Benefits of Hiring a Career Coach

Benefits of Hiring a Career CoachBenefits of Hiring a Career CoachAre you feeling stuck in your career? Do you wake up each day and dread work? Or are you unemployed and uncertain what career step to take next? If this sounds familiar, then consider hiring a career coach. When you do, you can benefit in a variety of ways. For instance, a career coach can help youSee yourself mora objectively.Its hard for most people to objectively evaluate themselves as professionals. But when youre in a career rut, its important for you to see things as they are which is where a career coach can help. They can work with you to understand your background, experience, skills, and where you want to take them all. They can also look at the big picture, so you gain valuable insight on areas you need to improve upon and those you should promote more, all so you can achieve your ultimate career goals.Identify the right career path.If youve been working in a field youre no longer happy in or satisfied by, it can be tough to know what step to take next. Thats where a career coach can help. Theyll take the time to get to know you as an individual first, including your passions, personality, and objectives. Rather than just looking at what fields or jobs would be most lucrative, they can guide you to the opportunities and career path that would be the best fit for you.Give you a confidence boost.Trying to figure out where to go with your career is never a fun process. Its filled with uncertainty and a lot of soul-searching. As a result, your confidence level might be taking a hit. But a career coach can help you see the value you can offer to a potential employer. They can also offer you encouragement, so you stay motivated and positive as you go through a potential career change.Make wise decisions.If youre trying to make an important career decision on your own, it can often feel like youre spinning your wheels. But when you talk to a career coach about it, they can help you see the situation from a different perspective. They can also bring to light issues, or potential benefits or consequences you might not have considered. As a result, you can make a more confident decision about your career.Interested in learning more about how a professional career coach can help your career? Contact ResumeSpice today. We can work with you on whatever career issues or challenges youre facing, and put together a plan to help you get to where you want to go. Call us today at 832.930.7378 to learn more or get started.

Develop your Teams Emotional Intelligence at Work

Develop your Teams Emotional Intelligence at WorkDevelop your Teams Emotional Intelligence at WorkDevelop your Teams Emotional Intelligence at Work Fernndez-Aroz, author of Its Not the How or the What but the Who Succeed by Surrounding Yourself with the Best (Harvard Business Review Press, 2014)When training the people around you to do bigger and better things, which competencies matter most? Depending on your circumstances, youll want to place more weight on some of the eight specific hallmarks of great leaders.But, in my experience, it also pays to concentrate more generally on emotional intelligence (EI) either self-management (such as flexibility and adaptability, or emotional self-control) or relationship management (such as influencing others, dealing with conflict, or promoting change).You might think that these soft skills would be harder to teach than hard ones such as calculus or coding. But research from another of my big heroes, Richard Boyatzis, at the Weatherhead Schoo l of Management (WSOM), Case cowboyfilm Reserve University, shows otherwise.Dismayed by studies of MBA programs indicating that students had increased their EI competencies by only 2 percent in the one to two years they were enrolled (compared with an average increase of 4050 percent for all the competencies assessed), Boyatzis set out to change the status quo.In the fall of 1990, Weatherhead implemented a revised MBA course that included1)A course on leadership assessment and development2)A focus on specific EI competencies in selected subjects, such as presentation skills in a marketing course or collaboration in an operations management course3)A dramatic increase in the number of courses requiring field work in companies and group projects and (4) more opportunities to participate in volunteer activities and clubs.The results have been extraordinary full-time MBAs saw their self-management skills improve by 47 percent, and their relationship-management ones by as much as 75 perc ent. Part-time MBAs, who take three to five years to complete their programs, meanwhile saw increases of 67 percent and 40 percent.This last group was assessed two years after graduating, and their level of emotional competence had remained at the new high level, confirming that the positive change was not only impressive but also lasting.How to Cultivate Emotional IntelligenceTo develop the people around you without a formal MBA course, I suggest the following steps1)Make sure they really want to improve and have a strong vision of their desired future. When there is a will, there is a way, but without it, nothing will be achieved.Research on the neuroscience of behavioral change shows that positive emotional attractors focused on ones individual strengths and hopes arouse the parasympathetic nervous system, making us more calm, compassionate, and open to learning.2)Help your people objectively assess their strengths and weaknesses and find the gaps between their real selves and th eir ideal selves. Some form of 360-degree feedback becomes invaluable here.3)Develop a learning agenda or action plan to close those gaps. This must be highly focused and practical. Dont try to change too much at once. Encourage people to work on specific behaviors and set incremental goals.4)Encourage your learners to relentlessly practice their new behaviors so their brains develop a new neural circuitry that makes these better habits feel natural and automatic. This may take three to six months they shouldnt get frustrated.As a leader who wants to be surrounded by the best, you need to get your people inspired about improving themselves, especially when it comes to emotional competencies to understand where they stand and where they fall short of ideal to develop a clever change plan and to persevere in practice.Reprinted by permission of Harvard Business Review Press. Excerpted and Adapted from Its Not the How or the What but the Who Succeed by Surrounding Yourself with the Bes t. Copyright 2014 Claudio Fernndez-Aroz. All rights reserved.Author BioClaudio Fernndez-Aroz is a senior adviser at leading exe3cutive search firm Egon Zehnder and a former member of its global executive committee. He holds an MBA from Stanford and has previously worked for McKinsey Company. He is a global expert on hiring and promotion decisions and leadership development, and a frequent speaker at major business gatherings. His advice has been sought by the CEOs of several if the worlds largest companies and many governments. Fernndez-Aroz is a regular lecturer at Harvard Business School, a frequent contributor to HBR.org, and the author of Great People Decision Why They Matter So Much, Why They are So Hard, and How You can Master Them (2007).

US Army Colonel Lands GS-14 Logistics Management Position in Sigonella, Italy

US Army Colonel Lands GS-14 Logistics Management Position in Sigonella, ItalyUS Army Colonel Lands GS-14 Logistics Management Position in Sigonella, ItalyUS Army Colonel Lands GS-14 Logistics Management Position in Sigonella, ItalyKathryn, you and your organization have our sincere thanks for all of your professional help Last week I received a tentative job offer to go to work for the Navy at their Sigonella, Italy location. It is truly a dream assignment and the tentative offer received is thanks to your organization and especially Lex Levin. Lex has worked with me through thick and thin offering advice and fine tuning resumes throughout this whole ordeal. I believe my resume, expertly prepared by Lex and your team, welches the real reason for my success. Lex helped me tweak it toward job announcements and continued to help me polish several variations throughout this whole job search process. Lex also helped me with job interview prep and that paid off during the job interview pro cess. By the time the Navy called me for an interview, I was well prepared due to practice with Lex. At the end of the day, you have to depend on yourself but it sure helps to have folks like Lex and your team on your side working to help you. Despite an Army career spanning 30 plus years, I knew nothing of the civilian job market and Lex helped me get through the jumps. He offered me encouragement but also taught me to be practical and to temper my expectations. More importantly, he was always there to answer my questions and to provide me feedback. Your organization is spot on in helping senior military retiring from the service and addressing their needs during this time of stress and anxiety. I told Lex I would be happy to offer any testimonials or sharing information that has helped me during my transition. Lastly, every penny of money investing in resumes and services your organization provided was money well spent and a bargain. Do not hesitate to call or email if I can be of assistance to you and your organization.Date Hired February 2014Jobseeker Type Veteran to FederalPrevious Job Title Assistant Chief Of Staff/G-4, U.S. Network Enterprise Technology Command (Colonel, O-5)Target Job Title GS-14 Logistics Management position at Sigonella Naval Station, ItalyResult Hired and accepted the job offer.Writer/Coach Lex Levin.Strategy/Process Worked steadily with Army Colonel eager to translate his 30+ years of leadership and management experience into a Federal civilian career. Converted highly technical resume laden with military jargon into a powerful Federal civilian resume closely tailored to 0346 job series targets in the U.S. and abroad. Consulted client extensively on Federal job search requirements throughout the process and prepared the client for his Federal job interview.