Get the tools successful career changers have to avoid interview jitters and to land the job over other candidates – even those with more experience than you

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

So you wanna change careers in 2015 but you’re feeling overwhelmed – how on earth are you going to compete with others who have more experience?  The answer often lies in having the confidence to sell yourself – with all the experience and skills you have – and don’t have.

In the spirit of the holiday season, I am going to gift you some confidence.  I am giving you tools to become a successful career changer yourself in 2015.  Over the next 6 blogs I will share secrets with you about what belongs in your interviewing tool kit so that you never have to feel interviewing jitters again – whether you are changing careers or just going after a new job.  So let’s get a jumpstart on the new year right now!

One way to get that confidence is to give yourself the tools to explain yourself.  If your interviewing toolkit includes a handful of key things – you will not only feel less anxious at interviews – you might actually enjoy interviewing – it can be fun to take your new tools out for a test drive.  So what should be in a good interviewing toolkit?  One thing that is essential is …

Continue Reading

“The #1 way to bounce back with power from a painful performance review and win the support and respect you crave from your tough boss.”

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

Nothing seems to feel worse than getting a tough message from your boss about your performance.  If you have been there, you know how it feels to hear things like…

“Over the past few weeks I’ve noticed a change in your behavior that’s creating problems within our team…”

“Lately, your metrics are falling short of our goals…”

“You’ve had a few customer complaints I’d like to talk with you about…”

“Your attendance issues have become a concern…”

And if you have a “tough-minded” or all-out “drop and give my 20” kinda boss, the discussions will probably start out even worse than my somewhat tender-hearted examples.

As a former head of HR who specialized in performance management strategy and counseling – lemme share a secret with you…

Continue Reading

What professionals in their 20’s can do to get the job satisfaction they crave (even in a job they hate).

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

In recent blogs I explained What can employees do for themselves to improve their job satisfaction and engagement? I also gave suggestions about how to get more money from your boss and how to improve relationships at work since money and relationships with our co-workers and bosses ranked highly as mattering to employees for job satisfaction and engagement.

There is however another component that the report found matters greatly for engagement – and that piece concerns employee’s opinions and behaviors. Here are the study’s top 5 opinions and behaviors for employees to have, as viewed by employees, that matter for engagement:

  1. “I am determined to accomplish my work goals and confident”
  2. “I can meet them I frequently feel like I’m putting all my effort into my work”
  3. “While at work I’m almost always completely focused on my work projects”
  4. “I am highly motivated by my work goals”
  5. “I have passion and excitement about my work”

These are the top 5 factors across gender and job level – except for one…

The 1 thing professionals in their 20’s are missing to get the job satisfaction they crave is (drumroll please)…

Continue Reading

Want to feel like you “belong” and are valued at work? Take 3 simple steps to improve your relationships at work.

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

In a recent blog (What can employees do for themselves to improve their job satisfaction and engagement?) I summarized 3 conditions that employees feel matter for job engagement.  They are:

  1. Relationship with co-workers
  2. Opportunities to use skills/abilities
  3. Relationship with immediate supervisor

Of these results, 2 of them point to relationships are work as mattering.  So in this blog, let’s look at our relationships with our work “family”.  Why does it matter so much for our engagement?  Well, for all 168 hours in a week, we hang out with our work “family” for  about 25% of that time – that’s a lot of our time!  So, it’s easy to see why nurturing these relationships is really a smart investment of our time and energy.

What can you do to improve work relationships? Here are 3 simple steps to improve your relationships at work …

Continue Reading

Ready to have a money conversation with your boss? Here are 4 things you can do to get the financial appreciation you crave

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

In a recent blog (What can employees do for themselves to improve their job satisfaction and engagement?) I summarized 4 factors that employees feel matter for job satisfaction.  They are…

 

  1. Compensation/pay
  2. Job Security
  3. Opportunities to use skills/abilities
  4. Relationship with immediate supervisor

 

Are you surprised that compensation/pay was ranked #1? ;-)  Well, I wasn’t!

 

I also was not shocked to read in the report that survey participants reported a significant gap in actual satisfaction related to money and opportunities to use skills/abilities.

 

Let me explain why I am not shocked in the least – in fact, why I think the results are actually predictable given the actual lack of satisfaction our workforce seems to have.

Continue Reading

Exhausted? Tired of the daily grind? Find out the #1 thing successful people do to be their best

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

Do you feel exhausted every day?  Overwhelmed and tired because it feels like there’s way too much to deal with in your life? 

 

There is an unspoken secret used by all successful people to deal with the craziness of their lives and create balance, and this great new book will show you how you can use it to get into the flow of your own life.

 

Discover the Pathway to Flow – Your Copy is Waiting!

http://www.thepassiontest.com/af.htm?p=gcalvano&w=yhrbook

 

Written by the NY Times bestselling authors of The Passion Test, Janet Bray Attwood and Chris Attwood, this book has been praised by people like Paulo Coelho, Jack Canfield, Brendon Burchard, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Don Miguel Ruiz and many others (see below for what they said about it).

Continue Reading

1 Easy Way To Create A More Powerful Cover Letter

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

It’s simple – just search your cover letter for the word “get” and replace it with the word “give” then adjust the sentence to be relevant from a “giving” perspective vs. a “getting” perspective.  Let me explain further…

 

The last thing you want to create is a cover letter that goes on and on about what you want to GET out of a particular organization or job – (i.e. “… your company seems to offer so many opportunities for me to expand my skills and experience…”).  Instead, the tone of your cover letter must convey that you want to GIVE others what you have to offer – your knowledge, skills, experience and natural abilities.

 

Even if you don’t yet have lots of knowledge, skills or experience, offer what you have to give – your education, your natural abilities, your motivation, and your observation of how your interests and values are a match with the organization’s – (i.e. “… I am a recent graduate of name or school with a degree in major who is ready to contribute a natural ability you have…” OR “…your company mission appeals to me since I am dedicated to leading/teaching/enlightening others about use words from their mission statement that appeal to you …”). 

 

Powerful cover letters offer information about you – but info about you is way more powerful when it’s worded in a way that showcases how YOU may be relevant to the organization and those they serve.  Here are a few more ways you can pump up the power on your cover letter – in a “giving” way vs. a “getting” way (of course!)…

 

  • Why you’re interested in the organization and/or line of work you are pursing – write about how you discovered your passion for/interest in the line of work you are pursuing and/or why you are a fan of the organization you’re applying to (i.e. “… I first discovered my passion for describe the line of work when describe when or how in a brief statement…” OR “… I most admire that your organization describe what they do that you most admire/respect and how you see it to be different from other organizations who do what they do…”).  
  • What you can be relied upon for time and time again – write about opportunities you naturally notice and take advantage of in relation to your personal qualities and how that benefits others – (i.e. “… I continually seek out opportunities that enable me to contribute my natural ability to describe a skill or ability you have which enables others to describe how others benefit when you share your skill/natural ability with them…”).  
  • What you have learned in past job experiences – share your most cherished lesson from a past experience was and how you regularly apply that in your career or life  – (i.e. “… at company name I learned how to something you learned to do or a way of being you learned is effective and appealing to those you serve and how you observe that to impact others favorably...”).  

 

A good cover letter always closes by expressing excitement to speak with them…  (i.e. “…It would be an honor to talk with you about the possibility of contributing to your team and aligning with the mission of the organization…”).  Everyone likes to feel like they matter to others – organizations and bosses are no exception – let them know you are excited to meet with them, to learn more about them, and to see if it would be a good opportunity for both of you to align – for the benefit of those served by the organization.

 

Want a promotion? 3 mistakes to avoid and 1 powerful way to get your promotion faster

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

 

So, are you feeling ready for a promotion?  Is it long overdue or is it a new aspiration?  Either way, if you haven’t quite yet landed the promotion you desire, now is not the time to just wait it out.  Even if you are certain that it is imminent or if you are already performing as the “temporary fill-in” for the elevated role (you don’t officially have the title, authority, salary, etc. that goes along with all the responsibility and extra work you have taken on), you must be proactive in your effort to land that promotion.  So what can you do?  In my nearly 20 year career as an HR professional, time and again I would watch (and listen) to people make a few common mistakes that would work against their case for promotability …

 

1.  They express readiness for the elevated role based on their potential to perform at a higher level vs. on actual results that evidences that their knowledge or skill level is beyond what is expected in their current role.

 

2.  They express entitlement based on years of service or experience vs. on personal traits that demonstrate solid leadership skills.

 

3.  They show confidence in their ability to influence others only when they actually acquire the tangible rewards that typically follow a promotion (title, more spacious office, a seat at the executive-level staff meeting table, staff, money, etc.)

 

It’s so easy to show confidence and a cooperative spirit when you state your case to “the powers that be” that you want a promotion.  But once you make the case, the waiting can be agony and it can be challenging to maintain your confidence and cooperative spirit.  Once you let it be known that you are interested in something more than what you already have, you may start to wonder or over-think what those in authority are thinking about you.  You may feel vulnerable to harsh feedback, rejection, or a perception that you might become disgruntled if you don’t get the promotion you want.

 

All of this fear and worry can be avoided if you consistently do 1 thing BEFORE you express your interest in a promotion…

 

demonstrate a state of being that is compelling to and benefits others.  

 

So what the heck is that?  Let me explain…

 

Doing the responsibilities of a leader (or your current job better), is never the fastest path to a promotion.  It may certainly make you appreciated in the role you have (but on the other hand, it may set you up to be taken advantage of – nothing like having someone around you can always throw extra work to and not have to pay them for it), but it won’t demonstrate that you are ready for elevated responsibilities.  Beyond adjusting your attitude to be more professional or increasing your capacity to do more work – being a leader is about demonstrating (being) the intention you have for another by leading them.  Adjust how you are being with those you serve and that is what will get you noticed and trusted to be a leader.

 

So, how can you achieve this?

 

Think about what being an effective leader in the role that you aspire to looks like – come up with your unique definition of what a leader in that role is. Behave within that definition every day, with every exchange you have with others.  Live – BE – that version of a leader within the role you have and raise your hand for opportunities outside of your usual job to bring that behavior forward in service to others – without regard for what you will or can get in return.  Trust that those who demonstrate strong leadership skills (strong service skills) will naturally be pulled along quickly.  If you are not pulled along or approached for leadership roles as quickly as you would prefer, then you can still initiate those discussions and when you do – do so with a solid history and track record of real examples of how you have demonstrated leadership qualities.

 

Want to nail down your definition of leadership and start living – being – a strong candidate for a leadership position you aspire to?  Contact me for a free consultation on how to get yourself promotion ready!  888/560-8233 x101 or email me at info@indigoforce.com

Breakthrough! Inspirational Strategies for an Audaciously Authentic Life

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment
  • How often do you think you know what you want but never see it come to fruition?
  • Do you ever feel that you exhaust yourself trying to get where you want to go – that you just don’t have the stamina to persist with your ambitions?

Well, if you could use a boost in your decision-making power then you will be interested to hear the interview I gave recently to blog talk radio host Andrea Ruchelman of Run to 1 Coaching on her show “Gaining Perspectives”.

In this interview I take you deeper into the chapter I contributed to the Amazon best selling book Breakthrough! Inspirational Strategies for an Audaciously Authentic Life!  

Learn the secret that New York Times bestselling authors Janet Bray Attwood, Marci Shimoff, and Chris Attwood and 19 other experts (yes – I am one of the contributing authors!!) know: you can consciously create the life you’ve always wanted.

In this book you will find 22 strategies using wit, deep-insight, and heart-centered wisdom to empower you with the knowledge, tools, and motivation to create a life of abundance, happiness, health, and love. Covering topics from career to relationships to personal transformation, this international dream team of authors will show you how you to finally breakthrough and live the life you were born to live.

No matter what your circumstances, there is a way to make a change, and this book will be your guide. You will find the inspiration and tools to create a life that is audaciously authentic in every way.

Enjoy my interview about my chapter (lucky chapter 7 – entitled The Deciding Factors: Three Ways to Boost Your Decision-Making Power) here – https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/gaining-perspective-andrea/id665642861?i=266114464&mt=2

Buy the book here – http://amzn.to/1g36Adf

By the way…

The net proceeds from this book are being donated to The David Lynch Foundation – Healing Traumatic Stress and Raising Performance in At-risk Populations.

What can employees do for themselves to improve their job satisfaction and engagement?

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

In May of this year, The Society for HR Management released findings from the Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement: The Road to Economic Recovery research report which conducted a study of 600 randomly selected employees and assessed differences in responses related to the following demographics:

  • age (Millennials – generally refers to those born in the ‘80s/‘90s, Generation X – generally refers to those born in the ‘60s/‘70s, Baby Boomers – generally refers to those born in the ‘40s/‘50s, and Veterans – generally refers to those born in the ‘20s/‘30s)
  • gender
  • job levels (non-management, professional non-management, middle management and executive management)

The study looked at 3 things:

  1. job satisfaction
  2. engagement conditions
  3. engagement opinions and behaviors

Job satisfaction refers to how much study participants are satisfied with their job. Job engagement is defined in the report as “…employees’ connection and commitment to their particular organization”. Engagement is looked at in 2 components:

  1. conditions in the workplace (“the environment and the work itself”)
  2. workers’ opinions and behaviors (“how the employees perceive their relationship with their work, as well as how they view others around them”)

The report included suggestions on what organizations could do to address the findings and close some of the more significant satisfaction gaps. Organizations will ultimately do what they will do to address these findings (or not). Corporate efforts however will never be more powerful than what employees can do for themselves to become satisfied or engaged.

This data can be an inspiration for workers to protect themselves from loss of satisfaction and engagement no matter what their employer ultimately does. Why do it?

Continue Reading