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With all the coverage of the Olympics over the past and next week, I started wondering what it really takes to ascend to that level in your particular sport.  Not only do you have to have the physical capacity and skill to be one of the top contenders in your sport, you have to have certain personal and mental characteristics as well.

So, I did a little research to figure out what those characteristics are.  Turns out the same mental characteristics that make Olympians great can make the average person a career Olympian of sorts.  Do a little self-inventory and see which of these traits you possess already and which could do with a little attention.

Traits possessed by Olympian-level athletes:

High motivation- striving to do better every day, believing that you are good at what you do, and navigating road blocks with …

Looking for a job?  Think about the methods you’re using, and how they are working for you.  Are you doing pretty much the same things over and over?  Do you have to beat employers back with a stick because of your successful job search tactics?  If not, consider changing your routine.

Albert Einstein is famous for, among other small contributions to society, quipping that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.  The Resume Wonders Blog understands that this adage applies to your job search too, and they’ve given you some fantastic ideas for how to radically change up your job search routine to change what you’re doing and get different, positive, results.
So, how’s that working for you? By TheResumeWonders Blog
Moving your Job Search out of Neutral …

From our partner site, The Resume Wonders Blog, here’s a fantastic argument for nicety in the workplace.  Whether you’ve got a job or not, it more often than not pays to be nice in your professional life…

Being Nice Does Matter in Finding Your Dream Job

This week was the kick off of the 9th season of American Idol.  Every year I say I am not going to watch it, but somehow the show finds its way on to the screen of my television. I tell myself, just the first night… to get a feel for what this season may hold.

I admit that I watched the whole show and towards the end, when there were only a few contestants left, a man entered the room for his very long awaited audition …

Creating a virtual resume is all the buzz lately.  Essentially, you use a website to create your resume, design it, fill in the details, and then it allows you to have it posted online with its own web address for employers to access easily.  You can post a link to it from your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or other social networking sites, and you can respond to job ads quickly by adding a link to your resume in your e-mail to an employer.

So, where do you create a virtual resume gem, and how much is it going to set you back?  The good news is that most resources are FREE at the moment, and there are a few websites you should check out:

CeeVee.com This website was started in Romania in June 2008, and …

Courtesy of our partner site The Galley, I offer you a list of great reading material for job seekers in 2010!

Social Media Predictions 2009- Exactly what it sounds like and you can download a sweet .pdf. Hint: Web 2.0 is about passion and quality, not quantity (though that is important, too).
How to Blog and Grow Rich- Makes it sound easier than it is, but some helpful tips.
Are all Bloggers Journalists?- A very personal and interesting take on this endless debate.
How to Give Gifts Unconditionally- A very sweet take on cheap and thoughtful gifts (and just in time for you holiday procrastinators).
8 Job Interview Tips- They are a bit obvious (like looking the interviewer in the eyes), but these gentle reminders are still key interview rules, and this article is nice crash course.
How …

I fully get that the Conan/Leno/NBC dispute playing itself out on the public stage is about a bunch of rich people deciding what will make them more money, but deep down (and yes, I’m digging), there are some career lessons to be gleaned from this debacle.

Most of the good parts of the lesson come from Conan’s Letter to the People of Earth, where he shows a little class and grace while maintaining his position and letting everyone know exactly where he stands.  In any situation involving your professional life, when you want something- I mean REALLY want something, do you know how to take a stand and let people know?  Here’s how Conan did it-

1) Explain your long history and association with the thing that you want.  Why do you care about this?  …

(pic from genystartup.com, a resource for new entrepreneurs building startups)
Brazen Careerist is a fantastic blog/website dedicated to generation Y in the workplace (That’s you.  Unless you are the other 75% of my readership who are supportive family members). Brazen and PayScale have teamed up to create a list of the 50 best companies to work for if you are a gen Y professional.

In keeping with their theme and awesome work, this list of Top 50 Gen Y Companies is choc full of companies who work the way this generation wants to work.  This ain’t your mama’s top 50 companies.  The assumptions they made when creating this list are perfectly aligned with how this generation wants to work.  Some of those assumptions include:

salary negotiations are a thing of the past …

Parents hounding you for Christmas gift ideas?  Can’t think of anything to tell them?  Send them the list below.  And if you’re not a college senior, these will still come in handy for internship searching, college interviews, and other random grown-up things you’re probably going to be doing in the near future.

1. A nice professional bag to replace the backpack you’ve had since 9th grade.

2. A portfolio with pad to bring to job interviews.

…

Whether you’re in the middle of Hanukkah or getting ready for Christmas next week, or just looking forward to 3 weeks of winter break bliss, if you’ll need an internship or job in the next 6 months or so, this is no time to take a holiday.

If you’re a job or internship seeker, give yourself a day or 2 of holiday laziness, and then get back to the job search.  There is no such thing as a 3 week holiday during your job search.  Sorry Virginia, if you’re job hunting, there is no Santa Claus.

Main Reasons Not to Slack on Your Job Search over the Holidays:

- Competition for jobs lessons because so many people put their own search on hold for the holidays

- Usually you’re more social during the holidays, so you can …

One of our new partner sites, UltimateIntern.com, is running a poll on their website and I’m curious to hear your thoughts- Are internships a MUST in today’s world?  Go here to cast your vote!

Of course, I’m inclined to say yes, and not only because I’ve been a college career advisor for the majority of my career.  I also went to Northeastern where I completed 3 co-ops (like internships only full time and 6 months long) so I walked out of undergrad with 1.5 years of full time experience on my resume and a job in my pocket as a direct result of that experience.  I didn’t plan to do those co-ops- in fact, I narrowly avoided missing the first one because I was too lazy to apply …

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