As human beings, it’s normal for us to want to be happy in all aspects of their lives, including being happy at work. When we become unhappy in one aspect of our lives, it’s human nature to find ways to resolve it. For many employees feeling unhappy at work, which usually means resigning and applying for another job. That might make you happy, but only for a while. Unless you discover the cause of your unhappiness, it will not take long when you find yourself feeling unhappy in that new job.

If you’ve been feeling unhappy at work, take some time and contemplate on these 5 questions to discover exactly why you’re feeling this way towards your job.

5 questions to determine why you’re unhappy at work

Am I unhappy at work because I expected too much?

Believe it or not, one of the main reasons why people are unhappy at work is because of false expectations. Whether we’d like to admit it or not, we come into a new job with a set of assumptions and expectations based on what we’ve read or heard. When these expectations you have in your mind are not met, that’s when you slowly start feeling dissatisfied with your job.

Am I unhappy at work because I’m not growing?

Finding opportunities to develop yourself further and your skills are essential not just for your career growth, but also for your happiness.

Growth in a company isn’t just limited to promotion. For some companies, this may mean offering employees opportunities to sign up for certification courses or attending seminars and workshops to enhance your skills further.

Of course, you will need to take and accept these possibilities for you to enjoy these benefits. And since you’ll be learning new skills, it will not be easy at first. In fact, it’s probably safe to say that you’ll find learning these new skills challenging and even overwhelming. But if you see beyond this, these will help you grow and open more doors of opportunities for you within your company.

Am I working in a company where I am respected?

Each and every person working in a company is expected to give respect. More importantly, it’s every employee’s right also to be recognized in a company regardless of his or her position. That’s because each and every employee contributes to the overall success and progress of the business.

As the old saying goes, “do to others what you want them to do to you.” If the reason why you’re unhappy at work is that you feel that you’re not respected, stop for a moment and ask yourself if you have shown respect to your peers and superiors at work. Just like trust, respect is not a privilege. It’s earned. You can earn this by showing others that you respect them.

Is my life balanced?

Have you found yourself complaining about how you no longer seem to have enough time for your family and yourself? Or perhaps you’ve heard your spouse or your children complain that you’re never home or you’re always working? If so, this is probably the reason why you’re unhappy at work.

The thing is that you’re not alone. Lots of employees go through this, especially those that have just been hired at a new job and those that have just been promoted. While it’s true that you can quickly feel that there’s just so much work to be done, the bottom line is that you are the one that makes your schedule each day, every day. That said, make it a point to carefully plan out your schedule so that you balance your time for those that are important.

Am I focusing on my weaknesses or developing my strengths?

Leadership expert John Maxwell explains this very plainly, “Don’t focus your weaknesses because you’re weak at it.”

Lots of people who are unhappy at work far too often focus on developing on their weaknesses instead of developing their strengths. Unfortunately, since you’re weak in these areas, progress will be painfully slow, if you ever get to make any progress at all. As a result, you end up feeling even more frustrated than when you began working on them.

On the other hand, when you spend the time to develop and specialise on your strengths, you’ll notice that you’re quickly able to progress in your growth. When that happens, you’ll get the attention and respect from your peers. You may even earn the reputation of becoming the go-to person for a particular task.

While it’s true that there are some instances where your feeling of unhappiness and dissatisfaction at work are brought by not having any opportunity to be promoted or being mistreated at work, it’s important first to evaluate, ask yourself these questions, and honestly, answer them. Only then will you be able to discover the reason why you’re unhappy at work so that you can deal with this in a professional manner.

The post Unhappy at Work? 5 Questions to Ask Why appeared first on King of CV.

Have A Global View

Executives have to see the big picture. Their position requires them to see how all the different elements of a business interact with each other. They have to see where the strengths and weaknesses lie. Communicating at an executive level, then, requires that you don’t get bogged down in minutiae. Executives deal in the key points, the broad perspective. They don’t need to know if a specific shipment was on time or delayed, but they do want to know how shipments are affecting the profit margin. Start thinking in terms of the bigger picture.

Get to the Point

Chit-chat and small talk are part of polite society, the currency of living in a civilized world. Executives, however, live on accurate, up-to-date information. They don’t need the polite niceties, they want the information they need. In other words, they want you to get to the point. If you’re giving a presentation to executives, give them the information that’s pertinent, accurate, and up-to-date. Make sure you know everything about the information you’re supplying.

Don’t Deliver Uncertainties

Executives want information they can trust and depend on. They need you to be certain about what you’re saying, and they want to know you convinced about the validity and relevance of the information you’re supplying. If you’re suggesting solution to a company problem, they want to know that you’re absolutely convinced this is the right solution. Never deliver a ‘maybe.’

Executive Level People Hate BS

Executives need solutions, projects, and information that works, that’s useful, that’s valuable. They hate information or presentations couched in jargon and meaningless clichés. Don’t try to make your presentation or plans sound better by using a lot of jargon. Get to the point, explain why it’s a good idea, why it’s important, why it should be done. Give them solid reasons for trusting you.

The post Executive Level Communication appeared first on King of CV.

Of course, following your passion isn’t going to get you anywhere even if it does seem aligned with your wishes–not necessarily, in line with reality. Unfortunately, this will not give you an edge over the competition since they are pretty generic in nature.

So, is there any career advice that can make a difference in one’s life? Is there any unique, yet effective, advice that can help in one’s career?

Here are 5 pieces of career advice that no one ever talks about:

1: Being Excellent At Your Job Isn’t Enough

A lot of people think that doing your job well enough should help them get that promotion. This is just true for entry or mid-level jobs. But if you want to move on up, then you have to add value to the business, in terms of revenue.

This requires a different skill-set altogether. Simply put, people who can think of what needs to be done in this regard and then go about delivering future value are the ones who most likely get promoted.

2: Who You Work For Matters Greatly

You might wish that who you worked for would matter less. Unfortunately, this matters more than you think. If you have worked for the best in the business, people will definitely take you more seriously. You don’t have to work with the best in the business nor do you have to be passionate about your work. All that matters is who you have worked with.

It’s absolutely vital that you find the best mentor possible who can help you grow by teaching you everything that they know.

3: Where You Work Matters Greatly Too

Yes, who you work for matters. But where you work also matters greatly too. Of course, taking a job at a company with an impressive name will hardly get your anywhere. For that matter, don’t take a job at any company just because it is in the right sector or impresses your friends.

What you must also realise is that no matter how talented you are, it will be hard to break out of a sluggish hierarchy. In comparison, a company that is just the opposite will help you move upwards even if you are an average employee.

4: Being Very Busy Isn’t a Good Career Advice

Most people assume that high achievers work long hours and are continuously busy. Unfortunately, the more busy you are, the less your chances of moving up. In a number of
cases, taking on too much and appearing busy and stressed results in one not being promoted.

In appearing to look stressed, people will make the assumption that you aren’t ready to take on anymore responsibility. This will result in you missing out on new and important projects.

5: Hiding Your Failure Isn’t a Good Idea

Failure isn’t being seen as a sign of incompetence anymore. Now, it indicates whether you are willing to take a risk and innovate, if necessary. Without a doubt, your career will speed up if people understand what you are doing and which involves taking risks too.

In fact, they will not take advice or recommendations from you if you aren’t willing to walk the walk. Ideally, if you are taking risks and falter from time to time, this will encourage your team to take risks too.

The post 5 Pieces of Career Advice No One Talks About appeared first on King of CV.

Yet think twice before you go about doing this since it can influence the way your next employer perceives you.

Which begs the question: why should you leave on good terms?

It goes without saying that the business world is a small place. At some point, you are going to run into your colleagues, bosses or business executives. At that time, there might be something you can offer and which might not work out if you do not leave ensuring respect on both sides.

Having said that, here are 4 damaging actions that can impact your career in the future once you have resigned:

 1: Rant on Social Media About the Company, Job or Boss

Almost half of all employers look at the social media profiles of job applicants. You would never even realize it. Which is why it is a bad idea to use that platform to rant about your bosses, colleagues or the company that you worked at.

Think about it: no one wants to hire a complainer because this is the reputation that you will create.

Apart from this, remember that any recommendation that you secure from a supervisor is very valuable. Don’t complain about the person because you will not be able to use that recommendation in the future.

2: Gossip About Your Former Company or The Current Employees 

Whenever you leave a job, there’s no doubt that the question as to how you liked your boss will always crop up. Saying that he was an idiot will ensure that this opinion will go right back to him.

It’s not easy since you might be tempted to complain about your boss but strive to keep it factual and unemotional. Whatever you do, find at least, one good thing to say and move on. This way you can leave your professional reputation intact too.

3: Send a Nasty Email to HR About The Employer, Job, Conditions or People 

Most people prefer to tell Human Resources about the boss you’ve worked for in a negative manner while also informing them how their action are hurting the company too.

Unfortunately, they will not agree with you, no matter how convincing you put it across. Much like an angry exit interview, this will accomplish nothing but leave a bad taste in peoples’ mouths.

What you must do is write an angry email in draft form. Vent your frustration. But don’t send it. Sit on it for a week. After this, read, delete and leave it.

4: Neglect or Ignore Your Former Colleagues 

If you leave by making a scene without thanking them for their assistance or even after telling them that they’re suckers for still working there, you can be sure that they will not wish the very best for you.

The better way to do is to write them LinkedIn recommendations even if they haven’t been asked for. As you do this, ensure you highlight each individual’s skills and how they helped you succeed at the workplace. Don’t forget to tell these stories that would show them in a positive manner and be beneficial to their career too. Don’t expect anything in return. Instead, let your good deeds work for you in its time.

The post 4 Damaging Actions to Avoid After You Have Resigned appeared first on King of CV.

Are you capable of doing the job?

In some careers qualifications are absolutely key. Someone who’s got an arts degree won’t be getting a job as a surgeon without getting the necessary medical training. However, in a lot of other advertised positions, it’s worth asking yourself: ‘Do I have the abilities to be successful at this job?’ It may well be that even if you don’t meet the stated qualifications that you will have the skills and experience to do the job well. Make an honest assessment of your capabilities for doing the job.

Adverts are written to weed people out

It’s always worth bearing in mind that job adverts are often written to limit the number of applicants. No hiring manager wants to have to read the CVs of hundreds of candidates who don’t have the skills, experience, or qualifications to do the job, so adding a few ‘requirements’ to the advert can be a good way of discouraging those people form sending in applications and tying up the hiring manager’s time. So, don’t necessarily be discouraged by the job requirements.

Use your CV to your advantage

Applying for a job where you don’t meet all the qualifications is a challenge, but it’s one where your CV can help. A well-written CV that’s targeted for the job you’re applying for can help accentuate your skills and experience, rather than highlight your lack of qualifications. Having the right CV can show your ability to do the job successfully based on your career history and the abilities you possess.

The post The Qualifications Quandary appeared first on King of CV.

Set Specific Goals

Finding a job can seem like a daunting task. This is all the more true when you’ve been trying for a while and just can’t seem to catch a break. The temptation to just give up can set in very easily. To avoid this set yourself specific targets for each day. These targets can be very simple – search through two job boards today; or apply to at least one advert today; or send a follow-up email to one company today. Breaking your job search down into specific daily targets keeps things manageable and provides an ongoing sense of accomplishment with your search.

ACTION POINT: Take some time to sit down and write a list of daily targets that you can achieve as part of your job search. Be specific – list things that you can accomplish with little difficulty. You can adjust your goals on a daily or weekly basis.

Build In Some Free Time

To balance out having specific daily goals to achieve, make sure to allow yourself the opportunity to take a break from your job search. Dwelling non-stop on frustration and disappointments kills motivation and breeds desperation. To counteract this, make sure you take time to take a break from your job search. Hang out with friends, visit family, go to a film, visit a museum, talk a walk. Getting away from your job search and enjoying yourself for a few hours will help you maintain your perspective and your motivation.

Get Some Constructive Criticism

If you’ve been struggling through your job search for a while, it can be useful and, maybe even necessary, to step back and evaluate your strategy for finding a job you’ll love. Talking to family and friends, asking them to look over your CV and cover letter, can provide you with valuable feedback. Getting professional advice can also be invaluable. Investing a little in your job search strategy can get you a huge return in terms of a job you’ll love. CV writers at King of CV, a leading New Zealand CV writing service, say that they regularly encounter people who’ve been struggling for a while to find a job: “We often have people coming to us who’ve been looking for a job for months. We generally always find that working with them on their CV and cover letter, together with having them talk with some of our consultants to develop a new job seeking strategy, nearly always delivers positive results.”

Maintaining your motivation is vitally important to landing the job of your dreams. Developing a strategy to deal with disappointments and to keep your enthusiasm alive can make all the difference in finding a job that will bring you a sense of satisfaction.

The post Think Right, And You’ll Get The Right Job appeared first on King of CV.

See what the interviewer sees – Change your perspective

One useful approach to maximizing your impact is to rethink your approach to the interview. Instead of seeing it as a stress-filled test of you as a person and potential employee, try visualizing it as a sales pitch. You’re being given an opportunity to market yourself to a potential employer, which gives you the opportunity to highlight your skills, your strengths, your experience, and your qualifications.

This gives you a new edge in preparing for interviews. You can now practice how you put these positives across. Having practice interviews with friends or, ideally, professional interview coaches can help you to hone your interview sales pitch, and give you the know-how to change awkward questions into opportunities to highlight your strengths.

Make it about the interviewer – Create a connection

The secret to a good sales pitch is making a connection. Connecting with your interviewer is a great way to make a positive impression. Seeing things from their point of view, they will meet dozens of candidates for the job you want, and in the context of an interview they will spend most of the time talking about themselves. However, asking the interviewer insightful questions about the job you’re interviewing for, or the company’s ethos or mission can give you new avenues to connect your strengths with the interviewers replies. It also conveys the impression of someone who’s actively interested in other people, and will make the interviewer remember the person who made a connection with them.

Answer the questions that are not asked – Don’t be limited by the questions

Interviews are naturally centred on questions – it’s obviously the easiest ways for interviewers to get the information they want about you. But you need to make sure that you don’t feel limited by the questions that you’re asked. This is especially true if there are problem areas in your CV, like current unemployment, or significant gaps in your professional history. Address these issues head on. Be up front about them. Answering these questions before they’re asked coveys the impression of someone with nothing to hide, and who’s willing to be open and honest.

Interviews are stressful, and they can be frustrating, but with some thought and effort, you can make a success of them by making smart, strategic choices about how you approach the interview, and how you conduct yourself.

The post Tired of Getting Interviews, Not the Job? appeared first on King of CV.

Timing is everything
Send your thank you note within a day or two of the interview. Sending it a week or ten days after the interview will make it seem like an unimportant afterthought.

Use the right tone
No matter how well your interview went, remember that the purpose of the thank you note is to thank the hiring manager for the opportunity of having the interview. It’s not about thanking them for a job they haven’t offered you yet. Remember to remain formal yet courteous.

Make it individual
Don’t use a standardised note that you just change the name of the company and the date, and send it to all the companies you interview with. Use specific details about your interview and the company you’ve interviewed with. Making the note more specific will highlight your interest in the job.

Check for mistakes
Your thank you note is a good way to show off your people skills and your positive attitude. All this qualities will be overlooked if there’s a typo in your note. Make sure the note is proofread and any mistakes taken care of.

The thank you note is very useful for job seekers in making them stand out from their competitors. Keeping these points in mind when you’re writing your note will make sure that you stand out for the right reasons and not the wrong ones!

The post How To Write A Thank You Note That Gets You A Job appeared first on King of CV.

Don’t Forget to Listen
Interviews can be nerve-racking experiences, and it’s easy for an interviewee to get lost for a moment in the anxiety and tension. It’s important, however, that job seekers keep their focus and listen to the interviewers when they’re asking questions. Seeming distracted will not make a good impression on potential employers. One way to help keep focused is to keep eye contact with whoever is speaking during the interview. It will help convey interest and project a sense of confidence.

Maintain Positivity
Interviewers can often ask awkward questions, or sometimes interviewees can trip up trying to answer a simple question. One way to face awkward questions and avoid tripping up is for job seekers to keep a positive theme running through their answers. Potential employers don’t want to employ someone who’s leaving their current job because they can’t stand their boss or their work colleagues. Focusing on the positive aspects of a new job – such as fresh challenges and new opportunities – gives a better impression to interviewers, and helps them picture the interviewee as a positive person who would fit in well with their team.

Emergency Strategy
In his book Winning Job Interviews, Dr Paul Power gives a handy formula for answering questions that job seekers might otherwise struggle to answer. He recommends that the fail safe answer to any question can be summed up in an easily remembered formula: Experience + Knowledge + Personal Characteristics = Fail Safe Answer. Highlighting knowledge and experience allows a job seeker to showcase their achievements to interviewers. Highlighting personal characteristics enables the job seeker to show what they uniquely bring to the table, and how well they can function both independently and as part of a team.

KISS
Keep it short and simple! Some job seekers can get overwhelmed and give over elaborate answers during an interview. It’s best to keep answers simple and not to go over one or two mintues. According to an interview coach at King of CV, “We always advise people who come to us for help to keep their answers simple and to the point. Interviewers don’t want to be overloaded with too much information. They want to know that you can communicate your ideas in a way that isn’t off putting.”

Interviews can be stressful for job seekers, but they don’t have to be the stuff of nightmares. Following simple strategies can help to turn interviews into a positive experience for job seekers. Professional interview coaches can help job seekers develop strategies like the ones listed above to help them take the stress out of interviews.

The post Making the Most of Your Job Interview appeared first on King of CV.

While it remains true is that the job market is more competitive than ever, businesses are becoming more ‘savvy’ when hiring, so there’s a lot to contend with.   Whether you are just out of university, out of work, or looking for a career change, here are 5 tips to help you find a new job:

Take the time to understand their needs

In advertising, successful companies tailor their ads to speak directly to the people they want to buy their products.  That might be kids, mums, or the retired.   These same principles can be applied in job searching. Tailoring your CV and cover letter to the job or industry you are applying for helps the recruiter to envisage you in the role.  Speak their language, understand their needs, and focus on getting these points across.

Take advantage of professional networks

Although LinkedIn has 250m users, there are still millions more that don’t use it, and of it’s members, many do not take full advantage of the website.

59% of recruiters rated candidates sourced from social networks as “highest quality.”- according to job site Jobvite.

Recruiters are regularly using social media websites to source, hire, and screen potential applicants.  They allow those looking for jobs to make closer relationships with the decision makers in a company, make themselves known, and better understand just who the company is looking to hire.

Always try to remain positive

It’s very important to remain in a positive mindset when searching for a new job – if you’re positive you will be more motivated to find a new job, and find the right one!  This may then be more likely to come across in your application and your job interview.   It is very easy to become discouraged in the very competitive job market, but it’s important to keep your head up and keep your confidence up.  The next job could be right around the corner.

Make yourself known and build a relationship

Making yourself known to the employer is hugely important when applying for new jobs.

They can get dozens, even hundreds of applicants, so anything you can do to stand out from the crowd is a serious advantage.

Just simple things like finishing an email with “I look forward to hearing from you”, makes a closer connection between you and the employer.  Even contacting potential employers who are not yet recruiting, but you’d like to work for them.   It’s far more important to be spending time on a job you’re going to enjoy, than getting stuck in some dead-end job that’s going to bore you every day.

Remember to follow up on emails and try to get across how interested in the position you are. Employers would much rather give the job  to someone who really wants it, than someone who just applies frivolously.

The post Struggling to Find a New Job? – Here are 5 Tips to Help appeared first on King of CV.