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It’s tough out there in the job market, and it”s critical to be prepared with the right tools. Of course, you need an up-to-date resume and some interview attire, but that”s not all. Here are ten things that every job seeker must have:

1. A grown-up, non-free email account. Nothing at hotmail or msn, and nothing with “sailinggirl” or “babytoasty” in it.
2. A voicemail system that you listen to regularly, with a message that”s not too silly.
3. A job search business card – even if you are already employed and you have a company business card. Go to http://www.vistaprint.com and get the free business cards there (you have to pay for shipping) with your name, email address, phone number, and three bullet points on them. The bullet points should highlight the three most compelling points about you – for instance Marketing Research Professional; Agency and In-House Experience; and Fanatical About ROI.
4. Membership in the online network WorldWIT (it”s free: sign up at http://www.worldwit.org) – just join whichever chapter is closest to you.
5. Membership in LinkedIn (it”s also free: http://www.linkedin.com) and connections to as many former colleagues, friends and business contacts as you can manage.
6. A brisk, pithy resume of ONE PAGE in three formats: plain text (for inclusion in email messages), MS Word, and hardcopy.
7. A crisp, on-the-spot elevator speech about your background and your ideal next job. Practice in front of the mirror. When you”re asked, for instance at a networking event, to talk about yourself, you don”t want to stumble.
8. One killer outfit for the Very Special Interview, and one slightly less killer (meaning expensive) outfit for every other interview.
9. A headhunter in your pocket – just to advise you, whether you”re headhunter material or not.
10. computer with internet connection. If you don”t have one, get familiar with your local Kinko”s!

With the Job-Seeker”s Toolkit assembled, you”re ready to hit the ground running. One other item that might come in handy is a sense of humor: you”re sure to see some very strange and amusing things once you hit the circuit. Keep your chin up! There”s learning in all of it.

Liz Ryan is a former Fortune 500 HR leader, a workplace expert and the founder of the global online network WorldWIT (http://www.worldwit.org). She writes the workplace column for Business Week online, her own Business Mom and Job Jungle blogs at [http://www.worldwit.org/blogs.aspx], and speaks internationally on women in the workplace, work and life, and the post-millennial corporate lifestyle. Liz lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband and five children.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Liz_Ryan

An effective team needs diversity in its membership, a combination of work and personality styles. The following four team player styles are not intended to be absolutes but rather preferences that people have towards how they work with others. Each style has a brief description of its strengths and weaknesses.

1. The Doer is very task-oriented and action-focused. Give him a job and he”s happy. The Doer is good at research, reliable, meets deadlines, and produces good quality work. He operates by priorities and pushes the team towards higher performance. He can be effective at teaching technical skills.

The ”Doer” dislikes uncertainty and ambiguity; is impatient; wants results immediately; can be too focused on data; is impulsive; strives for perfection; and tends to avoid risk. If the Doer is the leader, he must be must be especially careful of these weaknesses. One major problem can be a lack of trust in the team”s members. Moreover, he must be aware of others” feelings and work at interpersonal and communication skills.\

2. The ”Visionary” sees the big picture and likes ideas and concepts. She lets the team”s vision and mission be the driver. She doesn’t like getting bogged down in details, leaving these to the Doer. She believes strongly in teamwork and is good at helping others understand where they fit in to the larger picture.

The Visionary is a creative thinker and stimulates others in thinking about the future. She takes a cooperative and flexible approach to working with others. However, she must pay attention to her weaknesses. She has a tendency to ignore work in favour of conceptualizing and dreaming about the future. She can get hung up on process instead of results. And she may over-commit the team to setting too many objectives.

If she is the leader, the Visionary has a lot to offer the team, especially in the area of long-term strategic thinking. But she must be aware of her weaknesses.

3. The ”Feeler” is a very strong context person, making sure that everyone is on board before proceeding with a task or project. He”s very aware of how others feel and is an excellent listener and facilitator. He”s skilled at resolving conflicts and won”t let stronger members dominate team discussions.

The Feeler must be careful not to push the soft stuff too hard (i.e., listening and feedback skills) if the team gets bogged down. He believes that interpersonal skills will solve all problems. And he can become a process fanatic, driving the others to distraction.

If he is the leader, the Feeler creates a participative atmosphere. But his people approach can be over- bearing and he must not lose sight that disputes are normal and healthy for teams.

4. The ”Boat Rocker” is open and direct with the other members of the team. She regularly challenges the team on such issues as methods used, goals, and team values. She won”t hesitate to disagree with the team”s leader or with management. She likes to take calculated risks. However, the Boat Rocker must be careful not to use her style for non-productive use. It”s necessary at times to let an issue drop. Moreover, she shouldn’t push the team to take unnecessary risks.

As the team”s leader, she”s good at promoting an atmosphere of trust and openness; innovation; and continuous learning. However, she needs to watch out for being too argumentative.

The Challenge

Each of us has a personality preference to how we approach work, establish relationships with co-workers, and engage in collaborative learning. In the context of team players, the challenge is for each of us to understand our preferred style and to use it effectively. This means being constantly aware of the shadow (weak) aspects of our preferred style. Moreover, we must strive for balance by using all four styles in the appropriate settings.

James Taggart has been a student of leadership for over 15 years, and devoted over a decade to applied work in leadership development, organizational learning, and team building. As a thought leader, he has initiated and led several change management projects. He has also worked as an economist for many years, conducting applied research into labour market issues; carrying out policy research in the areas of science, technology and innovation; and initiating projects focused on industrial competitiveness.

In addition to bachelor and master degrees in economics from the University of New Brunswick, Jim holds an executive master degree from Royal Roads University in Victoria, Canada. His master”s thesis was on the topic of shared leadership.

Jim invites you to visit his leadership website: http://www.leadershipworldconnect.com/

He also writes a leadership blog: http://changingwinds.wordpress.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Taggart

What does the hiring manager look for when they scan a resume? I have been in hiring positions for close to 30 years. I have hired entry level, technical, administrative, operational and executive positions in large and small companies. The industries cover manufacturing, service and consumer industries. I have seen thousands of resumes.

The situation typically looks like this; there are specific objectives to achieve for the company. Now picture this: as the hiring manager there is a vacancy and I need someone to take on that position. It may impact the objectives so the need is urgent. Human Resources place an ad or I contact a recruiter. Either way I typically end up with resumes. Regardless of whether they have been pared down or whether I see them all, there are key points that will make one stand out over another and compel me to look closer.

Key #1
Is it readable? Is it filled with fluff that is unimportant? Did the applicant waste my time and take up space making it more of a chore with an employment or career objective? There may be a reason why I should look closely at their resume; but it rarely matches the job for which they have applied. If the information is applicable to the position, I am more compelled to look at it closely.

I am looking for useful information that may tell me the person is qualified for the position. It should compel me to want to talk to them. Facts tell me that, especially if they are clear, concise and pertain to the position.

Key #2
Is every position with every company listed with the month and year they started and completed or left the company? If I am suspicious of a gap then I automatically wonder what else they may not be forthright about. On the other hand, if I see a gap, I can easily ask about it and move forward. I do not care how many pages it takes if it gives me a more complete picture of the person”s career.

Key#3
What accomplishments have they had in each position over their career? Are they quantifiable? Did they impact directly or indirectly the bottom line of the company? Remember, I have objectives to achieve and I may see this person as a team member that will help that achievement. Even if not quantifiable, did they have a role in the success of the company or department?

The person that has supplied the right type and kind of information will get my attention every time. As a hiring manager, I am not looking for fluff but information that will give me hope that the resume”s owner can make an impact. If I see the potential, I will interview them.

About Us
Kevin Sutton invites you to read more articles about careers, career information and learn about our training webinars for gaining the complete, essential skills for a successful job search. Learn more at http://careertrackexperts.com. Visit our blog at http://www.careertalkguys.blogspot.com and feel free to comment on our postings and take part in various polls.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_R_Sutton