Claudia Raab's Blog

Even if you have an aversion to networking – as many people do – it’s imperative to form connections with other people in particular if you want to increase the number of your clients or customers, if you had just start a new job or had a promotion.

 

Research shows that the first 30 to  60 days after a promotion for example, ist the time when people in a new department or even new company make their judgement about you: Can I trust him? Can I work well with her? Will I share insights and informatioin with him or her – or is he or she just a loser who should never have been been hired.

 

Sit down and make a list of people who should be in your network. It shouldn’t be just the people who eat lunch at the same time and in the same place you do. Look for adivisors, people who can help or who know exactly what is going on. Someone who knows short cuts, who is a very important link in the information chain of your company.

 

It's just a matter of introducing yourself. Usually people are quite receptive when you tell them you're new and try to get to know people you work with.It takes a bit of courage - and sometimes a bit of coaching - but it is definitely worth it!

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"When it comes to singing your own praises in the workplace, I believe the local workforce would benefit from more of it," says Marianne Mood, Chief Operating Officer of adminstrative and business support recruitment specialist Select Appointments in the latest issue of Australia's "Management Today" issue

"Making your value known within your organisation does not need to be blatant, nor communicated across your entire workplace. But will make for a positive work environment and contribute to job security, career progression and show you are willing to take responsibility and ownership for your work," Marianne Mood is quoted in the magazine.

We vehemently agree with Marianne's statement and in our coaching sessions and seminar strongly emphasise and work with our coachees on the importance of promoting yourself, your skills and expertise to relevant people to get noticed. In fact, it was one of the triggers why we created and designed our successful "Get Noticed! Get Promoted!" Coaching sessions.

These sessions have successfully helped many women and men overcoming a certain degree of shyness most of us have when it comes to talk about our virtues and communicate our success to the right people who can positively influence and accelerate our careers resulting in achieving your goals.

Once you know how to do it, promoting yourself is easy and guarantees a great impact on your career. Simply let relevant colleagues and bosses know about your achievements in a subtle but attention getting way to achieve the success you want and deserve!

Not sure how to do it? We are here to help. Simply let us show you how to find the right words, ways and attitude to promote yourself and secure your current or new job. Call 0425 785 143 or email info@raabconsulting.com now!

 

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Despite unemployment rates on a record high in the US and constantly rising in Europe, observers find there is significantly less activity on the recruitment market than in the months before. That's certainly the reason why more and more people are currently trying seeking alternative ways of finding a new job or preparing for being laid-off.

According to news agency Reuters professional networking sites like Xing and LinkedIn are thriving since the financial crisis hit our global economy and fear of loosing jobs has become even more prominent. In September Xing, for example, had 25 % more registrations than the months before.

"Now we are growing by almost one new user each second," said Kevin Eyres, head of LinkedIn's operations in Europe, in an interview with Reuters. Membership on LinkedIn has jumped from 18 million at the start of the year to more than 31 million, with most of the requests to connect being because of the need for a new job.

Joining a social network site could indeed find you a new job or at least lead you to valuable contacts. Most importantly, however, is that you present yourself on your social networking site of choice as a professional. Take your time when writing a little spiel about yourself that will not only make a good impression on potential employers but also clearly state your qualifications and experience without boasting.

Don't undersell yourselft - if in doubt, get professional help from a communication coach to get the best out of your social networking. This is your chance to promote yourself and get a new job. Seize it but do it right!

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Most of us have heard of  "white-collar workers" and "blue collar workers".  The terms go back the 19th century and its uniform dress code for the service and industrial workplaces, where it was - and still is - common to wear durable clothing that can be scraped or soiled. One feature of this particular uniform is its blue colour, hence the name "blue-collar worker" for everyone belonging to the working class performing manual labour.

"White-collar workers" - you might have guessed it - are mainly identified by their white shirts that people usually wear when working in an office environment.

Now there is a third term that classifies another working group that emerged over the last decades: "Pink-collar workers". "Pink-collar workers" are employees who work in jobs that are typically done by women such as nursing and teaching.

Interestingly, even today with more women than ever graduating from universities with a broad variety of degrees worldwide and being employed at higher levels than their mothers or grandmothers women still remain mostly in the pink-collar work area. They still aim for classical (less well paid) jobs like educator, PA, bookkeeper and the like.

This was revealed by a study undertaken by the American Association of University Women (AAUW). When discussing the study results with news channel CNN Mary Ellen Smyth of the AAUW remarked: "It's not that they (women) are hitting a glass ceiling in the high-tech sector. It's that they don't have the keys to open the door."

Communication is one of these keys! It's proven that women are still overlooked or regarded as less competent or ready for a career move since they don't know how to communicate successfully in their work environment.  May it be that they don't promote themselves or speak up in meetings.

Communication skills are essential in any situation. In particular for women. That's why communication coaching especially designed for women is so important . Coaching based on gender specific behaviour and communication like Raab & Raab Performance Consulting offers. Take advantage of it, have the key to open doors into a better paid sector where you belong.  It's worth it.

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According to research conducted by the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) and the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) in recent years, outstanding Communication and Interpersonall Skills are the most common skills sought by employers.

Whether a small business or a global enterprise - employers are now looking for job applicants who are able to convey information in both verbal and written formats as appropriate for the needs of their target audience and who can develop a rapport with others easily and form working relationships quickly.

They want employees who are good listeners, understand and respect cultural differences and have a global focus on interpersonal skills.

Yes, your expertise and experience do count too. However, it is your solid repertoire of soft skills, in particular your communication skills, that will set you apart from your competitors and get you the job your want. The figures speak for themselves.

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Good news for all accountants looking for a new job: According to a new survey by Robert Half Finance & Accounting employers are desperate to find new talents in accounting and finance. In particular Australian employers are complaining about a critical shortage.

Founded in 1948, Robert Half is the world's first and largest specialised recruiting firm providing placement services for accounting, finance and office support professionals with over 360 offices worldwide, and more than 12,000 employees.

The newly released Employment Monitor for 2008-2009 shows that 62 per cent of companies in Australia fear losing their top talents while 50 per cent cannot find the right mix of skill and experience to fill new roles. The trend is expected to become stronger.

The survey included more than 4000 finance and human resources managers in 20 countries including 273 survey interviews in Australia. Australia ranked eighth with 54 per cent of companies struggling to find the right talent.

Nigel Barcham, managing director of Robert Half Australia and New Zealand, said companies were also taking a more cautious line when hiring, with many using at least three interviews when filling roles at all levels as well as taking extra care with reference checking. According to Robert Half, local organisations were taking about 5.5 weeks to hire an entry-level position and 6.5 weeks to hire a management level position.

This trend is a great chance for everyone in accountant or finance, however, also shows that your expertise in accounting and finance is not enough to earn you the job you want. You also need to have the right skills with communication and presentation skills being top on the list of employers looking for new talents.

Make the most of it! Get in contact with us today! Simply call 0425 785 143 and let's reveal to you new training option guaranteeing to prepare you for your new job.

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