefits:
· Complimentary copy of the latest issue of the NCDA professional journal – Career Development Quarterly.
· Complimentary copy of NCDA’s magazine – Career Developments.
Discounted NCDA member registration to attend the NCDA global career development conference in San Antonio, Texas, June 30 – July 2, 2011.
· Discount NCDA member rate on NCDA published materials.
· Resources – The member’s only section of the website offers a wealth of information to assist career practitioners to provide excellent service to career clients.

NCDA CDF graduates can complete their FREE One-Year Trial Membership by visiting the following link: https://www.tcslabs2.com/cgi-bin/PRIMA/tcsPRIMA2.pl?Action=DisplayRegForm_Step1&EventID=159&RegNo=1&StartNewReg=1&UID=NCDA,130285
You will need to follow the directions and use CDF5000 as the comp/promo code. You must complete your membership by June 1, 2011 in order to take advantage of this unique opportunity. This offer is only valid for those CDF completers living in the United States.

Questions or comments regarding this FREE One-Year Trial Membership may be directed to Mary Ann Powell at mpowell@ncda.org or phone (918) 663-7060.

Resume Section Headers - Not Set In Stone

We are all familiar with the most common resume section headers - Objective, Professional Experience, and Education. However, in our fall GCDF resume training, we shared that resume headers are not set in stone. While this can be very freeing for our clients, it can also keep us on our toes as GCDFs. Which section headers will help your client put their best foot forward and showcase their experience, skills, training, in the most effective manner? What may work for one client, is not necessarily the best way to showcase your next client. One of my favorite section headers that I use with clients is "Community/Civic Involvement". This section header captures ways in which the client may be involved in the community (often in leadership roles). Unfortunately, this excellent information tends to get left off since clients do not think to put it on their resume or they are just not sure where to put it on their tradition resume. I recently stumbled upon a post that will give GCDFs an extra tool to help expand that list of header options for our clients. Take the time this week to review 111 Smart Resume Section Headings and Titles. Which new headers and titles will you be sharing with your clients?

Non-Desk Jobs

"I don't want to sit at a desk all day."

"I think I would die if I had a job where I was confined to a cubicle all day."

"I need a job that let's me be out and about."

Sometimes clients only have the above criteria for their next job. Wouldn't it be nice if a list of non-desk jobs existed...well now it does. Use the link to 55 Non-Desk Jobs to help your clients brainstorm their next position. What would you and your client add to this list?

January Self Discovery

Are you getting cabin fever? January is a great month to sit by the fire with a warm cup of coffee and take time to reflect upon and plan your career. Once the weather gets warmer and summer employment programs kick in, we all know the days go by all too quickly. Grab a notebook and answer the following questions. Enjoy the process.


1. What did I do really well last year in my job? (Hopefully this is on your resume and your supervisors are also aware of it.)



2. In reviewing the above responses, how could I (should I) continue to excel in those areas?



3. In what areas of my life should I give myself some slack? When working under unreasonable demands, I used to say to myself "All is well that ends well" then one day a colleague said stop being so hard on yourself, sometimes "All is well that just ends".


4. Are there things I need to stop doing (i.e. overcommitting, self-destructive habits, negative thoughts)?


5. In reviewing the past year, list a 10 things (i.e. who and what) for which I am most grateful? List why.


6. Are there people with whom I need to reconnect? Make plans to do so.

Future training dates and CEU training site visits

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!!!!!!!!
The following is our most up to date listing of training times offered to GCDF professionals for CEU hours.

February 11-12 will be the CEU 9 hour training for the class of 2007.
March 4-5 will be the CEU 9 hour training for the class of 2008.
March 18-19 will be the CEU 9 hour training for the class of 2006.
April 8-9 will be the CEU 9 hour training for the class of 2009.

These are the upcoming site visits that are confirmed. A two hour CEU class on interviewing skills and updates will be presented. If you are a GCDF that doesn't work at these sites, but want to participate you are welcome to attend. Please let me know. All training times are 10:00am until noon.

March 8 at LKLP
March 15 at Harlan CAA
March 17 at Gateway
March 29 at Big Sandy
April 5 at MK CAP
April 12 at Bell Whitley
April 14 at NK CAA
April 28 at Daniel Boone
May 4 at KCEOC

Master Career Counselor: Preview "Me, Myself and I: The Independent Contractor"

Master Career Counselor: Preview "Me, Myself and I: The Independent Contractor"

New Year's Resolutions

Each January 1st rather than resolving to lose 5 pounds or exercise more, I begin the new year by reading two professional development related books. My selections are books that transcend specific industries and are more generic in their advice or findings. Some of my previous year's selections have included: Good to Great, Human Sigma, Never Eat Alone, and Drive. As another year kicks off, what will you do to challenge yourself personally and professionally? Perhaps you will take the time this week to update your LinkedIn profile and photo or schedule a coffee meeting with a business owner or community leader that you have been wanting to get to know better. Another idea would be to find two new blogs to follow this year or coordinate a periodic best practices/resource sharing meeting with colleagues or like-minded people in your community. Whatever your goals we extend to you a wish you a very happy, healthy and professionally rewarding new year!