Be on the Lookout for these Signs of "Employer Creep"

People change, and so do companies. 

If you're company is changing in a negative or destructive way, then you need to know that ASAP. 

Here are a few things to look out for.

Click here to receive Anish's free video training on Generating New Career Opportunities ON DEMAND (in the Age of LinkedIn): http://bit.ly/2nT3Tfc

How to Handle that TOXIC Person at Work!

That TOXIC person at work can have a huge negative impact on your life and career prospects!

It's a drain on your emotions, on your energy, even how quickly you grow and progress.

Stop letting this person get away with murder!

I want to share a simple formula for controlling and eliminating their hold over you.

Click here to receive Anish's free video training on Generating New Career Opportunities ON DEMAND (in the Age of LinkedIn): http://bit.ly/2nT3Tfc

Employers Think I'm a Job Hopper!

Here are some NINJA TACTICS to keep "job hopper" questions from derailing your next interview. 

Click here to receive Anish's free video training on Generating New Career Opportunities ON DEMAND (in the Age of LinkedIn): http://bit.ly/2nT3Tfc

"My Heart's Just Not In My Work Right Now"

Did you know that a recent survey found that 2/3 of American workers feel ZERO sense of engagement at work?

I don't want you to be another grim statistic. 

I want you to rediscover that spark that brings real meaning and fulfillment to your work. And in this video, I'm going to share some PRACTICAL things you can do RIGHT NOW to make it happen. 

Are you with me?

Click here to receive Anish's free video training on Generating New Career Opportunities ON DEMAND (in the Age of LinkedIn): http://bit.ly/2nT3Tfc

These 3 Qs will help you know whether to QUIT or DOUBLE DOWN with your current employer

Accomplishing anything great takes time, energy, and a MASSIVE amount of commitment. This goes double for your career. In fact, if you're reading this it's probably safe to assume that you're VERY familiar with the DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD of career growth. 

Those extra hours at the office means LESS time with your family. 

That project which you lived and breathed for the past few months ALSO meant sacrificing a host of learning opportunities you could have pursued, or those new industry relationships you could have built. 

My point is this: every piece of work you do is precious, because it's time you'll never get back. It's FINITE.

So with that in mind, let me pose a question: is it time for you to MOVE ON from your current role and seek something more fulfilling, or is it time to DOUBLE DOWN and ride the wave you're on all the way to shore?

Hard question!

And the answer is not always obvious.

But asking yourself these 3 questions is an EXCELLENT place to start:

1) Am I Being Challenged Consistently?

As a general rule of thumb, companies which are NOT actively growing will provide you with LESS in terms of challenging assignments and growth opportunities. Remember: you need to leave a role with MORE value, more qualifications and experiences, under your belt. If that's not happening, you need to think long and hard about staying on. 

Trust me: there is nothing harder to deal with in a job interview than being asked what new and interesting things you've been up to...and coming up short. 

2) Am I On An Internal Growth Path?

A job without a future is one that you should never stay at long-term. If you're truly being valued at your current company, they should be actively involved in grooming you for higher positions. If that's not happening, set up a meeting with your direct supervisor and have a conversation about it. Ask for next steps. Ask what you can be learning to support it. And if nothing tangible occurs after you've done so, it's time to start thinking outside the company. 

3) Am I Healthy?

How are you doing these days? Do you feel mentally stronger or weaker than when you began this position? How are your stress levels? How hopeful do you feel about the future? 

Some working environments nourish you. They understand how important it is to treat each other with respect, and to create a place where you feel empowered and comfortable. 

And then there are the others. 

My personal belief is that life is too short, and happiness too fleeting, to waste it in the company of the latter. 

Regardless of where you come down on this, I encourage you to take some time and ask the question. And make a promise to yourself that you will hold the answer, good or bad, important to your decision. 

Click here to receive Anish's free video training on Generating New Career Opportunities ON DEMAND (in the Age of LinkedIn): http://bit.ly/2nT3Tfc

3 Valuable Things My Dad Taught Me About Being Successful

A Dead-Simple Tool to Help You Make Better Career Decisions

GRAB ANISH'S CAREER DECISION CHEAT SHEET BELOW!

Stuck on what new Career Skill to learn? Watch this.

ANISH'S TALENT STACK

TIER 1 SKILLS

-Writing

-Speaking/Performance

-Influencing

TIER 2 SKILLS

-Rapid learning and application

-Technically proficient- expert in LinkedIn for career development. 

-Negotiation

-Productivity optimization

And here are some free resources that will help if you're ACTIVELY BRAINSTORMING new types of positions:

-Career OneStop: https://www.careeronestop.org/toolkit/toolkit.aspx

-My Skills, My Future: http://myskillsmyfuture.org

-O*Net Resource Center: http://www.onetcenter.org

Stop Making Decisions Based on the Job Market!

Tailoring your job search efforts with the market may seem logical on the surface, but in reality it's a TERRIBLE way to approach your career! Anish explains why.  

How to Find (and Work With) an Amazing Mentor

FIND A GREAT MENTOR CHEAT SHEET

Do you need a mentor? Absolutely, 100%, no exceptions! Consider this:

80% of CEOs have stated they have had mentors.

74% of hiring managers say jobseekers should have a mentor, counselor or job coach, yet only 40% of jobseekers report having someone like this.  

Advantages of Having a Mentor:

-Someone who will LISTEN. It is SO crucial to have someone who can listen and empathize with your struggles, your triumphs, and all points in between.

-Someone who can share "WAR STORIES" with you. We don't learn by being lectured to. We learn when those wiser than us share stories from their life, and we're able to link their experiences to what we're dealing with.

-Someone who will keep you focused. The outside world is ALWAYS trying to steal your focus and keep you on the hamster wheel. A mentor can shock you back to a state of remembering what's truly IMPORTANT, not simply what's URGENT.

-Someone to push you in the right direction. When you're depressed, when you doubt yourself, when your self-esteem takes a hit- this is when a mentor can lift you up and remind you of what a ROCK STAR you are!

Sources of Mentors:

-Family and Friends. If you can't think of someone in this pool within 10 seconds, look elsewhere.

-Colleagues, Bosses, and Extended Network. If you don't know someone directly, ask for a recommendation. Being asked to mentor someone is an incredible honor, and most are happy to consider it.

-Local Professional Organizations, Industry Organizations, and Trade Associations. Added bonus- joining them gives you greater professional credibility.

-Social Media. The world's a much smaller place these days. Don't be afraid to initiate contact with people you think may be "too big"- we're all human beings, and we're all motivated by the same core factors.

How to Approach Mentors and Earn their Respect

-Do your research. Learn everything you can about the person prior to direct contact. Professional, personal, and all points in between. True engagement comes from a place of knowledge and understanding.

-Explain WHY you're getting in touch.

-Share your intentions and desire for help.

-Discuss your goals and what you wish to work on. Come in with a PLAN for where you want to go and where you want to end up, and most importantly, show your potential mentor that you're taking ACTIVE STEPS towards achieving it.

-Set up contact on an ongoing basis. Once a month is fine, all long as it's set it stone. Irregular contact destroys accountability- you need to use every upcoming call/meeting with your mentor as a spur to make progress on that which is truly important.

Recently Fired? Then You Need these 5 Interview Answers.

Career Track/Responsibilities Change

"I loved working at [PREVIOUS EMPLOYER] and [OUTLINE MAJOR JOB RESPONSIBILITY]. A little over a year ago, a new management team was installed, and they decided to change the focus of my department as well as my responsibilities. While it didn't affect my performance, I ultimately decided to leave so that I could find a position that better catered to my strengths. Based on what I've learned so far, this role seems like a very strong fit."

Culture Mismatch

"A new [POSITION TITLE] was installed, and as a result of the changes that occurred, the in-house culture and priorities shifted significantly. I no longer felt that my priorities and those of the organization were in sync, so with regret I decided that it was better for all concerned that I move on. I don't foresee that as being remotely an issue here."

Further Education

"I knew that a [DEGREE, TRAINING NAME] was essential to realizing my career goals. And I knew that trying to pursue both it and a full-time career wasn't realistic. I dove in feet first, learned an incredible amount, and now feel empowered to move to the next stage of my career. Based on what we've been discussing, this seems like an excellent place to do just that!"

Internal Conflicts

"Our company has been suffering with low morale and high turnover for quite some time, and I began to understand that the systemic issues behind it were more than I could overcome. This is why I feel like this position would be an excellent match...."

"As rewarding as working at [PREVIOUS EMPLOYER] was, I felt disappointed by the lack of opportunities for career growth and wanted to change that. Based on what we've been talking about, I feel like this position would..."

How to Make Better Career Decisions

3 Major Career Decision Pitfalls (and what to do Instead):

Pitfall #1: Trusting SHORTCUTS over evidence.

Examples are trusting your gut instinct over all else, ideology, fear ("I need the money!") and others.

Solution:

Gather data to help reach a decision BEFORE considering your feelings. Your feelings don't matter at this stage- treat the whole thing like an intellectual exercise, THEN bring in the emotional piece.

Pitfall #2: Confirmation Bias.

Only seeking out data that supports which way you're leaning.

Solutions:

Play DEVIL'S ADVOCATE. Create a folder with all of the information IN SUPPORT of your decision. Now create a second folder with all of the information AGAINST your decision. Be just as thorough in both cases.

Honestly ask yourself, "Do I really have a broad enough perspective to make and defend this decision?" If you don't, then you need to entrust it to someone who can (ex. a mentor).

Pitfall #3: Going it Alone. 

Nothing kills solid decision-making like staying in the bubble of ego. You MUST break out of this!

Solution: 

Test out your decision on a FRIENDLY, someone with a vested interest in seeing you succeed and has the courage to tell you when your thinking is erroneous.

This is The Best Way to Answer "So, What Do You Do?"

The secret to answering "What do you do?" EFFECTIVELY is via a 1-line Tag Line. Here's how to create it:

1) What's Your Emotional Appeal?

How do I make people feel?

How do people benefit by working with me?

What words do others use to describe me?

2) Who Is Your Brand For?

What field or industry am I in (or do I want to be in)?

What are the words I would use to describe my work?

Who is my target audience?

3) What's Your Function?

Are you a creator, an organizer? A connector of people?

What service do I have to offer people?

What do I do that makes me stand out from everyone else?

NOW PUT YOUR ANSWERS TO ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS TOGETHER...

"I help ambitious people reach a new level in their careers."

"I transform the quality of patient care and the scope of healthcare services within large systems."

"I help companies enter the digital health space and bring game-changing solutions to market."

Click here to receive Anish's free video training on Generating New Career Opportunities ON DEMAND (in the Age of LinkedIn): http://bit.ly/2nT3Tfc

Guts, Ambition, and Cheetos: An Amazing True Story

If you feel like you'll never reach that next level in your career, that you'll never feel truly fulfilled or FIRED UP by your work.....watch this. 

How Bright Is Your Beacon?

Imagine that you’re in the middle of the ocean at night. Surrounding you, just out of sight, are hundreds of ships loaded with treasure. Everything you want is aboard these ships: power, prestige, success beyond your wildest dreams.

How do you go about getting it?

Most people spend their time sailing to as many ships as possible. They busy themselves with logistics- having enough fuel for the journey, saying the right things to come aboard- and always wrestle with the doubts in their mind that whisper: what about the ships I haven’t sailed to yet? It’s an exhausting way to hunt for treasure, and requires an immense amount of effort to see any results.

Then there are those who don’t sail.

These people don’t spend their time fixing their boat and laboriously sailing out into the darkness.

Instead, they string up lights. And they connect it to a source of power, and they send out a beacon which draws ships in.

You need to think about your career in this way.

Recruiters are swamped with hundreds of emails per day, all of which represent people aboard their boats trying to gain access. The moment an employer posts a job on their website or LinkedIn, they can be assured of a veritable flood of applicants that run the gamut from “qualified” to “are you kidding me?”

Prospecting will always result in poor outcomes, and when you’re answering job postings and reaching out “cold” to people, that’s what you’re doing.

Positioning is all about being found. And when recruiters and hiring agents come to you, you don’t have to establish credibility and stand out. You’re already doing those things!

Here are some tips to light your beacon:

1) Create a Competitive LinkedIn Profile

The quickest way to gain traction on LinkedIn and start popping up on recruiter and hiring agent searches is to benchmark your competition, and adopt some of their strategies.

Let’s say you’re a General Merchandise Manager (GMM) at a luxury brand. Run a search on LinkedIn for GMMs at comparable companies, and closely study the profiles which turn up within the first 5-10 results. How do they describe themselves in the “Summary” section? Which keywords are in the “Skills” section? What LinkedIn Groups do they belong to? How do they engage with the community? Make a list of improvements, and then utilize these strategies for your own profile.

2) Turn Your Resume into a Networking Tool

Who says resumes need to be dull summarizations of your work history? Create a 1-Page “Networking” version designed to open conversations with people, and to further establish credibility when someone reaches out to you. Here are some details I use when developing these types of resumes for clients:

-Adding testimonials from peers, bosses, and colleagues. A great testimonial says more about you than pages of boasting. If you’re on LinkedIn, you may already have a few of these. If not, it’s well worth a polite ask to your network.

-Bulleted value-based highlights. Every detail within a Networking Resume should answer the same question: how did I add value to a particular situation? A good tip here is to describe the end result first (ex. Transformed IT from cost enter into a profit growth driver…) and then describe how you accomplished it.

3) Thought Leadership Through Writing

People get discouraged by the prospect of writing posts because they’re not starting out with a huge audience. Let’s face it, the first few (or few dozen) articles you publish online may not exactly be high traffic generators. But it’s important to remember that there’s a huge long-term upside to writing about your industry. These types of pieces establish your standing in the field, and help people to get a sense of your unique “voice”. Over time, it can lead to opportunities to publish in industry and mainstream publications. I’m still seeing clients come in from articles I’ve published back in 2009- there is no other form of marketing that has this kind of long-term traction!

-Start small but consistent. Schedule some time on a set day every week to write and publish at least 1 piece about your industry. You can expand your commitment as you start to see results.

This post originally appeared on WorkitDaily.com

Does Your Career Need a Shot in the Arm? Watch This.

How much time do you REALLY have to fulfill your life's ambitions?

What's Your Why?

WHAT'S YOUR "WHY?" KEY CAREER QUESTIONS TO ASK:

CORE STRENGTH QUESTION:

Ask yourself: "AM I PRIMARILY..."

a) THE TALENT

b) MANAGER/LEADER

c) ENTREPRENEUR

Your answer is your CORE STRENGTH.

Now, what would be a path that would allow you to start dipping into one or both of the other areas? This should inform your career direction.

ROOT MOTIVATION QUESTIONS

1. Think of a time when you were performing at your best. What were you doing? What were you saying, thinking and feeling? What was going on around you?
2. List the top ten things in life that give you joy. What common themes do you notice?
3. What are three accomplishments you are most proud of? What are your natural strengths that you love to use?
4. Think about times that you have gotten angry/upset/irritated. What core personal value(s) were not being met?
5. Who is the one person you admire the most? What would that person advise you to do?
6. What do you dislike the most about your current or past work?
7. What would happen in your career if we doubled your self-belief? What if we quadrupled it?

DAILY LIFE CHECK-IN QUESTIONS:

1. What am I consuming? Reading, listening, watching. How much of it is actively helping me GROW?
2. Who do I spend time with? Assess the 5 people you interact with most frequently professionally. Are they people to aspire to, or people who are holding you back?
3. Who are my role models? Am I directly interacting with them, following them on social media, taking their courses? How am I "drifting" behind those who have already succeeded at what I wish to do?

CAREER DEVELOPMENT PLAN QUESTIONS:

1. What do you want to achieve with your career?
2. How much time are you prepared to spend on your career?
3.  What skills do you need to develop?
4. What resources will you need?
5. Where can you get support or advice?
6. What type of person do you need to be?
7. What is your motivation?

Are You Trapped in Career Handcuffs? How to Get Out.

Anish talks about 3 big reasons people choose to stay in unsatisfying jobs- and what you can do in this situation.

What Will You Not TOLERATE in 2017?

Forget New Year's resolutions- there's a better way to reach higher ground. Anish shares a personal story that changed his prospects forever.