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Career assessments are unique tests that are designed to help job seekers understand how their personal attributes affect their career and satisfaction with a chosen career path. They mainly answer a simple question: “what job is right for you?”

Assessments might check multiple personal attributes such as your interests, job preference, values, motivation, and skills. There are multiple tests and flavors for each test. Most personal assessments are easy to complete because the questions are about the one thing you know best about: yourself.

GadBall offers O*NET Integrated Career Interest Assessment & Job Research tool called “Work Genius”. Job Seekers completing the Work Genius assessment on GadBall will identify personal interests; these are linked to matching occupations and matching local open jobs.

The Work Genius Career Assessment is designed to match you with the ideal occupation and job based on your interest profile. Your interest profile is determined based on selecting activities that you like to do and identifying activities you don’t like to do. It’s that simple.

Whether you are planning your future career, have a career but want a change, or just want some additional insight, try out the career assessment. You don’t need to be a GadBall registered user to use this tool but by creating a free job seeker account your answers will be saved on your profile.

Employee performance is an essential ingredient in any company’s ability to achieve its goals. Therefore managing employee performance is integral to business success. A well managed performance appraisal assists managers to assess and provide feedback to increase the competency of their team members. Developing skills, knowledge, attitudes and increasing team member capability are key objective of performance appraisals. For many businesses performance appraisals results in spending ‘time on the business’ to build capability.

Performance appraisals promote business development in the following ways:

1. Drive business performance
Facilitating performance appraisals means managers making an effort to communicate with their employees. Managers who care about the performance of their people and business will recognise the importance of providing feedback and assisting their team members to grow and develop. The performance appraisal is a proactive HR solution in driving business performance.

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Most of those who are in transition today are looking for a new job the same way they did the last time they were in the job market. And that’s a terrible mistake. In fact, it’s almost certain to lead to career cardiac arrest or what most of us call unemployment.

Why is that? Because today’s (and tomorrow’s) workplace is profoundly different from any that has ever existed in the United States. Just as the Great Depression changed the behavior of a whole generation of Americans, this Great Recession is changing the behavior of this generation of employers.

What we’re now seeing in corporate America is not a reduction in force; it’s a reduction in structure. There are fewer jobs, and those positions that have disappeared will never come back. But that’s not all. Even as they are downsizing their organization charts, America’s employers are also upgrading their staff. They’re trading out “C” level performers for “A” level talent.

Those two facts of work change everything. They mean that the days of the “come as you are” job market are over. You can no longer find a job the old fashioned way. And you never will be able to again.

We’re all familiar with the traditional approach to job search. It was a simple 4-step process:
• Step 1. You wrote up your resume.
• Step 2. You sent your resume out to a bunch of employers.
• Step 3. You did a little networking around the edges.
• Step 4. You landed a new job that was usually equal to and often better than the one you had before.

For 60 years or more, those four steps were the way Americans managed their careers and secured their hold on the American Dream. And they are now as obsolete as buggy whips and carbon paper.

The come as you are job market has morphed into the “only the best need apply” job market. Companies will no longer hire qualified people for their openings. This Great Recession has convinced them that they cannot survive and prosper in a global marketplace with that kind of employment strategy. Instead, if they want to be around to enjoy the recovery, they’re going to have to hire the best qualified talent there is.

What’s that mean for you and me? We have to change the four steps in our job search methodology. Here’s what we have to do now:

Step 1. Resuscitate your career. If you’re out of work, your career is sick. As with a physical illness, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve done anything wrong. It does, however, require that you get yourself well. You must upgrade your skill set, expand and enrich your network of professional contacts, add powerful new ancillary capabilities and do all of the other things that establishes a fit career. And you must do that before you start looking for a job.

Step 2. You must focus only on jobs where you are best qualified and then tailor your resume for each of those specific openings. They days of shotgun applications and generic resumes are also over.

Step 3. You must practice networking as the word indicates you should. It’s netWORK, not net-get-around-to-it-whenever-it’s-convenient. And you must network online as well as off.

Step 4. You must pick an employment opportunity that provides two forms of compensation. The near term paycheck you need to meet your financial obligations and the ongoing flexibility, time and support you need to invest in the continuous improvement of your career. Why do you need both? Because in the 21st Century world of work, you’ll likely be repeating these four new steps in the next three-to-five years.

Thanks for reading,
Peter Weddle
Visit me on CareerFitness.com

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Parenting college students during their college years should include encouraging internships. The college years are a once-in-a-lifetime experience for emerging adults. Moms and Dads serve as good advisors when they encourage their students to seek out internships in fields of their interest.

College internships are generally summer employment opportunities that offer job exposure in a particular field of interest, giving college students an introduction to important people who may, in the future, become valuable contacts. It is important that parents remind their students that contacts have contacts. Every contact may know someone else who will be able to provide the student with subsequent employment opportunities.

Parents should stress the importance of having a job experience. Their student will gain experience while making valuable contacts through college internships. Job mentors can also provide references that will be needed when the student is seeking a job after graduation. Always be building your resume. Great advise to college students.

Parenting College Students – Assess the Profession

Maturing young adults learn about themselves and about life through out their college experience. Summer jobs provide the job exposure necessary to assess the profession of their choice. College internships can also be experiences through which students determine whether they enjoy a particular job experience sufficiently to make it a career.

A winning strategy for success suggests that college students should be encouraged to seek internships. This experience may open their eyes to experiences they otherwise would never have considered.

Parents should encourage their student to push through their discomfort and “Try it, you might like it.” Actually the student may be very surprised. When a student is being productive, the parent’s tendency to worry about binge drinking, late night partying, and other potentially harmful behaviors is reduced. Through the internship process young adults have an opportunity to develop both financial and time management skills. This is a real life experience that cannot be learned in a classroom.

Parenting College Students – Heartfelt Advice

Encouraging college students to have real life experiences puts them on the right path for life. The value of internships is a strategy for a lifetime of professional success. College internships can be an opportunity for students to have a foundation for their adult working careers.

Mentors familiarize the intern with the mechanics of a profession, and then they can help groom the young adults for success in their chosen field. The parents provide encouragement and support needed for adult children to perform at an optimum level. The best part of an internship is it can place a student in a favorable position for hire upon graduation.

Post graduation, a potential employer needs to know that a graduate has the potential to be a good employee. The employer needs to assess whether the graduate can be successful in a work environment. Can they get along with others? If there is no work history and no internship, the potential employer has nothing that tells them this applicant can come to work every day. A graduate with a 4.0 grade point average but no work history may lose out getting hired to a graduate with a 3.0 grade point average with a work/internship history.

Internships often turn into a major job success for graduates. Additionally, it decreases the anxiety that often accompanies the hunt for employment upon graduation. It is a “Win-Win” situation. The new graduate has immediate employment and the employer gets an employee that will quickly adapt to the work environment.

Article by Dr. Debi Yohn. CollegeWorks101.com

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Most people launch their careers in their twenties and thirties with the focus of career development mainly on early adulthood. And what is the ambition at this age? For many, it’s getting to “the top” as soon as possible. Some people achieve this goal in their early forties with twenty to thirty career years still ahead of them. Others perhaps do not use goals in their careers; their careers just evolve!

Nonetheless, middle-adulthood, those years from 40-60, are often overlooked in career plans. Some of the thinking goes like this: If I make it to the top by forty I won’t have to worry about anything else. But what do you do when you make it to “the top” and still have all those years ahead of you? To this writer, it is a prescription for mid-life crisis!

Consider this: In our Twenties we go through the trial and exploratory stage of career development where we search for direction. In our Thirties we are in the transitional stage, synonymous with movement and advancement. The Forties and beyond are considered the stability stage; ongoing with a sound foundation. The irony is that as we move into our forties (middle adulthood) most of us have not done it all. Some of us are forced to restart our careers due to downsizing, soft industries, red flags in our company, being passed-over etc. In some cases we need to get away from a not-so-perfect situation or jump-start a stalled career. In others, we are searching for personal self-development or for a second career or to strike out on our own.

For these reasons and any number of others, most professionals will experience changes, or even upheaval, in mid-life.  The answer in not “to buy a Harley”.  According to the U.S. Department of Labor and the Job Search Handbook, most professionals will undergo seven to eleven job changes and two to three career changes over the course of their careers. Not only is the market demand for selected skills and career fields changing, but so are our roles as professionals and the way we manage our careers. Thus, career planning is more important than ever.

If you are in middle-adulthood and wondering what to do for the remainder of your career (and assuming that early retirement is not in the picture), don’t panic. I have a simple three-step process that I have found in my many years in career marketing to make all the difference in the world.

First, you need to get to know yourself and what it is that you enjoy most; what it is that when doing it does not feel like work. Dr. Charles Ehl, former Dean of Continuing Education at Stonehill College in Easton, MA: “Regardless of past industry or direction, people can be empowered to control their professional destiny through an approach that fuses self-needs analysis, good targeted research and tactical planning in the use of certain techniques beginning with getting to know themselves.”  By that Dr. Ehl means understanding for themselves–about themselves: What it is that they really value; what they feel they stand for; what it is that drives them to do what they do; what it is they enjoy doing most–are most passionate about; and finally, although it doesn’t necessarily end with this, where they are looking to take themselves, why, and with what end in mind.  Through this exercise, the notion of your optimal market will emerge. For example: If you find that your interest in creative writing is so great, you find you are happiest when you are engaged in it, perhaps a move into editing or speech writing, or a move into the publishing industry at large; or developing newsletters for an association, entering the advertising arena or other creative industries may be best.

Second, you need to figure out how to attract your audience – contacts that can help you move towards your goals. Do what politicians do: Get outside impartial viewpoints to provide you with some idea of how others (your audience) may perceive you, and learn about them–do your research. Developing a networking communication strategy and your “talking points” with this knowledge and the fresh ideas about you that others can provide; and with a focus on the needs of your target audience, you will separate yourself from the average person and ultimately paint your own landscape.

Finally, once you have your audience’s attention, you will need to talk about yourself.  I suggest the Story Technique. Compelling stories which incorporate specific examples of your experiences, achievements and contributions that relate to your market and put you in the right light will be remembered well after the interview is over.  People remember your stories more than duties and responsibilities.  Here are three concepts that will help you when developing a communication strategy and talking about yourself:
Success concepts:
You must have a purpose, a personal philosophy. In today’s uniquely competitive job market the lifespan in an executive position may only be 5 years in some cases (clearly, not as Evergreen as it once was).  Jim Sabin, a CIO with The Shaw Group, Inc. the leading Global provider of services to the power industry: “With executive positions in IT, for example, as interchangeable as mouse pads, the need for a sharply honed purpose for ‘Plan A’ and stratagem for ‘B and C’ for that matter, has never been more apparent.”  “Purpose” could be hat you feel is important in running a business or what you feel is the business of business; it must be carefully thought out and presented. Think in terms of a one-page presentation to the company directors. You will need to come up with as many success concepts as you can from your past professional experiences and when you begin to assemble your thoughts for your presentation, try to include as many of them as possible.  Here are some relevant themes to consider:

1. A personal mission statement
2. Core values; core strengths
3. Driving factors; motivations
4. Level of integrity
5. Value you place on quality
6. Visioning, strategy and facilitating
7. Performance standards you hold for yourself
8. Professional goals
9. Leadership philosophy
10. Management style
11. Communications capabilities
12. New technologies
13. Strategic client relations
14. Level of organization
15. Practiced client/public relations
16. Leveraging skill-sets
17. Creative expertise
18. Your business knowledge base
19. Your market intelligence
20. Managing resources (people; money; technology; personal knowledge…)
21. Your community outside of business

Trigger Concepts
The easiest way to attract people’s attention and to help them get to know you is to adopt simple words and phrases which will have an immediate “trigger” effect, such as:

1. Strategic partnering
2. Managing deadlines
3. Impact presentations
4. Leadership value
5. Success bringing products to markets
6. Entrepreneurial talents in seeing opportunity
7. Driving revenues; growing profits
8. Structuring or restructuring
9. Building responsible teams
10. Balancing business practices and people dynamics
11. Enterprise development
12. Bringing ideas to utility
13. Business-oriented intuition
14. Staying ahead of the curve
15. Crafting solutions
16. Driving “large dollar” projects
17. Managing talent
18. Managing change-driven environments
19. bottom-line results-oriented
20. Start up; high growth; rapid improvement
21. Sense of command
22. Leading into new markets

The combination of a Philosophy, along with Success and Trigger Concepts is a winning one. It provides you with some control and sets the tone for all future discussions and posturing for negotiations.

Story Technique
One of the most important tenets in product marketing applies here in career planning: Differentiate your product from others in the marketplace.

John Folcarelli, Labor Attorney and Human Resource Manager for Laidlaw Education: “Most people involved in planning their career tend to fly by the seat of their pants rather than exercise control over the process as it unfolds. For instance, in the interview, instead of simply reacting to questions imposed by the interviewer, the job candidate can and should attempt to take on more responsibility for influencing the direction of the interview.”  The story technique does just that. It is a method for bridging your qualifications and past successes to the needs the targeted company. It is also a great example of how to use your Success and Trigger Concepts in presenting the right image and distinguishing you from the competition.

Your stories should tell about actions that you took to bring about a positive change. Story techniques cover the “before”, the “action” and the “after.” You can begin by first explaining what had existed that required your attention: Situation. Next consider how this new challenge may benefit the enterprise and you: Opportunity.  Briefly describe what you did: Action. Lastly, describe the outcome and its benefits to you and the company: Results.  Here are examples of the use of the story technique–“S.O.A.R”:

Example 1:
(S) I was selected by top management to lead a corporation into the US market and…
(O) recognized an opportunity to have a big impact on operations at a wholly owned subsidiary.
(A) Over a two-year period I developed a cohesive staff which went on to develop 1.5 million square feet of office properties at $350 million which…
(R) produced over $25 million of net operating income and $4 million net cash flow for the corporation resulting a promotion to President of the wholly owned subsidiary.

Example 2:
(S) The ownership of a physical therapy and sports medicine company recruited me to…
(O) lead, grow and concurrently stabilize a $4.7 million health systems company staffed by 85 professionals.
(A) I developed and executed all business plans and opened new markets in industrial and corporate health promotions…
(R) positioning the company for its very profitable $6.6 million sale, $2.5 million more than the ownership had anticipated.

A strong, well-articulated Philosophy, sound Success and Trigger Concepts, and persuasive examples of your successes using the Story Techniques (SOAR) are essential for securing a quality position. 

MORE THAN JUST A TASK
There is certainly more to consider beyond these concepts. Nonetheless, the purpose here is to stimulate your thinking if your situation calls for a serious look at your career. There are times when a simple career adjustment may be called for and other times when a complete change is necessary. In any case, restarting your career in middle-adulthood can be one of the most rewarding experiences in your life.  Approach it with enthusiasm, dedication and confidence (but for goodness sake, don’t forget “technique”).

Rob Taub, a native of New York residing in Boston MA, is the Director the RLS Executive Group N.E. of RL Stevens & Associates, a corporate and private career marketing firm.  He has also been active as a fund-raiser for Technology in Education, an auctioneer with WGBH Public Television, a debate moderator with Community Access Television, an instru
Author Website: http://www.ExecutiveCareerSolutions.com

Article courtesy of Recruiting Blogswap a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching entry level jobs and other career opportunities