Last year, I participated in a 4 day series (that lasted over the course of 8 months) that my company offers to the women of the organization. We use an outside vendor that specializes in career development for women. The course is designed to talk about many issues women face in the workplace & how to set yourself up to succeed. Over the course of this blog, I'll be sure to touch on several of the topics we covered.
Before we even started the series, we each read "Now, Discover Your Strengths" by Marcus Buckingham. This was such an eye-opening book to read. It discusses the idea that in order to succeed & be happy, you must first discover what your strengths are & focus on those rather than focusing on trying to strengthen your weaknesses. You also take the StrengthsFinder test which helps determine what your top 5 strengths are. Let me tell you, this test could not have hit the nail more squarely on the head. It was me to a tee (no pun intended). My #1 strength is that I'm a Learner. Let me tell you - This really put my whole life into perspective for me. My entire life, I've been the wierd kid that loves going to school. If there is one thing that I've learned from reading this book is that I thrive in situations where I'm learning new things. Finally explains why I always enjoyed going to school, reading books, watching educational movies/shows, and why I always wanted to be a teacher. Some may ask why I didn't become a teacher; well, let's say that I learned very early on in college that I did not want to spend 8 hours a day with the little ones. I realized after reading this book & taking the course that I need to be in a job that allows me to learn new things on a daily basis. That's when I realized I should (and wanted to) become a trainer.
I guess the point that I'm trying to make is find out what you're good at... You can figure it out pretty easily by paying attention to what makes you happy during the day. When we succeed, something triggers inside our heads & we immediately feel happy. So find out what your strength is & figure out how to make it work for you. Find the job or the aspects of your job that truly make you happy. Take the work out of your job!!!!
On another note, the Wall Stret Journal recently picked up the story of the program. Take a look and stay tuned for more. Also, we're (along with the 3rd party firm that created the program for us) are finalist for a 2008 Client Advisor Award, an award to honor clients & advisors who consistantly and cooperatively foster and grow successful client advisor relationships. This program has just started its third round & I believe there will be several more.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
dress for success
I'm sure that most of you have seen Julia Roberts and her portrayal of Erin Brockovich. There's no doubt that the work of the real Erin Brockovich is nothing short of absolutely astonishing and she continues to inspire others as a dedicated environmental activist. Even with all of this hard work & natural talent she obviously carries, my mind cannot help but wonder how many obstacles she has encountered in her lifetime simply because of the way she dressed while on the job? When I hear her name, my first thought is of tight mini-skirts and enough cleavage to make some people blush.... then, my mind goes to the excellent work she has done. Let's face it... we live in a visual society and it's almost impossible to escape the ramifications that come along with that.
Recently, careerbuilder.com surveyed employers to discover that 41% say that people who dress better or more professionally tend to be promoted more often than others in their organization. The survey dug in a little bit deeper to find that employers give more weight in an interview to candidates who show up wearing a business suit than those who do not. In an effort to encourage employees to continually look professional, some employers have made the decision to ban certain items of clothing such as flip-flops, mini-skirts, & even jeans.
Just like many other companies, mine faces these same issues. In an effort to find an out of the box way to address these issues, we came up with our own Dress for Success Panel. For the first panel we held, we brought in one of our departments that is 100% female-based & put together a panel of 5 women from our organization that were director level or above. The moderator posed a few questions to get the session going and to keep it moving if need be, but for the most part the ladies kept the conversation lively and upbeat. You could see the enthusiasm in the group to find out what tips and tricks that they could each use to help further their own careers. It was so interesting to hear the questions from the women of our organization and the concerns they already have about being able to dress to impress. It was even more impressive and ultimately humbling to hear one of our vice presidents (one of our best-dressed vice presidents at that) talk about sharing suits with her roommate when she was fresh out of college to appear like she had more clothes than she did.
Since the inception of the first panel, we now hold the panel monthly with a different set of panelists each time. We've also encorporated men in the panel to ensure that each and every employee can get the most out of the experience. I think that with out a doubt this program has been a success. It's provided a fresh perspective on how being aware of your personal style can only positively enfluence your career.
Recently, careerbuilder.com surveyed employers to discover that 41% say that people who dress better or more professionally tend to be promoted more often than others in their organization. The survey dug in a little bit deeper to find that employers give more weight in an interview to candidates who show up wearing a business suit than those who do not. In an effort to encourage employees to continually look professional, some employers have made the decision to ban certain items of clothing such as flip-flops, mini-skirts, & even jeans.
Just like many other companies, mine faces these same issues. In an effort to find an out of the box way to address these issues, we came up with our own Dress for Success Panel. For the first panel we held, we brought in one of our departments that is 100% female-based & put together a panel of 5 women from our organization that were director level or above. The moderator posed a few questions to get the session going and to keep it moving if need be, but for the most part the ladies kept the conversation lively and upbeat. You could see the enthusiasm in the group to find out what tips and tricks that they could each use to help further their own careers. It was so interesting to hear the questions from the women of our organization and the concerns they already have about being able to dress to impress. It was even more impressive and ultimately humbling to hear one of our vice presidents (one of our best-dressed vice presidents at that) talk about sharing suits with her roommate when she was fresh out of college to appear like she had more clothes than she did.
Since the inception of the first panel, we now hold the panel monthly with a different set of panelists each time. We've also encorporated men in the panel to ensure that each and every employee can get the most out of the experience. I think that with out a doubt this program has been a success. It's provided a fresh perspective on how being aware of your personal style can only positively enfluence your career.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
welcome!!!
Hello all & welcome to my blog! I've been juggling the idea of starting a blog designed to specifically talk about recruiting, training, & career development. I've always enjoyed blogging, and helping people find their place in the world is my passion - so why not bring the two of them together.
So, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I have a B.S. in Speech Communication from Georgia Southern University. My professional background includes roles in Sales & Account Management Support, Account Management, Recruiting, & Training. My current role is Recruitment & Development Specialist. I'm responsible for developing & maintaining our recruitment program, as well as responsible for the on-boarding of our new hires. I conduct several training classes designed to assist in the development of our current emloyee base, including New Hire Orientation, online training, & career development courses.
So, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I have a B.S. in Speech Communication from Georgia Southern University. My professional background includes roles in Sales & Account Management Support, Account Management, Recruiting, & Training. My current role is Recruitment & Development Specialist. I'm responsible for developing & maintaining our recruitment program, as well as responsible for the on-boarding of our new hires. I conduct several training classes designed to assist in the development of our current emloyee base, including New Hire Orientation, online training, & career development courses.
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