Welcome to the Career Thought Leaders Blog, brought to you by the Career Thought Leaders Consortium, in cooperation with a team of talented Invited Expert Bloggers. The CTL Blog was created to facilitate the sharing of information, resources, innovations, best practices, trends, and more by and between career professionals worldwide. We have two distinct goals:

1. To enhance the quality of services, standards, and expertise across the entire spectrum of the careers and employment industry.
2. To provide job seekers around the globe with best-in-class information – at their fingertips – at no charge.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women working full-time earn 80 percent of what men earn in the same positions. How can women help close this pay equity gap? One way is by pursuing a non-traditional career.

Blue Collar vs. Pink Collar Jobs

Over a decade ago I worked for a Twin Cities based non-profit helping women get into “blue collar” jobs in the construction trades, such as carpenter, cement mason, electrician, and brick-layer. These non-traditional jobs allow women to earn a higher wage than “pink collar” jobs in the helping or service fields. 

Many careers that are considered non-traditional for women pay 20-30% or higher wages than female-dominated jobs.  The difference in earnings between a woman in a traditional versus a non-traditional career paints a startling picture. Let’s say a woman has a traditional career as a childcare worker earning $10.07/hour. Over the course of 30 years, she will earn slightly over $628,000.  Next let’s take a look at a woman in non-traditional career as a carpenter earning $20.98/hour.  During a 30-year career, she will earn over $1.3 million. The lifetime difference in earnings between the traditional and the non-traditional career is a shocking $680,000. 

White Collar Jobs

Some women may prefer a “white collar” job. In a recent CNN.com article, “25 best-paying jobs for women,“ at least five of these jobs are both “white collar” and non-traditional. These jobs include: pharmacist, chief executive, computer software engineer, physician and surgeon, and physical therapist. While considered the best-paying jobs for women, they still earn less than their male counterparts for the same position. For example, a female pharmacist earns 86.1% of men in the same occupation.  

While some women are beginning to shatter the glass ceiling, others remain glued to the sticky floor.  The CNN.com article reports that “Only when women begin their post-MBA career at mid-management or above do they achieve parity in position with men…”.  

While the pay gap may remain for years to come, a non-traditional career is one way women can earn a higher salary.

Canadian Resume Research Study: 96% of resumes from six-figure candidates appeared to come from templates commonly found on the Internet.

These days, with the economy just starting to rebound, the Canadian labour market is flooded with executive resumes for senior-level professionals looking for work. The current market has created an unfortunate situation for thousands of job seekers. Many of them are highly experienced and successful – and yet they find themselves in need of a new position.

In the largest Canadian research study of its kind, Graham Management Group evaluated 1000 randomly selected resumes received in 2009. These resumes were from senior executives, managers, and other six-figure professionals across Canada. The study found that 96% of all resumes assessed appeared to come from templates commonly found on the Internet.

The competition for executive positions is fierce. These days, everyone seems to be applying for the same positions because there aren’t many available. If you are in an executive search, you’ll need to design a resume that is unique and cannot be missed. You need to stand out from the rest and be seen in the pile of hundreds of executive resumes submitted for the position.

It may have been years since you have written an executive resume and you aren’t sure where to start. Chances are good you have pulled out your old resume updated it. Or, worse, you are using a resume template provided from your word processing application to design an executive resume! The problem you’ll encounter is that the job you are applying for most likely has hundreds of other applicants too. When the recruiter reviews all of the executive resumes, they will all look the same.

Executive resume writing can be very difficult, and most successful people transitioning in Canada are submitting a perfect document. You must design a resume that is not from a template. Your document must stand out from the rest. An executive resume that is not from a template shows the organization you are not afraid to step outside of the box.

This is your career and you don’t want any mistakes. If you are a Canadian professional who is looking of a senior-level job, the best thing you can do for yourself today is to hire a resume service based in Canada to design an outstanding executive resume for you. A strong executive resume writer will know exactly how to design a high-impact resume that will prominently focus on your accomplishments and successes.

Venturing into the Canadian job market during this economic turmoil does not need to be a scary prospect. In Canada, you have the advantage of foresight and a strong support base. Ensure that you have the best chance of success; consider a Canadian professional executive resume writer to help you achieve your goals.

Sharon Graham is Canada’s Career Strategist. You can download the groundbreaking research report from Graham Management Group here >> Research Study: How Does Your Resume Compare?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has announced a two-pronged study to begin tracking green jobs for the first time beginning this year.

• In one study the BLS will ask companies in certain pre-selected industries how much of their total revenue comes from the production of green products. The percentage of revenue will help BLS determine what percentage of positions are green.
• The other study will focus on whether companies have green business practices. If so, the company will report on how many positions contribute to that business practice.

The two studies will be combined to create an estimate of the number of green jobs in the United States. The data will allow for comparisons of green job numbers by state and region for the first time. This is  good news as eventually trend data will be available to identify areas of growth. We’ll also be able to compare green apples to green apples for the first time.

One thing to keep in mind, is that the definition of green jobs is still fairly amorphous in the field. For instance, each organization and state has their own working definition of what constitutes a green job. It will be interesting to see how closely these data match up with the state’s own studies and how the definition of green jobs evolves to become standardized across the nation.

A couple of other signs that green jobs are becoming “real.”

• The Division of Occupational Outlook is set to publish their first report about green jobs in September 2010 on the wind energy industry.
• O*Net continues their efforts to provide occupational profiles of green positions. You can browse the green occupations across twelve industry sectors. When you land on the page, you’ll see which occupations have a bright outlook (look for the sun icon). In addition you can tell at a glance if that industry required a person in an existing occupation must enhance their skills (60 occupations), whether there’s an increased demand for an existing occupation (64 occupations), or if the occupation is new and emerging (45 occupations with 46 candidate occupations that are being considered).
• In preparation for the BLS study described above, the Bureau of Labor Statistics created a more detailed, objective and measurable definition of green jobs. Take a look at page two of this pdf for their full definition of green jobs.

Workforce demographics are shifting, and the number of mature workers will steadily increase in the years to come.  For workers ages 55-64, 36.5% more will be in the workplace in 2016 when compared with 2006 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).  Even more dramatic increases are forecasted for those ages 65-74 and those 75 and up – a whopping 80% increase in each category.  By 2016, 6.1% of the U.S. labor force will be age 65 and older, compared with only 3.6% in 2006.

 This trend leads to a new take on workplace diversity– age diversity.  Today’s workforce spans four generations: Traditionalists (born before 1946); Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964); Generation Xers (born 1965-1981); and Millennials (Born 1982-2000).   As mature adults remain employed, we increasingly need to understand the strengths and challenges inherent in multigenerational workplaces, and find ways to leverage age diversity. 

The popular press paints a picture of generational divide at work.  Mature workers (Traditionalists and Baby Boomers) are portrayed as loyal and hardworking, but dinosaurs when it comes to innovation and technology.  Younger employees (Generation Xers and Millennials) are viewed as innovative, but disrespectful, lazy, and egocentric.  Taken at face value, these stereotypes can lead to conflict and turmoil in the workplace.

The reality, according to research, is that generations are different in some ways, but similar in many more.  More gap than chasm, generational differences have subtle impact, not the dramatic conflict portrayed in the popular press.  Research by Jennifer Deal, author of Retiring the Generation Gap, points to the similarities between generations.   Workers of all generations will need to be sensitive to differing perspectives across age cohorts, but also find ways to connect. 

Here are some tips on bridging differences and building on commonalities across the generations.

• Rethink what loyalty means.  Mature workers value company loyalty, and often view younger workers as lacking company allegiance. Lynne Lancaster, expert on generational differences, points out that Generation Xers are loyal, but to a project, a boss, or a team, not necessarily a company.  Loyalty is expressed differently, and needs to be valued and understood through this lens.
• Understand core values.  Generational groups share common core values, especially when it comes to family. Young workers are more interested in results than face time, and value balance. Flexibility, whether to care for young children, aging parents, or to pursue adventure is of value to all generations.
• Expand communication approaches.  Members of the Millennial generation view technology as essential to their lives.  They rely extensively on electronic methods of communication.  Strengthen communication through technology AND direct communication.
• Foster respect, and respect differences.  All employees crave respect, but the way it is expressed can differ.  According to Jennifer Deal, mature workers feel respected when their opinions have weight.  Younger workers want to be heard and respected for their talent and ideas.

Age diversity is a reality in today’s workplace, and will only increase in the future.  Transferring knowledge across generations will depend on building relationships and communication approaches that work for all employee groups.  Workers of all ages add tremendous value to our organizations, and will be important components in the diverse workforce of the future.

Resources: 

United States Department of Labor, July 2008: http://www.bls.gov/spotlight/2008/older_workers/

Deal, Jennifer (2006).  Retiring the generation gap: How employees young and old can find common ground.

Lancaster, Lynne C., & Stillman, David (2003).  When generations collide.

Parts of this article were originally published on the Minnesota Career Development Association website, November 16, 2009, http://mcda.net/news/bridging-the-generational-gap-in-the-workplace/

Finding a job when you are over 40 poses a number of challenges:  some real, some perceived.  Employers may have pre-conceived ideas about job applicants who are over 40 in terms of their image, drive, relevance, and potential value to their organization.  Job seekers over 40 may also have their own preconceptions about how they will be viewed in the job market before they even start looking.   To be successful in your job search if you are over 40, you must effectively manage both the prospective employer’s and your own perceptions.

Image:  Your image proceeds you when you are looking for a job.  Prior to any physical contact with a prospective employer, your resume, cover letter, and online profile will project an image and create perceptions.  The language, format, and style have to be contemporary.  You must learn and leverage new technologies to market yourself.  If you use outdated  job search styles,  you will be defined as out of touch.  An up-to-date physical image is also critical to success.  If you have not revamped your wardrobe, hairstyle, or accessories in several years (or decades), it is time for a make over.  Staying healthy and fit will project your physical vitality and convey that you have the stamina to keep up with younger colleagues.

Drive:  Employers often have concerns that job seekers over 40 have lost their drive and that their best years are behind them.  It is very expensive for them to hire an experienced person who joins an organization and wants to coast  until retirement.  One of the greatest advantages you have if you are over 40 is your wealth of experience and skills.  Demonstrate how you will continue to leverage  your experience and skills in your next job.  For example, you can provide the prospective employer will a 30/60/9o plan outlining the goals you  will accomplish for them when you are brought on board.   Also, you can discuss new trends in your industry you find exciting or your plans to continue to learn about new technologies you can apply on the job.  Create a vision for the employer on how you will be a productive and forward thinking member of his organization.

Relevance:  When hiring, employers focus on the critical knowledge, skills, and experience that meet their current business needs.   Unfortunately, job seekers over 40 often try to impress prospective employers with their entire history and range of skills even if they are outside the scope of the position.  If you try to showcase all of your qualifications rather than the specific ones the employer is seeking, you will seem irrelevant.  The employer may also develop the impression that you do not understand how to meet his business needs.  Focus on the specifics of that position and impress the prospective employer with your ability to solve their problems. You have an edge because you have solved similar problems before and can use your past success to help your new employer.

Value:  Employers are seeking the best value for their money when they are recruiting a new hire.  Job seekers over 40 can seem over-rated and over-priced.  They may also seem focused on their title, prestige, and salary. You must make a strong business case for why you should be hired and compensated at a certain level, especially if you are competing with someone who will cost the employer less in terms of salary and perks.  Your value to this  employer is your proven record of producing business results,  improving the bottom line, satisfying customers. and making good decisions.  Market yourself in terms of the dollars you can earn or save for his business, your success in completing projects on time and within budget,  your customer relationship building, and your strong work ethic and you will prove your worth to the prospective employer.

Managing perceptions can be one of the most difficult and subtle challenges of your job search if you are over 40.  You must stay aware of the perceptions that employers may have, even if they do not express them.  You must also guard against your own (mis) perceptions.  Be proactive: project a current image, show that you are driven, demonstrate your relevance, and market your ongoing value to an employer.

In my early years in public relations, I was constantly reminded by reporters, editors and columnists that the cardinal sin of media relations was trying to pitch without knowing, reading or understanding the reporter’s work and beat. In their quest for a quick hit, wet-behind-the-ears PR newbies pitched stories and ideas that fell flat because the stories or ideas were either not related or just plain irrelevant to the writer’s interest. In the process these poor souls harmed their credibility and reputation, sometimes forever. 

The same thinking can be and should be applied to career search. Do the research required to understand the organization and the people involved in managing the company. If you see a firm or job that attracts your interest, prepare yourself well to pitch. Read everything that you can get your hands and eyes on. Bear in mind this simple axiom, if you want to get your letter and resume read, you better read. Consider these finer points of interest and insight.

1. When and if you see a position that fits your desires and skills, thoughtfully comb the company’s web site paying attention to exactly what it does, what it makes, the team involved and any cultural and environmental clues you pick up from its web site.

2. Carefully read the media that follow the company. Monitor, absorb and understand what is being written by reporters and pundits about the firm and its management.  

3. If you are able to identify who is the hiring manager, put on your scanners. Check sites like Google, Bing, Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Plaxo, ZoomInfo, Spoke, Pipl, Classmates, Naymz, Slideshare, etc. Look for profiles, blogs, articles, white papers, biographies and other information types that can give you a sense of the person’s interests, priorities, passions and preferences. 

4. Use what you have read and absorbed to craft your cover letter. Often, some insight that you pick up from reading about the company and its management can make a significant difference in whether you are selected or not for an interview with the firm. Bottom line: tailor your cover letter to the job spec and to the insight you have gained from your research about the organization, its management and the hiring executive.

September 5: Father’s Day in Australia and New Zealand.

September 6: Labor Day in the United States.

September 6: Defense of Pakistan day.

September 8: Start of the Jewish New Year around the world (in the evening).

September 12: Grandparents’ Day in the United States.

September 15: Respect for the Aged Day in the Pacific Rim.

Some general rules about Asian customs:

- If possible, have a respected well-connected third party introduce you.

- Don’t stand too close to anyone.

- Don’t try to maintain eye contact.

- Stand or sit up straight.

- Don’t touch or backslap anyone.
- Be sure to stand before shaking hands.
- Always remove gloves before shaking hands.
- Never shake hands with one hand in your pocket.

As the long days of summer wind down,  kids everywhere are getting ready to go back to school, filled with a proportional mix of anticipation and dread. It means for them – amongst other things – homework again, new subjects to learn and new tests to study for.  They are undoubtedly thinking – “Who will my new teacher(s) be?  How will I have to behave to make a good impression?  How much will I have to study to get good grades?”

A child’s capacity to accept and adapt to change never ceases to amaze me.  As children, it is as universal a truth as the inevitable start of the school year.  It happens.  A lot.  Every September, children change teachers as they change grade levels.  Many even change instructors several times in a single day! They change friends, activities, and the foods they eat (well, some kids do that.) Because that change is expected, they can deal with it, perhaps even embrace it.  In the span of a semester, they size up their teachers, figure out the rules for getting good grades (i.e., the expectations behind homework and tests) and adapt.  It’s a recipe for success.  So why is it, that as adults, we forget this important life lesson?  Why do we think that voluntarily leaping into a different job or career is impossible?  Why do grownups get so trapped in complacency?

Even though those are a lot of whys, it all comes down to a few simple reasons. For starters, change is incredibly scary and disorienting.  It generally creates a buildup of anxiety within ourselves which we can’t eradicate through our typical coping methods (because we have deliberately taken away the familiar cues and footholds to which we would normally cling.) We have to find new ways to confront a problem or situation – which means, we have to use our brains, get creative, take a risk, and maybe make a mistake or two along the way.

There are two instinctual reactions to change, both harkening back to prehistoric times – fight or flight.  If we don’t fight, then we run or fly away from having to confront any real change in our situations.  We do this by ignoring what is happening, being passive, and refraining from making suggestions; in essence, we are cocooning ourselves as the proverbial ostrich does with his head in the sand.  (Actually, ostriches don’t do that – it’s all a myth – but as an adult, I refuse to change my beliefs about the bird.)  On the other hand, if we fight, we actively resist change by striking with negativity, destructive criticism, and sabotage. (Whoever thinks that ostriches don’t bury their heads in the sand must be pretty stupid.)

But don’t despair – what a lot of people don’t realize right away is that there aren’t just two reactions to facing up to change – there’s a whole range to choose from.  One of the more sophisticated ways to deal with it is to control it rather than have it control you.  By harnessing and guiding it, change can become a means to your goals, not a barrier to them.

When my clients are leaving a job, whether voluntary or involuntary, they generally experience the following emotional stages, similar to the grieving process:
•    Some shock and denial that the old routine must be left behind;
•    Anger that change is inevitable;
•    Despair and a longing for the old ways; and,
•    Acceptance of the new and a brighter view of the future.

Everyone works through this process; for some, the transition is mercifully quick while others, it is painfully slow.

Kurt Lewin, who is often recognized as the “founder of social psychology”, proposed a three-stage theory of change commonly referred to as Unfreeze, Change, and Refreeze.
During the first phase of this theory – unfreezing – people start bypassing their own constructed defense mechanisms, dismantling existing mind sets and overcoming inertia.

In the second phase – change – when the dust from phase one has yet to settle, people find themselves momentarily nonplussed; things are confusing and as a reaction, they shift into neutral gear. That is to say, they don’t move back to their comfortable old ways yet they haven’t started to move forward – they are unable to start anew. This in-between state is so full of uncertainty and confusion that simply coping with it drains people’s energies, and, as a result, they are driven to get out of it. Some rush ahead, leaping into (often any) new situations, while others back-pedal and retreat into the past. This is where the real energy of transition is found and real transformation takes place.

Once a person is able to move forward, the mindset is crystallized and stage three – refreezing – is established.  Comfort levels return, as people have adjusted to the new environment and their behavior reflects their adaptation; however, this can be disconcerting — it puts one’s sense of competence and value at risk.   For example, the new employee who is succeeding can feel like a fraud, will I be found out?

It is critically important during a period of change that people take stock of what they can control. It will reduce their stress, and the truth is, we can control much more than what we can’t control.
What we can control: how we behave or act, our thoughts, our choices, our contribution and performance at work, what we say to others, positive or negative input.
What we cannot control: decisions by top management, other people, consequences of our behavior or actions

If you are contemplating a change in your life, perhaps in your job, or career, marital status, location or anything else, here is some general advice:
    Recognize why you are uncomfortable
    Acknowledge that change is constant
    Keep your expectations realistic
    Use and grow your coping skills
    Exercise, even just a little (it helps keep stress levels down)
    Relax your body
    Calm Your Mind
    Hold that pose!  (See my last blog article.)
    Use distraction
    Use additional resources as needed
    Remain upbeat and positive
    Never become complacent
    Find out what’s waiting in the wings

Let’s use our kids or our own experiences as children as role models for coping with change. Buy new clothes for the first day, make your lunch, work through the stomach ache, listen and ask questions of your new teachers and come home excited about what lies ahead. If adults were to anticipate a new boss every year, wouldn’t we embrace it too?

“Nothing limits us except ourselves; for the truest aspect of every person is unbounded potential.” Deepak Chopra

Even though the unemployment rate continues to stay very high, many executives and business leaders are quietly, confidentially looking for new opportunities. Overworked, overwhelmed but paralyzed by current fears, some won’t move unless timing and opportunity are just right. Rightly they know they should be doing something to land because it just seems to stand to reason that things, somehow, will improve.

When unemployment starts moving down in bunches that’s when more people will be looking. More people looking at all levels will mean more competition. So if you are thinking about making a move from a 100K+ opportunity there is a thought process and small but important actions to take right now. You don’t wait until the coast is clear. You build good habits now.

Here are some of the thoughts you may need to have as you look at making a transition:

1. Prepare For Your Departure By Creating The New You – in your current position and perhaps in your industry you have a strong reputation. But if that reputation cannot be clearly communicated in writing than you don’t have the tools necessary to respond to an early request from a recruiter or company. You certainly won’t have the foundational tools to network with online on in person.

2. Assemble Your Transition Board of Directors – you cannot trust everyone who knows you now to protect your confidential search so you need to develop relationships with people who you can trust, who will be a reference for you and who are willing to help you gain confidential introductions to people in companies/organizations who might hire you. This means that third-party executive recruiters who serve your industry should be on your list. You also need to do your own homework and find ways to build relationships with key contacts at your target companies through referrals or a proactive marketing strategy. You may need to hire a resume writer and a career services firm that specializes in helping you make your search more productive. A firm like this needs to have a multi-year track record and top industry reputation. They need to serve the six-figure and executive client area.

3. Continue to Perform Excellently – do not think that you can let up on your current executive performance. You need to do everything that you can to give your current employer your best. Anything less will hurt you or could potentially hurt your transition. Many clients of ours who are executives see that their performance goes up while they are searching. This is important because you want your confidence and interview power to come out because you know you are performing at your best. Employers get that energy vs. the burnout person who wants to make a move.

As career professionals, we often work with individuals who are seeking work but not motivated to take actions due, in some cases, to job misfit; that is, they hate their current job or are de-motivated to seek a similar job.

They want a different kind of job but have no idea what else they can do.  As career professionals, we can help them get started on finding a different path, by taking the following three actions.

First, we need to remind them that none of their current work experience is wasted.  We can clearly see that they have put the cart in front of the horse (the horse being that part of ourselves that represents our natural strengths, vitality, drive, energy).

We can help them re-connect with that authentic part of themselves and show them how to harness it to their tool cart, that part of their job experience that represents all the knowledge and skills they have acquired in their careers. Motivation is the natural result of putting the horse in front of the cart.

In fact, the clues to our right work are often found in our childhood preoccupations. For example, in one study conducted by British behavioral scientists, on the relationship between our desires in youth and adult success, 50 individuals were tracked over a period of 28 years, from the age of seven to 35.

The result? Nearly all of the subjects wound up engaged in a professional pursuit related to their interests during the ages 7 through 14. While most strayed from these interests after childhood, the successful adults were those who found their way back to their childhood dreams by the age of 35, even if only as a hobby or avocation. Don’t you find that amazing? I do!

If you’ve read my book, JobJoy , then you know that I put a lot of emphasis on understanding what we did and how we did it during ages 7-14.

What I have found over the years is that individuals who find jobjoy success early in life are often people who were lucky enough to have parents and other significant adults who recognized their natural talents and inclinations early in life, then helped nurture those talents into a specific vocation.

For most of us, this does not happen. We tend to drift away from our natural inclinations and focus on learned or acquired values and behaviors that have more to do with the agendas of others, or economic trends.

Most individuals settle for this kind of career and that’s fine. However, if they reach an impasse, we have a choice to help them through it. Many of us fall victim to what the poet E.E. Cummings eloquently described: “To be nobody but yourself in a world that is doing its best day and night into making you like everybody else is to fight the hardest battle there is and never stop fighting.”

I have found that many people lost this battle early in life and, by doing so, lost their memory of what they enjoyed most and did best as a child. The clues to our right work are always there in the details of our personal stories, our life history.

Second, ask your client to sit with you in a quiet office, no interruptions.  Ask them to close their eyes, and quiet their minds.  Ask them to let their thoughts drift back to childhood.

Ask the following kinds of questions: What did you enjoy doing at age six or seven? What were the activities that gave you pleasure? How did the world open up to you?  Over the next five years or so, what kinds of subjects did you gravitate towards in school and outside of school? How did you get the attention you wanted? What teachers influenced you the most? Whom were your heros?

This might be difficult for some clients.  Ask them to go home and take the time to go through family photos, watch home movies, talk to parents and relatives. Invite them to bring a list of impressions and memories to your next meeting.

One way to find jobjoy in life is to move back with conscious intention to what we drifted away from early in life.  Third, remind your clients that it’s not as difficult as they might think! The world rewards excellence. And our best chance for excellence is to develop our natural talents and motivations into a specific job or career—that’s the route to personal and professional success!

People who excel in their jobs often make it look easy and effortless. Like Robert Redford in the movie ‘The Natural,” they seem to have a knack, a flair, a talent for the core job duty; the same way Redford’s character had a natural talent for throwing and hitting a baseball.  This work is child’s play!