Benefits of mentoring

Benefits of mentoring by Michael Cheary Of the many ways to progress your career, for most of us, becoming a professional business mentor, wont be something weve considered.But it can be a great way to set you apart from the crowd, giving you a practical opportunity to share your experiences, whilst helping to develop someone elses career along the way. A business mentorship offers individuals the opportunity to gain expert advice from someone in their industry. And whilst the benefits to the mentee can often seem obvious, the mentor themselves can also gain a great deal from the relationship.Here are five practical benefits of becoming a business mentor:1. Pass on your expert knowledgeWhen youve been working in an industry (or role) for a number of years, its easy for the knowledge youve acquired to become undervalued by your peers. But for someone lacking experience, whos just starting out, it could prove to be invaluable. Whats more, its easier to learn from people whove had similar experiences , making it a much more personal way to learn. To put it simply: its a great way to pass on what you know, and to make sure all of that vital information doesnt go to waste.2. To develop your skillsWhether its by learning a range of new skills, or by polishing the ones you already possess, mentoring can be a great way to improve your managerial style. For example, listening to your mentees needs and answering their questions will greatly improve your communication skills in a practical way. Aside from your communication and interpersonal skills, mentoring will also help you develop a number of other assets, including time management, the ability to be objective, setting targets, giving constructive feedback, and your overall man-management ability.3. To improve your CVThe recognition you gain from your peers when mentoring can also benefit the development of your own career. If you apply for a new job in the future, you have a simple and practical way to demonstrate your knowledge a nd work ethic, especially if youre applying for an upper management position.Some mentorship schemes offer accredited management training as part of the course, which means youll also have a certification to validate your new skills.When youre looking for career progression, these qualifications could prove to be an important commodity, which not only demonstrate your accomplishments, but your positive mindset too.4. To gain a new perspectiveWhen youve been working in a role for a long time, it can be easy to get stuck in your ways. If you have a high pressure job and a busy schedule to maintain, the latest business trends can easily pass you by or not seem applicable for your business.Your business mentee provides a new pair of eyes to an industry, giving you the opportunity to gain a new perspective. In other words, as much as your mentee stands to learn from you, you may be surprised by what you can learn from them.5. To uncover a hidden talentAside from being a way to develop an d progress your own career, business mentorships can be a great way of finding talented and likeminded individuals within your industry. If youre in a position to hire people, your mentee might prove to be a future ideal hire.Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Career Development

Constant Career Planning Part Two

Constant Career Planning Part Two In a previous post, I wrote about author Rita McGrath’s theory of the “transient advantage,” the idea that if you are constantly thinking about what’s next, you’ll be more successful. Everyone should have a reactive and proactive strategy for your next career move. McGrath provides a great quiz to determine if you are ready for whatever comes next. Her questions provide a pretty good template for a proactive career plan. Here are some ideas to make you more nimble in the face of change (all based on her quiz.) I’ve learned a meaningful new skill that I didn’t have before in the last two years, whether it is work related or not. Learning is perhaps the most important skill you can have because it allows you to be more resilient in the face of change. Although I would argue that work-related skills would be the stronger choice, any new mastery gives you confidence and builds your brain’s capacity. Here are some skills in which I think everyone should become competent to be really successful (listed from least to most challenging): Setting up strong profiles on social networks Installing new software on your PC or Mac Setting up a secure home network Being conversant in a foreign language Coding / programming I could name, off the top of my head, at least ten people who would be good leads for new opportunities. Having a strong network means knowing people who can help you with advice and leads. That takes work. You probably have a network of social contacts â€" friends with who you have things in common and have fun. As you’re budgeting social time, add in time to meet with colleagues in your industry or respected people outside your industry to learn about what’s happening. Be sure to offer your assistance and advice when you can â€" givers are the among most successful people in any community. I have enough resources (savings or other) that I could take the time to retrain, work for a smaller salary, or volunteer in order to get access to a new opportunity. Financial experts recommend having six months of living expenses in savings available in case the worst happens. For the record, I don’t know many people who have this kind of discipline; some of those who did found themselves wiped out during the Great Recession. But now is the time to review your budget and create a savings plan. I’ve spoken to numerous people who have started new ventures or re-invented their lives to be able to accept interesting work that paid less. They all agreed that having money in the bank took away much of their stress during the transition. I can make income from a variety of activities, not just my salary. I have written before about the advantage of having a sideline: something that you control and that allows you to bring in income outside of your employer’s wages. When things are tight, you’ll have a resource for more income. It will also help you afford the vacations or big purchases you dream about. Whether you start an actual business venture or turn a hobby into spare cash, it’s a smart move that will improve your liquidity and give you confidence. What’s your proactive career plan?

5 Ways to Keep Your Goals for 2015 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

5 Ways to Keep Your Goals for 2015 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Achieving New Year’s goals happens so infrequently that many people have given up on goals all together. However, the problem with making plans to achieve success isn’t in the goals, but in the ability to stay the course. Here are 5 tips to making your goals a reality. 1) Own your goals. Much of a goal’s power comes in the level of desire to reach it. Setting goals based on shoulds or what others tell you to do is a sure way to not succeed. Your goals should be something you’re 110% committed to achieving, and willing to continue to strive toward when it gets hard. 2) Redesign your day. Often goals require you take on new actions and tasks. But habits die hard, and pretty soon your day is running in the same rut it ran in last year. Achieving goals requires making the time and scheduling the actions into your day. 3) Track your progress. Goals can discourage even as they inspire. Their attainment can seem so far off and so hard to achieve that it can result in giving up. But if you track your progress, ticking off action steps and chronicling achievements along the way, you’ll reinforce your goal so it can continue to motivate you. 4) Do what successful people do. You’ve heard the question, “What would Jesus do?” as a way to guide behavior. You can use a similar approach to help you make the decisions that will move you toward your goal. Start by defining what people are like who’ve met the goal you want to achieve. How do they behave? What choices do they make? What do they focus on? etc. Once you have a good ideas of that person, as you work toward your goal, use it as a guide to making decisions and helping you stay the course. 5) Get a buddy. There’s a reason that mentors and mastermind groups are so popular. It’s easier to achieve things when you have others who can answer questions, give feedback and cheer you on. There’s no rule that says you have to work on your goals buy yourself. So find someone willing to take the journey with you. You’ll be more accountable and have more fun!

8 Ways to Choose Your New Boss

8 Ways to Choose Your New Boss Going for a job interview is as much about you being interviewed as you interviewing the interviewer. Remember that the reason you are in an interview is that the employer has a need that you can hopefully be the solution to. Before you agree to join a company, you want to be sure that the people you will be working with will be helping you out, transferring knowledge and making sure you progress in your role. The most important person will obviously be your new manager. Picking your new boss is similar to choosing long term friends or even your partner â€" the difference being that you are likely to spend more waking time with your new boss. Make sure you get the selection right by going through this checklist before you decide if your potential new boss is right for you: 1. Chemistry You will know straight away if you have the right chemistry with your manager-to-be. Sense of humor, body language, common interest and rapport in general will determine how you get along. Once you have left the interview, you’ll have that gut feeling. Be honest with yourself; can you see yourself working with this person for the next three to five years? If the answer is no, run to the hills. 2. Background Make sure you ask your future manager how they ended up in their role. Was it by choice or necessity? How long have they been with the company? Has it turned out the way they expected? What would they change if they could? This will help you draw up a picture of what things will be like for you. 3. Style of management Is your potential new boss a sugar coater or more of a boot camp drill instructor? Ask them to describe themselves as a manger and what their priorities are. Watch out for David Brent style corporate buzzwords and clichés. Another vital clue is how much they like to get involved in their subordinates’ day to day work. Some people hate being micro managed, others thrive on it. Whatever you prefer, it’s important you are both on the same wavelength. 4. Can you learn from them Just like they say you should work to learn, your boss should be your teacher. If you can see yourself learning from this person right now and for the next years, you are probably on to a winner. The question to ask yourself here is whether they possess skills that you want to acquire and do they seem happy to share these with you? 5. Whom do they report to Insist on meeting the boss of the boss. You need to understand what type of manager they report to as this will trickle down to your situation as well. If possible, ask to see the top dog separately so that you can ask a few probing questions around your potential new manager. 6. Problem handling There is nothing better than a bit of pressure to see someone’s real character come out. Whether it’s a conflict in their team or an IT crash, how did they handle it? Ask for a specific example. This will give you an idea of how they would deal with you in case you lock horns in the future. They say a clever employee knows how to manage their manager, and the only way to do this is knowing how they are likely to react in a particular situation. 7. Company outlook Ask the manager what major obstacles they foresee for the company, what their plan is to overcome these. This will show you how clued up they are on matters outside their  department and what preparations they have in store. 8. Where are they heading Try to understand what the goals are for the boss. Is he or she going places or staying put for the foreseeable future? You need to know this as you might want to move up the ladder one day. The flipside would be that you could end up being managed by a complete stranger overnight. Decision time Your ability to get along well with your future manager will mean everything to your job satisfaction and career progression. After you have interviewed your potential future boss, take your time to digest the information. Always go with what your instinct tells you about the person. Never chase only money  or glory as it will come back and bit you where it hurts. Did you pick the right boss last time around? What will you do different next time you change jobs? Share your experiences in the the comments below.

10 Skills You Have to Learn Before Starting a Career in the Voice Acting Industry CareerMetis.com

10 Skills You Have to Learn Before Starting a Career in the Voice Acting Industry Video marketingis taking over the online world. By 2022, there will be around one million minutesof video floating around the internet per second. If you’re in the voice acting industry or trying to get into one, that’s good news for you. The more videos are created, the more voice actors are needed.If you’re still new and unfamiliar with voice acting, stay tuned and pick up a thing or two about it, who knows you might end up starting a career as a voice actor. So, what exactly is a voice actor? In short, a voice actor is a trained professional whose job is to provide the voice of a character in explainer videos, animation, dubbed foreign movies and other kinds of videos.evalNotice the word “trained professional” there, you can’t become a voice actor just because you have a voice and know how to speak well. In this article, you’ll learn about all the necessary skills that are needed to become a professional voice actor. But before we get started, let’s take a look at the average earnings in the voice acting industry.How Much Does a Voice Actor Make?Measuring the average earnings of voice actors can be tricky, as they’re usually freelancers and independent contractors, rather than full-time employees. They’re similar to normal actors in a way, meaning that more experienced and well-known voice actors will be paid more than novices.According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, voice actors earned $17.50 per hour on average. For comparison, radio and TV announcers have an average salary of $35,360 in 2017.It is easier, however, to look at some of the successful and famous voice actors’ earnings and net worth:Seth MacFarlane, a voice actor whose popular because of his role on the TV show Family Guy is estimated to be worth $250 million.Trey Parker, the co-creator and voice actor of the animated show South Park, has an estimated net worth of $500 million.Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer Simpson on the popular show The Simpsons, is said to ha ve received $300,000 per episode. Skills a Voice Actor Must HaveLike most professions, you need to master both the technical and soft skills in order to succeed in the voice acting industry. First, let’s learn about the 5 technical skills you have to learn before applying for your first voice acting job.Technical Skills1) EnunciationevalThe first thing you need to learn is enunciation, which is the act of pronouncing words. As a voice actor, you’re required to speak clearly and distinctly. If you mumble, not only is it annoying for the audience and makes you appear to be unconfident, but it can also cause phrase mix-ups and misunderstandings among the viewers. 2) Tempo ManagementAnother essential skill in voice acting is tempo management. Don’t talk too fast like a salesperson, but don’t be too slow either as it can bore the audience. According to Clearly Speaking,the ideal pace of speech is between 140-160 words per minute. Just like bad enunciation, speaking too fast will make the listeners lose the clarity of your message.3) IntonationIn verbal communication, intonation is important because stressing on the wrong word can cause the meaning and the mood of the sentence becomes entirely different from what you intend to. The word “really?” can come across as either enthusiastic or angry depending on how you say it.evalTake a look at this example:“He isn’t going home anytime soon”This simple sentence has different meanings depending on how the intonation is being put on:Stressing on the word “he” could imply that someone else is going home soon, but not that particular person.Emphasizing “isn’t” could mean that the person being talked about would never come home.Putting an emphasis on “going home” would likely mean that he’s not going home, but rather going somewhere else.Stressing on the words “anytime soon” means that he won’t come home for a long time.4) Voice CharacterizationJust like its name, the voice acting is s till acting, which means that you have to be able to voice different characters. As a voice actor, your job is to create the perfect sound of a character and bring it to life. For this skill, consider going to vocal and acting coaches to learn directly from the professionals.eval5) Speak in Multiple Languages and AccentsVoice acting is growing on a global scale, which means that if you could speak different languages and accents, your chance of being employed will be much higher. According to Voices, the demand for Non-English voice-overs grew at a higher rate The study also found that besides asking for more diverse languages, the market also demands more voice actors with localized accents. It turns out that the audience feels more comfortable listening to people who speak just like them.Here are the top growing languages and accents’ demand according to the study:Australian English by 22%British English by 12%Latin-American Spanish by 11%Canadian French by 3%After mastering the technical skills, don’t start a voice acting career yet unless your mental game is at the top level. Here are the necessary soft skills you need to possess to survive in the crazy world of voice acting.Soft Skills6) EntrepreneurshipMost voice actors aren’t full-time employees, they’re freelancers and independent contractors who work on a project basis. Because you work on your own, it’s essential for you to have an entrepreneurship mindset.You have to know yourself and your competitors’ weaknesses and strengths, how to brand and market yourself, how to strategically place your positioning and pricing, how to make friends and build relationships with people in the entertainment industry, and so on. 7) Work EthicAs mentioned before, you’re working alone? no one’s going to tell you to improve your skills to be a better voice actor. It all comes down to your own work ethic. Are you willing to spend more hours practicing and improving? Or are you going to succumb to the d istractions of working from homeand lose your focus?If you want to make it big in the voice acting industry, you need to maintain a high level of work ethic that enables you to improve your skills, develop your personal branding, as well as build your network and connections.8) PersistenceBefore starting your voice acting journey, ask yourself is this what you really want? If you want to become a successful voice actor, you have to be persistent and give the best of you. Keep moving forward in spite of failures, rejections, and heartbreaks.Working without a fixed pay while having to compete against tons of talented voice actors across the universe can be stressful. That’s why it becomes so important for you to have a never say die attitude in achieving your goals and dreams.9) AdaptabilityAs someone who just turns professional, you have to be adaptable and seize every opportunity that arises. Don’t set your price and idealism too high, although you still need to keep some sort o f principle and pride intact to keep you away from being walked over.evalWhile it’s true that keeping the focus on achieving your goals is important, shutting off the door for unforeseen opportunities might kill your career. Remember that in voice acting, it’s not the journey that matters, but the destination. However you do it, your end goal is to become a better voice actor.10) Self-ConfidenceLast but not least, you have to possess self-confidence and inner beliefs. If not yourself, who else is going to believe in your ability as a voice actor? Without self-confidence, all of your technical skills will be thrown out of the window. Insecurity will show in your work, as you become more likely to stutter, speak too fast, or mumble.It’s okay to be nervous and to make a few mistakes in the early stages of your career, just keep on practicing. If you keep consistent, your self-confidence will be naturally built as time goes by and as you gain more experience in voice acting.Conclu sionAs long as people keep making content like YouTube videos, explainer videos, demo videos, commercials, podcasts, animated movies, and audiobooks, the demand for voice actors will keep on increasing. That’s why voice acting is a good career prospect to pursue in the next few years? start now before it gets too crowded.But before you get into the business, you need to learn and master 5 technical skills of a voice actor first, which are:Clear enunciationTempo managementIntonationVoice characterizationAbility to speak in multiple languages and accentsHowever, mastering those skills is not enough when you want to compete with other more experienced voice actors. Your mental game also needs to be at the top level.evalHaving these qualities will definitely help you in the long run:EntrepreneurshipStrong work ethicPersistenceAdaptabilitySelf-confidenceMastering those 10 skills shows that you’re ready to compete in the business. Just keep in mind that the road to success isn’t a s traight line, but filled with circuitous paths. In order to succeed, you have to overcome the hardships, learn from your mistakes, and keep moving.Learning from another voice actor like Evan Schmittwill also be beneficial for your career.

Why Networking Works

Why Networking Works Youve been told to network your way to a new job, but do you know why networking works? If you dont like networking, youre not alone. However, it is an indisputable fact that more people secure a new job through networking than any other means. Put Yourself In The Employers Shoes It is a painful process to hire someone. If you owned your own business and needed to fill a position, what would the first steps you take to fill this opening? Nope, you arent going to put an ad on a job board as the first step. You realize if you do this, you will receive too many resumes and you wont be able to process them all. Yet, as job seekers, the first place we look for a new job is the job boards. How Jobs Get Filled Heres how jobs get filled and why networking works. The iceberg above represents employers fill jobs.   There are the advertised jobs above the waterline and the unadvertised jobs below the waterline. Approximately 80% of new hires come from the activities below the orange line. The invisible part of the iceberg equals word of mouth (aka networking). This means that you only see about 20% of the available jobs when you look online.   (No wonder you dont see any good jobs.) They only way you will hear about the good jobs is bynetworking. Ive written a lot about networking and you can find some articles listed here: 5 Networking Tips To Help You Do It Better 10 Steps to Networking Right Networking or Whatever You Want to Call It Start with A Plan to Grow Your Network Be First In Line For Job Opportunities When you network, you get early access to job opportunities, you become a known entity and there are fewer people competing for un-posted opportunities. Theres another reason hiring managers like referrals. Candidates who know employees make safer hires.   They know more about the person and it makes hiring them less risky. And finally, referred candidates are more likely to be interviewed and hired! Network Strategically But how do you network if you dont know who is hiring? Every company has jobs to fill at some point. Your goal is to identify companies you would like to work for and meet people who work there. You do this in advance of a publicized opening when people have more time and are more likely to meet with you. If you wait until a job has been posted, asking for a networking meeting comes across as asking for a job interview rather than an information gathering. This is precisely why you need to target specific companies. And, if you dont focus on companies, how can you effectively uncover the upcoming opportunities? Read Strategically Grow Your Network Create A Personal Marketing Plan To help drive your networking and job search forward, create a personal marketing plan. Learn how here.

Work Skills For Resume and Cover Letter - Find the Right Job

Work Skills For Resume and Cover Letter - Find the Right JobIf you want to improve your job skills for resume and cover letter, you can do this by first understanding what sort of personality you possess. Here are a few things that are common among the best work skills for resume, resume writing and cover letter writers.Writing skills are great assets for people that are searching for jobs. If you have good writing skills, then your chances of getting hired go up dramatically. If you are looking for a job as a writer, then you will definitely need to improve your writing skills to get the job.So what are some tips to help you out in your writing? Below are a few that will help you:Be consistent. While it is often said that consistency is the key, it is important to also be consistent in doing your job as a writer. Keep practicing the same style in your writing because it will be more effective for you in the long run. This is how professionals work because they write about something they are already familiar with, which makes it easier for them to relate to the reader.When you write, use the right tone and type of words. If you are able to use a more traditional style of writing, it will be easier for you to know what the job requires.A great way to improve your writing skills is to read a lot of material written by others. You can get lots of ideas and things to reflect on your own resume or cover letter. Reading is also a great way to learn about how you should write to others.If you are applying for a job that asks for a resume, it is important to use some of the basics. There are a lot of words that are commonly used in resumes and cover letters. The key is to use only the words that are most appropriate.Resume writing and cover letter writing are some of the most important things when it comes to finding a job. It is very important that you have these skills in order to get the job, and that you also know how to use them effectively.