Its time to go...

     I remember when i was a kid and how i loved going to hangout at my friends house. as much fun as i had i knew that inevitably i would have to leave at some point. it seems that all parents say the same thing, "Get your stuff, its time to go." I hated that b/c i was having to leave something that i liked doing, hanging out with my friends.

     That is the same feeling i recently had when i left a job after 2 years of working there. the company had been great to me and i had moved up quickly. i was making money and had so many plans to be successful with them. me being the go getter and inpatient businessman that i am, i didn't want to wait for my next promotion. i went and sought after it myself. after being rejected several times, i had an interesting encounter with a friend.A job was offered to me. after a month of negotiations, i accepted and made my move.
it was tough to move but i know it was the right thing to do. let me give you a few hints on when it could possibly be time to change jobs.

1. You under appreciated

     If you feel that you are under appreciated then you have to let someone know.
If you have a skill set that applies to your job description you should be compensated for it. the worst thing you can do is let your employer take advantage of you. now this doesn't mean that you should get a $.10 raise for each little talent. you need to sit down and put your ideas together as if you were writing a proposal plan and present it to your employer. if it is clear that the employer doesn't appreciate you and doesn't care if they lose you to someone who does, then it might be time to leave.

2. No opportunity for advancement

     One of the reasons i decided to make the move in my career had to do with my ability to advance. as i mentioned i had moved up fast but i had reached a stand still and i didn't like it. you might be happy with your job/career now, but where can it lead you to? its so important to look 2-4 years down the road and imagine where you could be. if you don't like what you see, then get out now. why waste 2-4 ears of your life just to leave? obviously you want to find something that pays you well but you have to look at the big picture, always looking for that next level. if you dont then you wont get there. no one is going to hand you a promotion just because you're there.

3. No money

This one is tricky because its almost never a good idea to leave only for the money. unless its a HUGE difference, its prob not worth it. money cant replace time invested, job knowledge, and personal connections. there are several reasons why we take certain jobs such as: its something we love to do, opportunity for advancement, compensation, and convenience. if out of these reasons you're only at your job for compensation, it might not be right for you. On the other hand if everything but compensation is there, you might want to consider staying. now obviously there are exceptions, but you see my point.

here are some tips on what might make you different and worth more money:are you the only one who can do your job, is helping others with their daily duties keeping you from yours, are you bilingual, are you put in charge when the boss is out, do you continually get excellent annual reviews?

Remeber guys that timing is everything. If it isnt the right time, you could miss out on a big opportunity.

Finally back!!

Well it's been over a year since I posted to my blog. I've been out in the world learning and gaining experience. Even after the long break I still have a passion for helping people get out there and get the job they want. We all know that's not an easy task and by no means does it happen right away nor will it be easy! Over my next few posts I will be covering several hot topics. Just to wet your appetite I'll let you in on a few: when to leave your current job, when to ask for a raise bc of your education, and what to do if your a recent grad over 30 or even 40 and looking for a new caeer.

So stay tuned and make sure you tell your friends and family to read this blog. Even tell your parents bc maybe they want to hurry up and get that recent grad out from under their roof!! Thanks for reading.

Job Searching Online

The days of having to spend hours driving around town applying for jobs have gone away. Finding a job isn’t necessarily easier but it is definitely more convenient for both the employer and its potential employees. Being able to search for and apply for jobs online has changed the way people job hunt. There are literally hundreds of job search websites that can search for a job is basically any place in the world. This is an amazing tool that we have for finding a job. Just today i had to take my car to get a tire patched and while i was waiting a young man walked in and asked if they were hiring. The employee said no and the guy left. His second mistake was that he didn’t leave a name or resume or fill out any application in case a position does open up and his first mistake was having someone drive him around town all day!!!!! You guys have to take advantage of the internet to job hunt.

However, don't rely solely on job sites. List the major players in your field and companies that you admire. Visit their sites to check for openings. These may not be listed elsewhere.
You'll find postings on other sites, too. For example, listings are appearing on popular blogs. Check blogs that address your industry. They're also a great way to stay current on industry developments.
Industry association websites also include exclusive listings. These listings may not be available to everyone. Or, members may be able to view the listings first. Join the association to gain access. Its functions are also a great way to network.
Also use social networking sites. Post that you’re looking for a job on your social networking sites and let people know what’s up. You never know who is looking and could either be looking for an employee to hire or refer you to someone who is. This is a great way to post a job wanted ad for FREE!!! The bigger the network you have the more effective it will be. You could get a call from a stranger looking to hire you because you are a friend of a friend of a friend. Trust me guys it happens.
Also don’t be scared to start a blog. They are a great way to not only let people learn about you but it also lets you talk about your passion. Blogs give you a chance to market yourself and let people see that you’re good at what you do. If you’re a mechanic and you have a blog with tutorials on fixing a car, that’s going to look great to an employer. So in the end the opportunities are endless but no one is going to do this stuff for you. You have to get up and do it! So what are you waiting for????
CLEAN UP YOUR ACT!
Once you begin marketing yourself and letting the world know about you, clean up your act! Many employers check these sites now to see what kind of person they are hiring. All it takes is a little common sense. If you found a potential employee on Facebook and his lasts post were pictures of him getting stinking drunk and making a fool of himself, would you still hire him? I think not. Remember guys you only get one first impression and no one is going to market you. You have to market yourself. That’s all there is to it. Seems simple huh? I wish it was.

Also remember to clean up your resume. Don’t just post a generic resume to any job you apply for. You want it to be clean cut but also job specific. As you grow and gain experience don’t forget to update your resume. In the end it’s the small things that’s will land you the job.

Here are a couple sites that always have great job posted:
CareerBuilder
Monster
Indeed
Job Compass
Some great social netowrkign sites are:
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Ryze
Ecademy
Also any school alumni associations and old school mates are great ways to see how other people got jobs.
There are also many great sites to help you build a good resume. Google has great templates. All you do is put your info into the template. The job sites i listed also provide this service.

Come back for my next post- personal branding: who you are and who they think you are...

Five things you need to do the day after graduation

As you all remember from my previous blog the title of this site represents the peeling off of the college life and the start of a new clean slate. So how exactly do you get that hideous sticker off? Well depending on how long you've been accumulating these stickers it can be quite a simple process. Your basic sticker only requires a rag and warm water. For older stickers you'll need to scrape the sticker off with a razor blade and wipe down the area with a mixture of warm water and either, goo b gone or simple green. I have found these two to have the best results.

Well now that your windshield is clean it’s time to focus on a few things that need to be done as soon as graduation is over. The reason it is important that these things get done ASAP is because we are all humans and we forget. It’s that simple. Most of us have been waiting to graduate for years so we could get a better job, buy a car or a house or whatever it is that we desire. another reason is that having been in school, you are used to "fluffing" things up, using better grammar, and spending time on the computer. In my experience, if you don't practice something, you lose it. Use this time to make yourself sound better to potential employers. One of my professors once told me that 97% of people cut themselves short on resumes (shout out Gail Johnson- UT Tyler). WOW! That’s incredible. So get these things done now before you forget how good you really are!

1. Begin to build a resume.

Many colleges now offer a career management course to seniors. If you are a senior and you haven’t taken one of these courses, get in one ASAP. They are a simple A and at the very least it will force you to write a resume that is functional and presentable. The whole point of these courses is to help you get ready for the world after college. Many students feel that they don’t need a resume because they feel they have nothing to offer. WELL you just graduated from college!!! There's a good start! A resume is not all about your job experience or success you've had in your area of expertise. A resume is a reflection of the applicant! It shows personality, character, what motivates you. Oh ya and by the way, employers hardly ever will turn the page to look at the second page of a resume, and most likely won’t even look at the first page for more than 10 seconds. There are numerous websites that can give you helpful tips for resume layouts and what info should be included. Most job search engines include this kind of help. The moral of the story is don't be scared of building a resume and giving it to an employer. At the very least it shows the effort and time you put into it.

2. GET A JOB!!

Ya i know what you're thinking, that’s a lot easier than it sounds!! Well it’s really not, if you allow yourself to not be picky. As of right now you have no job, so unless you have a money tree or got rich on E-bay, you have no income. Many people waist too much time looking for that perfect job out of college. And to be honest, you're right, most of the time it’s not easy to find. If you're a recent graduate or recently laid off and don't have much experience, take what you can get. Even if it’s a lower level job, it’s a foot in the door. Just about every job that you could get has someone with the job title you're looking for. Now you have to narrow you're search some to the general area of what you're degree is. This is easiest for business majors! Every business has someone with your title! To you get hired you're usually interviewed by a manager. There’s your contact to the upper level. Even if you start at the bottom, you can work your way up. Most great companies hire and promote from within!! Many CEO s started out mopping floors!! This brings me to my next point

3. Build a Web.

This is the most important of all. You have to get to know people. Do whatever it takes to get your name out there. Let your manager know who you are. So what if they call you a brown noser, it’s only because they weren’t bold enough to make a step forward. A big network can do wonders. The more connections you have, he more opportunities you have. Meet everyone you can inside your job and outside. if you want to be a salesman go to a car dealership and have them try to sell you a car (as long as you can say no!) get his name and card, let him know that you are a salesman too and give him your business card. Do whatever necessary to build your web. One thing you can’t forget is that big huge thing called the internet...

4. Social Networking.

GET ON THE INTERNET NOW! This is the easiest and fastest way to build your web of connections. Get out there and meet professionals. They are out there looking for employees just like you're looking for a job. Read their updates, posts and tweets. You won’t believe how quickly you will find people with the same motives as you. They can give advice, potential employers, do's and don’ts, the amount of information that is out there in endless. You must be careful with your social networking also. Don't use the childish chat rooms or unprofessional forums. I suggest and personally use Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, and LinkedIn, just to name a few. The great thing about these sites is you can post any work you’ve done or pictures of it. Once you’ve posted it, it’s just out there. You don’t have to send it to anyone in particular or bug someone to read it. There are people out there and they will see it and it will get passed along and you never know whose hands it will end up in.

5. Get a Hobby.

While you’re building that resume and looking for that job, start doing something that you enjoy. Write a blog, build websites, do something that either you enjoy or relates to the job you want. And hopefully those two agree at some point.  You’d be surprised at how often the person conducting the interview will have interest in the one little hobby you wrote down on your resume. It could be right under -Handled multimillion dollar accounts, BAM- i host a monthly car show in my town. Sure enough they ask about the cars. You know why?? Because that’s you, that’s what you love doing. They want to see your eyes light up. They want to see what kind of person they are hiring!

Complete these five simple tasks and i promise you, you won’t be disappointed. In my next post i will tell you how to begin looking for that job online and how to protect yourself

Graduation Day

My name is Gabe Canal. I graduated from college with a bachelors degree in Marketing in December '09.
The day had finally come. The one I had been waiting for for 5 years.Now after all the excitement wears off and all the gifts are given, and the dust settles so to speak, its time to move on. well that's not so simple. i mean what will i do to fill up all my time?? i mean i can just go and get a good job now right? well not exactly.
so I started this blog to help all of us recent graduates through that rough 6-12 months after college graduation.
So in case you haven't figured out the meaning of my blog title, it represents the day you get to take off that tacky sticker/rear view mirror tag from your car. It represents the freedom and also responsibility that has been bestowed up you. You are no longer a college student. no more back and forth between classes and work. For many its the first time they will have to get a real job. well that's all for today. If you are a recent college graduate be sure and stop by and read my next post in which i will list the TOP FIVE THINGS TO DO AFTER YOU GRADUATE COLLEGE and HOW TO GET THAT ANNOYING STICKER OFF OF YOUR CAR.