Career Tip: The Advantage of being Cross-Functional in the Workplace

When looking at resumes I want to see that an individual is more than a one-trick pony.  I want them to have skills in multiple areas that help them to function and fit into more than one role within an organization.  Company's want their employees to take advantage of additional one-on-one training and internal professional development programs to obtain an increased skillset, but too often employees won't take advantage of this additional instruction.

You risk your career security when you can only do "your job" and can't or won't do others within the organization that expand your experience and make your more indispensable to a company.  Many of the layoffs that have happened in recent years have been of individuals who fill only one role, or refuse to learn new skills.  Open your mind, utilize the supplementary training and professional development your company offers, and watch your career grow.  To your career success!

Career Management Quotes of the Week!

"Singleness of purpose is one of the chief essentials for success in life, no matter what may be one's aim." ~ John D. Rockefeller

"Keep your goals in front of you and your fears behind you." ~ Tony Robbins

Job Search Quotes of the Week!

"Learn when you win and when you don't, learn. You have good days and bad days." ~ Usain Bolt

"We forget that 'old' in age typically does not mean 'old' in terms of relevance." ~ Craig D. Lounsbrough

Job Search Quotes of the Week!

“Opportunity follows struggle. It follows effort. It follows hard work. It doesn't come before.” ~ Shelby Steele

“The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination.” ~ Tommy Lasorda

Career Management Quotes of the Week!

“You can never become successful unless you have the courage to take on failure. Failure is stepping stone to success.” ~ Anonymous

We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.   ~ Maya Angelou

Job Search Quotes of the Week!

"Knowing is not enough, we must apply.  Willing is not enough, we must do." ~ Bruce Lee

"All the so-called secrets of success will not work unless you do." ~ Anonymous 

Resume Tip: Action Verbs

Using action verbs on a resume should be something most people have learned by now, but I still see many resumes without these important, accomplishment oriented words.  Instead of saying "duties included" or "responsibilities were" to start bullets points on your resume, try using various forms of manage, create, implement, communicate, research, analyze, organize, coordinate, market, and coach.  In showing a potential employer that you actually did the task, not just talking about the task in general, you give them the vision of you having that real-life, on-the-job experience.  Be careful not to reuse these action verbs repeatedly; which means you will want to get out that old thesaurus or use the one in Microsoft Word to help you choose the right synonyms to develop a document full of diverse actions verbs.  If all else fails, go to Google and type in "action verbs" and you will see many lists for use by jobseekers writing resumes.  To your job search success!  

Job Search Quotes of the Week!

"A goal should scare you a little and excite you a lot."

Joe Vitale

"The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on 

fighting the old, but on building the new."

Socrates

Career Management Quotes of the Week!

Here is how to be successful (lucky):

1) work hard

2) complain less

3) teach others

4) share the credit

5) show up on time

6) be responsible

7) stay teachable

~ Alex Stojkovic

“Nothing will work unless you do.”  ~ Maya Angelou