Career Choices or Career Chooses

 

Career Choice

 

So, the big question is… Did you choose your career, or did it choose YOU.

A little thought can give us the answer to that question. If we all chose our careers, we’d be a nation of ballerinas and train drivers’ right?

Seemingly ‘falling’ into our jobs is a common suggestion that many executive careerists will agree with

The Executive Update: in Adrift Employment Limbo: Finding Your Career Compass

But there are two very distinct trains of thought here. We can (and will) look at the options available to those just starting out on that executive career path. But isn’t it naive to think that even with the best will and planning in the world, life and economics get in the way of even the best laid career paths?

All kinds of circumstances prevail to keep us with the same company for many years, stepping our way up the ladder through loyalty and contentment, or indeed swapping one firm for another on a more regular basis. New businesses open, some close. People get married; have children, financial obligations for other family members or unseen events. All of these influence our working lives far more than a well thought out ‘career plan’ written at 21.

Career planning is a lifelong process, which includes choosing an occupation, getting a job, growing in our job, possibly changing careers, and eventually retiring. If those childhood dreams didn’t stop with one firm goal in mind, then there is a process one must go through in selecting an occupation. This may happen once in our lifetimes, but it is more likely to happen several times as we first define and then redefine ourselves and our goals.

A good place to start, whatever your age or experience, would be to take a long hard look inwards. If you are well into your working life and have made a brave decision to take a step back and enter a whole new sphere, you want to get it right second time. Gather information about yourself.)

Interests, Values, Roles, Skills/Aptitudes, Preferred Environments, Developmental Needs, Your realities.

Explore the occupations in which you would like to work, research the industries and assess the labour market. Gain a more specific insight by considering the following; Job shadowing , part time work, internships, or volunteer opportunities, written materials and informational interviews.

With all of this information to hand, you should then be able to identify possible occupations. You can then evaluate these occupations, explore alternatives and choose both a short term and a long term option.

Then it’s down to business; Investigating sources of additional training and education, if needed. Developing a job search strategy, writing your resume, gathering company information, composing cover letters and preparing for job interviews .

There is no better time than recession to take stock of our own life and career choices.  Everyone deserves a second chance!

Burj Executives is an easy to use career tool that matches executives looking for their next job in Dubai and the Middle East.

Social Networking – The Future of Recruitment

Just like any successful industry around the globe, recruitment is now riding the bandwagon of online technology. We are hearing so much about success of online recruitment everywhere, how efficient and easy it is to close positions with just the click of your mouse.  

BurjExecutive would like to share with you the top 3 social networking sites which have grown phenomenally over the last few years. And recruiters living in the World Wide Web have testified to having met both clients and quality candidates through these popular websites.    

Facebook

Facebook – Helps You Connect and Share with the People in Your Life 

What it is: According to Sarah Philips of Guardian.Co.Uk in her article A brief history of Facebook: 

“Mark Zuckerberg, 23, founded Facebook while studying psychology at Harvard University. A keen computer programmer, Mr Zuckerberg had already developed a number of social-networking websites for fellow students, including Coursematch, which allowed users to view people taking their degree, and Facemash, where you could rate people’s attractiveness. 

In February 2004 Mr Zuckerberg launched “The facebook”, as it was originally known; the name taken from the sheets of paper distributed to freshmen, profiling students and staff. Within 24 hours, 1,200 Harvard students had signed up, and after one month, over half of the undergraduate population had a profile.” 

In April 2008, Facebook became the largest social networking site based on monthly unique visitors overtaking it’s main competitor MySpace according to comScore. The former social networking site attracted 132.1 Million unique visitors as of June 2008. 

Facebook’s ability to let its users to join more than one network, organized by region, schools/college, or companies, has propelled its popularity in the English-speaking regions. The website also has its flare of media options for uploading pictures, videos, online messaging, and different applications for entertainment and networking. 

Recruitment Tips: You can search for different groups ranging from professionals from different industries or company profiles on Facebook. You can also do “Profile Search” which can enable you to set your parameters to look for a profile’s current company, position, location, interests, activities, and even education background. Whether you are a recruiter or a job seeker, Facebook offers that vast coverage needed for online networking.

  

LinkedIn

LinkedIn: Relationships Matter 

What it is: A detailed description of this professional networking site is featured on Wikipedia.Org: 

“LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking site founded in December 2002 and launched in May 2003, mainly used for professional networking. As of February 2009, it had more than 35 million registered users, spanning 170 industries. 

The purpose of the site is to allow registered users to maintain a list of contact details of people they know and trust in business. The people in the list are called Connections. Users can invite anyone (whether a site user or not) to become a connection.” 

There are several features that you’ll love about LinkedIn in it’s aim to be the one of the largest professional networks in the web. First, you have LinkedIn Answers, which is somehow similar to the famous Yahoo Answers, but your questions are responded by experts in the respective fields. All you have to do is post your questions in the relevant categories/industries and in a few minutes to a few days, you’ll have your answers from the brightest minds in the industry. 

Then you have the LinkedIn Groups which enables you to join or create your own networking groups may it be an Alumni association, inter-corporate groups, or even non-profit organizations. You can have discussions within a group, share relevant articles or groups, and share your company updates or press releases. 

Recruitment Tips: Apart from giving you Guy Kawasaki’s 10 Ways to Use LinkedIn, here are some of the useful tactics:

1. Your LinkedIn profile is your dynamic online CV so keep it updated. Be specific and comprehensive with your skills and experiences. The do’s and don’ts in making your resume should be applied in establishing your LinkedIn profile
2. Network with people within your industry and inside your region. This will give you a good coverage for opportunities (if you’re seeking career change) and excellent profiles (if you’re looking for someone to fill a vacancy).
3. Join groups and participate in discussions. The only way to get to know people and businesses is through engaging in conversations. Let them know your opinions and what you think. If you are asked to give a professional advice, be generous with it. But always remember to follow basic professional etiquette in dealing with professionals or you could ruin your reputation in just a few seconds. 

  

Twitter

Twitter: What are you doing? 

What it is: How can we not include Twitter? This micro-blogging phenomenon has grown tremendously in the past 2 years. Twitter has revolutionized the social media & blogging industry. It’s a fast-paced conversation filled with the most interesting people on earth sharing information on just about anything under the sun including the simple answer to their question: What are you doing? 

Here are excerpts from the beautiful article from Dom Sagolla, @dom of How Twitter Was Born: 

“I remember that @Jack’s first use case was city-related: telling people that the club he’s at is happening. “I want to have a dispatch service that connects us on our phones using text.” His idea was to make it so simple that you don’t even think about what you’re doing, you just type something and send it. 

The original product name / codename “twttr” was inspired by Flickr and the fact that American SMS shortcodes are five characters. We prototyped with “10958″ as our shortcode. 

We launched Twttr Beta on @Ev’s birthday. We could now invite a slightly larger circle of friends, but still excluding any large companies (with a few trusted exceptions within places like Google). I’ll never forget the family-friendly feeling of that day. 

@Jack was still just an engineer, and the service was only a few months old when the group acquired Twitter.com and re-branded. Back then, we had no character limit on our system. 

@Jack became the CEO of a newly spun-off Twitter, Inc. during the Boom Times. People still didn’t quite “get it” but at least some people had heard about it.” 

Corpororate-Eye.Com described how The Twitter Phenomenon is helping businesses: 

“Large corporations and even home-based businesses alike are all catching on to the Twitter phenomenon! They are making it work for their businesses as they develop their social networking prowess, establishing business connections and social circles.  

What corporations are starting to notice about the Twitter phenom is how profitable the concept is for their business.” 

PCMag.Com, has mentioned that even presidential candidate, John Edwards (@johnedwards) have communicated their urgent messages through Twitter.

Recruitment Tips: It’s as simple as letting your network know what you’re doing but not in a shallow way. Let your fellow Tweeps know what you are working on, what your insights are, what you have learned and what you are trying to uncover. Aside from the fact that ever large corporate brands are now on Twitter, you also have top recruiters you can follow on Twitter. Don’t forget to share valuable information, your newly posted blogs, projects, and other social media sites you are part of. This will give your future employer an easier and broad range of references for your profile. Last but not the least, follow us on Twitter (@BurjExecutive) and we will give you updates on the UAE employment scene and will share you resources for your next career executive choice.

The Makings of a Great Recruitment Company

 

With the growing number of recruitment firms within Dubai, UAE and the Gulf regions, it would be fair to wonder which of these companies stand out amongst the rest. Everybody in the industry is now claiming to be an expert in their own niche market, whether it’s within executive search in Dubai, general recruitment, online recruitment or industry specific recruitment. 

Sometimes we come across a client who asks us the golden question; “Why should I pay you an expensive fee for qualifying and selecting a candidate when I can do that myself?” Of course the answer to that question will ultimately lead us to another topic altogether. What I’m trying to say is, apart from the service that you deliver, what value do you bring to both a client and candidate that makes you rise above the rest as a recruitment organization? 

The Burj Executive lays down the basic characteristics of a recruitment firm: 

1. Recognizes its own best assets – Recruitment is a profession of people, and there is no better avenue of enhancing this profession other than your own staff – the recruitment consultants. Do not focus on their monthly targets. Take care of your own people, recognize their skills and develop their weaknesses. They’ll do more for you than you can imagine if they’re happy with their seats within your company. 

1. Personal touch – As a previous candidate, my job hunting process meant subjecting myself to people who were cold and insensitive when handling my career needs. I hated recruitment consultants who routinely ask questions without any true interest in your individual sentiments. A good recruiter must be friendly and listen to every word a candidate is uttering, understand and be patient to every client demands. A great recruitment firm will implore their consultants to be the personal bridge of communication between the client and the candidate. 

1. Uses technology carefully – Although the UAE online recruitment industry is still in its infancy, the growing popularity of social networking sites has created the need of recruitment firms to ride the wave of technology. Websites such as LinkedIn, eCademy, and Facebook create yet another medium where executive search consultants and management professionals can meet and discuss potential opportunities.  A great recruitment company will acknowledge the existence of this media and use them appropriately and to their advantage when sourcing both requirements from clients and candidates for their vacancies. 

1. Effort in branding – In most cases, no matter how good you are in this industry, if you lack effective branding and or marketing, you will be left behind. What are common strategies, you ask? Branding goes beyond just a logo, it’s building a good website, effective press relations, social media networking, etc. There are a million creative ways in getting your name to your customers. 

1. Value in the service – Please and I repeat, please, do not be a postal service. CV’s can be submitted quickly within just a matter of minutes from the initial request. And these profiles end up as rejects in the eyes of the client. As one of my recruitment managers would say; “Please do your due diligence”. Read the resume and interview the candidates. Get to know and validate whether or not the candidate is an 80-100% fit for the vacancy. If needed, conduct some profiling or tests to determine technical skills and personality traits for your client. Add value to your service and do not stick to mediocre CV searches. 

Trust and confidence – Being in the recruitment industry, you are entrusted with confidential information from both the candidate and the client. Keep that trust and build the confidence in both your customers. A good recruitment company will know which information to divulge and which to keep as part of the confidentiality clause, whether or not it is stipulated in your contract.

Creative Job Seeking!

 

 

Creative Management Jobs

 

 

In this current climate, those of us hoping to change jobs, or looking for that next executive career move, might well be finding the ‘phone pretty quiet, and the emails a little less forthcoming.

What is one to do then when you really do want, nay, NEED a new role and time is not your friend?

Well, I guess it’s time to get creative with that CV. Positions that at one time were quite literally being offered into peoples hands, might just require a little bit of work.

But there are more seekers than posts these days, and you’ll want to stand out from the rest of the executive herd.

You can read about some rather extreme examples of ‘Creative Networking’.

Could any of these tactics work in securing the next move here in Dubai or the Middle East region?

The area has enjoyed a real ‘boom’ time for all over the last few years. These were times when people were literally walking of a plane and straight into a job. The current economic situation means that whilst we may be looking at a leaner and meaner job market, there are still positions aplenty for those of you with the right experience and outlook.

Sorting the ‘wheat from the chaff’ is no bad thing for business. In such an immature market, the most originality you have to show could be as simple as having the right CV, showing up at the right time, and with the right attitude. Believe us, all of these attributes have been quite a novelty in the past.

The biggest key to gaining your next executive career move within Dubai and the Gulf region, is of course, by joining forces with BurjExecutives.Com .

Working with top recruiters and high calibre candidates and management professionals could be all the networking you need!

The Obama-Rama

Or how a little bit of inspirational thinking can help YOU focus YOUR career plans.

There’s a whole lotta thinking going on. People’s minds are racing.

If you have a job, you are doing all you can to keep it. If you are on the move, you are doing all you can to find that next position, for the sake of career progression or just the next pay check.

For those in a business surviving better than most, the threat still lingers. For those with foresight, its strategies all the way for getting through the next, leaner months ahead. Like we said, there’s a lot of hard thinking going on the world over.

Somebody else started a new post last week. It might be fair to say that there’s a lot resting on his shoulders, and he’s got a hell of a job to do. Fair to say that as President of the United States, Barack Obama may be under a little more pressure than the rest of us, but that’s not to take away from those managers and leaders the world over with a whole lot on their own plate at the moment.

President Obama has made a point of stressing the ‘You factor’. It’s an age old maxim, ‘If you want something doing, you gotta do it yourself’

The following link is a great example of how anybody in an executive or management role can harness the ‘You’ factor to their own ends.

Put the “You Factor” to Work (Just Like President Obama Does) by John Baldoni

If you’re in the market for your next executive career move, you may want to check out BurjExecutives.Com. BurjExecutives aims to match executive and management grade jobseekers with their next career move in Dubai, the Gulf and Middle East region.

Criteria in Picking the Best Jobs In the World

Last week, we’ve heard of the latest buzz in the best job in the world. It got so much attention, REALLY! How did they pick this to be the best? When you see the job description, you’ll be sure to hop on a plane to Australia and line up for this application.

According to Alison Doyle, a job search author in About.Com, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity:

“The six-month contract job of Island Caretaker will be based on Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef. For a salary of AUD $150,000 (about US $104,000), the Island Caretaker will enjoy flexible working hours and the opportunity to explore one of the world’s greatest natural wonders.

For six months, the Caretaker will discover and promote what the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef have to offer and report on the experience to Tourism Queensland (the sponsor of the job) headquarters in Brisbane via blogs, a photo diary, video updates, and interviews.”

Although this is one of the rare cases of top ranking jobs, we do see reviews and polls of the top best jobs in the world. Have you ever wondered what are the criteria in coming up with the career list that everyone is dying to land on? Is it the money, working environment, or growth opportunity? Let us take a look at the major factors in crafting the best jobs in the world.

Forget Reef Island… Why not take a look at another “best job in the world”?’

Interest In the chance to be the caretaker of a tiny tropical island in Australia has captured so much attention around the world that a rush of applications has crashed the website advertising the post.

The job, which offers a salary of $105,000 to spend six months on the Great Barrier Reef island of Hamilton, has been inundated with hundreds of thousands of prospective candidates.

Local media said technicians had to restore the website, IslandReefJob.Com, after it could not cope with the volume of traffic and crashed for several hours.

So, if you are not the lucky recipient of this particular contract, what’s a guy or gal to do?

Well, the good news is that BurjExecutives.Com has NOT crashed, and the weather in Dubai and the Middle East is a beautiful 25 degrees.

Whilst Burj Executives cannot promise you will be getting paid to swim with dolphins and lounge on a beach all day , making your next executive career move within the Gulf region could mean you spend your wages on such activities, on your doorstep, whenever you’re free.

BurjExecutives.Com matches high end candidates to executive and management positions throughout Dubai and the Middle East. Focusing on recruiting around the $100,000 salary mark, you may have to compromise from the reef Island job, but you may at least find the NEXT best job in the world!

Look out for the opportunities in 2009 – not the jobs!

It’s a popular new year’s resolution to look up new positions, and whilst the Gulf region is affected like any other, jobs will still be available this year as companies will not stop recruiting qualified staff.  Despite talk of flat growth a number of companies are still recruiting strongly.

Distributing our resumes and CVs to recruiters and headhunters is a time tested way into some excellent positions.

In a field where networks and connections count for everything, a good recruiter is in the right place at the right time. As it’s their business to match you successfully with the right employer, a good contact in this field could be all you need. This is a great way to explore opportunities that you might otherwise have missed.

Resting on your laurels whilst the recruiter does his job is no longer the only way to ensure you have optimum visibility in the job market.

A successful executive search involves a combination of factors, including, but not exclusive to;

· Online job advertisements

· Networking

· Recruiter contacts.

Keep your search as efficient as possible. There are services available to market your CV to suitable agencies, saving you time and exposing your experience and skills to the unpublished job market.

Whilst the next tactic could be deemed indiscreet or unprofessional  if managed badly, personal networks, colleagues and other industry contacts cannot bear you in mind for that next position if nobody knows you are looking or available for that next great career move.

A subtle conversation that reveals you ‘may’ be interested in expanding your horizons means you may well be at the front of an influential person’s mind when an appropriate vacancy becomes available.

Your knowledge in your chosen field may be unquestionable, but how well do you know the job market for your profession. If you have been busy working away in your current role, you probably haven’t had any need to keep abreast of developments in online recruitment and websites advertising potential roles. Research your ‘market’ thoroughly, google anything you can think of and ensure your details are registered with as many quality job boards as you can find. Look at the ones that keep their posts up to date, show a variety of available positions in your chosen field and DON’T charge you for the privilege.

When searching for an executive role in Dubai or the Gulf region, try www.burjexecutives.com and do post some feedback on how your job search is being affected by these troubled times.

Top 10 Habits that a Recruiter must NOT have

To a candidate, the good recruiter is a mentor and a savior. The recruiter lays down the foundations before a candidate enters into a corporate world.

To a client or an employer, the recruiter is a business partner, there to ensure that the organization has enough efficient human assets.

But being a recruiter, especially in the executive career market, is not all plain sailing. One is accustom to irrational requirements, confused and arrogant candidates not forgetting indecisive clients. Ergo, sometimes we recruiters lose our heads in the process, we are human after all.

For all you executive search consultants, management career recruiters, and top head hunters, the Burj Executive lays down the bad habits a recruiter must overcome and offers his wisdomed advice.

15 Job Application Don’ts – Part 3

Prohibitive Job Offer Acts

1. Be professional. Do not ‘job shop’ – You deserve every opportunity or offer that comes your way, but not at the expense of a business. It’s not only you who has the objective of achieving a goal. The employer also has the objective of filling up a position that will get their business operations started or continued. Once you have signed and agreed to a certain offer letter, stop right there!. Having agreed on the terms between the employer and yourself, it is assumed that you have thought of every factor present in receiving the job. Failing to do so will not only cause the company a disruption of their scheduled business operations (which you should have participated in as an employee) but you will also manage to acquire a bad reputation within your industry. Remember, the job market is not as large as you think. Word travels on a negative reputation as fast as on a positive one.

2. Do not be greedy. Money is not everything! -. Remember the bigger the salary offer is, the larger the expectations are and the more complex your responsibilities would be. Think twice on switching between job offers on the basis of remuneration alone. We have witnessed so many successful candidates who have joined a company on salary alone, only to find out they will be leaving due to so unrealistic management demands (so common), unfriendly working environment, additional job responsibilities not agreed upon, verbal or even sexual abuse, and the list goes on.

3. Do not dwell on indecisiveness. Stand your ground – When it rains, it really pours at times. Having 3 or more offers at hand is a great feeling, but they are only valuable if acted upon. Sitting on job offers for 2 months will only waste opportunities which you might not recover in the future. If you have enough proposals – think on them, weigh every possible situation vis-à-vis your needs and expectations. Are the salaries and benefits enough to sustain you and more? Is the company financially stable (Oh yes, the million dollar question in this era of financial crisis) and offer career growth and development? Does the company have a strong turnover rate? If yes, what are the factors? What is the working environment, is it a multinational? These and many others will help you decide on which offer letter to sign. You and only you will know what is best for your career.

4. Be transparent. Do not rely on chance - In law school there is what we call ‘Force Majeure’ which means “Act of God” or something which is completely out of control. It happens when you least expected. If an emergency occurs when you are about to join a company, please inform key persons of your situation – a simple SMS message or a short email will be more than enough. No matter how hungry we are as recruiters to close a position, we do understand every bit of crisis or tragedy in life, but do not just burst your own bubble and disappear without notice. You may never know that your job will still be your saving grace amidst your life’s misfortunes.

5. Be steady and perform. Do not be a leech within – This is actually not part of the job offer stage but rather on the joining itself. Congratulations! Now you are an employee of your Dream Company, you have crossed the finish line. WRONG!!! Proving yourself worth to the company is now your priority. You have earned the confidence and the trust of the management to be a part of the organization. Do not be an internal parasite and drag the company by not performing. Execute according to your responsibilities and contribute to the development and progress of the company. There are no efforts unnoticed and unrewarded.

That wraps it up. Burj Executive hopes that these tips will guide you in your search of your desired profession. There are no black-and-white rules in job hunting, however do maintain certain etiquette in your approach.