CareerSource Magazine Issue #210

CareerSourCe • JaNuarY 13, 2009 1WWW.CareerSourCeMaGaZINe.CoM

2 JaNuarY 13, 2009 • CareerSourCe WWW.CareerSourCeMaGaZINe.CoM



EMPLOYMENT


EMPLOYMENT

PublishersDon Ditlevsen • Gregg Kirksey

GraphIC DeSIGN/proDuCtIoNItay Kapitulnik

CoNtrIbutING WrIterSDeborah Brown-Volkman, Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.

aDvertISING SaleSDwight Follien • Dan Mendoza

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FEATURECareerSmartYour Home-Based Career: A Key Resource Guide ..................... 6

TAbLE OF Issue #210

WWW.CAREERSOURCEMAGAZINE.COMto advertise Call (831) 430-0839

EDITORIALSNew Year’s Resolutions That Work!Start 2009 off with a plan .................................................... 8

Your New Year’s Resume Checkup Start the new year with renewed job-search enthusiasm ........... 12

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!!


EMPLOYMENT

full-time, or do you feel you can succeed with a lesser time commitment? One good way to get a taste of what it’s like is to talk to those who’ve done it. Seek out people with home-based careers and interview them. Many sites devoted to home-based careers have message boards or online discussion forums where you can get a feel for what you might be getting yourself into.

Kids. Because the driving force for so many would be home-workers is the desire to be with kids, your offspring are a major consideration. If your children are very young, they likely need an enormous amount of caregiver attention. Will you be able to provide that and work at the same time? If not, do you have someone who can help? Luckily, since parents are such a major force in the work-at-home movement, there are many Web sites devoted to working at home while parenting.

Costs. One of the great attractions of working at home is that -- depending on the at-home career you pursue -- it can be relatively inexpensive. In fact, writer Rob Spiegel reports that the low cost of starting a business at home compared to launching one outside the home contributes to a slightly greater success rate for home-based businesses (though, sadly, the failure rate is still 45-48 percent after five years). You can also virtually eliminate many of the costs associated with working outside the home -- commuting, childcare (maybe), that dress-for-success wardrobe, restaurant lunches. On the other hand, you will likely incur a whole new set of costs -- health insurance if you’re self-employed, marketing costs, equipment, and self-employment taxes. Be sure you thoroughly research and prepare yourself for all the costs that might be involved before you take the plunge.

Workspace. Do you have a place in your home that is or could be set up as a conducive workspace? Think about the environment you need to do the kind of work you want to do. If you want to start a home business making and selling crafts, for example, you’ll likely need a fair amount of space. Or you may do work that requires quiet so you can concentrate. You may also need to invest in equipment. Writing in The Wall Street Journal, Tara Parker Pope and Kyle Pope noted that “Successful home-based workers invest in recreating the office in their home. They are set up with second or third phone lines, fax machines, computers, printers, and comfortable office chairs. They close themselves off in a separate space [and] forbid interruptions.” Scrutinize your home to see where you might be able to carve out appropriate space.

One of the questions we get most often from readers and visitors is “How can I find a legitimate work-at-home opportunity?” Folks ask this question for a number of reasons -- parents want to be home to see their kids grow up, workers want more flexibility, or people are just tired of working for someone else.

Those who yearn to work at home may be part of a coming boom in work-at-home opportunities, if the prognostications of writer Rob Spiegel are correct. Writing on the ‘Business Know-How Website’, Spiegel says “the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks sparked new interest in working at home, both because people shudder at the idea of working in tall buildings and because many seek to be closer to their families.” A faltering stock market and disgust with corporate greed and unethical CEOs may also be driving workers to seek at-home careers.

Whatever the reasons, would-be home-workers are fortunate to live in the Internet age, in which exists a plethora of wonderful resources for working at home. In this article, we present food for thought that should be taken into consideration for anyone who wants to work at home and direct you to some of the best resources on the Web to help you fulfill your goal.

First, let’s look at three types of home-based careers:

The Home-Based Business.If you start a business in your home, you are self-employed and selling a product or service out of your home. It might be your own product/service, or you might be selling for someone else (selling Avon products is a good example).

Telecommuting (sometimes called teleworking).As a telecommuter, you are generally employed by someone else, but you conduct the majority of your assigned work from your home. You usually have the advantage of company benefits, such as health insurance.

Freelancing/Consulting.Freelancers and independent consultants often are self-employed, but they may also be contracted to work for employers, at least for the short term (though usually without company benefits). A freelancer or consultant is closely akin to a home-based business owner, but the product or service sold is generally information or expertise, such as your ability to write, offer business advice, or counsel a business on how to set up a computer network. Freelancers and consultants may not work exclusively from home; in fact, some may spend the bulk of their time in the client’s workplace.

Considerations for every prospective home-based worker:

personality. Do you have the right temperament to work at home? Do you have the discipline? Will you be able to tolerate what can often be a very solitary and lonely workstyle, or will you miss the social stimulation of co-workers too much? Will you be assertive enough to be able to sell your product or service (or sell yourself if you seek a telecommuting job)? Are you self-motivated, or do you need someone to tell you what to do?

expectations. Are they realistic? What do expect your day-to-day work life to be like if you work at home? Are you expecting work to be more demanding or less demanding than working in an office or other workplace setting? Do you expect to make a lot of money? Do you expect to work

CAREERSMART

Your Home-based Career:A KEY RESOURCE GUIDEBy Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.

(continued on page 10)


EMPLOYMENT


EMPLOYMENTEDITORIAL

don’t have to take blood pressure medication. It also checks the appropriateness of the goal. Will doing this really give me that? I will eat better so that my partner will get off my case. What is your underlying rationale, and is it the ultimate one? I want to get a new job so that I can make more money? And then so what? I want to make more money so that I can feel good about myself. If you honestly identify the “so what” you can create goals that accomplish your actual purpose.

Realistic and MeasurableIt’s a whole lot more inspiring to achieve a goal and set a new one then to fail again because you’ve set the bar too high. Don’t say you’ll get to the gym every day if you know that’s next to impossible. Start smaller -- I’ll get to the gym three times a week for a month. I’ll walk in the door and get a locker. Every day for a month I’ll set aside time to do my daily journaling and I’ll reward myself if I do five days out of seven. Then keep track. Count them. Put a gold star on your calendar. Make a grid and put check marks. At the end of the time period stop and evaluate? If you’ve set realistic goals and measured them you’ll have a sense of accomplishment and valuable information about how to maintain your success or make any necessary adjustments to your plan.

Don’t just put another paving stone on that road to hell. Turn those good intentions into accomplishments in the new year. On behalf of your downstream self we thank you.

What usually happens to your resolve in the New Year?

Does it disappear before the p ine need les a re even vacuumed? Do you

spend more energy o n e x c u s e s t h a n on execut ion? Can you even remember

your intent ion by Valentine’s day?

Tr y s o m e t h i n g d i f f e r e n t t h i s

y e a r . Ta k e some t ime t o t h i n k through your

p lan be fore j u m p i n g i n t o

action. Here are some guidelines that can help.

Downstream SelfImagine a vital, successful, and grateful you five years in the future looking back and beaming with pride at your foresight. What are you grateful for? What seeds that you planted are now flourishing? What are you looking forward to in 2009? What are you glad you started in 2008?

Year in ReviewWhere have you been over the past year? Look at all aspects of your life-- work, recreation, friends and family, your environment. What made you happy? What successes can you build on? What were the qualities that made them successful?

BrainstormNow make a list of all the goals you can think of. Remember the rules of brainstorming -- all ideas count, repetition is okay, no judgment, repetition is okay, keep going when you come to a lull. You can prime the pump with the old standbys -- eat better, get more exercise, floss regularly, then add some wild ones -- try skydiving, learn to tap dance. Go for at least 26.

Who CaresTake a look at the list and ask yourself which ones matter and to whom. Is it something you really care about or is there a big should attached to it? Whose voice is telling you it’s important?

So WhatNow take only the goals you care about and structure them with a “so that” phrase -- I will __________ so that __________. This is a critical step. It’s the rationale that gives you motivation. I will eat better so that I have more energy. I will eat better so that I

New Year’s Resolutions

By Liz Sumner, M.A., Life Coach

Liz Sumner is a Whole Life Coach who works with people who choose to live a vital and fulfilling life and don’t want to waste a minute of it. They are building in time for coaching as an investment in their ongoing self-care.

THAT WORK


CAREER TRAINING


CAREER TRAINING

Support. If you share your home with others, will they be supportive of your work-at-home venture? Will your kids know not to disturb you when you’re working? Will your significant other take you seriously? External support is also important. How will you handle the nitty-gritty support you might need for business aspects that may not be your forte -- such as accounting, legal advice, and your computer infrastructure? Seek out local support or networking groups where you can obtain support and inspiration from other home-workers. Again, the Internet can be a great source for role models, success stories, and support.

Considerations for prospective home-business owners:

finding good opportunities and avoiding scams. Here’s where the Internet is both a curse and a blessing. You’re probably already well aware that there is no lack of work-at-home “opportunities” being touted on the Internet because, if you’re like most of us, you get dozens of e-mails a day pushing get-rich-quick schemes and too-good-to-be-true work-at-home offers. The question is, which opportunities are legitimate. While there could be legitimate opportunities among those e-mails, the best bet is to ignore anyone who spams you. Same goes for those opportunities you see posted on little signs stuck in the ground along the road or plastered onto telephone poles. You can find lots of good opportunities on the Internet, but you can also find lots of scams.

Identifying ideas that lend themselves to home businesses. If you don’t find an already established opportunity in which to participate, consider starting your own business. The first place to look, of course, is your own passions and interests. Then check out books and Websites that offer lists of home-business ideas to see if others have been successful doing what you’d like to do.

Considerations for prospective home-business owners and freelancers/consultants:

Marketing yourself. No matter what product or service you sell, you can’t just sit back and wait for customers/clients to come to you. You will have to do some marketing to make prospective buyers aware of what you have to offer. Again, the Internet can be a great tool because a Web site is a relatively inexpensive way to sell yourself. Some businesses, though, require a lot more face time and a harder sell, so be sure you have the personality to promote your business vigorously.

Pricing. How much will you charge for your product or service? A good starting point is to research businesses, freelancers, or consultants who will be your competition if you decide to make a go of it. You’ll likely find a range of prices, and you can choose whether to place your pricing structure near the high end, the low end, or right in the middle, depending on such factors as your needs, costs, credentials, and marketability.

Consideration for prospective telecommuters:

finding jobs where you can telecommute. The good news is that, according to a recent survey, businesses are more open to telecommuting than in the past. If you’re currently employed, it can’t hurt to draw up a proposal for your boss pointing out how telecommuting could be mutually beneficial for you and the company.

Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., creative director and associate publisher of Quintessential Careers, is an educator, author, and blogger who provides content for Quintessential Careers, edits QuintZine, an electronic newsletter for jobseekers, and blogs about storytelling in the job search at A Storied Career. Katharine, who earned her PhD in organizational behavior from Union Institute & University, Cincinnati, OH, is author of Dynamic Cover Letters for New Graduates and A Foot in the Door: Networking Your Way into the Hidden Job Market (both published by Ten Speed Press), as well as Top Notch Executive Resumes (Career Press); and with Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., Dynamic Cover Letters, Write Your Way to a Higher GPA (Ten Speed), and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Study Skills (Alpha).

(CareerSmart continued from page 6)


CAREER TRAINING


As you grow professionally, you’ll need a resume that reflects your level of professionalism. The more sophisticated formats allow you to showcase your best accomplishments based on the strategic selling points of your career.

Does your resume feature accomplishments from top to bottom?The best way to capture employers’ attention and create a strong first impression is with measurable accomplishments. Accomplishments are most significant when they demonstrate your contribution to an employer’s bottom line. If your resume focuses more on what you did than on how well you did it, it’s time to rewrite those “features” into “benefits.”

Was your last job search prior to 2001?That may seem like an odd question, but if this is your first entrance into the job market since before 2001, you’re in for a shock. The job market of the late 1990s was fantastically in favor of job-seekers; resumes were less important in attracting employer attention. Today’s job market, however, is fiercely competitive, and a polished, professional resume is critical to winning an employer’s notice. If your last job search was a walk in the park, look objectively at your resume. Does it have what it takes to compete against an avalanche of candidate responses or will it likely get lost at the bottom of the resume pile?

Most important -- are you getting responses from your resume?Here’s the real proof. Your resume has only one job: to get you interviews. If that isn’t happening, don’t just blame the job market; improve your message. Think of your job search as a professional marketing campaign in a saturated market. The tougher the competition, the more vitally important it is to have a resume with a strong marketing message that sets you above the crowd.

Like millions of people coast to coast, you may have resolved to start the new year with renewed job-search enthusiasm. If it has been a while since you brushed up your old resume, you’ll want to begin your job search with a New Year’s resume check up.

these five questions will help you focus your resume for even better results in the new year.

Has your career objective changed since your last job search?More specifically, are you attempting to change your industry or profession? If so, your resume requires a new marketing message based on your transferable skills. This approach will help potential employers see you outside of the context of your current industry or profession.

Remember, a resume is more than just an historical document; it is the print ad of your job-search campaign. For peak effectiveness, your resume should be based on the buying motives of your new target audience. Communicating your transferable skills is an excellent way to tap into employer buying motives.

Does your current resume reflect your professional growth -- or are still using the same resume format that got you your first job out of college?

Your New Year’s

RESUMECHECKUPBy Deborah Walker

EDITORIAL

Deborah Walker is a Certified Career Management Coach. Her expertise includes resume writing and career coaching. She holds membership in the National Resume Writer’s Association. As a former headhunter, her advice comes from an insider’s prospective based on years working with HR professionals and corporate hiring managers.


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CAREER TRAINING


CAREER TRAINING


CAREER TRAINING


CAREER TRAINING


CAREER TRAINING



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CareerSource Magazine Issue #210