Andy Robinson’s Career Success! Career Tip of the Day

"Helping people love what they do for a living and achieve lasting career success" 
Contributors



September 3, 2009

Empower Your Career Success with a Sense of Urgency and Bias for Action. Get it Done!

With the pace of change we're currently experiencing, it's more important than ever to embrace a personal philosophy of commitment to a strong sense of urgency and a bias for action. 

Waiting, deferring and indecisiveness will likely put you at a competitive disadvantage in today's super-competitive marketplace -- you're very likely to be passed by those who act and move forward with a heightened sense of urgency.

Think carefully about where where you want to go and how you'd like to get there.  Formulate a plan, and then begin taking action toward that plan immediately.  Encourage your team-mates to do the same.  A sense of urgency applied across an organization can have a transformational impact on your Company.

Commit to day-to-day action and progress toward your plan.  Ask your self daily -- "What ACTION did I take TODAY to advance in the direction of my plan and move toward accomplishing my goals and objectives?"

Are there any important things that you're putting off doing or not generating momentum on?
_______________
Andy Robinson
Career Success Coach
CRG Leadership Institute LLC
239-285-5575
Andy.Robinson@CRGLeaders.com
www.StrategicThinkingPartner.com
www.AndyRobinsonCareerTips.com
www.AndyRobinsonCoach.com

My Passion: "Helping people love what they do for a living and achieve lasting career success!"

LET'S CONNECT:
www.AndyOnLinkedIn.com
www.AndyOnTwitter.com

Loading mentions Retweet
Posted by Andy & Carrie Robinson 

Comments [1]

September 1, 2009

Tap the "Hidden" Power of the Small Business Job Market - Here's How

Did you know that Intel was a small start-up that exploded on the chip scene (no, not potato chips) during one of the nastiest recessions in the 1980s? Intel was actually founded in the late sixties, but if you take a look at their Wiki history, you’ll see that they became “one of the largest and most successful businesses in the world.”  The company was founded by two ex-Fairchild employees who put their heads together and developed a chip that pretty much runs just about every PC in the world–well, not all, but you get the picture.

So why am I talking about Intel? Because in this economy, it’s the small business owners and entrepreneurs that will create the next Intel. These are the companies that will wind up employing hundreds or thousands of people around the world.

Consider: One of these small, dynamic businesses may become your next employer.

So, you ask, how does one find a small business? OK, let’s go to the white board!

If you Google “small business”, you’ll get an eye-popping 116,000,000 search results. Way too much information, right? However, if you drill down at the Small Business Association, you’ll eventually find your way to their Dynamic Small Business Search.  (Note - this site can take a while to load. It may also take a few tries before it loads, so be patient!)

So what will this site give you??  LOTS of information, that’s what. Let’s say you’re looking for a small business in New York City in the 212 area code. Hit the search button, and this is what you get: 1,478 small businesses–in just one area code.

So, from this search result, let’s pick a company at random: Derive Technologies LLC. Have you ever heard of them? Neither have I. But go to their website and you’ll see seven openings!

But here’s the kicker: run a search on Careerbuilder for this company and you get this response: Sorry, no results were found based on your search request. Oh Careerbuilder, you are such a disappointment!

So what does this exercise tell you? Find that small business that really needs to hire you!!

 

This posting courtesy of: http://undergroundjobnetwork.com/
Read the full posting here: Finding Hidden Jobs at Small Businesses
_______________
Andy Robinson
Executive Coach, Strategic Thinking Partner
CRG Leadership Institute LLC
239-285-5575
Andy.Robinson@CRGLeaders.com
www.StrategicThinkingPartner.com

My Passion: "Helping people love what they do for a living and achieve lasting career success!"

LET'S CONNECT:
www.AndyOnLinkedIn.com
www.AndyOnTwitter.com

Loading mentions Retweet
Posted by Andy & Carrie Robinson 

Comments [1]

August 26, 2009

Self Improvement is a Daily Journey - What Have You Done TODAY to Improve?

Look for opportunities to improve yourself, step-by-step, EVERY DAY.

  • "Watch" your thoughts, feelings and actions and guide them in sync with your beliefs and values.
  • At the end of each day, reflect back and ask yourself: "What have I done to improve myself today?"
  • At the beginning of each day, sit quietly and ask yourself: "What can I do TODAY to advance in the direction of my personal vision of who I am and what I want to be?
  • Throughout every day look for opportunities to improve yourself: physically, intellectually, mentally, morally and spiritually.  Small improvements, accumulated over a lifetime, are transformational.
  • View difficulties and challenges as opportunities to improve yourself in some way.  Make necessary adjustments and step up to the next level of success.

Anyone who continues to change for the better and improve upon himself or herself, develops and sustains personal excellence, and ultimately, attracts unbelievable success.

What have YOU done to improve yourself today?
_______________
Andy Robinson
Executive Coach, Strategic Thinking Partner
CRG Leadership Institute LLC
239-285-5575
Andy.Robinson@CRGLeaders.com
www.StrategicThinkingPartner.com
www.AndyRobinsonCareerTips.com
www.AndyRobinsonCoach.com

My Passion: "Helping people love what they do for a living and achieve lasting career success!"

LET'S CONNECT:
www.AndyOnLinkedIn.com
www.AndyOnTwitter.com

Loading mentions Retweet
Posted by Andy & Carrie Robinson 

Comments [0]

August 24, 2009

Encourage "Repeat Performances!" - Openly Recognize Your Colleagues

The next time you observe a teammate, colleague or employee giving recognition to someone else .... take the opportunity to say something positive to that teammate to recognize THEIR recognition of the other individual.

The more people in your organization who make it a habit to recognize others, the greater the transformational impact on the organization.

Encourage recognition .... and be the role model for giving it and recognizing others for giving it.

Recognition is contagious!  People hunger for appreciation and recognition by others.
_______________
Andy Robinson
Executive Coach, Strategic Thinking Partner
CRG Leadership Institute LLC
239-285-5575
Andy.Robinson@CRGLeaders.com
www.StrategicThinkingPartner.com
www.AndyRobinsonCareerTips.com

My Passion: "Helping people love what they do for a living and achieve lasting career success!"

LET'S CONNECT:
www.AndyOnLinkedIn.com
www.AndyOnTwitter.com

Loading mentions Retweet
Posted by Andy & Carrie Robinson 

Comments [0]

August 19, 2009

How to Give Yourself 15 Extra Hours EVERY Month for Personal Transformation

What would you do if you were "given" 15 extra hours each month?  We're talking about more than four weeks of extra PERSONAL time each year!  What would be the highest and best use of that time?

Consider the following as your "Time" gift:  Set your alarm for 30 minutes earlier beginning TOMORROW morning and for every morning going forward. 

This extra 30 minutes a day could literally TRANSFORM your life - your work-life, your personal life, and your family life.  This is truly a powerful gift - you are both the giver and the receiver of the gift.  The value you receive from the gift, however, absolutely dwarfs the cost of the gift (30 minutes less sleep).  You can even adjust the cost of the gift by going to bed a little earlier each night.  You may even find that you sleep better as you experience the transformative impact of the gift on your life.  You can literally drive the "cost" of the gift down to zero if you take full advantage of it.

The KEY to life transformation and to experiencing the full potential value of the gift is to absolutely avoid any tendency or temptation to simply "squander" this gift of time.   You're better off sleeping the extra 30 minutes if you don't plan to fully utilize this valuable asset.

Ideas for Spending Your Gift:

  • Develop a "journaling" habit.

Journaling is an excellent habit to develop and serves as a way to clear the clutter from your mind.  Journaling is a trait and habit adopted by many highly accomplished executives and well-know leaders.

  • Meditate or sit quietly.

Meditation has been recognized for thousands of years for its positive physical, emotional, mental and spiritual impact.  Some call it meditation, others call it prayer, or perhaps it's simply "quiet time".  Call it what you like, the end result is truly transformative.

  • Read something fulfilling or inspiring.

15 hours of reading per month easily equates to two to three books per month.  This is in addition to any other reading you may already be doing.  Reading is an outstanding personal and professional development medium.  Focus your morning reading time on books that motivate, inspire or uplift your emotions.

  • Plan your day.

Arrive at work with the feeling of control and peace of mind.  The habit of daily planning is the number one most effective way of facilitating goal development and achievement.  Simply carving out 15 minutes each day for planning will have a sustaining effect on your performance and achievement capability.

_______________
Andy Robinson
Executive Coach, Strategic Thinking Partner
CRG Leadership Institute LLC
239-285-5575
Andy.Robinson@CRGLeaders.com
www.StrategicThinkingPartner.com
www.AndyRobinsonCareerTips.com
www.AndyRobinsonCoach.com

My Passion: "Helping people love what they do for a living and achieve lasting career success!"

LET'S CONNECT:
www.AndyOnLinkedIn.com
www.AndyOnTwitter.com

Loading mentions Retweet
Posted by Andy & Carrie Robinson 

Comments [1]

August 10, 2009

Problems Are Nothing But Opportunities in Disguise -- A Chance to Learn and Grow

In his book, "Charging the Human Battery," Mac Anderson noted that someone once asked Norman Vincent Peale, "Don't you think life would be better if we had fewer problems?"  Peale said, "I'll be happy to take you to Woodlawn Cemetery, because the only people I know who don't have any problems are dead."  The point is we can't avoid problems, so we might as well expect them and embrace them as opportunities to learn and grow.

Problems are nothing but opportunities in disguise.  Always ask yourself, "What is the learning opportunity here?"  "What changes do I need to put into place?"  "How has working through this problem made me stronger?" -- as a colleague, as a leader, as a manager, as a parent, as a friend, etc.

Consider right now the things in your life that you currently refer to as "problems."  Write them down .... then challenge yourself to note the learning or growth opportunity with respect to each problem.  In what way will dealing this this particular problem make you a better person -- how will I ultimately benefit?  Allow those "benefits" to bring renewed energy to creatively solving the problem.  Be grateful for the learning opportunity and move on.

Going forward, replace the negative energy that you formerly associated with problems with positive energy.  This simple paradigm shift is transformational to your growth, to your personal development and to your peace of mind.

All the best to your career success!

_______________
Andy Robinson
Career Success Coach
CRG Leadership Institute LLC
239-285-5575
Andy.Robinson@CRGLeaders.com
www.AndyRobinsonCoach.com

My Passion: "Helping people love what they do for a living and achieve lasting career success!"

Loading mentions Retweet
Posted by Andy & Carrie Robinson 

Comments [0]

August 9, 2009

Job Interviewing Tips and Techniques for Executive-Level Candidates -- Make a WOW Impression!

Mastering the interview process is the key to securing that "dream job" or "perfect fit" executive level job that you're seeking.  It's tough enough to get INTO the interview process in today's current job market, but once you're "in play," you've got THOROUGHLY PREPARE and BE READY for every interview step along the way -- phone interviews, one-on-one interviews with the leadership team, group or panel-style interviews, etc.


The THREE keys to effective interviewing are PREPARATION, PRACTICE and PRESENTATION:

PREPARATION.  Prepare In Advance of EVERY Interview -- You simply CANNOT over-prepare for an interview.  Those who prepare and take the time to do ALL of their homework, put themselves at a major competitive advantage.  Consider ALL of the following steps in preparation for an upcoming interview:

  • Know the Format.  Confirm ahead of time the format of the interview.  Will it be a phone interview, face-to-face interview, group interview, panel interview, lunch interview, dinner interview, etc?  You NEVER want to be surprised by the format -- it can definitely throw you off and affect your level of confidence.
  • Know the "Players."  Find out as much as you can about all of those individuals with whom you will be interviewing.
    • Ask for their names in advance.  If you're working with an executive recruiter, ask him or her to provide you with that information.
    • Do a "Google" search on all of the individuals.
    • Do a LinkedIn search on all of the individuals.
    • Look for things in common with your background -- former employers, college and university alumni, professional organizations, outside interests, etc. Draw up a list of possible talking points.
  • Know the Position.  Make sure you thoroughly understand the roles and responsibilities of the position for which you will be interviewing.  Ask for a job description, find out why the position is open, thoroughly research similar positions on the internet (job boards are a great resource for this exercise).  Confirm your understanding of the position with your key contact at the company.  Make NO PRESUMPTIONS about the position.
  • Research the Company.  Thoroughly research the company.  Talk to those in your network that know the company.  Research the company on the internet.  If a public company, review publicly available financial statement information.
    • What are the key issues currently facing the Company?
    • Why is the position you are interviewing for available?  Is it a new position?  If so, why?  Is it a replacement position?  If so, what happened to the former executive employee?
    • What are the company's key strengths?  What is their market share for key products/services?
    • What is going on with the company's key competitors?
    • What late-breaking news is available on the company?
    • Set up a "Google Alert" for the weeks/days leading up to your interview to keep current on late-breaking news.
  • Draw Up Insightful Questions.  Make a list of GREAT questions that you can ask.  Formulate separate sets of questions for each of the individuals you'll be interviewing.  Orient your questioning to each person's background, role and responsibility at the company.  Great questions = Great candidates.
  • Draw Up a List of Questions That Will Likely Be Asked of You.  Put together a comprehensive list of some of the key questions that you will likely be asked.
    • What are the most difficult questions that you could be asked?
    • Consider things such as:
      • Gaps in your work experience
      • Short-tenure job positions (particularly those where you were employed less than one year
      • Lack of experience in one or more of the key requirements of the job position for which you will be interviewing
PRACTICE!  This is the BIG ONE that most executive level candidates FAIL to give sufficient attention to.  My experience in working with hundreds and hundreds of executives and preparing them for job interviews is that THOSE WHO PREPARE almost ALWAYS outshine their competition.  Preparation = Confidence; Preparation = Relaxed and Calm Presentation; Preparation = Minimizing Surprises.  Ideas for PRACTICE include:
  • Role Playing with a friend, your spouse, or an experienced coach. 
  • Self-Observation. Practicing in front of a mirror.
  • Video Replay. Video-taping yourself and critiquing your performance.
  • Audio Replay.  Recording yourself and critiquing your performance.
As with anything, PRACTICE makes PERFECT.  Why leave ANYTHING to chance?  If the position you're planning to interview for is IMPORTANT, take the time to PRACTICE.

PRESENTATION.  On the "Big Day" you've got to SHINE.  You've got to "Wow" ALL of the interviewers.  You've got to create an excellent INITIAL IMPRESSION and you've got to leave a LASTING ENTHUSIASTIC IMPRESSION of yourself.  Consider these key tips for making a "Wow Presentation":

  • Dress for Success.  Know the dress-style expectation ahead of time and take it up just a notch.  If it's business casual and they ASK YOU to dress business casual, then respect their request but take it up just a notch.  For males that means putting a blue blazer over your golf shirt and wearing impeccable shoes.
  • Impeccable Grooming.  Speaks for itself.
  • Watch Your Manners.  Show respect for everyone you meet -- the receptionist, the administrative assistant.  It may be that everyone's vote counts.  Be kind, be considerate, be nice.
  • Smile and Be Engaging.  Interviews are serious, but let your personality come out.  Smile and show enthusiasm.  Be engaging. Practice an interview style that replaces "stiffness" with being more conversational.  Be interesting.
  • Avoid Humor.  Leave the joke-telling to others.
A Few Final Thoughts:
  • Keep your answers on-point.  Answer the question and avoid rambling commentary.
  • Ask about next steps.  Asking "what's next" is a signal of your interest.  Know the next steps.
  • Let EVERYONE know you're interested.  Don't leave anyone questioning your interest level.  Make it apparent and sincere.
  • Pick up business cards or contact information on everyone you meet with.  You'll need this for follow up purposes.
  • FOLLOW UP with everyone with whom you interviewed -- at a minimum via email.  Handwritten notes to some of the key interviewers can also make a positive impact.  Reaffirm your interest level.  BRIEFLY readdress any issues that a particular interviewer might have had.
PREPARE .... PRACTICE ..... PRESENTATION -- your keys to an effective interview.

_______________
Andy Robinson
Career Success Coach
CRG Leadership Institute LLC
239-285-5575
Andy.Robinson@CRGLeaders.com
www.AndyRobinsonCoach.com

My Passion: "Helping people love what they do for a living and achieve lasting career success!"

Loading mentions Retweet
Posted by Andy & Carrie Robinson 

Comments [0]

August 5, 2009

The Art and Beauty of a Wonderfully-Crafted Elevator Speech - Is Yours Memorable?

We've all heard the term "Elevator Speech," and how important it is to formulate a compelling message to others in less than a minute.

Whether you're looking for a new job, trying to develop new business, promoting your company, or simply promoting yourself, it is absolutely essential to have an elevator pitch.  With diminished attention span of others and the fast-paced environment that we live and work it, you need to communicate your message quickly, clearly and distinctly to someone who doesn't even know you.  A great pitch or elevator speech takes planning and practice to deliver it quickly, on the spot and under pressure.

I have a WONDERFUL tool that I recommend to my coaching clients to help them in the formulation of a compelling elevator pitch.  The tools helps give structure to the thought process of developing a clear and memorable elevator speech.

The tool is offered from free by the Harvard Business School Alumni Career Services organization and is available TO ALL OF US for use.

Check out this COOL TOOL here: HBS-Elevator-Pitch-Tool.

Andy Robinson
www.AndyRobinsonCoach.com
Andy@CRGLeaders.com

Loading mentions Retweet
Posted by Andy & Carrie Robinson 

Comments [0]

August 1, 2009

Time to Reflect Back on July and Plan for a Successful August

You've just wrapped up another month in 2009 - Time to celebrate your successes!

Listen to this 30 second audio clip to learn more: http://bit.ly/Celebrate-July

_______________
Andy Robinson
Career Success Coach
CRG Leadership Institute LLC
239-285-5575
Andy.Robinson@CRGLeaders.com
www.StrategicThinkingPartner.com
www.AndyRobinsonCareerTips.com
www.AndyRobinsonCoach.com

My Passion: "Helping people love what they do for a living and achieve lasting career success!"

LET'S CONNECT:
www.AndyOnLinkedIn.com
www.AndyOnTwitter.com

Loading mentions Retweet
Posted by Andy & Carrie Robinson 

Comments [0]

July 31, 2009

Behavioral Style Interviews Require Extra-Effort in Preparation. Consider These Tips.

The behavioral interview format is definitely more common now than it's ever been before.  Behavioral interviews are very effective when conducted properly.  Preparation for this type of interview definitely requires extra effort and time.

There are a number of great books and articles out there on the subject.  Find a great book. Do a search on Google for "behavioral interviews" and look through the myriad of articles written on the subject.  Read the example questions and the example answers.  Reading is helpful, but this is one definitely of those areas where SKILL (practicing and doing) far outweighs KNOWLEDGE (reading about it).

The BEST way to prepare for these interviews is to practice with a third-party, to role-play and to get quality feedback.  Practice and role-playing develops your SKILL and feedback reinforces your learning and helps you identify improvement ideas. 

Behavioral interviews are very dialogue-oriented, supplemented with deepening levels of probing  -- you're never quite sure which direction the line of questioning will flow.  That is the big reason why practice works so much better for preparing for this popular interview format.

Find someone skilled in behavioral interviews with whom you can practice -- maybe someone in your network in an HR role, a friend who is a consultant in the job search field, or an outside coach.  Practice is KEY to "acing" the behavioral interview.

All the best to you career success.


_______________
Andy Robinson
Career Success Coach
CRG Leadership Institute LLC
239-285-5575
Andy.Robinson@CRGLeaders.com
www.StrategicThinkingPartner.com
www.AndyRobinsonCareerTips.com
www.AndyRobinsonCoach.com

My Passion: "Helping people love what they do for a living and achieve lasting career success!"

LET'S CONNECT:
www.AndyOnLinkedIn.com
www.AndyOnTwitter.com

Loading mentions Retweet
Posted by Andy & Carrie Robinson 

Comments [0]