Career lessons from Steve Jobs -

Career lessons from Steve Jobs - Twitter was buzzing tonight about the sad news of Steve Jobs death. The visionary and former Apple CEO (he resigned in August, when health problems prevented him from serving), was only 56, but had been fighting pancreatic cancer for eight years. ABC News broke into programming to announce the death, a significant indicator of the affect he had and his contributions to society. Jobs had a very unique and interesting rise to success. Famously, he never graduated from college, and his name often comes up as an example of why you dont need to graduate college to be successful. Lucky for him, he was exceptional, and his lack of a college degree did not prevent him from achieving so much. In fact, you may know, Jobs gave a very famous commencement address (read the full text here), when he was CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios on June 12, 2005 at Stanford University. In the address, Jobs shared three stories, all of which have very strong career messages worth remembering. The first is a message about connecting the dots. Jobs took a calligraphy course after he dropped out of college. As it turned out, his school had the best calligraphy instruction in the country. He explained, how he learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. He was fascinated, but assumed the knowledge was impractical. It was only ten years later, When designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, its likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later. What dots might you be able to connect, looking back? (Remember, connecting those dots in the moment can be kind of like trying to navigate a life-sized corn maze. From above, it is easy to see how to get out, but when youre in it, not so obvious.) Jobs second story involved being fired from his own company, which he and his partner started in his parents garage. After 10 years, Apple grew to a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. He noted, We had just released our finest creation the Macintosh a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating. I didnt see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life. How can you rethink your career or job situation? Looking back, might a job loss be the best thing that ever happened to you? Of course, we remember, Jobs was exceptional, but it is not impossible to reframe and recreate your life. Often, the best success comes after a major failure. Strangely enough, Jobs last story was about death. He remarked, When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: If you live each day as if it was your last, someday youll most certainly be right. It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today? Its nothing we havent heard before, but it is not so easy to live your life apart from what Jobs described as alll external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure, the things that just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Jobs went on to say, Your time is limited, so dont waste it living someone elses life. Dont be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other peoples thinking. Dont let the noise of others opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. It seems like good advice, even though it is easier said than done. I hope, though, you can take some inspiration from a man who died much too young, who spoke about death only a year after thinking he would face a very imminent demise from pancreatic cancer. (It turned out his initial diagnosis was wrong and he had hope of a much longer life than he had originally thought.) I think the best lesson to learn from an exceptional and unique visionary is that we all have talents, hopes and dreams, and it is up to us to move ahead to try to make them come true, no matter what obstacles we face. While few of us will be breaking news or trending topics, each one of us has special qualities to uncover and tap. Take some time to think about yours. photo by secretagent007

How to Write a Call Center Representative Resume

How to Write a Call Center Representative ResumeThe goal of a call center representative resume is to be a link between the company and the employee. These resumes need to have substance so that if they are sent in, they get a response from the company and recruiters want to see the experience and skills that they possess.If you are trying to reach out to current employees of companies such as The Home Depot, American Eagle Outfitters, or Starbucks, you will have to have a person who can talk about their experiences to those employees. These types of jobs are always full of people with a variety of employment backgrounds. That is one of the main reasons why they are hiring these kinds of people.Some companies offer benefits, such as medical insurance. Other perks include the ability to take vacations, not receive a paycheck for overtime, and the ability to work nights and weekends. The employment process at these companies is always on the line, and they are always looking for people who can work hard for their company. That is the main reason why they hire these representatives.This kind of job is great for a person who has always wanted to get into a career in business. Many of these jobs require hands-on experience, and the goal is to provide the experience to their customer. You need to be able to show them what you have done so that they can call you back when they need you.You will find that if you have the skills to send a quality call center representative resume, you will be contacted by these companies. They will need someone who is able to help them with their customer service needs.It is important to show that you are a team player as well as a dependable person. Your resume should outline your talents, as well as the ones that are best suited for this type of job. make sure The company will always be looking for people that they can trust, so make sure that you do not leave anything to chance. Make sure that you provide the information that they ne ed.

Is Self-Doubt Sabotaging Your Work Heres How to Conquer It

Is Self-Doubt Sabotaging Your Work Here’s How to Conquer It What’s next? Where do you want to be in the next three to five years? What’s possible? This is how I launch my visioning workshops. People across professions, levels, and ages gather together to consider attributes about themselves and their worlds that might augment or curtail their success. I am often surprised when many people express uncertainties about their power to make things happen. Their beliefs about their shortcomings and missed opportunities don’t align with the successful and driven people I see before me. After 30 years as a management expert and executive coach, I’ve noticed the same pattern. The only thing really keeping someone from actualizing their visions is themselves, and their self-doubt. While self-doubt may not be completely debilitating, it is limiting and can sabotage a career in subtle ways. Self-doubt can come from being told that you “can’t,” from societal stereotyping, or from powerful subconscious cues: the fear of failure keeps you from realistically going for a goal, the fear of success keeps you from completely sharing your capabilities, and impostor syndrome keeps you from owning what is yours and using it well. Let’s unpack these seeds of self-doubt â€" and what you can do about them. Illustration by Janice Chang Do you have fear of failure? A mid-careerist sets unattainable goals. He invests time and energy and comes close. Along the way, he gets accolades for working hard, for trying. He also avoids criticism for missing the mark because his reach was so high from the beginning. In the end, he feels satisfied for even trying and avoids failure. But he also never completely advances to the next level. And sooner or later he runs the risk of working for someone who will not appreciate what they will perceive to be his poor judgment in assessing what he is able to achieve. People sabotage their own success because failing causes shame. Instead of feeling disappointed, frustrated, angry or regretful about actions that led to failure, they can internalize and feel bad about who they are without ever risking. To avoid this toxic emotional rollercoaster, certain people play it safe, and only try new things that can easily be mastered or are out of reach. Do you have fear of success? A department head has what it takes to become a VP. Yet she avoids taking on assignments that would demonstrate her talents and give her more visibility. She’s afraid that she would be labeled an aggressive corporate bitch, or that her current network of peers would no longer include her in lunch dates or after work cocktails. She avoids greater success. It may sound counterintuitive, but people can fear how success might change their lives. They do not doubt their ability. Instead, anxiety arises from knowing that they are capable. They fear cracking under pressure, so they avoid opportunities for visibility. Staying under the radar or minimizing their accomplishments when recognized are common fear of success strategies. Success also can bring elevated financial rewards and fringe benefits that change how people live. Once there’s a taste of the better life, it can become an expectation â€" and one that may be hard to continuously live up to. Do you have impostor syndrome? An accomplished multi-credentialed person has built notable reputations in different fields. She’s confident, often promoted, and sought after for expertise, yet she questions whether her success is from being charming or being smart. She waits for the other shoe to drop. Impostor syndrome is the fear that other people will discover their charade. Regardless of success, they feel inadequate. This is partly because they attribute their success to fate, luck, and timing, rather than skill, effort, and outcome. Impostor syndrome keeps them from reaching higher so their true nature won’t be discovered. How you can transform self-doubt into self-worth Self-doubt limits what we can achieve. And if it is palpable to others it can be used to manipulate our actions and reactions. Given that much of self-doubt may be subconscious, what can we do to rise above it and embrace all that we are? Here are proven techniques to start making changes today. 1. Stop, breathe, ask, listen When your knee-jerk reaction to an opportunity is anxiety, stop what you are doing. Take a deep breath. Wait 10 seconds and then ask yourself: Why do I feel this way? Am I afraid of failing, succeeding, being found out? Then listen to your Self. You are likely to discover that the anxiety is an old tape that doesn’t serve you. 2. Rewrite your story. Instead of focusing on all the things you’re not good at, or why you don’t deserve an opportunity, or how you will be found out…try to think positively about yourself. Make a list of your skills, knowledge, and abilities that align with this opportunity. This will help you brainstorm solutions to your objections. I consulted to a company that identified a respected salesperson for a promotion to Director for a new territory. There was only one problem: he didn’t apply for the job. In a coaching session, he questioned his ability to lead others and said he didn’t want to spend more time away from home. After talking it out, we revealed that he already had been successfully mentoring new salespeople, and that he could limit his time away from home by remotely communicating with his team. He realized that he already was a leader and took the job. 3. Create a strong support network. Remember that others feel the way you do, even if it doesn’t seem that way. It’s always better to talk about your fears than to give them a life of their own inside your head. Sharing your fears helps you see you aren’t alone. Ask someone in your trusted network if they ever feel that what they do isn’t good enough, and what they are afraid to do, and why. You might be surprised by the answers. 4. Consider situations as unique. When you feel inadequate in a setting, explore it. A bad experience in the past, perceived or real, is not necessarily all experiences. A former student in her early career avoided opportunities to lead the special project teams that she kept requesting to be part of. She worked very hard with her peers but took a back seat when it was time to present to senior management. The reason? She believed she would choke. A bad presentation experience in college reinforced this fear. But when she compared her abilities then to her abilities now, and considered how her current work setting was different, she rethought her perspective and later stepped up. 5. Celebrate failure as an opportunity to learn. Regardless of what our culture values, perfect doesn’t exist. Failure doesn’t define you. Some of our best lessons come from what doesn’t work. Own it, grow from it, and be kind to yourself. An early careerist was competing for a job with a notable employer. In the interview, he was given a client problem to solve. He answered quickly and he didn’t get the job. In a coaching session later, we reviewed his answer and he realized that if he gave himself more time to think he would have crafted a more thoughtful and thorough response. Exasperated, he moaned, “I could just kick myself.” Instead, I suggested that he craft a thoughtful note to the interviewer owning his impatient response and what he now thought the answer was. He thanked the employer for the opportunity to learn an important lesson. A week later he was invited back for another interview and later was offered a position. 6. Have the courage to succeed. While some of a person’s success can be attributed to fate, luck, or chance, the truth is that most of it comes from talent, hard work, persistence, and humility. Being successful means that you must invest in yourself and discover new things about yourself â€" and these can be good things, too. Embracing who you are and having the courage to face your fear and anxiety about what is possible can reap untold rewards. I promise you that on the other side of your self-doubt is your destiny.