Most people do not believe in career management, they only believe in career damage control – which means when something goes wrong they will fix it. Until then, most people don’t bother to manage their careers to prevent disasters from occurring in the first place.

Listed below are ten misconceptions with regard to career management:

1. Only the most qualified people get the job – This is simply not true. It does not matter how qualified you are for the job. What matters is the way you have presented yourself during the interview process. Qualifications are not the only criteria for getting good jobs, other things like dedication, confidence and attitude also matter.

2. No need to work at a career just because you have a job – This could be the biggest mistake you make – and quite possibly the most popular misconception. This way of thinking has potential for disaster. You never know when you may be downsized or laid off from your current job, and if you do not have a career plan then you are in serious trouble. Make sure that you spend some time on managing your career even if you have a job. Do small things like update your resume and network with your peers.

3. Professional education stopped after graduation – This cannot be further from the truth. You need to continuously work at your professional education to maintain a competitive edge. Read trade magazines, write articles for relevant magazines, attend seminars, and pursue certificate and training courses.

4. The most generous salary is always offered – This is not true. In fact most employers offer a low salary just to see your negotiation skills. This is an old trick of the trade, where the employers check to see whether the candidate has done sufficient research from every angle.

5. I have job Security if I perform well – This is not true, especially in an economy where downsizing, mergers and outsourcing seem to be the order of the day. No one has a secure job, no matter how well you do your job. You have to take a hands-on approach by managing your career properly to ensure security.

6. Only a resume is required – All job seekers need to have certain tools for job hunting and the resume is only one of these tools. Other tools include cover letters, references and so on.

7. Recruiters are sufficient for job searching – No, they are not. Yes, recruiters will help you and guide you in the best way possible, but you cannot leave it completely up to them to get you the best job. You have to be proactive and take charge in your job-hunting process.

8. Employers are responsible for defining career paths – No, employers aren’t responsible for anything except getting the job done. You are the only person who is responsible for getting your career on the right path and for defining the way you want your career to head.

9. No need to network – Networking is essential to every business and for every person. You as a career oriented person need to constantly network. It is one of the most important aspects of career management.

10. Jobs are easily identifiable – Most people think that jobs are posted on the Internet or advertised in newspapers. This also is not true. Only a small percentage of jobs are advertised in this manner. Most people identify jobs by networking.

Actually, the age factor is now a myth. The advantages of being a worker over forty are many, including having stronger work ethics, higher productivity, more patience, and a higher level of willingness to learn.

In addition, older workers often have a better, more cooperative attitude than younger associates.

Dispelling the Age Myth

Primarily, the age aspect can be overcome by marketing yourself well. The richness of experience that you have is your greatest strength. Having had varied job positions contribute to your qualifications, as you have been exposed to a varied strata of people, situations and work settings.

All this helps in a number of ways – such as problem solving, making presentations, writing reports and meeting high work standards and expectations. With specialized industrial expertise, employee reliability and empowerment to gauge situational angles, this age group is viewed positively by many employers.

All in all, general life wisdom possessed by workers over 40 contributes to their ability to handle different, complex business situations.

Managing Your Career

An important point to remember is that if you are over 40, you are in the prime of your career, as long as you keep updating yourself with the latest skills and on the newest advances in technology.

With updated information, you will definitely be able to prove yourself an asset any company. Your experience and familiarity with varied responsibilities will bet the most important aspect of what you have to offer.

If you perceive that your age could be a problem with a particular company, makes sure that you understand what concerns the interviewer may have. Chances are that if you project a professional image and are positive and upbeat, they will see that you are the right person to handle that particular job with the efficiency that they expect.

Career Management for People Over 40

Simply put, career management is about regularly reviewing your skills, interests and financial needs and what you’d like to do over the next five years. Just as a business needs to plan its direction, finances and look at the big picture, so also is the case with each individual jobseeker.

Guidelines for Career Management

-Your aim should always be to look five years ahead.

-Your career path, in terms of direction, should be determined.

-Stepping stones or promotions are important to get you to your goal.

-Study, in combination with your regular job, will helps with developing a new career.

Things have changed a lot. Decades ago, you can easily get a job even if you are a teenager. You only have to apply for a job and easy as 1, 2, 3, you get the job. And, if never you don’t get the job, you won’t even have to worry, because your parents will surely be there to cushion you for a while. Those were the days when you need not worry about paying the bills or if you are making enough money, but those days are now over. Once you reach your mid to late twenties there no more buffers and cushions. Its time to get a real job, even a career, if you can. It’s not as easy as 1-2-3 however, and you can’t just enter a store, get an application and you have a job.

Do you want a career? Finding something you want to stay and take on for years is even more difficult. Looking for a job you really want can mean a lot of effort and hardships for you. Many people embark on this kind of job search by themselves, which is quite difficult. The best way is to look and hire a career management company that help people land their dream jobs, with all the benefits and advantages befitting their position. An example is the Global Career Management. This company specializes in placing the people that enlist their services in careers that suits the applicant and the career that they want. A career after all is a life changing decision, as this could be your job for the rest of your working life. Being stuck in a jobs you hate certainly is not the picture you want, especially if you can have one career that pays well and makes you happy. If you want one, then Global Career management is for you, and with them you’ll definitely be in good hands.

But why should you enlist for the help of agencies like Global Career Management? Many of your friends probably found a job on their own and by their own determination. But the question is, how happy are they with their jobs? If asked, you’ll be sure to get some complains. Global Career management knows that a career, no matter how perfect it is for you, is work a job. Working can be stressful and it consumes a lot of your time, so it’s important that you like and enjoy doing your job.

Most people can recall at least one time when they needed help with something and without hesitation a friend or relative offered a referral. Have a pain in your neck? See Dr. Weber. Need a math tutor? Call Mary Jones. Not sure how to report the gain on the sale of your home? Call my tax guy.

But as quick as they were to recommend a doctor, a tutor, or a tax preparer, do these same people know what you do? If they were in a similar conversation with someone about what you do for a living, would they even think of offering your name? If they tripped over the perfect job for you, would they know it? For most of us, the answer is, no.

It is your job to help people understand what you do. You need to create a marketing campaign about you, so that job opportunities will come to you without you even being present in the conversation.

Consider this conversation between a data security manager and a friend:

Data Security Manager: “If I don’t find someone quickly who knows about Extranet & Internet DMZs and network security, I’m going to have some serious problems on my hands. Just today we had another major problem with our PIX Firewalls and Split Managed VPN, and all our routers and switches went down.”

Friend: “I haven’t the slightest idea what that means, but I know a guy who does. Here’s his name and number; give him a call and maybe he can help.”

Whether you are in the market for a new job or not, this is how you want to be known. But before you start broadcasting to the world what you do, prepare a carefully thought out marketing pitch and try it on some trusted colleagues.

Avoid Expansive Labels

Telling people you are a banker, a consultant, or a sales person won’t even begin to educate them in what you do. Be more specific.

A lawyer can be a criminal lawyer, an intellectual property lawyer, an immigration lawyer, a securities lawyer, a real estate lawyer, a tax lawyer, an international lawyer, a family lawyer, and a multiplicity of other specialties.

Educate

Much like the lawyer paradigm, telling someone you are a programmer is not precise enough, but might also evoke a deer-in-the-headlights question, “So…what do you do, then…?”

Don’t assume the other person knows much about computers. Be prepared to define your specialty at varying levels of understanding, and be patient even if you have to explain Programming 101; “Computers follow instructions from programming languages that require a great deal of precision and completeness to enable the computer to produce the intended action. There are many different languages, but my specialty is helping companies design first class web pages using HTML programming.”

Promote Your Value Proposition – Not Yourself

Offering your job title does little to help people understand what you do and can also be perceived as condescending. Think in terms of a marketing brochure, not a resume.

Self Branding or career branding is an often over-looked important party of the job search. The biggest mistake that people make is to assume that their past accomplishments and career experiences will speak for themselves.

Often, job seekers can fail to take a proactive approach to creating and marketing their reputations. Branding is setting yourself apart from other job
seekers. If an employer sees “productive,” or “self-motivated” basically stamped on your forehead he/she is going to stop and take notice. The blame lies entirely on you if you choose not to be active in asserting your reputation.

It is so important to market and manage your reputation in this manner. Start by determining what your strengths and assets are. What have other employers complemented you on? Are you dependable? Do you show good leadership? Or maybe you have good analytical qualities?

Whatever your best feature is, you need to identify it, and then go about highlighting it to potential employers. There are many different ways to market your brand. Begin including your brand in emails and letters. When you describe to people your job functions, include your brand. This can be done effectively and tastefully in a manner such as, “I work for company X to create new software; my work is completed on time and on budget.”

Another example from a manager’s standpoint could be, “I lead others to follow my example and work efficiently without sacrificing quality or integrity.” The first example provided highlights the candidate’s respect for deadlines and good money sense. The second showcases the employee’s leadership qualities and values. Once you establish your brand you can use it in many situations to remind your potential employer what it is that you bring to the table.

The bottom line is that if you don’t brand yourself, others will. Nobody wants to see bad qualities like these present in a potential employee. You might have accidentally given a bad first impression without even knowing it, and words like these might cling to your name.

Much of this could have been avoided had you mentioned in early email correspondence that you have responsibly performed your duties with other employers and that you possess such and such qualities. Obviously if you claim punctuality as a selling point, then are late to an initial interview, your actions discredit your claims. Generally, however, you can shape the opinion that others will take toward you, by effectively marketing your brand.

We all know that a well designed job search requires much more than help with your resume and job interview tips. Usually it’s good to get advice from the experts and career counselors or coaches. But, it is far more important to know yourself and to know where you want to end up. Do you have a picture in your mind of where you’ll be in 5 years..10 years? Can you describe it? Have you written it down ? With this picture or goal in mind, can you now plan for tomorrow’s career strategy? What can you do, tomorrow, that will lead to the better job or the promotion?

Every step you take towards securing a new position, obtaining a highly desired promotion, reaching short-term career plans should be based upon a big picture – - your career vision. It is what provides the pathway for your personal success. It is what keeps you on track during disappointments and in the midst of organizational or personal changes.

As the central character in this strategy, you’re the one who has to articulate your dreams, capture your success stories, devise the steps needed to secure an interview, target desired companies, research each company to ensure they fit your interests and goals, and get the interview. We have to know what it is that we’re seeking to be effective.

Recently, I received an email from a business associate who wanted to proudly share a recent promotion within a major corporation. Since I’ve known this professional for over ten years and have heard him speak of his career goals, I recognized how valuable his stepping stones mean to him. His careful preparation, and planned risk-taking, was leading him to career success that had personal value to him and his family. When necessary he had made adjustments and changed jobs, but he kept focused on achieving the big picture.

The steps to creating your vision are similar to the process of drafting a company mission statement or long term plans. If you’ve ever participated in this process, you will understand the concepts. However, due to the size and functioning of corporations, it can take months – - sometimes years – - to complete a mission statement.

That’s not the case when you create your own personal one; the process is considerably shorter and there’s no need to get an entire management team together to complete it. What’s most important is that yours be based on your “reality” and your “dream.” Between those two areas is a gap of compromise that allows you to create a successful vision of your career. Whether you’re searching for a new job, a promotion, or career satisfaction, it’s important to have a vivid picture in your mind of where you’re heading.

It’s important that your career vision be drawn directly from your personal values, family background, financial desires, geographical limitations, physical limitations, etc. At least 25% of it should deal with your Reality.

The remaining 75% is based upon your dreams – - the bigger the better. Your life long dreams provide the basis of your desires. To connect the conflicting nature of your reality and your desires, it’s important to look for ideal compromises. If you’re able to respect your reality and still pursue your desire, then you’re on the right track. Your career vision should reflect your passionate and strong interests. Most importantly, it should be one that you can vividly capture on paper, verbalize, and be able to see or envision. It does not have to be materialistic – - it should, however, authentically detail your personal long term career goal.

Interviews are designed to compile results of your career-related actions, as well as to determine how well you will fit within the company. These are key measures and important to remember prior to starting your next interview. If you’ve done your homework (self evaluation and company research), then there are no difficult interview questions to answer. There’s only a discussion to take place regarding how well suited you are for the position.

Your vision should serve as the back drop for your career decisions and directly impact the short-terms step of interviewing. Yours should provide the motivation and drive needed for you to succeed within the interview. Each interview provides much needed feedback regarding the extent to which you are dedicated to achieving your dreams. Are you ready to succeed within your career?

Meaning of the word “career” has moved out of its regular boundaries as a “money making business” into something more as a culminating edge of human ambitions. Henceforth career development and career development plans conquer their dreams even in a sound sleep – eternal happiness becomes a mirage. Vigilant eyes have to be kept to win back those lost hours of sleep.

Worldly pleasures have always attracted mankind-so is career development. Professionalism has grabbed world in such a spurious manner that education itself is oriented to career development. As world is advancing at the fraction of a second, becoming a professional-a lawyer, doctor, engineer, businessman, scientist-only can satisfy the ambitious students of today. Even after procuring a job, the urge for career development continues- human needs never ends.

In his pursuing for a lofty career, man often turns to be complaining. A dissection of the state of the art clearly reveals an unbiased human mind. Frequent career switching followed by red lines in career graph is the end result. A fretful mentality supplemented with lack of perseverance, determination and confidence is the root cause of these hindrances in the path of career development. Career development goals are set aiming at long-range career growth in the initial years. A lack of motivation and a lack of understanding of the aim throw stones and thorns in the road to the target. Egos and complexes pull their legs further down. A realization of potential becomes impractical and a career break through turns out to be impossible. Blinking eyes at this major issue is paving the way for a cancerous disease of mind. When surveyed for reasons, what commonly found is – setting lame excuses by beating around the bush, searching for heads to put the blame upon – this bird’s eye view makes things worse than the worst.

In order to succeed and have a commendable approach towards your career path, it’s essential that you follow a decided career development path. This need not be someone else’s plan, but just your estimates or goals based upon your personal gauging of the current day scenario. However your career development approach or path may not always get the much-anticipated momentum. The reason being you may be confused or simply not confident about your own achievements. Apart from this you may not be able to foresee and may not really device the best of plans. As such hypnosis for career development can help you see a great change in your monotonous and all too stagnant career graph.

Hypnosis for career management enables you to make a conscious decision and ensures that your sub conscious mind is always working towards this goal. Hypnosis awakens your inner being making it aware of the concerned scenario; you gain a deeper insight into what’s happening and revise your approach accordingly. Through hypnosis you will be able to initiate the process of change.

Within this article I will share an important secret behind successful job interviewing and career management. We all know that a well designed job search requires much more than revising your resume and learning a few job interview tips. Usually it’s good to get advice from the experts and career counselors or coaches. But, it is far more important to know yourself and to know where you want to end up. Do you have a picture in your mind of where you’ll be in 5 years…10 years? Have you written it down? With this picture or goal in mind, can you now plan for tomorrow’s career strategy? What can you do, tomorrow, that will lead to the better job or the promotion?

The most important secret to successful job interviewing is knowing your career vision – - where you want your career, and your life, to take you. Every step you take towards securing a new position, obtaining a highly desired promotion, reaching short-term career plans should be based upon a big picture – - your career vision. It is what provides the pathway for your personal success. It is what keeps you on track during disappointments and in the midst of organizational or personal changes. We have to know what it is that we’re seeking to be effective within our career moves.

Recently, I received an email from a business associate who wanted to share a promotion within a major corporation. I’ve known this professional for over ten years, have heard him speak of his career goals, and I recognized how valuable his stepping stones mean to him. His careful preparation, and planned risk-taking, was leading to career success that had personal value to him and his family. When necessary he had made adjustments and changed jobs, but he kept focused on achieving the big picture.

The steps to creating your vision are similar to the the way companies create their long-term plans or mission statements. Due to the size and functioning of corporations, it can take months – - sometimes years – - to complete a mission statement.

That’s not the case when you create your own personal one. The process doesn’t take as long, and there’s no need to get an entire management team together to complete it. What’s most important is that yours be based on your “reality” and your “dream.” Between these two areas is a “gap of compromise” that allows you to create a successful vision of your career. Whether you’re searching for a new job, a promotion, or career satisfaction, it’s important to have a vivid picture in your mind of where you’re heading.

Your career vision can be drawn directly from your personal values, family background, financial desires, geographical limitations, physical needs, etc. At least 25% of it should deal with your reality.

So, if you have an deeply embedded, vivid picture of your career goals, it makes life so much easier in your job search. You begin to fully use your network in a way that will get you better job leads. You are then able to clearly identify what company or position can further your career and synchronize with your goals. You can fully evaluate a company before, during, and after the interview. You begin to use a much more efficient job search strategy.

Many job seekers send their resumes to numerous job boards, recruiters with generic opening statements and introductions. You throw enough darts and sooner or later something’s going stick, rights? But will that new position lead you to your desired position? Or will you be looking for a new position 6 months after accepting the offer? The secret to successful job interviews centers on you knowing where you expect to end your journey. With this knowledge you can search for a new job with a clearer sense of what it is that you will accept, or not accept.

Job interviews are designed to review the results of your career-related actions, as well as to determine how well you will fit within the company. If you’ve done your homework (self evaluation and company research), then your vision should directly impact the short-term step of interviewing. By understanding where you’re heading, you’re more likely to successfully manage interview questions – - as well as decide if the position is one that will lead you closer to career success.

Every time you open a newspaper nowadays, the first thing you see is the current fear of a recession, the credit crunch, the banking crisis and the difficult days ahead with a downturn of the economy. It seems obvious that there will be cost cutting measures within some organizations, which in turn triggers fears of downsizing. Keeping this in mind, it is better to credit crunch proof your career when there is still time. Even if your company is not affected right now, it is necessary that you build up a strategy to safeguard yourself. There are no magic answers or sure shot solutions but these tactics can help to give you confidence and an added edge.

1. Update your skills and learn new skills: Now is the time to invest more in yourself. Update your skills in your current areas of work. Similarly, learn new skills like IT skills. You may take up new courses or trainings that will enhance your resume and can prove to be helpful not just in your current job but also any new opportunities if the need be.

2. Target your resume for specific jobs: Design and develop a resume that is fully targeted for a specific job that you are applying for. It should not be a generic list of your qualifications and experience. If you are unable to do so yourself, invest some time in learning this skill. Only a professionally targeted resume can take you further to an interview level. Your resume should stand out from the rest and should be appealing enough to the employers.

3.Get yourself noticed: At your current job, take efforts to be noticed. Make sure your boss is aware of your achievements. If you are given an opportunity for a new role and responsibility, take it up. If you are involved in a very important project, you may be safer than most.

4. Make yourself indispensable: Be ready to take on new tasks even over and above your usual activities. Volunteering to take on new tasks helps in making you indispensable as a person who can undertake any activity happily. That will help list you out as an important team member not worth losing. Find ways to contribute innovatively to your company. Be an active team player.

5. Start networking: It helps having a good supportive network. Keep in touch with former colleagues in other organizations, you previous bosses etc., which can help you find other job opportunities whenever the need arises. Be equally helpful to your contact as far as possible, as then only can you expect them to return the favor.

6. Plan your finances carefully: Building up your financial reserves is necessary. Even if you may be given a redundancy package it may take some time to come. If you have some financial reserve to last you at least 6 months, you would not go deeper in the trough. Plan you finances carefully with your current job at hand.

7. Don’t hide: Do not make yourself invisible, considering that you would not get axed because of it. Get up and prove yourself so that you become a bit safer. Your clients and boss need to see results now. Try to solve immediate needs.

One confusing and rather elusive business is career management, or more precisely called “career planning.” Anyone needs career management; however, only not many people employ or do it. Why? Because many just don’t know how important career management is. A lot of people think that they need not seek other people’s help for they can find suitable jobs for themselves. To find out if career planning would benefit you, you have to know the definition of career management. Actually, career management has more than one definition. The meaning is actually dependent on your purpose: are you planning for a new job or are you looking for ways to develop your present job? To find out what will be good for you, you should search for the meaning of career management. Then you will know if you need career planning or not, and if you do need it, what kind do you exactly need.

Are you contented with your present job? The likelihood is that you are not. Your happiness or contentment should be the first thing you consider. Many workers do not love their existing career for different reasons. Some may have the opinion that they are underpaid; a few may have problems with their colleagues; and others may not like the work in general. Regardless of whatever reason you may have for disliking your work, you can acquire assistance from experts in career management that give this kind of service or from career management centers. They can either find a better career that will fit you well, or they can help you move up the corporate ladder in your present company. That entirely relies on what you want. Once you know the meaning of career management, you will see that everything that occurs to you is rooted in the kind of employee you are, the kind of money you want to be making, and the things that interests you. Based on those things, a good career manager will assist you in searching for a career that contains all of those criteria. Once the career managers have worked everything out, you will feel a lot satisfied not only with your career but also with everything about yourself.

Seeing things through the usual definition of career management, anyone could gain advantage from this service. It is highly improbable that you are absolutely satisfied with your present job in all its aspects. Therefore, you should visit the career management centers near you.