Ask The Expert Jason Alba Kicking of 2013 with Career Management (embedded video)

Ask The Expert Jason Alba â€" Kicking of 2013 with Career Management (embedded video) Heres my recording of Tuesdays Ask The Expert call. I thought it went very well it was fun, and there are 13 things for you to think about with your career management for 2013. Some of them should surprise you.  On the video I invited you to email me what you will do after listening and I extend that to YOU.  Leave a comment on this post OR email me (as instructed in the video). You can sign up for future Ask The Expert calls here. Ask The Expert Jason Alba â€" Kicking of 2013 with Career Management (embedded video) Heres my recording of Tuesdays Ask The Expert call. I thought it went very well it was fun, and there are 13 things for you to think about with your career management for 2013. Some of them should surprise you.  On the video I invited you to email me what you will do after listening and I extend that to YOU.  Leave a comment on this post OR email me (as instructed in the video). You can sign up for future Ask The Expert calls here. Ask The Expert Jason Alba â€" Kicking of 2013 with Career Management (embedded video) Heres my recording of Tuesdays Ask The Expert call. I thought it went very well it was fun, and there are 13 things for you to think about with your career management for 2013. Some of them should surprise you.  On the video I invited you to email me what you will do after listening and I extend that to YOU.  Leave a comment on this post OR email me (as instructed in the video). You can sign up for future Ask The Expert calls here.

The Story Behind Crescendo Apparel Clothing for Pear-Shaped Women

The Story Behind Crescendo Apparel Clothing for Pear-Shaped Women After having forged a decade-long career as a successful financial analyst, Kathryn McKechnie traded in her spreadsheets for fashion spreads in 2008, when she launched Crescendo Apparel, her line of pants, skirts and wraps for pear-shaped women. As far back as she can rememberand certainly while she was analyzing data for the likes of Andersen Consulting and LaSalle BankMcKechnie was a fashion junkie, the kind of style enthusiast who dog-eared her copies of Vogue Italia and anticipated with relish every new season. There was, however, a rub: Most clothing lines failed to accommodate her curvy figure, while the labels that did failed to meet her sense of contemporary style. For most of her adult life, she paid to tailor clothes that were too big for her waist because there was no other option. And even then the fits werent great. Over the years, McKechnie realized she was far from alone. There were so many women like me out there, struggling with the same dressing-room issues. With a mind for research, McKechnie undertook to investigate the fashion industry further. She found that the most fashionable, contemporary design houses focus on clothing for what the industrys come to call the ideal figure. They work with straighter, smaller and less forgiving cuts than required to fit a pear-shaped figure. Lacking options, scores of women who arent plus-sized nevertheless shop from the plus-sized rackoften the most style-starved in the shopheading straight to the tailor thereafter. I couldnt help but wonder, says McKechnie: ‘Ideal according to whom? When she dug into the industry statistics, she learned that 64% of women are pear shaped, while 4% fit the description of the ideal figure. Ive always been a math person, says McKechnie, who graduated with high honors in finance from The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, but you wouldnt need to pass so much as an algebra class to understand the implications of these numbers. At the expense of its own bottom line, in other words, the multi-billion dollar fashion industry was ignoring the needs of a solid majority of women. That was the inspiration I needed, she says. I realized that my business and financial acumen put me in the perfect position to create an offering for curvy women, a market segment whose fashion and fit needs had been ignored for far too long. Featured in Todays Chicago Woman magazine as a model for any woman who dreams of changing careers in pursuit of her passions, McKechnie went on to earn a second degree in Fashion Marketing and Management at the Illinois Institute of Art in September 2007. Weve fused the fashion-forward sense of contemporary design with measurements to accommodate women with pear-shaped figures, says McKechnie. At Crescendo, were making curvy the new ideal. Does this line of clothing sound like something made for YOU? Crescendo is now looking for Fit Models in Chicago! Focus Group and Fit Party- Refining the Brand and Cut -Would you describe yourself as curvy particularly below the waist? -Are you currently at your ideal weight or within 10 pounds of a healthy weight? -Do you have difficulty finding clothing that fits YOUR body well particularly the gap between the waist and the hips/buttocks? -Are you dying to wear the latest trends but can not find them in a fit for your body type? If you or someone you know answered yes to all of these questions, we are interested in your/her thoughts and will pay you for your time. Event Info: Thursday, May 28, 2009 6:30 to 8pm, or 7:30pm to 9pm RSVP: Contact [emailprotected] and reference this Ms. Career Girl post.     Include your name, daytime phone, and email. Crescendo Apparel LLC is a womens clothing line for pear shaped women that provides fabulously fitting separates to take a woman from brunch with girl friends to a night on a the town. Crescendo is launching for Fall 2009 and will offer pants, skirts, and wraps through home parties and trunk shows beginning July 2009.

Three Questions Every Interviewee MUST Be Ready to Answer - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Three Questions Every Interviewee MUST Be Ready to Answer - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Interviews are stressful. You never know what to expect. But, you SHOULD expect these three questions. Or at least some variation of them. Be Prepared or Else I suggest you be ready to answer the following three questions. They may not be asked in this same way, but some variation of them will (eventually) be asked in the interview process. Be ready for them. If you aren’t you may not make it to the next level. For each question I’ll add a few specific points that highlight some of the underlying elements to each questions. For example; What are they looking for? What Should you Say? What should you NOT say? These questions are really designed to help the interviewer understand your passions, prerogatives and perceptions. The Three Questions 1. What is your ideal job? They are looking for you to know what you want. To know what you don’t want and to know where you are going. They want to hear what you are passionate about. For example, if you are a great project manager … have a story around that. If you love to write (computer) code you may want to share why. If you enjoy getting your hands dirty in the shop you will want to let the interviewer know why. I’ve met some coders who love to solve problems. The way they solve them is in their head and then they translate that into code. That’s their passion and they revel in it. One interesting thing I have noticed about some of the best coders I know is that they are also excellent musicians. Don’t say something like … whatever is available. That might get you a job delivering the newspaper or flipping burgers, but it’s not going to get you into a the job of your dreams. There is nothing wrong with flipping burgers. If that’s your passion … go for it. It worked for Five Guys. 2. What is something you are really proud of? First and foremost this should be something work related. From the first question seeking the answer to your ideal job the interviewer is again looking for what you are passionate about. Why? Because you are likely to be willing and able to put a lot of time, energy and effort into your passion projects. Being able to identify a work related accomplishment will show the interviewer that you can distinguish between prerogatives. Planting a community garden might be a nice way to give back, but its not likely going to have much of a direct impact to most roles you are considering. Passions can come out in your Side Hustle efforts.  My post Is Someone Getting the Best of You? discussed how enlightened managers allow, support and encourage Side Hustle. 3. What is your expected compensation? Know your range. Have a high and a low number in mind. The interviewer doesn’t want to trap you. That’s not their intent. They want to make sure you have the perspective for the role and salary range. You may ask the pre-emptive question “What is the salary range for this role?” before they get to it. This is OK and should not be discouraged. However, you should have a good idea of what it should be. Have a number in mind that you would prefer not to drop below. It doesn’t mean you wont … for the right role that exactly meets your needs on the Passion Scale. DOE doesnt cut it. Where DOE means Dependent Upon Experience Including DOE on job descriptions is not uncommon. However, DOE is more of a catch-all for a wider range of candidates. Once you are in the interview you need to know what you are worth. Pro Tip: Be willing to stop the interview and walk away. This is not a stunt. If the salary does not match your expectations (and skills) you may be better off stepping away. Before stepping away …  make sure you ask qualifying questions so that you completely understand not just the salary, but the role and the expectations for successful execution of the role. Just Three Questions Most interviews include a lot more than three questions. The three highlighted here are what I recommend every interviewee be ready to answer in any interview. Two of these questions are often used in informal situations  â€" parties, commutes, casual conversations at the local coffee shop, etc. Having an idea of your ideal job and being able to quickly summarize something you are proud of is a set of  skills you should hone and be ready to deliver on a moments notice. Not being able to do so typically means you haven’t thought about it much. Which, I hate to tell you this, but could quickly eliminate you from your ideal job. Take the time to consider each of these three points. Develop a quick, concise and conversational way to communicate these points. There have been volumes written on the “salary negotiation” aspects of point 3. Some of these are worthwhile reading, but knowing YOUR compensation range is the key. Then you can negotiate around that and utilize some of these skills to secure additional  benefits. Interviews are stressful. But, they don’t need to be. Especially when you are ready to answer these three questions. Let’s hear from you: Have you heard these three questions in some form? What questions have you heard? What’s your favorite / least favorite interview question? Add your thoughts here and we’ll see if we can get a great list of questions going and some solid answers to help our friends that are out there interviewing now. Even if you aren’t interviewing now your thoughts and expertise might be able to help someone else.

Balancing a Career Family. Wait, what

Balancing a Career Family. Wait, what Happy Monday, ladies! In college I always told myself I wouldn’t settle down and start a family until I could completely take care of myself, financially and mentally. The weird thing? I’m actually doing that right now… I have a great job, live in a nice apartment and can afford to eat more than Ramen noodles every night. I guess I never thought this stage in my life would get here so fast, I’m only 23. If you’re anything like me, you’re completely freaked out by your Facebook news feed â€" recently, it’s taken on a new role, only displaying images of engagement rings and sonogram shots.  Where are the pictures of extreme intoxication?  You’re even more freaked out when those pictures were uploaded by your very own sister…! Yes, it’s true, I became an aunt to a beautiful baby girl this past September. I’ve been told Baby Fever, a common disease that takes over your ability to form rational thoughts, tends to set in during your early to mid-20s. Apparently you start picking names for your unborn children and determine their athletic abilities before you even meet the man who’s going to father them for you. Sounds kind of crazy to me! As soon as my niece was born, I was in love. She was the cutest newborn I’ve ever seen and I quickly found myself wanting to spend all my free time with her. That’s when it hit… do I have, um, baby fever? Uh oh. I think about my niece all the time and wonder what her life is going to be like in 10 and even 20 years. I even think about how long it’ll be until she has cousins to play Pretty, Pretty Princess with her. Don’t worry ladies I’ve found the cure: Actually spending time with babies. Baby Fever peaks when you’re holding a little one, who keeps smiling at your funny faces and high-pitched voice. Baby Fever immediately goes away when that little one leaks through its diaper and pukes on your face. So if you think you have baby fever, I challenge you to spend more than an hour or two with a four-month-old who just ate six ounces of formula and has gas issues! It’s obvious that I’m not ready to settle down, get married and reproduce. I think I need to have a chat with the college version of myself and ask, “What were you thinking?!” We all deserve some time to be selfish, and focus on ourselves and  careers before thinking about adding to the global population. I love being an aunt, but at this point in my life, I would rather focus on moving up the corporate ladder than moving up the family tree. What about you â€" What are your plans for balancing a career and a family? I’ll take all the tips I can get!

How to Write a Sample Resume For Teachers

How to Write a Sample Resume For TeachersA sample resume for teachers is one of the best ways to impress potential employers when you are applying for a job. While the majority of teachers have previously held a teaching position in the public and private sectors, it can be difficult to come up with an original, polished resume that represents who you are and what you know. This article provides a step-by-step procedure for creating a sample resume for teachers.The first thing you need to do is research real life examples of resumes for teachers. You should get a number of these from your local library or online. This will help you identify which parts of these samples are relevant to you and which parts you would do well to modify. Because this is your first attempt at writing a resume, it is important to start from the beginning so that you understand what is expected of you.Once you have a few samples to work from, you should decide which aspects of the resume you want to include in your own. Consider including contact information for your school, extracurricular activities, and teaching awards, but also try to include a section for teaching evaluations and testimonials. However, you will want to keep the objective statement as short and to the point as possible.The first paragraph should be a direct sales pitch. Focus on the benefits you can provide a prospective employer. Take the time to answer questions about the most recent teaching positions you held and talk about the types of duties you were responsible for. Use the following paragraphs to discuss teaching philosophy, special skills, as well as any other additional experience you might have gained over the years.At the end of the resume, include contact information for your references. These should be from the employer, not a former student. Some schools have a list of their past students in the Human Resources Department or through the alumni association. Be sure to mention this. Next, include your contact information for people you have worked with in the past.The second paragraph should focus on your academic qualifications. Talk about how long you have been teaching and for how many years. If you did not go to college, talk about your interest in continuing your education. The last paragraph should be dedicated to a list of your strengths and weaknesses.The next paragraph should be a description of the duties that you can offer to a potential employer. A positive section is where you list those aspects of teaching that you can offer as an asset. A negative section lists those areas where you might be deficient. For example, if you have children that you want to teach, list those areas that you cannot cover as part of your teaching package.Finally, list the areas of the resume that you do not want to be a part of your overall package. This includes your position, grade level, and job duties. After all of this has been completed, you can submit your resume to potential employ ers.

The worst piece of career advice

The worst piece of career advice What’s the worst piece of career advice you’ve ever received? For me, it has to be: “Keep doing what you’re doing” Other than in the very short term, “keep doing what you’re doing” has to be wrong and therefore a dangerous way to proceed in your career.   Here’s why: Things changeThe world is changing so fast that if you’re still doing the same things in the same way, then by definition you’re falling behind. The bar keeps getting higherPeople expect more from you as you gain experience and progress.   Plus, others are raising their game whether or not you choose to. It’s boring!If we keep doing what we’re doing, it gets old pretty quickly. Some people like routine, but if you’re out to reach your full potential, you have to “shake it up” and keep learning and growing. Instead, here are 3 strategic questions to ask yourself that can help you advance your career even further Am I still heading where I want to go? We all get so busy rushing around that it’s important to set aside time at least once a year to make sure you’re still on course for success as you define it…and to make some changes if you need to. And if you don’t know where you want to head, there’s no time like the present to start figuring that out. What investments do I need to make to get there? Just as it’s bad advice to “just keep doing what you’re doing”, it’s to your benefit to keep investing in yourself so that you continue to learn, grow, expand your capabilities, and it's especially important as you get more senior. The worst time to get stale is when you’re senior, because that's when you're expensive and harder to move around the organization. So take a moment to look ahead and figure out what you’ll need to do differently as you advance. It could be building new relationships with external constituencies who will be important as you rise in the organization. Or having more operating experience or direct P&L experience. Or developing a new skill, such as coaching which can help you create a coaching culture at work plus make you an even better manager, leader and, yes, a better human being. Or it could be as simple as learning a language. I know the Dean of a business school and the CEO of a growth company who are learning Mandarin Chinese to be more effective in their business. Whatever you choose to take on, block some time and invest the money to get started. Maybe even set aside an investment budget for yourself and insist on spending it before the year is over â€" that way you’ll be more inclined to take action, which is what it's all about! Whose help do I need along the way, and how I can also help them? It’s great to look ahead and see what kind of circles you're going to be operating in, and also the kinds of people you will need to be interacting with. Maybe it’s developing a relationship with someone who you think could be a key mentor.   Or someone in the sector you’d like to move into.   Remember, it’s a two-way street.   And the key is to build those relationships before you need to call on them. Be willing to give first and make sure you've got a lot in the relationship “bank”. These questions are a great way to stay strategic about your path to career mastery, and an important antidote to the every day rush of our normal jobs and lives. I’d love to know how you put these strategic questions into action.   And please add YOUR favorite questions in the comments section below.

I got laid off. . . and it was the best thing. - Wolfgang Career Executive Coaching

I got laid off. . . and it was the best thing. - Wolfgang Career Executive Coaching Guest blog from a client of mine who was laid off recently but stayed open-minded and found something wonderful! -Coach Wolfgang Experience, exposure, expertise. These are some of the benefits in joining a large, well-known company. Budgets, regions and rewards tend to be bigger than, say, those of a smaller company. Of course, with a potential for big gains, comes big risk like getting laid off. Mass layoffs tend to be just as common as rapid hiring. Of course, I knew all of this going in. Yet it didn’t stop me from joining a large company almost a decade ago. And I had a great run. Working with several business units and regions around the world, I expanded my portfolio, beefed up my resume and worked with some brilliant people. Then, like so often in the business world, there were talks of mergers, acquisitions and more. Several individuals whom I adored were laid off. I knew it would hit my department eventually. And then I heard those five little words: “Your job has been eliminated.” So what did I do? What anyone who was just laid off would do. . . I went to a movie, drank multiple glasses of wine, wallowed in self-pity. . . And then I suited up. Putting my feelers out there, I canvassed my networks to see if anyone was hiring. Did anyone need a seasoned professional? What about pro-bono help? I volunteered at the local Junior Achievement â€"speaking to 5th graders, which was incredibly fulfilling. I met up with former co-workers for coffee. I balanced searching for a job with truly LIVING my life. I hiked and played local tourist, which I hadn’t done in years. Instead of being humiliated, I was liberated. And then an interesting thing happened. I was chatting with a CMO that I had worked with previously. We had had a great working relationship, and their team had heard about our layoffs. “Hey! Have you ever considered consulting?” the CMO asked. Consulting? Me? No. I’m not a consultant, I thought. I’m the nine-to-five-weekend-as-needed type. I’m motivated by a consistent paycheck, 401k, security of a full time job. . . or so I thought. But I replied (and this is important): “Not really, but tell me more. . .” “Tell me more” is a solid conversation starter. They say that everyone you meet can teach you something new. In this situation, we started a simple discussion and I got my questions answered. We agreed to a 30-day contract which evolved into a long term partnership. A year later I’ve got the work-life I’d dreamed of but didn’t know was possible. My hours are flexible, the pay is good and I’m fulfilled. My advice? Sometimes getting laid off is the best thing that can happen to you. And when the next opportunity presents itself, simply say, ‘tell me more’ and see where it goes. Good luck!