How to Deal with Redundancy

Redundancy isn’t the end of the world, although it sure feels like it. And just like any life situation, you can treat it as a challenge and an opportunity at the same time. For all you half-full optimistic executives, here are some ways through which you can handle your situation well:

• Take time to reflect on your situation. What happened? Why were you removed from your position? Is it because of something that you did or weren’t able to do? If you think that you could have done a better job in your company, then create a game plan that will enable you to do better next time. As you find answers to your questions, create a game plan that will enable you to make necessary changes in yourself.
• Consider a career shift. Maybe your redundancy is a way for you to move to a new career. Be open to the many possibilities for you and your career. A lot of people who experience redundancies end up with jobs that offer a higher salary and better benefits, in a more satisfying job position. Check out job listings in the Internet to have an idea of the many job positions that you can target.

• Update your resume. Before you scatter your CV to different employers, first update it and improve it. Highlight your accomplishments and pay attention to the format that you use. Research about the new trends in writing your resume, and make sure that no information is false. You don’t want to have an impressive resume that you cannot back up.
• Apply for positions that you want. Instead of using the scattergun approach in applying for jobs, really research and use your network in finding out about jobs that suit your career goals. Since you were removed from your position, you might be tempted to just apply for job positions that you can do, instead of targeting those that you want to do.
• Invest in learning. This may be the best time for you to focus on learning and improving your skills. Look for classes to attend, spend time reading helpful articles, and upskill by asking your friends and colleagues around. All of your efforts to learn should be directed at your career goals. For instance, if you’re coming from  finance jobs or banking jobs, and you want to become a manager in your next job, then look for resources that will enrich your ability to lead a team.

How to Jumpstart Yourself for a Full Week

Very few people love Mondays. It signals the start of a full week at work and the end of a great weekend. As a result, a lot of employees work slower on a Monday, and end up not achieving much for the whole day.

You, as an executive, should not simply dismiss Monday blues as a truth and fact that you have to deal with. Encourage your team to work through Monday efficiently and effectively. Lead them by example and be the team with accounting jobs and executive jobs that don’t have lull days. Here are some ways through which you can jumpstart a full week of work.

• Plan a holiday. Give yourself thirty minutes at the start of your Monday to plan your next holiday. This will give you something to look forward to, and will hopefully help you be more energized throughout the day.
• Bring little things that will encourage you. It may be a photo of you and your daughter, or of the seashore from your last holiday. Why don’t you read a quote from a little book of quotes that your co-worker gave you last year?
• Take breaks. It is counter productive to spend the whole day in your work desk. And although some people are able to finish work without taking any pause or break, they end up with results that aren’t as excellent as they can deliver. Go out for lunch; treat it as a special time for yourself. Take coffee breaks every couple of hours or so and slow down during this time. This will help you focus on your tasks at hand, and is a great way to hone your creativity.
• Plan the day ahead. Don’t rush into work once you get to your desk. Think about how each task should be done, what time they are most ideal to do, and how much time you should spend on each one. Create a to-do list and stick to it.
• Plan your weekend. Just like planning for your next holiday, planning your weekend will give you something to look forward to. If you cannot wait for the weekend, then give yourself a Monday reward. Check what’s showing in the cinema and buy your tickets in advance, so that you will be more excited to work during the day and get your reward afterwards.

Networking 101 through a Conference

One of the best things you can do for your career is to attend conferences. You can learn about the industry, you get the right perspective on your job and on your position in the industry. Most of all, you will be able to meet new people and establish a strong network of contacts that can help you reach your career goals.
So how exactly do you network in a conference? Aside from bringing business cards and getting the business cards of other participants, here are other important tips that will help you make the most out of a conference you will attend in:

• Find a way to be seen. If you can’t make a way for you to be one of the speakers, participate in the conference through other ways, such as by volunteering to be an usher or session facilitator. Sure, you can simply go to the conference and be one of the thousands of participants, but why not take a more visible role when you can?
• Reconnect with contacts. If you know some contacts who will be going to the conference, communicate with them before the conference starts and set aside time for them. Have coffee or take your lunch with them.

• Plan your schedule well. Conferences are usually composed of different sessions that occur simultaneously. Choose the sessions that you know you will learn a lot from. Don’t burn yourself out though, eave some time for yourself to enjoy the venue of the conference or to relax by your own.
• If you are a first-timer, attend the briefing session. This will prep you up for the sessions and will give you a clear picture of what’s going to happen during the whole conference. You will also meet other newbies in the briefing session, so ready your business cards for new contacts.
• Talk with the speakers. Conference speakers are experts in your industry. Try to talk with them and ask your questions personally. Don’t be shy in letting them know that you liked their presentation. Get their business card, give them your business card, and make sure that you do a follow-up online. Add them on Facebook and Twitter, and tag them in a conference-related post.
• Give yourself all the opportunities to learn. Attending a conference should not be mainly about building a network of contacts. It should first and foremost be about learning about your industry and learning from the experts in it. Take down notes in all the sessions that you attend, and conduct your own recap by consolidating and organizing your notes. You don’t go there just to look for banking jobs and finance jobs!

How to Motivate Yourself Right at Your Desk

They say that one of the best tools that can motivate an employee is rest and relaxation. This applies to staff employees as well as to those who are in executive jobs such as top accounting jobs and managerial positions. But what if your vacation isn’t until next month, and already you’re running out of zest for work? Don’t fret my pet; there are ways for you to motivate yourself right in the comfort (or discomfort) of your own desk. Here are our suggestions on how you can be more productive and happier at work:

• Make your view stimulating. Is your desk a dull and blank workspace? Improve it by placing visual stimuli such as a calendar in your favorite colors, a photo of you and your family, or a print of your favorite quote.
• Clean your desk. If your desk is a clutter, you will most likely feel uninspired to work (unless you’re an artist or a writer who works best under a pile of mess). Not only does a clean desk help in clearing the mind for accomplishing tasks, but the act of cleaning is itself a practice of rest and relaxation. Arranging your books can be a therapeutic activity, something that you don’t do everyday at work that can do miracles in your disposition.

• Spoil yourself when it comes to tools. Are you more inspired when you have a pretty planner? Do you work better with a stash of scratch paper and six pens in different colors? You know yourself better than anybody else, so invest in tools that will help you concentrate and work better. It may even be a set of Lego blocks!
• Warm up. Who says it’s bad to surf the Web during work? The Internet is the best source of inspiration and ideas. Heck, even a banking executive can get an idea by pinning pins in Pinterest and reading up friends’ posts on Facebook. Just make sure that you don’t compromise your time for work as you browse through all the pretties you find in the Internet.
• Check on your mentor, or on somebody you look up to. Are you following your boss, or somebody you’d like to learn from, on Twitter? If not, follow them and see how they go through their day. Most likely you will find some form of inspiration, even just from a post that speaks of how hectic their day is. Since you look up to them, you would most likely feel inspired to work.
• Read the news. Reading through a news website such as CNN will help you have a good perspective at work. It takes you out of your desk without having to physically leave it, and gives you just enough reality check to help you appreciate your work more. Check out opinion columns too and participate in the discussions through comments.

Almost Promoted: How to Handle

What do you do when a promotion that you expect doesn’t go to you? Naturally, you will have your reactions and these might affect the way you perform in the office. Here’s a rundown of the things you need to do so that instead of delaying your journey to the corner office, you hasten the process and do it with ease.

• Dust it off. In other words, calm down. Not getting a promotion that you’ve been expecting can be a hard blow to the ground, but you won’t go anywhere if all you have is bitterness and disappointment. Do not do or say anything until you know that you are not very emotional anymore. If you are in the finance jobs sector, know that more positions will open up for you. The same way when you are in the banking jobs sector or in media.
• Talk with your boss. It is important to be open to your boss about how you feel. Any wall that may hinder you from having a great working relationship with your superior will not help you in your goal to advance in your career, and so it is always the best thing to let him know that you were disappointed for not getting the promotion. As you express your feelings, let him know that you accept the decision and you would like to know what you could have done better to earn the position.

• Assess the situation. If the position was the only one open during the time of the promotion, then you can easily dismiss that it just wasn’t your time. However, if it is appraisal season and you feel that you are the only one who did not get a promotion, then you can bring up your concern to your boss.
• Be open. As you ask for feedback, put down your defenses and know that your boss is on your side. You should not come to his office with all your excuses and explanations ready to be thrown off. Instead, think objectively and focus on what you can do to improve on yourself. More importantly, do not convince your boss to reconsider his decision. It sends the wrong message about what is important to you, and it can also be offensive to your superior. It’s another way of saying that he made a bad decision, after all.
• Ask for specifics. Your boss can be too nice when he finally gives you feedback. Let him know that you are very open to his opinion, and that you would want to know each and every detail that can help you earn the promotion the next time a vacant position comes up.

A Checklist for the Job Seeker

So you’re back in the job chase. After all the years that you have been in a company and out of the job market, a lot has changed in the dynamics of looking for a job. If you are an accountant, you might be shocked about how the process in looking for accounting jobs has changes. So make sure that you take this checklist as you go on a hunt for executive jobs to ensure that you get the right position at the soonest time possible.

• References. Yes, you still need references. Although not all companies really “refer” to what these people have to say, it’s better to have a list of people who can vouch for you in case your future employer wants to make sure.
• Resume. Before you even start browsing job listings, first update your resume. It will give you an idea of how much you have grown in your career. You can also use it to gauge the kinds of positions that you can target, based on what the market is currently requiring. Aside from adding items in your resume, you should also update how it looks, taking note of new trends in formats and content.

• Outfits. For girls, this is good news and the fun part in looking for a job. Check your wardrobe and see if your current pieces will still work for an interview. Remember that you want to make a good first impression, and it isn’t something along the lines of “I don’t have a job right now.”
• Cover letter. As you look for a job, make sure that the applications you send out are tailored to every company that you apply in. Your cover letter should be concise and specific, something that will convince the HR representative to open your attached resume and consider you for the job.
• Network. Job hunting today is much easier, thanks to online tools that allow for a larger yet tighter network of contacts in the industry. Reconnect with old colleagues and find jobs through your friends who are working companies you want to be part of. Make sure that as you find contacts, you also pay attention to your online presence, so that you can be found as well. You’ll never know if the next job that you will have is through a friend who saw your LinkedIn profile.