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06/10/09
That Slippery Beast: Time Management
Filed under: General
Posted by: site admin @ 7:45 am

Just read a well-written and succinct article on the evergreen topic of time management that included three workable strategies. You might find it useful, too: “Three Critical Time Management Techniques You Shouldn’t Forget,” by Ali Hale (http://tiny.cc/VlgrL). The article was on the curiously named site ‘Dumb Little Man Tips for Life,’ which was shared with me by “AndyinNaples” on Twitter (kudos to you, Andy).

For people who don’t have time to read the article (ha!), the takeaways?

1) Schedule the ‘big rocks,’ let the small stuff flow
2) Do the worst task first
3) Don’t overcommit yourself

Sounds easy, right? As always, it’s (consistent) implementation that’s the key… now, take on the day!

– Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW, President, Absolute Advantage
– Facebook/LinkedIn/Twitter: JanMelnik

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06/01/09
It Ain’t Bragging… If You Did It
Filed under: Interviewing, Resume
Posted by: site admin @ 7:33 am

So said Walt Whitman… and my father… two gentlemen for whom I have the ultimate respect! How does this relate to job search and your resume? It’s essential to convey predictors of success by showing AND telling prospective employers what you can do, then demonstrating how you’ve done it–backed up with verifiable and quantifiable details. CAR stories remain the best way to achieve this goal.

C - Challenge… show a situation or challenge you faced, a problem you addressed.
A - Action… detail, specifically, the action YOU took (remember not to take sole credit for something for which you were a team member or instrumental–talk about exactly the role you did play to bring about the change, solution) or the initiative you drove.
R - Result… describe succinctly the results you achieved (or that your action produced). Again, quantify for maximum impact and then link to the impact on the organization (a good way to answer that portion of the question: What would have been the consequence had you NOT produced the result that you did?)

In the next few days, I’ll detail some very specific CAR story examples: Powerful resume material AND excellent preparation for effective interviewing!

Just remember: Toot your own horn (don’t blow it!).

– Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW, President, Absolute Advantage … Don’t forget to check out careerhub.typepad.com for the best in career search advice from the career industry’s top experts

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