Finding Your Passion and Earning in the Process

Do you know that you can actually earn from the results of your hard work in finding your passion? And that is not the only goal that you will likely get in the process. If you feel like you are stuck in your current job, you have to rethink your life and where you are taking it. You are the driver of your own vehicle and you decide where you will go. But you are only human so you must be open for mistakes and other challenges that life may bring along your journey.

Living to earn is very different from earning a living. With the latter, you can be more adventurous. Life can be more fun, especially when you are pursuing the things that you really like and earning money in the process. This is the reason why people who have chosen an unlikely route just so they can earn good amount of cash will likely feel the downside of their decision at some point on their lives.

Comfort Zone

Are you at a place where you feel like you are already too comfortable? This is not really a good thing. If you have been working the same job, which was not what you really wanted to do deep in your heart, through time, you will be able to master the craft. You will know how to work your way through the job where you won’t get into any trouble. You will get your job done, you will be paid, then you will have to work over and over again the same tasks every day. This set up may be giving you enough money to live by. But are your living the life that you really wanted to attain? If not, then maybe it is time to get out of your comfort zone.

You have to take risks in order to know your capabilities. You must not be afraid to fail because that is part of the whole ballgame. You just have to learn from your own mistakes.

Earning from Your Passion

If you really love what you are doing, you will eventually excel on it. You can even pursue your passion as a side project aside from your real job. This is ideal for people who are afraid to lose their main source of income. Your passion can actually bring in more cash if you will be able to utilize them well to your advantage. For example, you are good in writing or painting. You only have to use your talents, hone them and soon enough, you will surprise everyone that your passion has led you to more profitable source of income.

If you will open yourself to these kinds of possibilities, there will come a time when you can comfortably choose your passion and drop the job that you don’t really like and earn as much as well. This is a very ideal situation because when you love what you are doing, it will show in the quality of work that you are producing. It will also reflect on how you live your life and your attitude towards anything that you may encounter as you go through it.

But setting the right goals and finding your passion may not be as easy as it seems to be. You really have to think hard about it so that you can be led to the right course.

Seven Basic Salary Negotiation Tips

Money is the most sensitive issue in the whole hiring process. Discussing the compensation often causes anxiety on both employee and employer. Here are seven ways to make the process of salary negotiating efficient.

1) Research:  Before the interview process begins, contact the professional organization that represents your field of career. As soon as they provide you with your salary information, you can now examine your monthly cash requirements. Remember that once your taxes are added to your paycheck, approximately 30% of your gross monthly salary is deducted.

2) Determine your skills: You should understand that different segments of the economy require a variety of skills depending on the industry setting. Once you have established what your skills are and what they are worth to the current employment market, you would know the limitations of your negotiation.

Salary range information is available at American Almanac of Jobs and Salaries, National Association of College and Employers, Career Center, and professionals in your related field.

In stating your salary range, avoid basing your desired salary on your current salary. Always tell the truth when it comes to your past salary. It is acceptable to extend a range to approximately $6,000 to show that you are within the company’s price range but interested in more compensation.

3) Weigh the company’s compensation package: To determine your fair market value for a specific job, you should consider the economic, geographic, and industry factors of the job offer. Weigh the benefits of compensation and promotions, insurance, allowed time off and retirement settlements of the offer to ensure a fair proposed salary.

4) Sell yourself: If you know what you could offer the company requires a larger income, never say it directly.  Once you sell yourself discreetly, the interviewer would understand that the proposed salary is not appropriate for your background.

5) Have a positive attitude: In negotiating, never compete. Negotiation is basically a process which could benefit both parties. Understand your needs and those of the company.

6) The final offer: Be aware when the negotiation is done. Pushing further when a deal has been set could give a negative first impression on your part.

7) Show what you are made of: The interview is only the first step in having an enhanced compensation. Once you are hired, offer your skills to the company and prove your worth by doing quality work. You may even get a promotion for doing so.

Based from a survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management, four out of five employees are willing to negotiate compensation. Understanding these basic tips will allow you to enhance the terms of your new job.

“Looking for the Job that is right for you”

Finding the best job that suits your personality and your lifestyle is never easy.  It’s actually a full time job itself.To better understand your needs and increase your chance of succeeding in your chosen field, you need to conduct a personal evaluation.  Is this the career you want?  Is there room for growth?  Are the salary and benefits good?

You can’t really evaluate a position unless you do the research.  From a recent survey in the U.S., graduate degree holders earn an average of 35 to 50 percent more than just bachelor’s degree holders.  This is a reason why more and more are taking their Masters.  There could be an offer or two, all you have to do is make a concrete decision to ensure the right job for you in the present job market.

Know what you want

Knowing what kind of personality you have and your interests gives you an idea how you would like to spend your day on a job.  The activities you’d like to get involved in plays a great role in keeping you motivated.  You could make a list of the kinds of people you would like to be working with.  Say, people who like being told what to do or authoritative types; how about loud people or quiet types; and would you like a place where people love socializing or not?  There are different sizes of companies as well, there are small, medium, large, overseas, local, and regional.

The Internet is a valuable tool that assists online job seekers in looking for a job they could fit in.  Trim down the choices depending on your needs and wants to get the more possible pool of companies you can try submitting resumes.

Below are the common job search techniques:

Percentage of
Job hunters                  Search Technique                             Effectiveness

66.0%                                Direct application                                 47.71%
50.8                                Referral from friends’ work                   22.1
41.8                                Asking friends from other places     11.9
28.4                                Asking family about the company
they work for                                 19.3
27.3                                Asking relatives about jobs from
other places                                   7.4
45.9                                Newspaper posts                                  23.9
21.0                                Career centers                                  24.2
12.5                                School organizations/clubs                    21.4
15.3                                Civil Service Exams                    12.5
10.4                                Referrals from mentors                    12.1
1.6                                Local ads                                  12.9
6.0                                Cooperative programs                    22.2

*Percentage results obtained from dividing the technique by the total number of job hunters who tried to use the method, successful or not.

Your major strengths and weaknesses will help indicate how well you will perform in the work you have chosen.  Your progress dictates your maturity and enthusiasm at work.  Finding the best job for you is a full time job itself.  It requires time and passion to get positive results.  No matter what you choose, it should always be a place where you can identify yourself and remain happy.

Must-know Tips on Executive Job Search

It is normal for every person to strive for career advancement and growth. It makes them feel that all of their hard work has paid off and that a promotion is, indeed, the best reward they can get.

However, for some whose luck seems to be so illusive, they have to find their own growth somewhere else. That is why most of them opted for executive job searches, where they hope that someday they would be lucky enough to find the executive job that they have long been dreaming for.

But is it really just luck? Or are there some factors that need to be considered when searching for that executive job of their dreams?

Landing a good executive job is not dependent on luck.  For people who wish to learn some tips regarding executive job searches, here are some pointers on how to get that dream job:

1. Killer looks

The saying, “Looks could kill” is not an understatement. Though the word kill is only used literally and the word look is sometimes associated with stares. But what is being pointed out here is that looks can definitely kill a person’s chances on landing his or her executive job if the applicant had missed one great factor: appearance.

As the saying goes, first impressions last, so it would be better to make that first impression by looking just right for the job.  After all, if a person wants to have an executive job, then, he should dress appropriately for the position. In this way, the executive job he had been searching for might just become a reality.

2. Show some mastery

For an executive position, most employers would want to hire those who are already an expert in their own field. This means that the applicants should be adept in the areas concerning their chosen careers. This will show that the applicant has already started a coherent career track and is already knowledgeable in the field.

It will do no good to an applicant who claims to be a “jack of all trades but a master of none.” Six out of 10 applicants are hired because of their expertise on a certain field. This only means that employers are more concerned with people who have already mastered their career and have established continuous career growth.

Finding an available executive job could be one thing but actually getting that dream executive job is another thing.  Looking and acting the part is a must to landing that dream job!

Job Hunting Tips

Are you a fresh graduate and planning to look for a job? Did you just recently quit your job and are looking for greener pastures? Are you unemployed and have little experience regarding ways to secure a job? Whatever your situation may be, it would be to your advantage to study the following tips:

Check your resume for mistakes

Before submitting your resume to a prospective employer, check your resume for corrections at least three times before handing it over. After researching about the job position, it is critical that you format your resume to match the needs of the company. For example, if you are applying for an accounting job, you should put in detail your accounting experience on your resume. Typographical and grammatical errors are serious no-no’s. It is also ideal to keep the length of the resume’ to at least a page and a half long.

Taking the interview challenge

A survey conducted by a staffing and consulting firm based in California which corresponded with 1,400 chief financial officers concluded that candidates for employment made most of their mistakes on their interviews. Some of the mistakes they made include: arriving late, having little knowledge about the company and the position applied for, and having a superiority complex and behaving arrogantly. The body language of the applicant must also denote that he is confident yet not overpowering. He must maintain eye contact, have a strong handshake, and avoid looking defensive by the act of crossing the arms. Wearing the right clothes is crucial for projecting a confident stance. As they say, it is better to go to an interview over-dressed than being under-dressed.

Answer questions smartly

A common mistake of interviewees is that they tend to get tense and forget the questions that are given to them, which has the effect that they are not prepared for the interview. It is important to research about the company and the position applied for to prevent being side-tracked during the interview. If you do not know the answer to the questions being asked, it is better to admit you don’t know the answer to the question and add that you can research about it. Look for the skills or expertise that the company is looking for so that when interview day comes and the interviewer asks about your strengths and core competencies, you will be able to match it to what they need.

Getting the necessary referrals

Having a referral from one of the company employees can go a long way toward landing an interview.  A typical company may receive job applications in the hundreds and usually 35% to 60% of all job vacancies are filled by referrals. The odds of getting hired when you have a referral are very high if you have another 200 to 500 applicants vying for the same position. If you do not know anyone from the company that may give you a referral, it is a good idea to the alumni network of your college, trade groups, social networks, and professional associations. Remember, having a referral greatly increases your chances of getting the position.

On online application

With the current trend of technology and its merging with business processes, more and more companies are now requiring prospective applicants to submit their application online.  Thus, first impressions are relayed not by your first appearance but by the quality and content of your e-mail. E-mails regarding job application should be polished and well-articulated. When applying on-line, use the following tips:

Complete your sentences and do not abbreviate.

Employers do not like when you send them application letters that seem to be too casual. It is important to make a letter that is both formal and well written. This gives a good impression regarding your capabilities and skills.

Get directly to the point

When writing an application letter, you must be concise and straightforward. Do not put a story on the letter just to get the attention of the employer, chances are he or she will just get irritated with you and this only reduces your chances of getting hired.

Consider potential issues that may hinder you from getting the job

Although there are instances wherein there is a lot of need for a job but the requirements for the position may entail training programs that may bar you from getting the position due to its highly competitive nature. Some require a lot of experian even at least 3 years of work experience. Some may have no barriers to entry but the job itself may entail a very routine work flow.

Getting the job you want may be a challenge but never lose hope. It is better to wait a while and get the job that you will enjoy rather than get a job as soon as possible but ending up dissatisfied and unhappy. Make the right decision then act on it.