No matter what the state of the economic times are, or what part of the country you’re in, keeping motivated in your job is key. When times get tight, you don’t want to give your employer a reason to question your worth; or your employment for that matter.

As a career and life coach, I talk with folks on a daily basis who are struggling with this balance. Maybe something has changed in your family-a move to a different part of the country or even a foreclosure. Unfortunately, many people are dealing with issues like these and understandably so, there’s not much motivation left for the workplace!

But how do you step “up” when it seems like so many things are falling apart around you? Here are a few quick steps to keep you in balance.

Know your value to your employer’s ROI. To start off, we need to look at the true business side of the house. If you’re not motivated and contributing value to the company, why should your boss keep you around? Know how you’re contributing to the bottom line of the company. Go back to why you were hired in the first place. Where have you been able to contribute? What have you been able to resolve?

Increase communication with your boss. Communication is one of those things that you can never get enough of, but does it take work! You may need to be the one that needs to initiate it. Most likely your boss is not going to come to you. Many other pressures may have been put on her or his plate and sitting down to have a conversation with you is probably not on the radar screen. But, it is key for you to know where they’re at and what you can do to help them.

Find additional ways to contribute. This really goes with the thought of communication. In tough times, employers often find ways to do more with less. The positive side of this is that it gives you a greater opportunity to have a bigger piece of the pie. Your boss might ask for your input, you could volunteer for extra assignments, or you just might be there as a resource. Whatever it is, if you’re there with a great attitude and a giving spirit, you can’t go wrong!

Build up the team. What about others around you? These could be the folks that report to you, the team you work with, your peers, or even your clients. In these tough times, can you think of a better a better way to add value than to be the person that everyone wants to be around? As a former team manager, I’d look for people like this. If you have a positive influence on others and are a true asset to the company, your boss will notice!

In moving forward, keeping motivated is truly a choice-your choice. As you apply these principles, watch out! Not only will your motivation be on target, but you’ll see positive results in other areas of your life as well!

As a nationally Credentialed Career Manager, Coach Kevin Tucker has been partnering with individuals like you for the last 25 years. Through the military, as a minister, a human resources executive, and finally as a career and life transition coach; he has continually been able to help motivated individuals find their calling in life! Check out more at http://ccubedcareer.com.

Technorati Tags: attitude, career coach, career coaching, career inventory, career passion, kevin tucker, motivation, Passion and Job Satisfaction, self improvement, success, workplace

I came across this quote by John F. Kennedy the other day, “When written in Chinese, the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters—one represents danger, and the other represents opportunity.” It gave me a new perspective on the phrase, ‘crisis situation’. While there is usually an element of danger to overcome in a crisis situation, there is also always an opportunity—an opportunity to grow and move forward.

Dictionary.com defines ‘crisis’ as a dramatic emotional or circumstantial upheaval in a person’s life. Sooner or later (and usually more often than we’d like) we all experience a “crisis situation” that needs to be dealt with. No matter whether the crisis is personal—for example a serious illness, professional—such as a toxic work environment or a sudden job loss, or even global as tragically illustrated by the unfolding events in Japan; there is always an opportunity to move forward beyond the danger.

When you face a crisis in your life, I’d like to challenge you to move forward, beyond the danger and use the opportunity for positive growth.

On a more somber note; please keep those who have been affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan in your thoughts and prayers. Words alone cannot fully express the sympathy and compassion going out to these folks…

Technorati Tags: career, crisis, danger, job transition, kevin tucker, kevin tucker" rel="tag"> Success, opportunity

Here are seven of the most common peeves provided by experienced interviewers, along with some tips on how to avoid them:

1. Smells: Too Much of a Good Smell Can Be Bad

Pat Riley, author of Secrets of Breaking into Pharmaceutical Sales, has a pet peeve story to relate: “Preparing for an interview is not like preparing for a date. I had one interview with a woman who doused herself with perfume (the same perfume my ex-girlfriend used to wear) right before stepping into the small interview booth. The perfume was overpowering and brought back bad memories.”

2. Communication: Too Little Leaves Interviewers Exasperated

“My number one interviewing pet peeve is an applicant who won’t talk,” says Steve Jones, a manager of client services at a software company in Dallas. “I try to ask open-ended questions and prod them for longer answers, but no luck. I’ve even mentioned to a few that I need more information so I can get an idea of where they’re coming from — still no luck. I always end the interview saying, ‘Now it’s your turn to ask questions,’ and still no luck; they don’t have any. Oh well — next!”

“Help me out here,” says Jones. “Come prepared to answer questions and talk about yourself.”

3. Communication: Too Much Can Be Too Much

“Candidates who ramble are the ones who get to me,” says Dotti Bousquet of Resource Group Staffing in West Hartford, Connecticut. “Last week, I was interviewing a candidate and asked her one question. The candidate talked and talked and talked for 45 minutes straight. I was unable to stop her. I had to say, ‘Let’s wrap this up,’ and I stood up while she continued to talk. I walked to the door of the office and opened it. She left, but continued to talk while walking out the door.”

The lesson? “Candidates should stay focused, and answer the question asked — in less than two to three minutes,” advises Bousquet.

4. Lack of Focus: Results in Losing the Interviewer

“Typically, candidates are simply too intimidated by the process,” says Mark Fulop, project director for a large nonprofit agency. “Relating the answer given to one question back with another — and asking clarifying or follow-up questions — shows me that the candidate is confident and thinking about the whole picture instead of enduring an interrogation.”

5. Averting Your Eyes: One Way to Avert an Offer

“People who do not make any eye contact during the entire interview” irritate Gwen Sobiech, an agency recruiter in West Hartford, Connecticut. “I realize some people are shy, but to never look at me once — they look down, around, everywhere, but not at me for the entire interview. I find that extremely annoying. I also tend to distrust someone who will not look at me when I’ve asked a question.”

If you are uncomfortable looking into someone’s eyes, look at his “third eye,” just above and between the person’s two eyes.

6. Slang and Street Speak: Leave Them on the Street

“Poor communications skills really get to me,” says Robert Fodge of Power Brokers in Dover, Delaware. “What I mean by this is not merely their language fluency, but more about the use of language. Slang words and street speak just don’t have a place in most business environments. Also, candidates who say ‘um,’ ‘like’ and ‘uh’ between every other word lose my attention very quickly.”

7. Deception: Little Lies Leave a Big Impression

One major complaint among recruiters is when a candidate is not completely truthful; small lies are all too common in the world of recruitment. This includes not being completely forthcoming with relevant information, embellishing accomplishments, hiding jobs or leading the process on with no intention of ever following through. Building trust during the interview is key to getting an offer.

As a nationally Credentialed Career Manager, Coach Kevin Tucker has been partnering with individuals like you for the last 25 years. Through the military, as a minister, a human resources executive, and finally as a career and life transition coach; he has continually been able to help motivated individuals find their calling in life! Check out more at www.CCubedCareer.com.

Are you on the road to success? Success expert Michael Nicholas (SuccessTriggers.com), says that sometimes people are on the road to success but they don’t realize it, and they stop before the get to their destination, forcing them to start the whole process over, never staying the course long enough to reach any destination.

So the next time you feel like your life is going nowhere, ask yourself if perhaps you really are going somewhere, but it’s hard to see from where you are.

It’s a well-documented fact that as people get older, they often look back on their lives, and have an aha! experience, that can be summed up like this: “Oh, this was where I was coming all along, I just didn’t recognize it while I was busy making my way.”

As a nationally Credentialed Career Manager, Coach Kevin Tucker has been partnering with individuals like you for the last 25 years. Through the military, as a minister, a human resources executive, and finally as a career and life transition coach; he has continually been able to help motivated individuals find their calling in life! Check out more at www.CCubedCareer.com.

Technorati Tags: assessments, kevin tucker, life balance, life coaching, self improvement, success

Job searches are stressful. It does not matter how confident you are at the start, the search process can take a toll on you. Maintaining a positive attitude and a search-life balance is one the most important things you can do to make sure you are in a great job at the end of the process.

By implementing a few key principles, you can stave off frustration and keep yourself motivated and excited-the type of candidate most employers are eager to meet

1. Stay in Shape: Movement gets your blood pumping and helps generate endorphins. You will feel better, think better and look better. Step away from the computer at least once a day and hit the gym or the walking trail.
2. Eat Well: Eat healthy, balanced meals that serve to fuel your body. It is well-known that eating foods high in carbohydrates and sugars put weight on the body and mess with our metabolism and mood.
3. Pray or Meditate: Staying in touch with your spiritual side for 10-20 minutes a day helps tremendously during a job search.
4. Live Your Life: It is easy for a job search to completely overwhelm your life. However, focusing 24/7 on your job search will not serve you or the ones you love well. Put aside time for other people, volunteering your time, or whatever else helps keep you well-rounded and interesting.

Taking care of yourself and maintaining balance during a job search allows you to give your best to both the seach and your life! Adopting a healthy outlook makes you an attractive and interesting job seeker.

As a nationally Credentialed Career Manager, Coach Kevin Tucker has been partnering with individuals like you for the last 25 years. Through the military, as a minister, a human resources executive, and finally as a career and life transition coach; he has continually been able to help motivated individuals find their calling in life! Check out more at www.CCubedCareer.com.

Technorati Tags: career coaching, kevin tucker, life balance, life coaching, self improvement

Waiting. It seems a shame that this even needs to be said, but here goes: If you’re interviewing for a job, be nice to the receptionist.

In other words, you should be minding your manners. And not just with those you perceive as having the power to hire you. It is becoming a common practice for managers to inquire about candidates’ behavior with everyone who meets them. Interviewers are looking for someone that they and other co-workers have to agree to spend at least eight hours a day, five days a week with.

If you are rude or condescending to people you think are “beneath” you, you need to get over your bad self. According to Anne Fisher of Fortune magazine, you should follow these guidelines when you are waiting for an interview.

• Introduce yourself. Just be friendly in the same way you plan to once you get into the real interview.
• Don’t ask the receptionist to make copies of anything for you. You should already have your copies. You should already be prepared. And you shouldn’t expect the receptionist to be your personal assistant.
• You can accept a beverage, if offered, but never request one. Don’t ask for a million accouterments either. Think kindness, think simplicity.
• If you feel the need to make chitchat, be careful what you say. Don’t offer opinions on things that could make you look bad like the decor of the office, etc.
• Say a cordial goodbye.

Technorati Tags: career coaching, interview coaching, interview tips, kevin tucker

These days it seems that employers are googling potential candidates before they hire. It’s just one more way of eliminating potential problems before employers welcome workers into their world. As a matter of fact, according to a recent survey of 100 executive recruiters by ExecuNet, 77 percent of recruiters reported using search engines to find information on candidates. Of those who used such search engines, 35 percent have eliminated a candidate because of information that was uncovered online.

Here are a few tips for improving your online image:

• Be careful. When you’re blogging or posting a comment online or creating a social networking profile. Would you really want someone who has the power to hire or not hire you to see what you’ve written?
• Search for information about yourself. Check your name on Goggle, Dogpile.com, and Yahoo!, as well as any other search engines you think might turn something up about you. Be sure to check your name about once a month to see if anything appears.
• Tell the truth if you are questioned about something online. You don’t want to be pegged as dishonest.

As a nationally Credentialed Career Manager, Coach Kevin Tucker has been partnering with individuals like you for the last 25 years. Through the military, as a minister, a human resources executive, and finally as a career and life transition coach; he has continually been able to help motivated individuals find their calling in life! Check out more at www.CCubedCareer.com.

Technorati Tags: assessments, career coaching, career inventory, kevin tucker

The wave pool at a water park is like the course of a career. The water is smooth sailing, the sun is shining, and everything is great with the universe. And then, BOOM! The warning signal goes off, the swimmers begin to scream, and the big waves come racing toward them. I find that these swimmers can be easily divided into three distinct categories.

The first type of swimmer is the one who was caught off guard. He is not prepared for the oncoming wave nor has a plan of action to ride out the next one.

The next type of swimmer disappears under the giant swells. This swimmer may have been unprepared for the initial wave, but has a plan of action ready for the next surge.

The final type of swimmer is the one who confidently sails by you on a raft, riding the crest of a wave with a BIG smile on their face. He or she is relaxed and ready to go!

Which type of swimmer are you when it comes to your career? Do you hear the warning signal indicating that rough water could be ahead? Do you have a raft? By that I mean, is your resume up to date, your job skills up to speed and your network in place?

Like a lifeguard, a career coach can be standing nearby, ready, willing and able to swim beside you and assist you through the choppy waters of the career wave pool. By engaging a professional coach, you will have someone ready and able to hand you a raft and help you glide over the tops of the waves!

As a nationally Credentialed Career Manager, Coach Kevin Tucker has been partnering with individuals like you for the last 25 years. Through the military, as a minister, a human resources executive, and finally as a career and life transition coach; he has continually been able to help motivated individuals find their calling in life! Check out more at www.CCubedCareer.com.

Have you taken the time to nurture yourself lately?  Are you ready to break through the dormancy of winter and start growing again? Whether you’re the worker bee or the head enchilada, you need to renew and refresh yourself so that you continue to be productive and be able to give of yourself to others. It’s difficult to pull energy from within when you are drained! Can you even remember the last time you did something specifically for you to energize yourself spiritually, physically, and intellectually?

Nurturing yourself spiritually can happen many ways. You can participate in your faith’s activities or services; spend time daily reflecting, meditating, or praying. Reading or studying books or other materials can help to renew your spirit. Giving back to your community by volunteering does wonders for the soul also! Find a great cause and help!

Physical activity, some welcome it some dread it. Be that as it may, it’s a great way to relieve stress and clear your mind. Go for a walk, go to the gym, or do something with your kids. You’ll be amazed at your increased energy level!

When’s the last time that you read a book or attended a seminar or workshop that stimulated you intellectually? Do you have a hobby or have you thought about getting one? Does your career field have continuing education requirements, or maybe you’re thinking of updating your skills. Check out classes at the rec center or local college.

Employers, what have you done recently to renew your employees? Just as taking care of yourself is important, nurturing and encouraging those who work for you is equally important. When you invest in your employees, it is money well spent and you will realize a great return on your investment. Little things like a team build, a John Maxwell Leadership study, or even a department pot luck will go a long way in refreshing the work environment!

As a nationally Credentialed Career Manager, Coach Kevin Tucker has been partnering with individuals like you for the last 25 years. Through the military, as a minister, a human resources executive, and finally as a career and life transition coach; he has continually been able to help motivated individuals find their calling in life! Check out more at www.CCubedCareer.com.

Technorati Tags: career inventory, kevin tucker, life coaching

Like it or not, technology is here to stay, especially when it comes to the hiring process. Welcome to the computerized workplace. Is your resume ready?

In order to be competitive in today’s job market, it is essential that your resume be designed in a scannable format. More and more companies are using some type of database technology to streamline the hiring process. You can be certain that your resume will be scanned into a computer database at some point in your job search process. The question is: Will it grab the attention of the hiring manager immediately? Or, will it be put aside to decipher later with the other resumes that didn’t translate so well?

There are a few things you can do to make your resume scannable:

• Use plain serif or san serif fonts of at least 10 point. Avoid decorative fonts as it will confuse the optical character recognition software. Stay away from italics and underlining if possible since many Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software programs can make mistakes converting them.
• Print your resume on light colored, quality resume paper using a laser printer. White, grey, or cream colored paper works best. The crisp type of a laser printer will result in a cleaner scan of your resume. Always send an original, never a copy, and print on one side of the paper only.
• Avoid tables and columns as well as horizontal and vertical lines and graphics. Again, OCR software cannot translate these features.
• Avoid stapling or folding your resume. Creases and other damage will not allow your resume to scan properly.

Finally, your resume needs to be a concise snapshot of who you are professionally by calling attention to your achievements and responsibilities as well as how you will contribute to future company. By highlighting these and designing your resume in a scannable format, you increase the chances of your resume being noticed quickly in the screening process.

As a nationally Credentialed Career Manager, Coach Kevin Tucker has been partnering with individuals like you for the last 25 years. Through the military, as a minister, a human resources executive, and finally as a career and life transition coach; he has continually been able to help motivated individuals find their calling in life! Check out more at www.CCubedCareer.com.

Technorati Tags: career coaching, job search, kevin tucker, resume writing