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  • 7 Job Search Lessons from Vegas

    March 14, 2013

    by John Fitzgerald, managing partner, OI Partners Ireland

    Recently on a trip from Ireland to the OI Partners Conference in Las Vegas, I learned some key rules from the card tables that could prove useful if you are currently job seeking. 7 job-search tips from Vegas

    Learn how to play the game.

    I first visited Vegas with very little knowledge how to play the tables. Like anyone setting out in search of a job, I felt nervous that I didn't have all the insider knowledge or fully know the rules. The first thing I did was to observe and spent most of the first evening standing behind players learning how the game was played.

    Find the game that best suits you.

    I eventually decided that Blackjack was the game that suited me. What I didn't know was when to stick and hold and when to ask the dealer to hit. The first hands I played, I felt and looked like a novice and knew I was leaving myself exposed. Job seekers often feel this way when they don’t have all the skills and knowledge required to compete in the jobs market. Yet as I continued to play, bit by bit, I learned more.

    Find a mentor to guide you.

    I noticed one particular dealer who seemed to converse a lot with the players. He was, in fact, teaching the new players the rules of the game. His game was more fun and held more hope for me. As the games progressed, I asked more and more questions of my new card dealer mentor, Larry. He gave me great advice and looked out for me more than others.

    Just one mentor is not enough.

    The rules of the game are that the dealer moves on after about 30 minutes and a new dealer is introduced. This ...

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    job seekers job search career mentor mentor career coach job hunting

  • Best Practices for Managing Your Job Search

    December 12, 2012

    by Ray Blush, OI Partners - Hugh Anderson Associates Inc.

    Benjamin Franklin is often quoted as having said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”  These thoughtful words can be used as a reference when conducting your job search with a technique that is often not used by job seekers. tips for managing your job search

    In your previous positions you have worked toward completing tasks, goals, and timelines whether they have been given to you by your manager or they have been self-directed. So are you managing and keeping track of your job search activities? Job-search management will ensure you are organizing your job priorities effectively which should lead to an effective job search campaign and to a new and rewarding position.

    Managing Your Job Search

    After you have completed the initial “basics” like developing a marketing plan, setting goals, defining your market place, completing a base resume, writing a targeted cover letter template, and putting together your references, you will need to manage your job search activities. These activities are more complex than ever before and can be “overwhelming” at times.  Conducting a successful job search will comprise many components - answering help wanted advertisements; resume posting; searching for positions on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook; conducting targeted mailings; working with employment agencies and networking. 

    It is important to keep track of your activities. You may apply for a job today and not hear back from the company for several weeks. During that time you have applied for numerous positions and you need to be able to reference back to that particular job posting when talking to the company representative. Plus, keeping track of your activities will give you a feeling of accomplishment which overall helps in maintaining a positive mental health attitude. Some items you may want to track are: phone ...

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    job seekers job search job hunting

  • 3 Simple Ways to Gain Traction in Your Career Transition or Job

    September 18, 2012

    by Linda Tefend, CMF, OI Partners Promark Company

     

    3 Ways to Gain Traction in Career TransitionExperiencing roadblocks in your career transition or job? Does it seem that doing good work is not good enough? Do you have a lot to offer, but no chance to show it? 

     

    As a provider of outplacement and leadership consulting services, we hear these complaints frequently. It may surprise you that one of the most powerful self-branding and career transition management tools is right at your fingertips everyday:  your image. Now, before you run from the room screaming, “Aaah, another fashionista bombarding me with shopping tips,” let me clarify -- image is much broader than shopping for clothing. Your image is one part wardrobe, one part grooming, and one part body language and behavior, and it speaks volumes.

     

    Your image sends out clues every day. Be aware. Make those clues work for you and not against you. Here are three simple ways you can manage your image NOW to open some doors, get some respect, and boost your credibility:

     

    1. Pay attention to your appearance.

    Collared jackets are loaded with visual authority. A crisp, pressed shirt, and tailored trousers or skirt, paired with polished shoes, convey “I’ve got my act together. You can count on me.” Allow at least one inch of “ease” in slacks or skirts to keep the focus on your capabilities, not your figure! Maintain visual attention up near your face – the center of communication – with simple jewelry, scarf or a neck tie.


    Yes, your appearance really does matter. Mike Seifert, president of a successful software development company, believes so strongly in image that he has taken his new engineers shopping for business attire. Says Seifert, “This guy was so talented, and I really wanted to take him with me on ...

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    job seekers image outplacement career transition personal branding job hunting

  • 8 Qualities Employees Desire Most from Their Company

    September 11, 2012

    By Shawna Simcik

    Recently I attended the Best Companies to Work for in Colorado event. This 2012 awards banquet celebrated the top 30 companies in Colorado ranked by their employees as the best in the state. This celebration of excellence left me questioning, “what are the characteristics of a company that attracts the best talent and ensures they stay at the company?”

    For job seekers, the top 8 qualities employers desired most from workers was recently reported by OI Partners. Let’s flip the card – The Top 8 Qualities Employees Desire Most from Their Company:

    1. Communication and Responsive Leadership – Colorado companies Return Path  Inc and Accurence credit communication as one of the key success factors in their organization. They offer weekly updates from the executive team, newsletters, bi-weekly management meetings and monthly all-employee gatherings with time for Q&A. Employees want to feel “in on things.”   

    2. Corporate Responsibility and Philanthropy – Every organization that was recognized at the event acknowledged their corporate responsibility to the community in which they do business. ReadyTalk matches all employee donations to charitable organizations up to $500.00 a year. Insperity allows each employee 12 hours of paid time, per quarter, to volunteer in their local community. 

    3. Continuing Education for Employees and Their Children – Hospice & Palliative Care of Western Colorado provides up to $1,000 per year tuition reimbursement to their employees. Encompass Home Health offers a Young Scholars program which assists the dependents of their employees with undergraduate tuition.

    4. Flexible Work Environment – A flexible work environment is defined in many ways.  Rally Software offers a work-from-home option. CoBank allows their employees to “work it out” with their supervisor on what time they will start their day – as early as 6:30 or as late as 8:30 to drop ...

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    wellness continuing education philanthropy communication leadership development corporate responsibility flex schedule management development profit sharing company culture flexible work schedule social activities job hunting employer of choice

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The vOIce is written by many of the managing partners of OI Partners. Topics include our ideas on how you or your organization can be effective in areas related to career development, executive development, workforce development, career transition and more.


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