On The Third Week Of Advent

It is Advent III, Rose Sunday. The Secret Santa struck again -- this time in broad daylight while we were at the Feast of Guadalupe service. They know our schedule.<br /><br />When we got back from church, there was a bright pink Christmas ball hanging from our door knob. Perfect for Rose Sunday. They know liturgy too.<br /><br />It has snowflakes cut into the sides. We have hung it on the white Christmas tree.

On The Third Week Of Advent

It is Advent III, Rose Sunday. The Secret Santa struck again -- this time in broad daylight while we were at the Feast of Guadalupe service....

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Are You Ready for a Promotion? - How to let the boss know

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/ld/ar5b5146cd9sgsnhylld.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/ld/ar5b5146cd9sgsnhylld.gif" /></a><br /></div>You're probably due for a promotion, right? I don't know you, but if you're like most other workers, you think you deserve a promotion. You are the glue that holds the entire organization together. Everybody knows it. Everybody except your boss, that is. She doesn't seem to realize that you're ready for and deserving of bigger things.<br /><br />On top of doing your job (and the jobs of several other colleagues, undoubtedly), you have a new task at hand: proving that you should get a promotion. It's not just going to land on your desk one day; you need to be proactive. Your perfect opportunity for making your case is when performance review time rolls around, but you should start preparing ahead of time.<br /><br />Start with a job description<br />Steve Moore, a team manager with HR outsourcing company Administaff, recommends looking at your job description before you do anything else.<br /><br />"Using a current job description, assuming one is available, honestly examine your strengths and weaknesses. Devise a plan to make your strengths work in your favor, to not only meet but also exceed expectations," Moore says. "Then develop a strategy to improve your weak points. It might also be a good practice to work with your manager to set performance objectives based on the job requirements and your personal evaluation."<br /><br />If you don't have a job description, Moore suggests asking your manager for one. Not only do you get the information you need, but you also display initiative to your boss and prove you're taking an active interest in your career.<br /><br />Once you get a look at the role's description and possibly consult with your boss, you should have a good idea whether or not you're performing the duties and at what level. Whether or not you deserve a promotion is still another issue. Workers who deserve promotions are workers who redefine their roles.<br /><br />"Focusing only on the tasks necessary to fulfill the role is the strategy to implement if an employee wants to keep his current job," Moore advises. "Employees who go above and beyond and add more value to the organization are truly poised for a promotion." Only then will management understand that you've taken the position as far as you can and are ready for new challenges.<br /><br />How to perform well at your review<br />Annual performance reviews happen in many organizations, and some companies even offer them on a quarterly basis. During these reviews, the boss assesses how an employee has fulfilled job requirements, shown progress and demonstrated areas for improvement. It's also when conversations about raises and other important career decisions take place. If you want to discuss a promotion, you need to walk into the meeting ready to make your case.<br /><br />"Start by compiling a file with evidence that displays your ability to perform your current roles and responsibilities," Moore suggests. "In addition, take time to document all achievements above and beyond expected tasks and provide solid examples of how the company has benefited from your drive to excel."<br /><br />The more specific you can be, the better, says Moore. "For example, have your contributions in your current role increased profits or sales, added new clients to the roster or grown the business of existing clients?"<br /><br />Nevertheless, Moore cautions against putting all of your hopes and energy on just an annual review. The timeline for receiving a promotion might not align with the performance review schedule, so don't get fixated on the review as the only opportunity you have to get what you want.<br /><br />"Putting everything on paper and only evaluating it once a year during a performance review can be futile," Moore says. "Supervisors and employees should work together to create a plan and review it periodically throughout the year. Adjustments should be made when appropriate, but more importantly, supervisors should help employees determine the best approaches to reach milestones." Feel free to take the initiative to ask your boss for these conversations if he or she hasn't approached you about it.<br /><br />Confidence above all else<br />Workers get understandably nervous and even bashful when discussing their goals. Like salary talks, discussions about promotions might cause you to doubt yourself. Are you deceiving yourself by thinking you deserve a new title? Is your boss going to laugh you out of the office? If you do get what you want, will your colleagues scoff at your step up?<br /><br />If you have a specific role in mind, learn from the person who currently has or previously had the position. You can set yourself up to get the position by not only exceeding your job duties but also by demonstrating that you have the knowledge and ability to fulfill the requirements. Moore also recommends understanding how the performances of the people in that position have been measured. You'll have more confidence if you learn as much as you can about the role.<br /><br />As for the fear that your colleagues and current co-workers might not embrace you with open arms upon your promotion, Moore says to stay focused on your concerns, not theirs.<br /><br />"As an employee now in a higher position, it's important to display the abilities your manager rewarded by promoting you," Moore says. "The skill sets and character traits that make you worthy of this position may have already been noticed by your former colleagues. If not, you will have the opportunity to earn their trust as your talents are revealed over time."<br /><br />Ultimately, confidence informs all aspects of a promotion, from the early talks to your first days in the role. And that confidence has to come from you, otherwise no one will take you seriously.<br /><br />"When seeking a promotion, confidence is key and an employee should not be shy when discussing his goals with a manager or supervisor," Moore says. "Let the supervisor know your intentions, ask him or her what is needed to reach a higher level, and request consistent advice and guidance. Even if you aren't granted a promotion this time around, you will have constructive feedback that can help prepare you for the next review."<br /><br />By Anthony Balderrama writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/abalderrama.

Are You Ready for a Promotion? - How to let the boss know

You're probably due for a promotion, right? I don't know you, but if you're like most other workers, you think you deserve a pro...

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Brand or BE Branded: Are You Willing to Risk It?

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/tk/ar5f0xv6kd4hhh0zxftk.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/tk/ar5f0xv6kd4hhh0zxftk.gif" /></a><br /></div>Several people have told me lately that they don't care about their career identity online. "I should be able to do what I want," they say, or, "My life shouldn't be judged by employers based on what they see on the Web." <br /><br />I say this: Brand or be branded. You can either make sure people perceive you in a way that boosts your credibility or you can ignore your online presence and be seen as, A) nonexistent and unimportant or B) someone who shouldn't be contacted for a job -- ever.<br /><br />Let me explain.<br /><br />A young woman reached out to me recently, supposedly "desperate" about her job search. Having graduated from college last spring and yet to land an interview, she claimed to have tried everything. I looked at her résumé. It had some things that could be improved, but her academic achievements were solid and in a specialized field. Then I checked her cover letter. It was pretty standard, which then made me wonder if her online identity was the issue. <br /><br />I decided to complete an Internet search on her -- just as four out of five hiring managers do today. I put in her name and the school she graduated from. What popped up in the results shed some light. The first item in the results was her Facebook picture. It was a blurry photo of her in a sweatshirt and her eyes were closed. OK, so it was nothing terrible, but it also wasn't a powerful first impression.<br /><br />And besides, what followed was much worse:<br /><br />You see, her Facebook photo was the only thing about her that popped up. There was nothing related to school, nothing related to volunteering, nothing related to her field of study ... absolutely nothing. In fact, the next 10 entries were for someone with the same name but different middle initial who currently writes an open and direct blog about a controversial, inappropriate-for-the-workplace subject.<br /><br />Now, is it frustrating to think she might be getting discriminated against because of an online search? Of course! This recent grad doesn't have a lot of experience, which means her career identity is being branded as sub-par (and maybe even being misinterpreted) because of a lack of solid, professional online content. Yet that doesn't mean a person with this problem should sit in the sandbox and pound her fists. Any person, at any age, at any time in her career can build a strong online career identity. <br /><br />The reality is that you only need five to six good things to come up in a search so the top fold (the uppermost portion of the computer screen that shows the top search results) is filled with positive items about you. Why? Because people rarely, if ever, bother to scroll down or click on the next page of a search. They usually assume what is in the top fold is the most relevant.<br /><br />So, how do you create and/or improve your online career identity? <br /><br />Step 1: Identify your brand's keywords<br />Do a search on yourself and see what comes up. You may find that someone with your name has dominated the top fold. From there, identify what keywords you can use to differentiate yourself from this person. Should you be using your full name? Your middle initial? Your affiliation with an organization or a type of work? Figure out how you want people to find you so you can build your brand around these keywords.<br /><br />Step 2: Become a blog reader and commenter<br />Begin reading career-related blog content for 10 minutes each day. This will help you stay up-to-date and in-the-know. Then, start posting thoughtful, well-written, professional comments on these blogs to enhance your credibility as a knowledgeable member of your industry or profession. Take two extra minutes to post a comment on five blogs each week and you'll be on your way.<br /><br />Step 3: Ask to guest post and become an expert<br />Once you've got commenting down, it's time to consider writing a guest blog post on a subject related to your career. After you've become a regular commenter on a particular site and think you relate to its readership, contact the site's administrators and ask if they would accept a guest post from you. Give them an overview of the topic you would write about. If they are interested, you can write the whole article, submit it, and -- voila -- you are a published author on the Net.<br /><br />Step 4: Get social<br />Facebook isn't the only social networking tool that will come up in a search on your name. LinkedIn, Twitter and others all offer you a way to build a strong top fold. <br /><br />I am a particular fan of Twitter. Twittering is micro-blogging. Better still, it's like instant messaging for professionals. It is an easy, fast way to connect with hundreds of like-minded people in a short time. You can be connected to hundreds of people in a matter of weeks. Better still, you can tweet (post short, 140 character comments), which a hiring manager can read if he does a search on your Twitter account name. It's like inviting an employer to see what you are like to converse with -- a great way to brand yourself.<br /><br />In summary: Why risk having a lack of any career identity or having a bad online presence just because you didn't take control of the situation? Yes, getting your top fold to look good takes a little effort, but it can provide an incredible return on your investment.<br /><br />By J.T. O'Donnell nationally syndicated career expert and author of "CAREEREALISM: The Smart Approach to a Satisfying Career." She can be found at www.CAREEREALISM.com, her career advice site for professionals ages 18-40, which aims provide readers with tools and resources to navigate the new rules to career development.

Brand or BE Branded: Are You Willing to Risk It?

Several people have told me lately that they don't care about their career identity online. "I should be able to do what I want,...

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Planning de la semaine du 14 au 18 décembre 2009

<BR><br /><h2><strong><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 113%;color:#005c9b;" >Permanences<br /></span></strong></h2><ul><br /><li>Le <strong>Conseil Général du Loiret</strong> sera présent dans les locaux de la Maison de l'Emploi du bassin d'Orléans<br />- le lundi 14 décembre de 9h à 12h30<br />- le mardi 15 décembre de 9h à 12h30 et de 13h30 à 17h,<br />- le mercredi 16 décembre de 13h30 à 17h<br />- le jeudi 17 décembre de 13h30 à 17h<br />- le vendredi 18 décembre de 13h30 à 17h<br /><br /><li><strong><a href="http://www.egee.asso.fr/">EGEE</a></strong><br />- lundi 14 décembre de 13h30 à 17h<br /><br /><li><strong><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2007/11/solidarits-nouvelles-face-au-chmage.html">Solidarités Nouvelles face au Chômage</a></strong><br />- mercredi 16 décembre de 10h à 12h30<br /><br /><li><strong><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2007/11/boutique-de-gestion.html">Boutique de gestion</a></strong><br />- vendredi 18 décembre de 9h à 12h30</li></ul><br /><h2><strong><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 113%;color:#005c9b;" >Ateliers</span></strong><br /></h2><br /><ul><li><strong>CV</strong> - mardi 15 décembre de 9h à 12h30<br /><br /><li><strong>Lettre de Motivation </strong>- mardi 15 décembre de 13h30 à 17h<br /><br /><li><strong><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2009/07/atelier-situtilises-tu-trouves.html">Sit'Utilises tu trouves</a></strong> - jeudi 17 décembre de 10h à 12h<br /><br /><li><strong>Préparation à l'entretien</strong> - jeudi 17 décembre de 13h30 à 17h<br /><br /><li><strong>Pôle-emploi.fr</strong> - vendredi 18 décembre de 10h à 11h30</ul><br /><h2><strong><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 113%;color:#005c9b;" >Information collective</span></strong><br /></h2><br /><ul><li><strong>RSA - Conseil Général</strong> - mardi 15 décembre à 10h</ul>

Planning de la semaine du 14 au 18 décembre 2009

Permanences Le Conseil Général du Loiret sera présent dans les locaux de la Maison de l'Emploi du bassin d'Orléans - le lundi 14 dé...

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