Career Development CarnivalWelcome to the July edition of the Career Development Carnival. As you know, carnivals move around so this month Elephants at Work is hosting the major topics of: career exploration, career management, job resources, job networking tips search tips and personal branding.

The Career Development Carnival would like to welcome some new acts (contributors) that will dazzle you with their career advice and insights: Dan McCarthy, Donna Svei, Adrienne Tom and Kevin Kermes.

If you read something you like, show your support to the contributors by sharing their posts within your social networks.

Career Exploration

Career questions ex-prisoners ask about getting a good job & other considerations

Debra Ann Matthews at Job Winning Resumes

As a human being, the God-given right to work and enhance one’s career, is a simple right as much as breathing. However, many ex-felons, former inmates, convicted persons feel isolated and unsure how to proceed forward in rebuilding their professional lives. This article is an effort to offer ways in which those who have had relationships with the prison system in some way can ask questions that they have an itching and burning desire to know as far as how to develop their professional selves.

The Career and Retirement Tango

Lynn Dessert at Elephants at Work

When you are ready to retire and still want to continue working, there are four questions that will help you find what to do next.

Career Management

Took The Wrong Job?– How Do You Know & What Do You Do Now?

Lisa Rangel at Chameleon Resumes Blog

Did you take the wrong job recently? Not sure how to know if you took the wrong job?  If you feel that you have taken then wrong position and are not sure what to do about it, learn the signs that could validate that you may have taken the wrong job and what you can do about it.

Time to Reflect on Career and Life

Marc Miller at Career Pivot

Have you taken time to reflect? I tell all of my clients to periodically reflect back on what has happened in the last 6-12 months. We get all caught up in the day-to-day issues of work and life in general that we miss things.

Sometimes it is how far we have come in such a short time. Maybe it is understanding how we got to the place we are currently sitting. What road have we taken?

Because Every Job is Temporary, Confidence is Key

Deborah Mourey at Hell in the Hallway

Confidence is not bravado but the ability to listen, shine the spotlight on others and freely ask for help (and be wrong!) True confidence comes from discipline. Career realism is a good career management resource.

20 Questions to Assess the Quality of an Individual Development Plan

Dan McCarthy at Great Leadership

Here’s a checklist I’ve used to evaluate the quality of a leader’s individual development plan. Use it to evaluate your own plan or to coach others.

Could An Interim Job Meet Your Current Needs?

Barb Poole at Hire Imaging

Sometimes the need for dependable income surpasses finding the ideal job fit. If you are in this position, perhaps an interim job could be your answer.

5 Reasons Recruiters Ignore Your LinkedIn Profile — Infographic

Donna Svei at Avid Careerist

Tips to optimize your LinkedIn profile for recruiters and build your network to drive more traffic to your profile.

5 Ways to Fight Off Self-Doubt | Dealing with Performance Dips

Dawn Lennon at Business Fitness

Achieving and sustaining success requires self-confidence. Self-doubt kills it.

Overcoming internal negative voices tests your mental toughness. If you take some time to listen to pro athletes after wins and losses, you’ll get some priceless perspectives on how to fight the good fight.

Job Resources

Executive Job Search Tips

Adrienne Tom at Career Impressions

Top tips to kick off a senior professional or executive level job search.

41 Reasons Why You Didn’t Get the Job

Hannah Morgan at Career Sherpa

There are lots of reasons you are not landing a job. Take a look or better yet, ask for objective feedback.

The Secret to a Successful Job Search

Arthur Catalanello at Arthur’s Blog

Job seekers are often told that the secret to finding a job is through networking. I believe that’s very true. But, there’s something even more important than that…

The World’s Best Executive Resume Is Not Enough

Meg Guiseppi at Executive Career Brand

You also need to follow executive job search best practices, and back them up with social proof.

175 Helpful Questions To Ask At A Job Interview

Jacob Share at Job Mob

In this follow-up to “444 Most Popular Job Interviewer Questions To Prepare Yourself With,” here are questions you should consider asking the interviewer instead of the other way around.

Job Search Tactics that Work!

Kristi Enigl at Coach Kristi, Insider Career Tips

Think About Your Job Search Differently

What can you do to take a proactive approach to career management? The first, and most important thing to do is think differently about your job search. A much more effective way of finding a good job is targeting companies first.

Personality and Job Searching…Finally Working Together

Marc DeBoer at A Better Interview

Hasn’t it always frustrated you that you can’t really show your personality in an interview? Well now you can with the JobEvolve personality assessment!

The Anatomy of a Great LinkedIn Update (AKA: How to Get Hired Through LinkedIn)

Kevin Kermes at Career Attraction

The LinkedIn Update. In this blog post I’m going to show you why, as well as share HOW to get results with yours: AKA “get hired.”

Networking Tips

Don’t Click “Endorse” on LinkedIn …at least not yet

Shahrzad Arasteh at Nourish your Career

Your LinkedIn connections put thought and time into selecting the right skills for their profile. The Skill Endorsements feature can be used to help or hurt these efforts. Here are a few tips for using this feature in a way that adds value, when endorsing your connections.

Personal Branding

Five Questions about how to Sell Yourself to Others

Dan Ryan at Search for Authentic Leadership

I will talk today about how I strive to sell myself and my company to others. This is always a work in progress, but I have learned, am learning, some valuable lessons about this as I progress and grow myself and my firm.

Here are a few questions I would ask myself, ones that you might ask yourself when you consider how to best present yourself in the eyes of others.

Are you shutting the door on your job search success?

Julie Walraven at Design Resumes

Why do people tune job seekers out when the person needs their help?

Negativity breeds negativity. Sometimes you feel like no one is listening to you when you vent. Perhaps you are focusing on the negativity so much that you aren’t noticing that all of your communication is filled with complaints.

Target the Right Issue in an Argument

Beth Sears at Rochester Democrat and Chronicle – Her Rochester

This blog discusses getting to the root cause of an issue and offers suggestions of using an acronym CPR to get to the root cause. It also discusses how to argue in a constructive manner that maintains the respect of both parties.

Next Month

On August 15th find the latest career expert advice at CareerSherpa.net hosted by Hannah Morgan.

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