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Are you Empowering your Middle Management?

January 18, 2012 By Cecile Peterkin Leave a Comment

As a leader in your company, if you’re frustrated with your middle management, you have only yourself to blame. The success or failure of middle managers rests upon the support of upper management and how well both parties work together.  For middle management to do their jobs properly they must first understand the company’s Mission, Vision and Goals – something they cannot do without the guidance and modeling of upper management.

Since middle managers live in space between upper management and employees, they are best utilized as your “big picture,” players but only if you give them enough voice and autonomy to be that for you. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Career Management, Leadership

Career Change after 40 – How to Market your Experience

December 6, 2011 By Cecile Peterkin Leave a Comment

Making a career change over 40 isn’t any easier than it was in your 20s or 30s.  Whether your decision is based on your desire to finally pursue your dreams or a need to find a new career path due to an ever-shrinking market or faltering industry, making a career change in mid-life can leave even the most confident job seekers asking themselves, “How do I find a new career?”

Before you start sending out resumes, you must first take the time to make a plan for your next career – assessing your skills (including those that may be transferable in your new field) and really plotting a new trajectory for yourself. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Career, Career Management, Job Search, Resumes

The Battle for Talent is Heating Up, Are You Ready?

November 1, 2011 By Cecile Peterkin Leave a Comment

This is an interesting time in the history of business – workplace dynamics are in the midst of a huge shift. Baby Boomers in their 60’s are running into the challenges of managing the very different needs of those in the Y generation. In fact, so much focus has been placed on these two sizeable generations colliding in the marketplace, that the generation in between them, Generation X, has been largely forgotten.

As Boomers begin to plan for retirement and Gen Y enters the workforce, freshly developing their skills and experience, who will businesses look to for leadership in the interim, but Generation X? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Career, Leadership

Use the Lazy Days of Summer for Career Success

August 20, 2011 By Cecile Peterkin Leave a Comment

Maybe you’ve recently graduated, are in mid-career shift or are recreating your life after economic downturn – whatever your story, if you’re looking to launch your career to greater heights, there’s no better time than summer. While your peers may be thinking of taking the summer off from the job search, you’d be best served to take this time to lay the groundwork for your future.

Unemployment Lines Await

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), worldwide unemployment is still high at 8.5%, while US unemployment rates linger at a staggering 9.3% and Canada hovers around 7.4%. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Career, Job Search

Use Holiday Parties to Network!

December 7, 2010 By Cecile Peterkin Leave a Comment

Many people view the holidays as a “slow” time for any business, except retail. A time when businesses prepare for year end, putting new projects on hold and instituting hiring freezes until after the holidays. But viewing this as a time to put away your business cards and shelve your resume could be a big mistake.

The holidays are a great excuse to network and because of the often relaxed and jovial atmosphere of a party, you can be poised to make a lasting impression in a much more personal way.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Career Management, Job Search

How Self Confidence Impacts your Leadership

December 6, 2010 By Cecile Peterkin Leave a Comment

Coaching clients in senior roles is often necessary because they lack self confidence.  As a result, they are not seen as leaders.  Instead, they all seem to have one quality in common.  They all have a fear of making the necessary decision required of their position. Self perception affects everyone in both their personal and professional lives.  However, for individuals in positions of authority, it’s important to understand how self confidence impacts your leadership. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership

The Job Interview Question Hated by Most: “Tell me about yourself”

December 1, 2010 By Cecile Peterkin Leave a Comment

When you are looking for a job, being called in for a job interview is very exciting.  Out of all the applications submitted, there is something about yours that stood out above the rest.  You have made the final cut.  Then, you realize that the interview will determine whether you are employed or back to sending out more resumes. What can you do to ensure job interview success? What do you say?  How do you answer that inevitable question: “Tell me about yourself”? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Interviews, Success Principles

The Creative Resume

November 23, 2010 By Cecile Peterkin Leave a Comment

I recently volunteered to review a client’s resume.   She was applying for a job at a large Financial Institution.  She had her artistic husband design a very creative resume, which showcased his graphic design skills.  The resume looked great, if she was applying for an artistic position.  You want your resume to be memorable and stand out from the others in the pack, but the design should match the position you are applying for and the company environment.

Unless you are applying for a very conventional job with a conventional employer who will not appreciate a creative resume, you want a job resume that will set you apart for the other individuals vying for the job.  You want a resume that is creatively smart and will best reflect your qualifications, giving you the opportunity to sell yourself to a potential employer. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Job Search, Resumes

Manage Yourself for the Career You Want

November 18, 2010 By Cecile Peterkin Leave a Comment

“Your past cannot be changed, but you can change tomorrow by your actions today.”
- David McNally

The career you want doesn’t drop in your lap prefabricated the way it used to be.  To have the career you want, you have to design and initiate your own path. In the past, on-the-job training was a popular means of creating the perfect employee.  Businesses had the time and resources to teach workers what they needed to know, in order to develop a career with their company.  Today, as companies are downsizing and restructuring to remain competitive, career-minded individuals must be that much better than others vying for the same position; and, they must be prepared to hit the ground running.  You have to go after the job you want. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Career Management

Quote of the Week- August 23

August 23, 2010 By Cecile Peterkin Leave a Comment

“There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self”. ~ Aldous Huxley (1864-1963) English Novelist

“A man can fail many times, but he isn’t a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.” ~ John Burroughs, writer and American naturalist

Filed Under: Quote of the Week
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