February 23, 2012

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3 Things to Consider Before Quitting Your Job

January 8, 2012 By

;city; Job Seekers – Considering quitting your job? Read this one…

3 Things to Consider Before Quitting Your Job

By Clay Andrews

These days there are a lot of people unsatisfied with their line of work. It’s not uncommon to feel a soul-sucking feeling as you head in to work at something that just isn’t rewarding for you.

Is this what you were meant to do with your life? Is this all that there is? Just do this day-in-and-day-out and live for those magical 48 hours we call the weekend?

Thoughts like this can lead to feelings of creeping dread as you stare down a depressing path that you may just end up calling “the rest of your life.”

But things don’t have to necessarily be this way. There are quite a few people who have quit their jobs and found meaningful employment or started their own businesses.

However, before you take the plunge and hand your letter of resignation to your boss, it is important to think things out a bit.

First, ask yourself if this is a chronic problem or if this is just something you’re feeling in the heat of the moment after getting chewed out at a recent meeting. If this is a long term problem that has haunted you for a long time, on the other hand, then perhaps this is something you might want to do.

Second, understand the situation better. What specifically don’t you like about your job? Is it the fact that you aren’t in control of certain things? Is it that you don’t feel respected for what you do? Is it that what you do isn’t aligned with your strengths?

Don’t just identify what you’re moving away from though. Understand what you want to move toward. Moving away from what you don’t want doesn’t guarantee you that you’ll get where you want to go, it only pushes you out of your current situation. Do you want more free time? Do you want more responsibility? Less responsibility? An outlet for your creativity? Something more logical? Get specific about what you truly enjoy doing with your life.

Finally, develop a plan for leaving your job. Yes, action is important, but blind action can be dangerous. Once you figure out what you’d rather be doing than working at your job, get a realistic roadmap to taking you from point A to point B. If you can, get the foundation laid before actually quitting your job. Start that blog, get the business license, find the perfect retail space, or whatever you need to do.

Then once you have a reasonable plan and maybe even a little bit of cash-flow, then consider handing in your resignation so you can strike out on your own and peruse the living that your truly want.

If you want to learn more on quitting your job, stop by my lifestyle design blog for advice and tips on how to start your own business and make it profitable.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Clay_Andrews
http://EzineArticles.com/?3-Things-to-Consider-Before-Quitting-Your-Job&id=6783730

 


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Overlooked Job Interview Tips

December 28, 2011 By

;city; Job Seekers – An excellent article on tips for interviewing!

 

Overlooked Job Interview Tips
By Kurt A Allan

The job interview is often your first chance to meet and make an impression on a potential new employer. Though many people have been through these in the past, they often forget some key elements that are easy to overlook. In today’s job market you need to pay attention to every detail to compete for jobs.

One of the easiest things to do before an interview is do some research on the employer. Though it seems obvious, many people overlook this step and show up to an interview without any knowledge about the employer besides what was posted in the original job opening. When you interview with a company you are demonstrating what kind of employee you’ll be if hired. Do you want to show that you’ll be disorganized and uninformed or that you’ll be prepared and competent?

The good news is this type of research is incredibly easy! Almost every potential employer probably has an online presence with lots of readily available information including company history, management, and current news releases. Just an hour or so of reading can give you enough knowledge to give you an edge in the interview process.

Though one of the main points of the interview is for the company to learn about you, being a good listener is a crucial aspect to any job interview. You want to understand and be able to answer the question accurately and succinctly. Most interviewers are not only looking for the specific answers, but also the way that you answer a question. Extra words (or rambling) or off-topic answers are often an indicator that you don’t either know the answer or how to clearly answers the question.

Coming prepared to an interview can help you give clear and precise answers. The internet has many websites that offer some interview questions for you to practice with. Though you probably won’t get the exact same question, preparing will help give you confidence to answer a bunch of different questions and you’ll have many practice answers in your head to work from.

The last tip is to always send a follow-up thank you letter or e-mail. It’s surprising how many people forget to do this little last step int he interview process! Sending a thank you note will give you one more chance to briefly reaffirm who you are and why you’re a great match for the open position. It also demonstrates that you appreciated the interviewers time and effort, and what type of employee you’ll be if hired. One again, take every advantage you can get.

So remember, the little things count in job interviewing today. Take just a few extra minutes to show up prepared, be a good listener, and send a follow-up thank you note and you’ll help yourself get the extra edge you may need to get that job. Good luck!

Kurt Allan publishes the Minnesota Job Bank HQ, the one source MN Job Bank for your Minnesota job search.

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

http://EzineArticles.com/?Overlooked-Job-Interview-Tips&id=6776377

 


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