image by giggleseye

Starting a new project almost always feels good. You become invigorated by even the thought of starting something new.

Resolutions, goal setting, and big dreams.

The problem is that for many, the bubble bursts easily. They set a goal and then they drop it either because they are too busy to follow through or they have hit a challenge with the goal and quit.

I often open the day on Twitter with a greeting. This morning I said this, “Good morning! First work day (for me anyway) of the new year! How are you going to make this year fantastic?”

Michelle who tweets as @NLCajax responded with: “Good morning, Julie! I’m still enjoying holidays for 2 more days – reading goal setting inspiration right now. ”

I answered her: “Glad to hear it. I plant to make reading in general something I do more of in 2012. Hope your day is wonderful!”

And as she replied with: Thanks Julie! Hope your first day back to work in 2012 is fabulous! Happy reading – what will be your first book?” I realized that I don’t know which book I will read. I have started so many books in the past year and finished very few of them. My goal is to finish them, one at a time. Allocate time for reading full books, not just blog posts and other information on my computer.

Visualize completing your goal

Many of us set goals like reading, losing weight, or getting organized, but never follow through. Perhaps we need to visualize ourselves completing the goal however which makes it easier to keep moving toward it.

Serious athletes set goals and strive to achieve them. Look at the photo above. Imagine the feeling this climber had reaching the top. Last year I wrote a series of posts that began with this one: You have to Start to Finish. I had forgotten the title until I looked for it just now. How coincidental that my mind is thinking the same way as it did last January.

I reached some of my goals in 2011 but not some of the ones I thought I would. I want to make 2012 the year I don’t just set goals. I want it to be the year I finish them. How about you?

Image by Donna Sullivan Thompson

What’s the fastest way to lose good will with people? If you are looking at my title, you might think that it is assuming too much or at least wonder what I mean by that.

A prospective client left a message yesterday. He said he needed a resume right away. And then proceeded to tell me that he was leaving his house and wouldn’t be available until the morning. I called him back and caught him before he left. After I explained who I was, he launched into his reason for calling.

Just a Quick Resume

“Oh, I am glad you called back. I need just a quick resume. Nothing big just a resume. But I need it by the weekend.”

It was Thursday afternoon. No mention of what my schedule was, no question about price. I explained that my projects typically take four hours to create though once in awhile I can do it quicker. I told him that I schedule 2 hour or less sessions because otherwise they are not productive and so if he needed it by the weekend, I would be hard-pressed to get him on the schedule with two appointments but we could compare schedule.

He replied, “oh, this is an easy job. You can probably do it in an hour.”

Now my reputation in the industry is that I am one of the fastest writers partially because I write with the client as part of the process. They are either in my office or on Skype for the majority of the information gathering process and I write the resume live while they watch it develop and provide input. It’s an interactive process that started in office and expanded to Skype when I realized that I could deliver the same process to clients across the globe if I used Skype’s screen share technology. But an hour, even for me, that would be very unlikely and probably yield garbage.

It’s internal so it is NO big deal

This prospective client went on to say, ” it’s for an internal position so it is no big deal.” Even that struck me as funny. I have had many internal clients before, several who have been in the position that they needed the resume for, bidding on a job that they were already doing. I have had police chiefs, vice presidents of colleges, and other professionals who recognized that even though they were already doing the job, it was just as critical to create a dynamic, accomplishment-filled resume that clarified to the employer that they were indeed the best person for the job. You should never assume that it is “no big deal.”

Finally, he asked what this would cost. I explained that my opening rate is $379 and that I let clients select their own packages from that starting point in light of the economy. I also told him I would waive the $100 rush fee this time because I could fit the project into my schedule. (Though I have to admit that at this point, I was thinking I should make the rush fee $500 just for him.)

Quickly he back-peddled. My prices are all listed on my site. But he had not done any research, he just assumed that I would be available and cheap. Since he had sounded so urgent, I had called this “assumer” back before returning a call to one of my favorite former clients who needed an update.

No, I didn’t write the resume for the assumer. Instead, I found the time to spend two hours with my former client, recreating his resume which has always gotten him the Sales Manager and District Manager positions he has wanted. We also started his LinkedIn profile and did some LinkedIn coaching. My afternoon was delightful. My former client has been the source of many referrals and will be again. He has never assumed that we should throw things together or assumed that you don’t need the best and most strategic documents you can create.

What happens when you assume?

In a job search, if you assume you can just give them a piece of paper, you probably will not give them a golden ticket. In a job search, if you assume you can just wander in dressed anyway you want, ripped blue jeans because you are the primo candidate and they should want you, you may be very surprised.

I find that people who play the “assume” game with me are the least prepared to change positions or land a new job. They don’t take it seriously and they think too much of themselves. Surprise, most employers don’t see their Superman emblems and have to be convinced that they are the right candidate for the job. My point, make sure you make the effort all the time and don’t assume.

Image by LifeSupercharger

Yesterday I refocused a resume for a returning client who landed her new position in July 2010. Her new company’s rule is that you need to be employed with them for 1 year before you can apply for any internal positions. She has met this goal!

Capture your success stories

She now is targeting a trainer position to use training skills she built in other jobs. My client knew that though she had a successful resume which worked last time, she needed help in capturing her new success stories and re-focusing her resume to match her new internal target.

Clients who work with me at Design Resumes know they participate in an interview-based, mainly real-time writing experience either in my office or via Skype. As I asked her questions and she answered, it was very obvious she knows what she is talking about. Since her particular position and department is new to me, I role-played with her to get her to demonstrate the calls she makes in her current position.

As we finished the update, I not only grasped the details of her present position but I understood why she was successful. Her answers exuded confidence and enthusiasm! The clarity of her answers coupled with her obvious caring nature had made her a natural. I have no doubt she will be able to translate this experience to the new role as a trainer and be an asset to the company as she teaches others the job.

Do you have a career plan?

As we continued our appointment, I asked, “You’ve always had a career plan, right?” Enthusiastically, she answered, “Yes!”

I have worked with other clients like her before and I have to say that they are my favorite type of client. Here’s what differentiates them from the average job seeker:

• They don’t necessarily have a specific job target with each step but they know even part time jobs and internships will build specific skills can tie into your end career goal.
• They are dedicated and willing to work hard to achieve their career goals and typically they also understand the key role fiscal management plays in this economy. She has not only a career plan but a financial management plan and to reach it, she doubled up at one point and for 9 months worked 80 hours a week. She said it was tough but it built skills and helped her reach some financial goals.
• They follow a path much like stepping stones or building blocks using each step to get closer to their goals.
• They see each step as another way to grow specific skills so when opportunity knocks, they are ready.

We hear stories every day of people who are unemployed for two to three years and who claim there are no opportunities. This young lady has no gaps on her resume. In fact, she has overlaps but she has put in her time, is not afraid of hard work, and learns from every experience including challenges, problems, and set backs.

She loves her current company and believes in their mission. This attitude adds to why she may very well succeed in achieving her next target. Do you have a career plan?

image by stoneysteiner

We all want to put our best foot forward, right? But in a world of social media, that’s starting to get more difficult than ever before.

I talked about Facebook No-no’s in this post, Could these 3 Facebook No-Nos make you lose your job? And I often speak about the importance of the right attitude both in job search and when you are working, as I talked about in 5 Reasons to check your attitude. You really have to watch your step when you have the whole world watching you.

Do you have friends who tag you in Facebook lists, like Your on a camping trip: First 10 people on your friends list? or perhaps Night of Trick-or-Treating… (first 8 friends on your left..NO CHEATING)? Sounds innocent, right? Just a bit of fun, maybe?

But you work in an office who monitors your online presence.

You are careful not to live in a way that would get you in trouble. You don’t drink too much or take risque photos of yourself.

But now your friend has tagged you and your name lands on: Drunk falls in campfire or  Caught egging cars

Or you are in a job search for just the right position in law enforcement

You don’t do drugs or break laws. You are careful to always buckle your seat belt.

But your friend tags you and your name lands on: Stuffs the pot under the seat

Or you run a small business and you use Facebook to connect with potential clients

You continually try to put your best foot forward but someone tagged you and your name lands on something you would never do.

Is it silly to be concerned? It is just a game. But in addition to the tag, there are comments from others tagged who often say things like, I would do that. or that sounds like me.

What will the person seeing that information on your wall think?

This is just one example of how something that looks like fun to you or one of your friends could potentially cause problems. Are you sure you are presenting the best impression?