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.

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...