Alison Doyle

Top Career Blogs

Ten great career blogs from Eve Tahmincioglu, MSNBC’s Career Columnist, the voice of CareerDiva.net, and author of From the Sandbox to the Corner Office: Lessons Learned on the Journey to the Top:

http://www.blogs.com/topten/10-great-career-blogs/index.html

Conquering Your Fears

One of the ironies about me being married to a ski writer is that I don't like snow much, unless it's just on the mountain for the skiers.  I hate driving in snow and I don't like being cold.

So, as I'm checking the weather forecast for when we were scheduled to leave Val D'Isere in France, I'm thinking that when you drive in your worst nightmare (down a mountain in a snow storm on tiny roads full of hairpin turns) then you won't have to worry about it so much the next time, because you survived it. 

Well, I was thinking that before I left, and then thought, well, you better not think about having done it (safely and soundly) until after you make it down.  Which we did. Which means, maybe, that next time I won't have to worry so much about it. Because it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, thanks to ski writer husband's adeptness as driving on mountain roads and him not even thinking it's an issue, because, after all, skiers love snow, regardless of where it is.

By the way, in addition, to getting over one of my worst fears, I got to spend time in one of the most beautiful villages in the French Alps. There is something very special about looking at your windows and being surrounded by mountains.  That's the flip side of my snow issues and the payoff is worth the worries.  Here's a look at Val d'Isere, just in case you're interested.

Need Job Search Help?

There are so many job and career sites that it seems like there are almost too many places to get advice.  It can be confusing to know where to find good resources and how to know what's good advice - and what isn't. However, if you're confused, don't worry. 

I have plenty of resources to get you started, to get your job search on track, and to help you with every step of the process to find a new job.

About.com Job Searching
Visit the About.com Job Searching site for tons of job search resources including resumes, letters, how-tos, where to look for jobs, how to network, and how to apply for jobs.

Best Job Sites
Here are my picks for the best job sites for all level of job seekers - from entry level to executive.

About.com Facebook Page
Become a Fan of the About.com Job Searching site on Facebook and get advice from myself and other career experts.

LinkedIn About.com Careers and Job Search Group
Join the LinkedIn About.com Careers and Job Search Group for job hunting suggestions, discussion, and news.

Twitter

• For the latest tidbits and snippets of advice, follow me on Twitter:
  http://twitter.com/alisondoyle
• There are lots of other career experts, along with really good advice, on Twitter, too:
  http://jobsearch.about.com/od/networkingsites/p/twitter.htm

Have a Question or Need Personal Assistance?
Visit the About.com Job Searching Forum for advice and answers to your job hunting questions.

Do You Have a VisualCV?

Do you have a VisualCV?  I spent some time this morning working on my VisualCV.  That reminded me that a VisualCV is something that everyone who is job hunting or in career mode should have.

Mine was quick and simple to create.  I uploaded my photo and images of my book covers and added my work history, my memberships, and links to my web sites.

 

I have a dedicated url for my VisualCV: http://www.visualcv.com/alisondoyle and I can create a PDF version that looks really impressive.  It's an excellent way to present your skills and experience in a professional, polished, and engaging format.  Empoyers and hiring managers can discover, at a glance, what they need to know about you. 

Take the time to create your own VisualCV and let me know what you think. Or, if you already have one, I'd be interested in taking a look.  Post the link as a Comment or send me the URL, if you'd like share your own VisualCV.

Taking Your Job With You

I'm on the road (visiting Val D'isere in France) and even though I am neurotic about bringing everything I need to stay connected, I should have brought my iPhone to computer connector - and I didn't.  My laptop bag felt like it weighed a ton (and I don't let it out of my sight), so I tried to organize and lighten it a little.  I didn't bring the connector that connects my iPhone to my laptop, because I figured that my wall charger would work just fine. 

Except for some reason, it didn't. I don't know if it's because the battery extender for my iPhone was plugged into the wall adaptor which was plugged into the European adaptor.  I had a few minutes of panic as I watched the battery signal turn red, but the third receptacle I tried work (sigh of relief).

Next time, I'll make sure I'm covered and I'll add the computer connector to the rest of the pile - for the computer, the Garmin, the phones, ski boot warmers, what-have-you... The Garmin, by the way, was a bit easier to figure out - it came with a bunch of international connectors.

When you're job searching, it's also important to stay connected.  You'll want to be able to check email and stay in touch with your connections, so you don't miss out on a good job opportunity.  Here's how to job search on the road.

Before You Quit Your Job

Are you ready to quit your job? Before you do, take the time to, first of all, be sure that you're sure you want to resign.  If you don't have another job lined up, remember that this is really a tough job market and it could take you quite a while to find a new job. 

Keep benefits in mind as well. They are as important as your paycheck and you don't want to be without health insurance, if you can help it.

Even if you hate your job, the company, or you boss, it make sense to keep it and job search on the side, until you can find a new job.

If you're sure that you're ready to resign, it's a good idea to quit carefully and strategically, without burning any bridges.  Here's advice on how to quit your job.

Once you've decided that you're out of there, it's a good idea to resign in-person and explain to your supervisor that you're moving on. Then, write a resignation letter for the record and your employee file, and  to confirm your departure date (two weeks notice is standard).

Here are a variety of resignation letter examples to review include formal resignation letters, letters thanking the company, letters explaining why you're leaving, and very basic letters with just the fact that you're resigning.

More: Resignation Letters

Networking and Salary Success

Some of us network for professional reasons, others for fun, and for still others the connecting we do is a mix of personal and professional networking.

I know plenty of people (me included) who sometimes feel guilty about the time they spend on Twitter, Facebook, and less guilty-feeling making, but still time consuming, on LinkedIn, on blogs, discussion forums, and online, in general.

For those of us who feel a bit guilty, there's good news.  A new UpMo Study: Tracking the Habits of Elite Networkers reports that networking is not only good for your career, it's great for your career.

The UpMo study says that "Fifty-eight percent of respondents believe a person skilled at networking could see a 'significant, substantial or dramatic”"impact on income — even up to a 100-percent increase." 

In addition,  the study reports that "There’s a correlation between “elite professionals,” those with salaries exceeding $200,000, and the value placed on networking."

If you're not already spending time networking, review UpMo's report and notch out some time to network. If you're already connecting regularly and frequently, don't feel guilty. In fact, you'd probably be better served spending even more time networking - and upgrading your earnings potential.

Best Job Search Tips

Given that it seems like it's going to be a tough start to the year if you're job searching, I asked top job search and career experts to share their best job search tips for 2009.

The advice includes setting up Google alerts for yoru name, getting on Twitter, thinking outside and inside the box, and positioning yourself so you're the hunter, not the hunter.

If there's anything on the list that you're not incorporating in your job search, consider giving it a try. Given this difficult job market, it makes sense to include as many different job hunting strategies as possible in your job search.

And if you have a job search tip to share, here's how to add it to the list.

JobTabs - Organize Your Job Search

Do you need help organizing and tracking your job search? If so, JobTabs will help you get organized, save time, and keep your job search on track.  You can make your job hunt run more smoothly by:

• Managing your working relationships and your contacts.
• Keeping your job search information in sync.
• Saving all versions of your resume, so you will always have an exact copy of every resume you have sent to every employer
• Keeping all your job search correspondence in one place, including Word documents, hyperlinks to resources on your hard drive, web pages, emails, email attachments, pdfs, etc.

To get your job search off to a good start this new year, JobTabs is offering a special 25% discount just for the month of January:
JobTabs Discount