Crystal Clear Careers

Sharing information about career development for executives to college graduates. www.crystalclearcareers.com

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Introducing Crystal Clear Careers Outplacement Program

Introducing Crystal Clear Careers Outplacement Program

  Due to a great many inquiries about a Crystal Clear Careers Outplacement program, we are very excited to roll out this unique program designed specifically for Hospitality Companies and their transitioning managers, directors and executives. Here are some answers to questions you might be having about our outplacement program and what it can do for you:

  What is outplacement?

  During the past decade, we’ve gone through a roller coaster of unemployment rates, and layoffs are becoming a necessary evil among employers. When companies experience layoffs, top employers often hire an outplacement company to work with these transitioning employees.  Most Outplacement companies offer resume assist, individual or group career coaching, and guidance in navigating a job search.

  What is unique about Crystal Clear Careers’ outplacement program?

  Crystal Clear Careers is exclusive to the hospitality industry, and was started by experienced hospitality professionals. We can help transitioning professionals in an industry we are both knowledgeable of and passionate about.  Our program is very comprehensive,  industry focused, and affordable.  Our focus is to equip professionals with the insights and tools they need for a life-time of career achievement.  

  How can outplacement programs benefit you?

  Company benefits: Reduction of the potential for lawsuits and EEO actions, cost savings in unemployment insurance,  improving company morale, maintaining a positive community-wide image, and supporting company managers in making timely decisions on reorganization and termination issues.

  Employee benefits: Regardless of what is happening in the economy, the possibility of being laid-off exists in all industries and at all levels. Outplacement provides employees with a career consulting opportunity that is paid for by the company. If utilized to its full extent, outplacement can be extremely valuable in identifying career options.

  Vanessa Daves

C3 Blogger

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Just starting your career? Here are some tips on being competitive!

Andrew Carnegie once said, “And while the law of competition may be sometimes hard for the individual, it is best for the race, because it ensures the survival of the fittest in every department.”

Everyone encounters competition at some point in their life, whether it’s during their first grade talent show, in their college studies or while starting a business. It’s what makes people realize their strengths and weaknesses, what they should pursue and what they should forget. The competition in today’s job market simply means that businesses are looking for the best of the best to work for them. With an astonishing unemployment rate of 8.2 percent, being competitive isn’t just a good quality to have; it’s necessary.

1.     Be good at what you do. A friend of mine was talking about his career options a few weeks ago and of his plans to find work despite the lack of jobs in his field of study. He seemed unworried about finding work, and when I asked him why, he simply said, “It doesn’t have to be about competition. You just have to be good at what you do.” And how do you do that? Say goodbye to your lackadaisical qualities, work hard in school and in the office, and gain experience.

2.     Apply, apply, apply. Apply for more jobs than you think you need to, because you never know what may happen. You are one of over one thousand applicants for a job? Apply anyway. It’s an unpaid internship? Apply anyway. You never know if you could be that one who gets the job, or if that unpaid internship could turn into a full-time job.

3.     Be professional. Early is on time, as I always say. When you show up to an interview or a job early, it shows that you are serious dedicated. Dress appropriately. Write a resume specific to the job you are applying for, don’t just bring in a general word document that you use for everything. And turn your phone on silent; not vibrate, silent.

4.     Use social media to your advantage. It’s okay to post personal statuses or pictures, but as stated in tip number three, be professional. Studies show that about 50 percent of companies use social media websites to do background checks on their applicants. They look for provocative pictures or videos, profane language, qualifications and skills. Instead of making them look for the bad in you, make them look at the good! Build a profile that shows off all of your positive characteristics, and use sites like Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin to build resources and references.

5.     Be willing to learn. Whether you’re 15 or 50, you will always have more to learn; the sooner you accept that, the better off you’ll be. From an older generation, you can learn the ins-and-outs of a job; from a younger generation you can learn about new technology and websites. Don’t go into an interview acting like you already know everything. Be humble, and always be willing to hear new, fresh ideas for your business.

Written by C3 fan and blogger

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You will fail. It's inevitable, so you might as well begin preparing for it now. The failure may be small, like, say, making a mistake on a client engagement. Or it may be quite grand, like losing a job you valued. How you handle that failure can raise or lower the risks of failing again — and shape your legacy as a leader.

Some people handle these setbacks well. Others not so well. In my work, I've observed several common themes among those leaders who tend to cope particularly effectively with the inescapable.

Acknowledge the failure and put it in perspective. 

Look for causes, not blame. 

Before you wrack your brain to think up an appropriate response, take a break.

Get some help.

Refocus your efforts and take action.

No matter how you dice it, failing is a drag, and none of us likes it. Yet we all have to face it sometime. If you prepare yourself, and know how you will deal with it when you do fail, you'll be able to bounce back that much faster.

via Harvard Business Review HR Blog - Read the full article here

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Featured Articles

The Lucky One, Why I am Looking Forward to Summer Brand Camp by Sarah Atkinson (full post)

I have been lucky enough to find an incredible network very early in my career. Three years into my career I attended a conference that changed my life. People Report and Black Box Intelligence Best Practices Conference changed the way I thought about my professional and personal relationships, about business, and about my career. I came home from Dallas in June of 2009 with an amendment to my employee contract, “Sarah is required to attend all People Report conferences”. No joke.

Next week, will be the 3rd annual Summer Brand Camp. This is not your typical conference, and trust me, you’ve never experienced a conference like this. I could go on for days about all the reasons I am looking forward to it but for now, I’ll give you my top 5. Read the full article: via summerbrandcamp.com (@TexiCaliGal)

7 Reasons Networking Can Be a Professional Development Boot Camp (Full Article) 

How many times do you say to yourself that you need to meet more people? That your Circle of Influence needs to be strengthened?  That your skills and talents have yet to be discovered?  Your career requires you to network and in today’s marketplace you must be more active than ever.  But networking requires planning. An approach that is strategic and measurable; that you can learn from each time you introduce yourself to a new crowd or reacquaint yourself with an old one.    If you are strategic and view networking through an opportunity lens, it can serve as a powerful professional development boot camp experience.  Read the Full article: via Forbes.com 

5 Clever Ways to Get a Job Using Social Media (full article) 

By understanding who you are, what differentiates you in the marketplace and establishing your personal branding online, you can compete in the new talent marketplace. Once you’ve built your own website and established your social network profiles, you’re ready to start leveraging your relationships and talents to get the job of your dreams, not just one that pays the bills.

More and more companies are recruiting using social media, and 40% of young professionals are using social media to get jobs, reports Elance. You can have a successful job search by following these five new ways to get a job using social media.  Read the full article: via mashable.com

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Networking

It’s Sunday evening and your friends are going home early, they have work in the morning.  As your friends leave you resolve to not be the last in the bar come next week.  You decide that you too, the college graduate that you are, will soon find a job, one that will lead to success in your career.

Set your alarm for Monday morning, get up and attack the employment search.

Start by working your “networks”.  Even if you haven’t been in the work world to develop fellow employee relationships, you do have networks.  Start with your “friends” either your personal social group or Facebook.  Look up your coach from years ago; contact the lead counselor from the sport camp you coached during high school; think of the scout leader, your favorite grammar school teacher and anyone who knows you and your work. Contact your friends’ parents.  Let the world know you are looking for a job.  Even if the work you are now looking for is very different from how you made those connections, they know you and your capabilities and they too, all have networks. Numerous studies reveal that the best way to find a job is through your contacts and personal recommendations. 

Once you thoroughly explored your “social” network, develop your “professional one”.  If you haven’t done so already, set up a LinkedIn profile.  Put a “professional” looking photo on your page.  Upload your resume, even if it isn’t perfect. Spend time exploring groups. Send an email to those whose profiles match your area of interest.  Spend as much time “working” your networks as if you were actually working.  You didn’t get that degree without knowing how to do research.  Put that experience to work on behalf of your favorite project, YOU!

Sue Wasylik

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Featured Articles

The 5 Stages of Leadership (Full Article)  "Everyone goes through the same stages of human development on the road to adulthood and maturity. Unfortunately, some of us get stuck in one stage or another, stunting our growth and rendering us dysfunctional.

We look just like ordinary adults, but we actually behave a lot more like children, acting out, throwing tantrums, and generally making life miserable for everyone around us." via CBS Money Watch

The Red Hot Heart of Leadership (Full Article)  "All leaders share an absolute commitment to what they are doing, why they are doing it, and to the people helping them get there." via Forbes.com

An Amazing Lesson in Women's Entrepreneurship: Ruth's Chris Steak House (Full Article) In a recent interview with Cheryl Henry, Chief Branding Officer and Senior Vice President at Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc. we discussed the entrepreneurial founding, spirit and culture of Ruth’s Chris Steak House, the growing number of women holding leadership positions in American business, the story of her own professional journey, the restaurant’s recent partnership with Marie Clairemagazine on Women in Business, and much more. via Forbes.com 

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Peer or Parent Pressure?

You said your last good byes to your friends and moved all your gear back home.  Well, at least you have it in boxes in the garage.  The graduation parties were fun; seeing old friends and family and celebrating YOUR success.  And gifts, who could resist those?  Some of your friends are starting new jobs; some maybe resting and re-packing this summer because they move on to grad school in the fall and some are sleeping in and checking Facebook for the next party.  So now after the thank-you notes have been written and mailed – you have written those haven’t you? – it’s time to evaluate just what you are going to be doing this summer, and for that matter, the next few years.

Those last few months in school, when peers were busily researching employment opportunities, lining up interviews, brushing up on company cultures and reading acceptance or rejection letters/emails, were exciting yet hectic.  The pressure was there from your friends, the ones that were taking it easy; they already had a job lined up.  It was difficult when others were talking about definite plans and your response was “I will be exploring alternate avenues”.

So, now, have you exchanged peer pressure for parent pressure?

Does Dad come by every morning and ask your plans?  Does mom make sure your suit and dress shirts are cleaned and pressed? Is your favorite aunt suddenly an expert on resumes and job search?

Take charge, this is your future.  Don’t waste that forward momentum and expensive education. Just because you left your peers and the pressures of school, don’t slip into that comfortable life of summers gone by….this IS the first day of your career!

Sue Wasylik

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Featured Articles - Promotions, Chutzpah & Fortune 500

You may be asking yourself what the heck promotions & chutzpah have to do with career coaching & Crystal Clear Careers.  Career advice and inspiration can come from anywhere...you just have to be on the look out.  Here are a few great articles for anyone looking to take their career to the next level.  

Want a promotion? Make friends at work. (Full Article) “Recent research finds that people who initiate office friendships, pick up slack for their co-workers, and organize workplace social activities are 40% more likely to get a promotion in the subsequent two years. "How much you give at work directly affects how much you get at work," says Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work.” Via Fortune.com

Why Chutzpah Is The New Charisma - And How To Use It To Get What You Want  (Full Article) “Old-fashioned charisma is no longer enough to get attention, get ahead, or get the job anymore. Now, it’s those with the fearlessness to go after what they want and the audacity to do it how they want who are making their mark and changing the world.” Via Forbes.com

Career advice from Fortune 500's women CEOs (Full Article) “With plenty of glass in their hair, the female CEOs of Fortune 500 companies have doled out anecdotes and advice during their tenures. Here are some of their best practices.” Via CNN.com

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Commencement

This is the customary time of the year for Commencements.  Last week we set on a three day, 5,000 mile journey to experience two undergraduate graduations.  Our expedition took us from the Midwest to sunny Southern California and back to Main Street, Illinois.  And although different in style and size, both sported young folks in black cap and gowns marching across a stage to the sound of their “formal” name, proud family members talking pictures and friends sharing the last few moments.

And as tradition has it, each had a prominent keynote speaker.  And although the background and experience of the speakers varied, the ultimate message was the same. 

Find something you love, work hard and success will follow.

Neither keynote speaker even implied that it would be an easy road.

And if you are one of the thousands of undergraduates that are receiving degrees this year, you’ve already worked very hard.  In fact, the class of 2012 has had competition since entering school.  Even trying to get into kindergarten was a challenge, much less grammar school, high school and finally the University.  The entrance exams, the constant reminders to achieve, the papers, projects, finals, Thesis’ when will it all end? And when you walked across that stage and your name was called, what a wonderful – if only temporary – relief.

So take a deep breath, reflect for a moment on your current accomplishments, and then gear up for the next step.  Remember it is called a “Commencement” – a new beginning.

Sue Wasylik

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Getting a job out of college

Getting a job out of college...

  http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2011/06/07/getting-a-job-out-of-college-three-true-stories-and-some-tips/

Why we founded Crystal Clear Careers:

To help corporate execs and Hospitality grads. We love the Hospitality business. We have a passion for it. We get it... Hospitality College grads are right at the top of our list. The Outlook for 2012 grads is inconclusive- LA Times article from last week- http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-graduates-job-prospects-20120514,0,2985908.story What we do know is that college grads have a much better chance of securing employment than non graduates... The fact is there are many college grads who ARE getting a job out of college. Not just A job, the one that they want! How? Focus, clarity, networking, and yes some connections. Do you want to be the one to land the right job to lead you to the career you have been working towards?

Consider our program for one on one direction...

Happy Graduation!

Jennifer Tierney

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Leadership Tips: Articles to improve your leadership skills

Each week we post a couple of articles that are relevant to a specific topic. Part of Executive Coaching is helping others to develop their leadership skill. These are just a few great articles that can help anyone develop their skills as a leader. 

5 Steps to Becoming a More Interesting Leader Source: SmartBlogs on Leadership, By Mike Myatt  

It’s a very noisy world, and with more and more people adding to the chatter each and every day, it has become quite difficult to stand above the noise and be heard — this is particularly true if you bore people. Here’s the thing — you can have all the answers, but if people don’t want to hear them what good is all your brilliance? Perhaps the main benefit of being interesting is when you interest people they’ll seek you out — you won’t have to chase them down. When you do engage, they’ll listen... Read the Full Article Here

Moving from managing to leading - Taking on the Big Picture Source: SmartBlog on Leadership, By Dana Theus

Moving from managing to leading is a challenge because the skills that make you a good manager aren’t enough to help you excel in leadership positions. Men and women alike sometimes perceive the gap between managing and leading to be a “glass ceiling” when, in many cases, it’s not necessarily that at all; it’s a subtle group of skills you must have to be considered for leadership.  Read The Full Article Here

10 Tips to Appear More Authoritative At Work Source: usnews.com/money by Alison Green

If you want to be taken more seriously at work, take a look at how authoritative you appear. Many people, especially newer managers, undermine their own authority without realizing it, and then wonder why they're not more respected. Read the Full Article Here

Matthew Chustz

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Finding Your Passion – Start with What Excites You

We all know what we are supposed to be doing.  And for many, we all know what we have spent the last 2, 3, 5, 10 (insert the appropriate number) years doing, whether it was going to school or at a job, but is it what we really want to be doing.

If you find yourself at a point in life, for whatever reason - graduation, new owner, lost your job,  no commitment to your work, - and are stalled, than it is time to re-examine, and find your passion. Time for a little soul searching….

What is it that excites you? It can be your work, a hobby, an activity.   Spend some time and reflect on your interests.  What are the things that make you move, that get juices flowing; that get you out of bed. 

What are you good at?  Think back at your past actions and activities.  What were you doing when others complimented you?  When you felt good about your actions? When you were satisfied with your accomplishments? Even go as far back as your childhood.  What makes you smile? What actions made you proud? What experience would you like to re-create?

What have you dreamed about? If you were to define your “Perfect Job” what would it be?

Finding your passion may take a bit of thought, or it may come quickly.  Start by making a list. Laying out your route is much easier when you know where you are going.

Sue

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College Grads - Tips to Land Your Dream Job

As students begin to wrap up their time in College, there is always the stress of what they have to do next. Take a lesson from these great articles and tutorials and prepare for what you have to do to make yourself stand out.    

LinkedIn Grad Guide

If you think you are going to graduate with a job handed to you...think again. This tutorial walks College Students through the steps to open a linked in account to networking with companies.  You never know where your next job may come from. Get a head start on the competition!

(Click here to learn more) Keywords on your resume lead to interviews: "Eighty percent of all submitted resumes (and 100 percent of resumes sent to Fortune 1000 companies) get scanned by software..." Learn how to adjust your resume in order to land interviews. 

(Click here to read full article) Blog by Resume Bear Resume's don't get you hired, Interviews do:

"You might be the BEST at the JOB you are interviewing for, but if you don’t master communicating that in an interview, you may not get the job. Interviewing is a skill that can be learned… here is what you need to know to do it right." 

(Click here to read full article) Blog by Resume Bear Identify and Avoid Signs of Burnout with This Infographic:

In this week's blog posts from C3 we have been focusing a lot on Graduating and trying to figure out what your next steps are.  All of this can be utterly exhausting and extremely stressful. "Breaks and vacations are critical, and they give you a chance to recharge, cool off, and slowly recover from the building fatigue and resentment that comes with any job, even if you love what you do"

(Click here to view) - Source lifehacker.com

- Matthew C.

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Excited About Graduation?

Excited about Graduation?  Wish those last projects, papers and finals would just go away?  Yet a bit apprehensive about what awaits you in the “real” world?  And, after all that work you still have to find a job!

We here at Crystal Clear Careers – College are also excited about Graduation and the prospects of YOU launching a successful career in the Hospitality industry. I am especially energized because this affords me the opportunity to mesh two of the things I am most passionate about – the fun and excitement of working in the Hospitality industry and coaching career seekers in finding the path to the perfect job!

Once you have moved the last picture, hugged the last friend and are ready to attach the thank-you notes, give your career and next moves a thought! Visit us at crystalclearcareers.com and let us assist you developing your passion!

Sue Wasylik

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At C3, we help the C-Suite strategically navigate their careers! In this article, new research shows why top management teams have grown over the last two decades, and how firms can strategically navigate the trend. 

The C-suite is getting crowded, with top management teams doubling in size since the mid-1980s. And it’s not just the size that’s changed, says Professor Maria Guadalupe — the composition of top management has changed as well, with some important considerations for organizations to heed.

Working with Hongyi Li of MIT and Julie Wulf of Harvard, Guadalupe has shown that the growth of the C-suite is largely the result of a disproportionate move away from general managers and toward specialized functional managers.

...The new composition of the C-suite can present recruiting challenges for CEOs and staff alike. CEOs may increasingly need to convince talented rising stars to specialize. But ambitious professionals and MBAs entering the market often view general management as the path with the greatest career potential. “So there is a tension between general versus specialized skills,” Guadalupe notes. “Firms need to start thinking about how to convince talent to take a more specialized route to management.”

Read the Full Article

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Happy May Day- College Grads Prepare

Happy May Day! A month for college graduates to celebrate and prepare...

We have written a lot about career consulting for professionals. I wanted to take a minute to talk about our College program...

It is finals time- crunch time. Internships, part time jobs, networking, resume building,  a lot- plus over load on the internet. We are passionate about helping soon to be grads find the right path- making the right first step- please look at our website. www.crystalclearcareers.com

Attached is a video that an amazing women, Amanda Hite (@sexythinker),  tweeted last week. We are in the people business. Be passionate and be clear about your vision. You will succeed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65hycA4L3xY&feature=share

Jennifer Tierney

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Do you have a Mentor, Advocate and Sponsor?

Everyone knows that no one succeeds by him or herself.  An essential element in developing a successful career path is recognizing the type of support you need to grow and develop your career. 

Last week at the Women’s Foodservice Forum Annual Leadership Conference, Fritzi Woods, CEO and President of the WFF opened the conference by asking the nearly 2300 conference attendees – “who are your mentors, advocates and sponsors?”  (#WFFHQ & #WFFConf12)

One of the questions we hear so often is what is the difference between mentor, advocate and sponsor?  Based upon the Women’s Foodservice Forum’s definition they are the following:

Mentor – the primary focus is coaching and developing.  You share your strengths and weaknesses and look for ways to improve.  A mentor talks to you.

Advocate – the primary focus is about championing and representing you to others when you are not in the room.  An advocate talks about you in a positive and proactive way.

Sponsor – the significance of a sponsor is their ability to be an influencer and decision makers in your career advancement.  They have the power and the authority to elevate you to the next levels.  A sponsor elevates your career.

Successful career development is enhanced when a person has a network of mentors, advocates and sponsors.  Also, having a network of just mentors is a not enough, especially for women.  It has been said that women are over mentored and under-sponsored and that being under-sponsored is what contributes significantly to women’s inability to advance. 

The impact of a sponsor is so significant for both men and women that there are numerous books, articles and research written on the topic.  One of most the significant research reports was published in January, 2011 from Harvard Business Review entitled; The Sponsor Effect: Breaking Through the Last Glass Ceiling by Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Kerrie Peraino, Laura Sherbin, Karen Sumberg.  Here are just a few key findings from this report:

Women underestimate the power of the sponsor effect. Sponsorship confers a statistical benefit of up to 30 percent in terms of more stretch assignments, promotions, and pay raises.

Most women believe that hard work alone will succeed in turning heads and netting rewards. Fully 77 percent insist that hard work and long hours, not connections, account for their advancement.

Valuable professional relationships between an older, more powerful male and a younger female are avoided for fear of speculation of an affair. Most senior men (64 percent) avoid sponsoring junior women for this reason.

Women benefit from, but rarely get, sponsor guidance on how to adjust their style, clothing, and executive presence to look the part of a leader - feedback men readily give to other men.

Building a network of mentors, advocates and sponsors is a career development non-negotiable.  The facts are undeniable, the benefits are clear and the significance is obvious.  Part of our process at Crystal Clear Careers is to ask you inventory and explore many questions about mentors, advocates and sponsors and the power and effectiveness of your network.  Building a network of mentors, advocates and sponsors is a critical strategy for long-term career success. 

As you look at your own network ask yourself the following questions; “who are my mentors, advocates and sponsors?”  “What do I need to be doing differently to expand my network of advocates and sponsors?” “Who is actively working on my behalf to elevate my career?”  If you can’t readily answer these questions and name a minimum of two people per position, then it is time for you to start building your career by building your network.  The first step in that process is to simply ask someone to be your mentor, advocate or sponsor.  If you are prepared and ready to take that step you will be amazed at how easy it for mentors, advocates and sponsors to say yes!    Kathleen Wood