Save the Date! Reverse Career Fair!

SAVE THE DATE FOR THIS EXCITING CAREER FAIR!

WHO: The Reverse Career Fair is open to student leaders who are part of IPFW affiliated groups (including student orgs, Ambassadons, pep band members, Honors students, student housing RAs, peer advisors, etc.).

FIRST 45 TO REGISTER WILL RECEIVE: A printed display that features a full-color banner you will design and aluminum frame stand.

REGISTER HERE: http://ipfw-csm.symplicity.com/surveys/2013ReverseCareerFairStudent

DEADLINE TO REGISTER: February 1, 2013

Is Graduate School for Me?

Perhaps one of the biggest decisions one will make is whether or not to attend graduate school. It can be challenging to weigh the pros and cons of graduate school attendance. The following questions can be very helpful as you try and determine your future regarding graduate school. 

Am I prepared to commit to a career field?
Action point: take the free FOCUS career assessment and schedule a meeting with your career counselor to discuss results
Words of wisdom: Exploring the field with internships and job shadows will be extremely beneficial when trying to determine your interest in a career field.

Is it worth the financial investment?
Action point: familiarize yourself with potential funding sources
Words of Wisdom: Many institutions offer aid and tuition assistance through graduate assistantships. Federal loans are also available to many graduate students. Aid DOES vary based on institution, so it’s vital to do homework regarding institutions of interest.

Which institution do I want to attend?
Action point: Research, Research, Research!
Words of Wisdom: Some helpful questions to ask and research one when considering an institution include:

• What does the program emphasize? How many students are enrolled in the program?
• How long does it take to complete the program?
• Where is the institution located?
• What research areas are faculty members studying at the institution?

For more information please take advantage of the following free services

• Visit IPFW Career Services office, Helmke Library, or the office of your program of study 
• Published Guides: Peterson’s guides to graduate school available at www.petersons.com (highly recommended source) 
• Published rankings: Institutional rankings can be found through U.S. News and World Report, The Gourman Report, and McLean’s. *Please remember that these rankings are subjective and do not provide information regarding professors, job placement records, financial aid possibilities, etc.

Media Montage: Employer Site Visits

Media Montage: Employer Site Visits

Are you interested in getting involved in the television and radio industries?

Wednesday, November, 28th the IPFW Career Services Office will be hosting Media Montage: Employer Site Visits.

IPFW Students may register to attend this event where they will get to tour local television and radio companies and network with professionals.  The group will visist WFWA-PBS, WOWO, OASIS Radio Group, and Indiana's NewsCenter. 

There are only a few spots left.  Click here to register!   

Health Care Careers Panel

This Thursday at Noon!

Co-Sponsored by Office of Diversity & Multicultural Affairs

http://new.ipfw.edu/odma/

LinkedIn Profile Pictures

TheLadders Eye Tracking Study

How important can a LinkedIn profile picture be?  A recent study by TheLadders used eye tracking technology to study the factors employers focus on when reviewing a LinkedIn profile.  TheLadders found that employers spend 19% of the time they look at a profile examining the profile picture.  Maybe there is truth to the saying "A picture is worth a thousand words."  Here are a few tips to help you communicate the right message to future employers with a professional profile picture. 

Do

-Dress for the Job. Your attire and appearance for a professional profile picture should also be appropriate for a job interview.

-Consider the Background. A plain or muted background will encourage others to look at you and not at what's behind you.

-Use a Headshot. Your profile picture should capture you from the top of your head to just below the shoulders.

-Be Yourself. This is not the time to try a new hairstyle. Just be yourself and offer a pleasant smile.

 

Don't

-Crop a photo from a recent vacation or photographed event. Avoid beach pictures and wedding photographs.

-Include others. Make it easy for employers to recognize you by only including yourself in your profile picture. 

-Take a self-portrait. Mirror shots are unprofessional. Ask a friend to use a camera or use a tripod and a timer to take your headshot.

-Use an outdated photo. Profile pictures should represent how you currently look, not how you looked ten years ago.

 

Need some helping making your profile picture professional?  During the month of November, the Career Services Office will be taking LinkedIn Profile Pictures during drop-in hours (Monday-Friday, 10am-2pm).  Stop by the office (KT109), take a quick photo, receive an electronic copy of your image, and improve your LinkedIn profile!

Externship Testimonials



Externs meeting with Ashley Calderon during Fall Break externships

Ever feel like you really wanted to gain some experience in your prospective field but are unable to
balance your crazy schedule between work, class, and everything else? The externship program offered through the IPFW Career Services office is designed just for you! So, what is an externship? An externship is a mini internship which allows individuals to job shadow professionals to better understand what a position in a prospective field may look like. The externship program originated during spring break week and has now grown to offer externships over fall break. Fall break externships focus on on-campus opportunities for students. Fall externships for 2012 just concluded! The feedback from the program was overwhelmingly positive. Below are some testimonials from individuals in the externship process 

"I really enjoyed my time during externship. I was able to learn so much about Human Resources and everyone answered all of my questions." - Human Resources extern

"I really enjoyed meeting with all of the different staff members. They were all so friendly and genuinely wanted to help. It was great to be able to network with them and just have all my questions answered. It really reaffirmed my desire to work in Human Resources." - Human Resources extern

"My favorite part of the externship process is just meeting with students. I really enjoy hearing from them, and they so frequently remind me of why I love my job. It's a great opportunity to mentor students and build long-term relationships with them." - Human Resources externship supervisor

If you are interested in externships, be sure to apply for the next externship program taking place March 11- March 15, 2013 (spring break week)! Space is limited so be sure to apply early:)

Check out http://new.ipfw.edu/offices/career/students/externships.html  for more information!

5 Things Wrong With Your Resume

Writing a winning resume is no walk in the park. You have to know yourself, you have to know your skills and if you want an employer to believe it, you have to believe it. The career website Vault.com talks about some of the basics. Here are 5 tips for you to consider:

Repetition. When an employer looks at your resume, they spend about 30 seconds on it. If you put something, and then you put it again somewhere else on your resume, you’ve potentially just wasted the employers’ time and cost yourself the job. Don’t repeat, anything. Words. Descriptions of similar jobs. Nothing.

Excess fat. Don’t get too wordy. If you get bored reading your own resume, others will too. Don’t take the time to go into too much detail about previous jobs (unless they are relevant to the employer that you’re applying for), ignoring everything that requires you to use first person. At the same time, you want to be sure you get the point across of what kind of importance your previous job held. “Stocked.” “Shipped.” “Packed.” Stocked what? Shipped, packed what? Sometimes, depending on where you worked, those things are self-explanatory. (i.e., you worked at a warehouse.) Tell the employer why your skills from previous employment are relevant to them if they hire you, and no periods on your resume.

The un-bolded beautiful. Don’t undersell yourself. If you were in charge of something or earned an award, ever, at a previous job, in a volunteer experience, from school, make it clear. The employer won’t know if you don’t tell them. Explain how you accomplished a task, what you gained from it, why it’s important to the employer. Always include dates and locations.

Not minding the gap. It happens. People get laid off, they get hurt, for some reason, they have to stop working. Clearly, lying is never a good idea. So here are your options: one, completely skip over the gap on your resume and don’t explain it at all, but be prepared to be asked about it in an interview. Have an answer. Don’t stumble around, trying to come up with an answer because that just looks worse. Two, briefly explain it at the bottom of your resume. Extremely personal details are not necessary, but a basic idea to let the employer know that you were focused on something beyond potato chips and daytime television.

Page two. Two page resumes are for the few and far between simply because it just takes a longer time to read. For that reason, most people stick to one page. Two pagers are for people with lots of really cool, really relevant experience over a period of time (not skipping from job to job!) So consider, if you want to go to two pages and you were an employer looking at your resume, would you without a doubt want to be aware of the information that you’ve provided? If not, then it’s gotta go.

FOCUS

"So, what's your major?"

"Uh... I'm just not sure yet.  I'm still undecided."

Have you ever gotten tired of giving this response over and over again?  If you said yes, you may be an ideal candidate for FOCUS, a free career and education assessment offered through the Career Services office at IPFW.



START FOCUS TODAY

FOCUS is an online assessment tool you can use to explore your interests and possible career paths.  This online asssessment contains four different sections you can use in your journey toward choosing a major (explore the possibilities, career readiness, self-assessment, and career protfolio).  To complete the assessment portion of the program, you access the self-assessment section.  In this section, you are invited to evaluate your work and leisure interests as well as your skills and values.  The work and leisure interest assessments ask you to select the degree to which you would enjoy a specific activity while the skills and values assessments ask you to select your top three skills and values.  At the end of each assessment you're given a list of careers related to your answers.  You can also choose to combine the results of all the assessments to recieve a career list that represents the connections between each of the assessment areas.

Are you ready to have an answer?  Each assessment takes approximately ten to fifteen minutes to complete.  Altogether, that's only about an hour of your time!  Visit the Career Services website or talk to your career counselor to start the FOCUS today!

Fall 2012 Externships!

Use Fall Break to Start Your Career

As a student, an externship through IPFW Career Services may be the smartest thing you can do over fall break. It’s a great, fast, and efficient way to explore a career.

Externships are a combination of a job shadow and mini-internship. Invest just two days and move yourself one step closer to your goal. You can find mentors and establish professional connections.
It’s easy!

Check out IPFW JobZone at ipfw.edu/jobzone to find out which IPFW departments are participating.
Apply today...Deadline is Monday September 17!

Learn more about externships and other ways we can help you connect!

Contact Ashley Calderon
Director of Career Services
calderoa@ipfw.edu
260-481-6591

101 Things to Do Before You Graduate

IPFW Job Fair

The fall IPFW Job Fair is fast approaching. Don't forget to polish your resume, dress to impress, and come early. 

Thursday, September 20th

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Walb International Union Ballroom

If you need help preparing your resume or honing your interview skills come to Career Services, Kettler Hall 109. We have extended drop-in hours Monday, Sept. 18^th and Tuesday, Sept. 19^th from 10am-4pm.

The IPFW job fair is open to all IPFW students & alumni, and local IU & Purdue alumni.

Job Search Time Management

School started this week at IPFW.  If you graduated over the summer, this could be a bit of a wakeup call if you aren’t yet employed in your field. Often, one of the biggest obstacles for job seekers is finding and managing their time. Check out the suggestions below:

Too Little Time?

Improving your career can’t always be your whole life.  You might have to work at a job not related to your career ambitions just to pay your bills. Maybe you have children to take care of or other important responsibilities. Stop waiting for long periods of uninterrupted time and look for small time periods that you can use effectively. Can you hop on the internet and look at a few job sites during your lunch break? Can you spare 15 or 20 minutes after the kids go to bed?

Too Much Time?

If you are currently completely unemployed, keep in mind that your job search is your job.

                Get up in the morning.

               Most of the people you want to contact will be active between 8am and 6pm. If you’re sleeping until 2pm, you could be missing out.

               Shower and put on real clothes.

                It’s hard to feel prepared and professional in your pajamas.

               Consider leaving the house.

               At home, you might find yourself distracted by family or unfinished housework.  Taking your laptop to the local coffee shop or using a computer at a public library could make it easier to focus. 

For more information on job searching check out: http://new.ipfw.edu/offices/career/students/job.html

Difficult & Tough Questions

 I want to address some difficult and tough questions that hopefully will aid you in the future in not so "cut and dry" circumstances...

What if I was fired from my previous job for reasons I don’t want to explain and the employer asks me about it in an interview?

The best way to answer questions like this one is to be brief in your answer and vague—but STAY POSITIVE. You want to remain truthful but also not give away too much personal information. For example, you can answer by saying "I needed to start my career path in a different direction, it was good for both the employer and I, and I have learned from my mistakes and am ready to move on and attain new skills." You can always answer in a roundabout way. The employer wants to know this: have they learned from their mistakes, and will they be a good fit here?

What if an employer at a job fair tells me to go apply online?

 

Yes-go apply online! Everybody else applies online and that is how the employer receives applications, but you showed initiative and you showed up! Keep the ball rolling and see if they would like to keep your resume on hand as well-sometimes employers will make notes on your resume after meeting you face to face and watch for your online application to show-up in their online database. Now you can also write in your cover letter “when I met your representative at the IPFW Career Fair…”

           What if I am asked a question in the interview I don’t know the answer to? Or a behavioral question about a situation that I have never experienced?

This can be difficult, but it is appropriate to say, “Let me think about that.” You can also ask the employer to come back to a question later on in the interview. If you have never experienced a situation that the employer wants to know how you handled, still answer the question by telling them what you would do in a situation like the one they are asking about. You want to answer all their questions in one way or another! This way, you are giving them some insight into how you process things and your response to a dilemma, even if it is hypothetical. Another way to go about this question is by answering with multiple scenarios. Perhaps you had dealt with a difficult employer in Job A, a lazy coworker in Job B, and asked for more projects in Job C.

1       I have done multiple interviews with different employers, but what if I prefer one employer over the other and hear from one but want to keep the door open until I hear back from another?

That is a very great question! A lot of people deal with this than you think, so don't feel alone. It is appropriate to ask for time to think it over so you can reflect before making a decision. Make sure the impression you are leaving is that you want to make the right decision and fit for you, not necessarily that you are waiting for the better offer you are more excited about! Ask if they have a deadline they need to know by, or give it a week.

If you still have not heard anything from anyone else give them a call to follow up and see where they are in the hiring process. At this point, you can let them know you have interviewed with other organizations, but they are your preferred choice.

 

MBTI Series: ISFP & work relationships

Building Strong Relationships
There is a book that I suggest to many people when they have relationship problems, and it doesn't matter if it's work or personal relationship problems this book will help. Check out The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman. He's actually written a number of variations on his original book to tailor the messages with different groups, one being in the workplace. One of Chapman's follow up books, The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, is geared towards expressing appreciation towards your coworkers/staff in a way that is meaningful to them, which in turn builds relationships, understanding, and overall increases workplace satisfaction.

Chapman teams up with Dr. Paul White in the workplace edition to discuss appropriate ways to express the five languages, which are words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service, tangible gifts, and physical touch. I'm sure you've just cringed a little with that last one, but below you'll find some suggestions on how this communication theory can work well even in the workplace. The key message to remember when successfully implementing this method of communication, with anyone, is to know what his/her preferred language of appreciation is and then finding appropriate ways to show this appreciation towards him/her.

5 Languages of Appreciation
It can be hard to determine how others want to be treated, especially if you don't know the person very well. Some people have just asked their coworkers a simple question like, "What's something I/the office could do to show our appreciation for you and your hard work?" You could also try identifying with their current stress level first like, "I've noticed you've been working very hard on that project and I know I would feel overwhelmed with it. Is there anything I can do to help you?" You can also make some suggestions like bringing them coffee or assisting with a small portion of the project.  This can help you determine if they appreciate tangible gifts or acts of service. Once you've determined their preferred language here are a few options to demonstrate your appreciation to them:

1. Words of Affirmation - write a small note and leave it on their computer; submit kudos to HR on someone's behalf, if the company has a "Good Samaritan" type program; acknowledge his/her hard word at the end of a staff meeting or when that project comes up in the itinerary
2. Quality Time - offer your coworker an open door if they ever need to talk; go to lunch with him/her and make sure you spend time talking about his/her concerns and not yourself; remember why people go on vacation or have special events and take 5-10 minutes to talk with him/her about what's been happening
3. Acts of Service - offer to help him/her with their project; if you know it's his/her responsibility to do something on a regular basis and you see it's not getting done offer to do that for them
4. Tangible Gifts - bring in homemade cookies for the whole office, but reserve a couple for the coworker who values tangible gifts and deliver it personally; offer to buy him/her lunch; find out what their favorite mid-afternoon snack is and bring it for them on occasion
5. Physical Touch - high-fives, handshakes, pat on the back, and fist bumps are all appropriate ways to demonstrate appreciation through physical touch at work. Just make sure you use them in a way that makes sense to the other person, because if he/she doesn't know why you're giving them a high-five then the appreciation message has been lost.

INTROVERTED-SENSING-FEELING-PERCEIVING (ISFP)
After giving you a fair background on The 5 Love Languages it's time to talk more about ISFPs and why I'm suggesting they consider their current work relationships and how they work.  Everyone, can benefit from Chapman's theory of communication but as I was reviewing ISFPs and reading about their strengths and weaknesses I thought that his book was very relevant.

ISFPs have some amazing strengths when it comes to personal relationships, like being a very trusting and flexible individual with others.  They are very cooperative, loyal, and focused on needs of others which leads them to being great friends and very insightful when it comes to relationships. ISFPs are very perceptive of others' and their own emotional needs and feelings and shows their commitment to others through their actions. They definitely live by the motto that actions speak louder than words.

There are weaknesses, of course, as with everyone, and often these weaknesses are actually when ISFPs allow their strengths of perception to take advantage of others. Because ISFPs are so aware of others' emotions and what is important to individuals sometimes it can lead to manipulation in a relationship. While they may not see it as manipulation, others might. Also, since Feeling is as strong component of ISFPs, conflict management is not a strength. When you combine the Feeling with Perceiving it can be a recipe for poor or lack of decision making, too. The 5 Love Languages discusses the importance of understanding other people's communication preferences which can be very helpful with conflict management and decision making.


Some suggestions for ISFP personalities

• Reflect on alternative ways to make decisions and even find out how others process decision making
• Use The 5 Love Languages to understand the others in your workplace and use that knowledge as a means to help resolve conflict in the office
• Continue to offer support and understanding as many appreciate it
• As you develop your decision making skills, be sure to share your reasons for the decisions with all parties involved
• Stop trying to persuade solely through relationships

For more information about MBTI there are great resources at your local library, or CLICK HERE to review the other MBTI entries from our blog. Some information in this blog was inspired by and drawn from Introduction to Type and Emotional Intelligence by Roger R. Pearman.

PART TIME JOB FAIR on IPFW Campus

Part-Time & Work-Study Job Fair Fall 2012 Registration is OPEN!

The "I just need a part-time job during school" fair

Log into JobZone with your myIPFW username and password www.ipfw.edu/career

Look to the right side of your homepage screen and find, "Attend Events"

Click on the Part-Time & Work-Study Job Fair Fall 2012 and you may register there.

Be sure to put this on your calendar—See you there!

Summer Jobs

Check out these cartoons on Summer Job Cartoons from Job Mob

Need a Summer Job? Check out our current job postings on www.ipfw.edu/jobzone

10 Things That Can Be "Career Killers"

1. Talent Shortages: Make sure to acquire the best education, skills, and experience

2. An Ever-Changing Economy: Have the ability to adapt, be creative, and stand up to challenges

3. Rising Cost of Healthcare: Make wise lifestyle choices, employers want a sustainable workforce

4. Social Responsiblity: Be aware of a broad worldview and weave social responsibility into business strategy

5. Environmental Awareness: Going green also means staying disciplined to possibly work from home and managing time effectively

6. Technology as a Way of Life: Stay updated on the latest technology trends and be willing to work longer or less traditional hours

7. Mobile Workforce: Technology allows us to work "less in the office" so don't be too committed to "punching out" at 5pm

8. Millenial Invasion: According to a study by Mercer, by 2020 40% of the workforce will be Millenials, or those born after 1980; know who you are working with or for!

9. Mixed Generations: People are waiting longer to retire and are living longer; Meister and Willyerd say by 2020 the workforce will include 5 different generations; Work well in teams!

10. Global Talent Seeking: The talent pools are much larger within a "smaller" world; accept other cultures, learn a new language, and be open to new ways!


Pulled from http://www.salary.com/10-global-trends-killing-your-career/

By Dawn Dugan, Salary.com contributing writer

MBTI Series: ISTJ & Interpersonal Skills

Today we're going to discuss an often misunderstood type, ISTJ.  From the outside they may seem like a very distant and cold person who has no interest in connecting with people and a lot of times when they do it seems that they're mean.  Well, this person is not inherently mean, but rather someone who is more of a minimalist.  He/She only speaks when needed and usually they need to speak because they need something that someone else is/was supposed to provide.  ISTJs can seem very short and to-the-point with everyone, and while this may be acceptable in some environments not everyone understands where they're coming from.  So, let's talk more about this mysterious type, dispel some biases, and of course provide suggestions for ISTJs to build on their emotional intelligence.


INTROVERSION-SENSING-THINKING-JUDGING (ISTJ)
If you're an ISTJ you may hear yourself thinking, or saying something like "it's just easier if I do it myself" especially when it comes to delegating to someone who is perceived as less competent as you.  You have a tendency to insist on consistency, meaning everything that is done needs to be done at the same level and in the same way as before and preferably the way you do them.  You have high expectations for yourself and you have the same for everyone else.  Because of this, and the fact that ISTJs work in a very focused, calm, and task-oriented manner, they can often be seen as impersonal and blunt.  We might have a valid argument with blunt, because of the need to be task-oriented and get the information they need in the least amount of discussion as possible.  But, impersonal they are not!


ISTJs tend to be seen as impersonal because most people don't understand how a group of people can sit around each other, not make eye-contact, or even talk to each other and yet still be enjoying their company. To the outsider that just looks like multiple beings tolerating each other in their space rather than spending time together.  ISTJs would disagree and argue that they don't need to be engaged with another human being to feel their closeness and care for each other.  So in light of these miss-perceptions I'm going to provide a few suggestions for ISTJs and ask everyone else to remember this post and not jump to conclusions just because someone seemed blunt.  Bluntness can be confused with rudeness, but it's more about getting the information quickly whereas rudeness contains a lack of caring for the other individuals involved.  It's hard to decipher the difference without asking, so don't be afraid of communication with ISTJs because they actually value accuracy and prefer people clearing the air than jumping to conclusions.


Some suggestions for ISTJ personalities:

1. Your strength is in the details, so keep your attention to details high because what others miss you'll catch which is a great asset to organizations.
2. Start listening more empathetically and showing personal interest in others. Empathy isn't about sympathy, but rather being able to put yourself in the other person's position and understand where they're coming from and why they might be upset, happy, etc.
3. Start considering the big-picture and contextual issues like what's most important in the long run or if the decision that you're suggesting is made then what would be the implications for all involved.
4. Reduce the amount of insisting on consistency with things and remember to consider the big picture.
5. Try not to ignore other people's emotional reactions as being moody, but rather inquire about their reaction to better understand them and hopefully come to a resolution.

For more information about MBTI there are great resources at your local library, or CLICK HERE to review the other MBTI entries from our blog.  Some information in this blog was inspired by and drawn from Introduction to Type and Emotional Intelligence by Roger R. Pearman.

Values

Overwhelmed by too many career options? Considering your values might help you out!

A lot of times when we think of the phrase values, we think about our personal moral or ethical beliefs. But, in terms of making a career choice, when we use the word values, we’re talking more about personal priorities and preferences. (I like to operate under the assumption that anyone who might read this blog would choose a moral and legal career path!)

About.com’s Career Planning Section provides the following list of values and their corresponding definitions:

• Autonomy: receiving no or little supervision
• Helping Others: providing assistance to individuals or groups
• Prestige: having high standing
• Job Security: a high probability that one will remain employed
• Collaboration: working with others
• Helping Society: contributing to the betterment of the world
• Recognition: receiving attention for your work
• Compensation: receiving adequate pay
• Achievement: doing work that yields results
• Utilizing Your Skills and Background: using your education and work experience to do your job
• Leadership: supervising/managing others
• Creativity: using your own ideas
• Variety: doing different activities
• Challenge: performing tasks that are difficult
• Leisure: having adequate time away from work
• Recognition: receiving credit for achievements
• Artistic Expression: expressing one's artistic talents
• Influence: having the ability to affect people's opinions and ideas

Sometimes individuals can have value conflicts. Value conflicts arise when two or more values compete with each other. For example, the values of High Earnings and Leisure Time may conflict, as those professionals who have a higher salary may be required to work longer hours.

Values can serve as a good way to narrow down competing career choices. You may enjoy a variety of career related activities, but if these possibilities don’t provide you with things like adequate compensation or job security, it may be time to check out other options.

Change Detection!

Instead of bookmarking and checking all your job sites every few days or so, let this tool email you to let you know that a new job has been posted!

Check it out -- Change Detection

They explain it on their website: "ChangeDetection.com provides page change monitoring and notification services to internet users worldwide. Anyone can use our service to monitor any website page for changes. Just fill in the form below, we will create a change log for the page and alert you by email when we detect a change in the page text. We've been doing it since 1999. It's free."

A very efficient way to manage your job search!

Employee Intrapreneur

We have all heard of the entrepreneur, but what is an employee intrapreneur? According to research found at http://www.entrepreneurship-sme.eu/pdf-ez/H200802.pdf,

“Intrapreneurship refers to employee initiatives in organizations to undertake something new, without being asked to do so… Key behavioural aspects of intrapreneurship are personal initiative, active information search, out of the box thinking, voicing, championing, taking charge, finding a way, and some degree of risk taking.”

In a sense, intrapreneurs are entrepreneurs from within the company. This adds some sustainability to the company because the mindset of these individuals are geared toward trying things until they are successful, learning from mistakes, and being frugal with resources at hand. There is less risk involved being an intrapreneur within a business versus the true nature of an entrepreneur on their own, and new ideas can contribute to an organization that is stagnant.

Through a Career Development Professionals conference, I gained some insight to ideas that relate to this topic. Something to think about is teaching leadership to others early on, so they don’t become invisible-the idea of being your own public relations agent and self-advocating for your own valuable ideas. This also relates to the idea of managing your own career; it is not your boss’s job to do this, but only yours to take charge of your career path’s direction. Lastly, play to your strengths. Know what you are great at doing, refine that skill, and implement it within the workplace. This can lead to personal initiative, voicing your concerns and needs, and finding a way to utilize your strengths so you can be a more efficient, happy employee.

Consider reading some books by Marcus Buckingham, as they are written on this topic.

http://www.tmbc.com/about-marcus/books

MBTI Series: ENFJ & Helpfulness

Is there someone you know, whether it's personally or in your office, who is almost always chipper, willing to help, and has leadership qualities?  Sometimes I'm envious of their energy levels and how they can connect with almost everyone.  I'm an introvert, so natural extroverts always intrigue me and when you add in the helpfulness and leadership qualities... well, let's just say I'm infatuated.  Most often than not I just described an ENFJ in his/her prime.  Don't get me wrong, every MBTI type has both positives and negatives and we'll explore ENFJs' today.

EXTROVERSION-INTUITIVE-FEELING-JUDGING (ENFJ)
The "heart" of any MBTI type is the middle two letters, and in this case NF.  An intuitive-feeler is someone who can have high emotional intelligence and can easily show warmth, support, and is very inclusive of friends, co-workers, etc.  Because of this they are seen as natural leaders, but when taken too far can be to helpful.  Everyone enjoys a little help now and then, but no one likes to be seen as incompetent.  Some people take offense to helpfulness because as helpfulness turns into taking away people's job duties their purpose in the job is also taken away.

Leadership and support are great in the appropriate amounts and as long as your Emotional Intelligence is developed well enough then you can achieve just the right balance.  When we consider ENFJ as a whole we see that they like to make decisions, check things off their list, and tend to move to these conclusions rather quickly.  They can also have a tendency to internally draw connections between the problems that exist and possible solutions, which can leave others in the dark on their decision making.  Combine this with an overly "helpful" personality and they can easily been seen by others as a manager who doesn't trust anyone, but is very nice on the surface which can quickly lead to distrust among a team.  So while they can be natural leaders, as a healthy personality, every type has the potential for a negative perspective.

Some suggestions for ENFJ personalities:

1. Create methods to review and verify your details, and then share your internal process with your team while seeking honest feedback and possibly altering your decision based upon the team's suggestions
2. Continue to engage and link others into the group to encourage cohesiveness
3. Start setting clearer boundaries and asking for specific actions of people instead of "helping" too often
4. Stop putting of important tasks in favor of meeting people needs.  Sometimes you have to make a hard decision even if not everyone in the group is satisfied with the end decision.

For more information about MBTI there are great resources at your local library, or CLICK HERE to review the other MBTI entries from our blog.  Some information in this blog was inspired by and drawn from Introduction to Type and Emotional Intelligence by Roger R. Pearman.

Job Searching in a Tight Economy

Not only are job applications more structured and selective through online databases, they are also being posted during a tight economy. Therefore, a job search is like a job! In order to have a step up in the game, be a part of the hidden job market. So…what is the hidden job market? It is part of the beginning of the interview process, where employers ask their first network of connections for leads on applicants. In order to connect, you need to expand your network and be on the inside of this process. This can be accomplished many ways. You can set up a profile on LinkedIn, attend networking events such as a Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana (YLNI) Hot Spot (ylni.org), increase your marketability with experience (get an internship, co-op, externship, part-time related job, volunteer, job shadow), inform your network you are job searching (they can keep their ears open for you too!), send letters of inquiry to employers you are interested in (they are always looking for a good employee when the time is right), attend the IPFW Fall Job Fair September 20, check www.ipfw.edu/JOBZONE on a daily basis, meet with a Career Counselor to practice interviewing, refine your resume, and write a cover letter to set you apart! 

Here are a few strategies to help you be successful:

1.       Set goals and plan who you will target (Who can help me reach them? How can I get to know those   people who can? How can I help make them successful?) 
2.       Know what you want, employers want confident applicants that know what their values, skills,   and interests are!
3.       Research companies (what are their goals, mission, strategic plan?)
4.       Keep track of your activities & progress
5.       Stay positive and be polite to receptionists/clerical staff-they have a hand in your application
6.       Always follow up!

Keep in mind: you can go through several job transitions before you are settled.