Employable

The business paradigm in virtually every department of the modern business has been undergoing continuous change in the last ten years to such an extent that it becomes necessary to step back and review how we do business in all aspects of corporate life in light of new markets and new ways even our employees do business. This is as much true in our Human Resource Department as it is in Marketing. The labor pool is changing and the impact on the bottom line of the business can see be serious if we dont change how we go about recruitment and view employee retention in light of the changes to the available educated labor out there to draw upon for our staffing needs.

Employee retention and how we approach the concept of keeping employees over many years is an area where certain assumptions must be challenged if we are going to stay competitive. Some assumptions concerning employee retention that are rapidly becoming obsolete include

That there is an unlimited resource of eager employees out there to fill my staffing needs.
That its a good idea to cycle employees in and out of the company because that keeps benefits costs down.
That the my way or the highway approach to management is the right way to go to enforce your vision for how work will get done.
That employees are commodities. There are always more where they came from.
That employees should be grateful just to get a paycheck.
It is better to keep a youthful staff and to move older employees out of the work place.

The labor pool in changing with shifts in the demographics in the country and those changes make these assumptions obsolete and dangerous if we expect to keep a staff that can provide quality support for our business objectives. Because the baby boom is leaving the market and being replaced with a smaller and less skilled youth population, we have to adjust our expectations both in terms of hiring and retention.

Probably the biggest change we have to get used to is to begin to view employees as valued assets and to give significant attention to retention, not just once a year at performance review time but on a daily and weekly basis. The assumption that employees will work for us for a paycheck and that we can exert leverage in the management situation because of a large labor pool we can tap to replace unhappy employees has become a flawed approach to people management.

The truth is the pool of talented labor is shirking at an alarming rate. If you have a staff of skilled people who you have invested in to bring up their knowledge and skill levels, that is an investment worth. Skilled and educated employees are in short supply and, above all, they know they are in demand so they can move from job to job without difficulty if they become dissatisfied at their current work place.

These changes to the paradigm of emplacement justify a corporate wide reevaluation of retention policies and strategies. The HR Department should be on the forefront of changing the businesss attitude toward employees from one of us against them to one of employee empowerment and partnership.

The managers who will excel at retaining valuable, productive and trained employees will be those who see the employment relationship as a contract in which management has responsibilities to employees to assure their continued growth and success just as the employee must pull his weight in the company. A partnership approach to management will go a long way toward improving the companys retention profile which will benefit the business in a multitude of ways.

Like any process, applying and interviewing for a new job carries with it an unspoken set of rules. Competition for top jobs is tough, so you need to be well prepared and avoid the common CV and interview pitfalls that could lose you a lucrative position.

DO . . .

a) Think about how you present yourself

Whether on paper, by email or in person, its important that you give a good impression whenever you communicate about the executive appointment youre interested in. A professional image is critical to your success, and it is something that makes an immediate impact. It may seem unimportant to you, but every bit of contact that an agency or employer has with you informs their eventual decision on whether to offer the job to you or not.

b) Tell the truth

Apparently, weve all been tempted to lie about our qualifications or experience. This is always a bad move, particularly if youre applying for an executive appointment. The company will be investing a reasonable amount of money in your appointment and on your salary, and they wont be happy if they discover you got the position by being dishonest with them. An honest candidate is much more likely to get the job, and wont have to worry about keeping up the lies once they start work.

c) Be on time

Lateness should be avoided at all costs. Make sure you leave in plenty of time to get to your place of interview 5-10 minutes early. If you are unavoidably caught up in traffic, make sure you have the company contact details with you so that you can call immediately and explain your situation. Once you get to the interview, dont spend your time moaning about the delay.

DONT . . .

a) Be offensive

Applicants for executive appointments are expected to have a certain standard of behaviour. Dont make the mistake of being too informal with your interviewer, dont tell rude or offensive jokes, or make comments that the interviewer may find distasteful. Limit your answers and questions to the subject and scope of the interview.

b) Be over-confident

Over-confidence in interviews is often the result of nerves, and an effort to appear self-confident for executive appointments can end up looking like arrogance to the interviewer. Sell yourself by all means, but do it in a manner that shows that you can also work as part of a team and accept ideas and criticism from others.

c) Put too much emphasis on salary

If an employer thinks that you only want the job for the money, you are unlikely to get it. Any talk about salary and benefits should come right at the end of the interview. If you begin by asking about pay and conditions, you run the risk of giving the interviewer the wrong impression. Salary is an important part of all executive appointments, so stick to your guns when negotiating salary, but dont make it the focal point of the interview.

Executive appointments carry responsibility and agencies and companies are looking for people who have the skills, qualifications and experience. Careful preparation and planning can help you to succeed.

Distance learning is a great advance forward in making education more accessible to millions of Americans who would simply not have the time or resources to obtain a college degree or technical certificate. It allows people from all over the country, even in remote or rural areas to plug into technology that lets them learn, at their own speed and on their own time.

But distance learning is not for everyone and some people need the familiar surroundings of a real classroom and a real teacher in order to learn. Thats because our traditional education model features three key components that have proven to be effective in helping to educate large numbers of people. Those components are human teacher expression and explanation, student note-taking based on the teachers presentation, and peer communication between the students that is facilitated by the teacher.

None of these elements are present in distance learning and as a result it becomes a foreign way for students, old or young, to receive and process the information in order to learn.

In order to be successful in distance learning we must find a way to overcome the fact that these traditional elements are missing in our online education. Some people can do that and others cannot.

Other barriers to distance learning include having the ability to be self-motivated and to do all of the necessary work including studying in order to be successful. If you cant study or complete assignments without the monitoring and occasional nudge from a teacher then distance learning may not be for you. Similarly if you dont have the discipline to participate in all online events and to protect your time and space from interruptions and distractions you will find it very hard to go through a distance learning program.

Distance learning may not be for you as well if you already have a busy life that involves a lot of time and responsibilities. You can try and study as you watch over your children at the pool, but sooner or later one of your kids will by accident or design pull you away from your studies. You can try and do a distance learning program while working 60 hours at the office, but eventually something will give, and thats likely to be your homework assignment.

Distance learning really is a giant step forward in using technology to improve our lives and education. Just remember that it may not be right for you, at least right now.

What are you passionate about? We didnt ask if you are passionate. But what are you passionate about? What stirs your emotions? What is it you cant stop talking about whenever someone asks: What are you passionate about? Whats the fire in your belly? What really turns you on? What do you love doing most?

What is it that you love doing so much that you forget time? You forget others. You are so focussed that you dont hear anything. What is it that gets your creative juices going? What is it that you love more than anything else?

Graham is passionate about books. He loves them. He just loves books. They are all placed in their respective homes on the shelves. Each has a neighbour. He fondles them. Cares for them. Places book marks in them, never folds the corner of their page.

A bookshop is like a magnet to him. He will spend hours with his head tilted to one side as he scours the shelves for works that interest him. He loves books that have a different angle on coaching and developing people. He loves reading unusual biographies. He loves books where people have beaten the odds to survive. It doesnt matter whether they are fiction or non fiction. They have to be about improving self.

At least thats what it appears to the outsider. But, you see, books arent really his passion. It just looks like it. He loves books yes of course he does. But really the books are a vehicle. A method of giving him what he truly craves for..

And that is learning. Graham has a passion for learning about the human spirit. How to get the most out of it. How to tap into it. How to push it to new heights. How to get to its potential. How to climb out of the feelings of mediocrity. How to, excel at what ever he does.

His Passion is for the human spirit.

Often, that which appears as a passion, at first, is just the vehicle for the real deep down passion that lights you up.

Florence Nightingale is known for her nursing in the Crimean War. And most people know that Nursing was her passion. But it wasnt.

Believe it or not Florence Nightingales passion wasstatistics. Yes good old fashioned Statistics. She was so good at it, in1858 she was the first female elected member of the Statistical Society of the UK and an honorary member of the American Statistical Association.

When you think about it you can see the connection. Because she was passionate about Statistics she was able to see and prove that disease was killing more troops than battle and then do something about it.

What about you? What is the deep down passion that lights your life up. What is it that you love doing and being beyond all else.

Michael Jordans passion is basketball. But most are unaware that his passion was such that he had written into his contract that he could play pickup games whenever he wanted. (For us non Americans this is playing with whoever is available on public sites) He just wanted to play basketball whenever he felt like it. There is no doubt that it was his passion that made him so brilliant, so extraordinary.

Go on.. you can tell yourself. There is no need to tell others. Just have a go and tell yourself.

What is that love that stirs you up – that love that others may not be interested in but is so important to you. What is it that makes you forget time? What is it that you love doing?

We all have it. We all have at least one thing that we are passionate about.

Whats yours?

The bottom line is; passion is motivating. Passion is more motivating that money.
Passion energises and transforms you. When you are passionate about something then you enter that flow state where time stands still. You are so focussed. You are really in tune with yourself.

Go on try it.

Good Luck

Graham and Julie
www.desktop-meditation.com

I will not pretend that this is the easiest topic to write about. In fact, my knowledge of how one finds work as a private flight attendant is based chiefly on what others have shared with me. You can find some useful tips within the many threads written on the Corporate Flight Attendant Community forum, but to save you from culling through hundreds of threads I will highlight various standout points and include others that have been shared with me over the past several years by industry insiders:

Cold calling. Time honored and time tested this is an important method for finding work and it is also one of the hardest for the majority of people to do. If you do not have the skills to contact strangers you will find an important avenue for securing work omitted. Even the unskilled can accomplish much by attempting this step…practice, practice, practice and you will get the hang of it. You many never feel comfortable doing it, but you accomplish much by trying. Always keep this in mind: every person that you meet is a potential contact for helping you find work; conversely, you may also be able to help someone out too.

Attend conferencesmeetings. Attending NBAA related conferences and events will get your name and face out there. Preferably, you would also attend events where a lot of pilots hang out, especially pilots of cabin class jets which include the Global Express, G-V and Falcon Jet 2000. The NBAA’s annual conference is a very important venue for networking as well as are their one-day regional conferences.

If you are an NBAA member you get a copy of their directory which lists many companies that fly these very same jets. In addition, membership will give you access to their message boards and other important information on events that they host.

How about attending the annual NBAA Flight Attendant Conference? Yes, it can be an important place to learn more about the industry, attend seminars, and network. Many of the newer folks find it helps them gain a better understanding of private flying, while some veterans will tell you to save your money for the big conferences. Your call: conference fees, hotel and transportation charges can add up significantly. Not many people have the luxury of attending every event.

Local airport events. Is your airport hosting a seminar? Is an important industry leader speaking? Well, why not attend? Sure, aircraft de-icinganti-icing may not be the most exciting topic, but it is to pilots. Guess what? Some of the same people you want to fly with will be attending. Guess what? There is usually a social time afterwards. After the recent crashes involving corporate jets you certainly do want to be knowledgeable about industry best practices involving ice. Oh, by the way, have several copies of your rsum with you and copies of your business card to hand out. Yes, get business cards made up and be prepared to share them liberally.

Consider joining your local airport’s advisory board, helping out with special community outreach programs, organizing an airport wide event, etc. Anything that you like to do and that helps get your face and name out there is a plus. In this business your name is golden. Promote it and protect it for all that it is worth! Become an expert self marketerpromoter.

The internet. Do Google searches and start reading and bookmarking every page that interests you pertaining to business aviation. The internet has more information then any library and it is updated frequently.

The Corporate Flight Attendant Community [please click the link in the resource box below to be taken there]. This website was created by me to be a resource center for private flight attendants, for those who aspire to become one, and their supporters. I draw upon industry leaders as well as the private flight attendants themselves to communicate what is going on in the industry, particularly from the cabin crewmember’s point of view. Helpful articles, relevant links, catering information, rsum posting, and message boards are some of the more important features of the community. This is truly a niche community one that has gained the attention and respect of many in the industry.

Of particular importance for learninggrowingnetworking are the message boards. Mostly everyone who participates is already working in the field as a crewmember either full time or on a contract basis. Others are working on the skills they need to enter the industry, while still others offer important help or guidance to the industry. Let me say this: your screen name is your business and I do not reveal who you are if I happen to make the connection between your screen name and true identity. Many business relationships and friendships have been made between our members because of the message boards. By participating in our Open Chat time or via p.m. [private message] contact you can “meet” our members.

Job sites. There are many sites on the internet listing aviation related jobs. They include: Skyjobs, Plane Jobs, AviaNation, Climb to 350, AEPS, and the Aviation Employment Board. This last community, the Aviation Employment Board [please click on the appropriate link featured in the resource box below] is run by me and is a companion to the Corporate Flight Attendant Community. Naturally, it is my preferred method but some of the other sites are helpful too. Unlike the Aviation Employment Board, most will charge you a monthly fee to register. A big hint: if you do sign up check out the jobs listed on the “pay sites” with the free sites. See if you notice any difference in jobs listed. If you are a corporate flight attendant, do not expect many jobs to be listed publicly in any case. There just aren’t all that many available at any given time and most companies do not want to publicly advertise their openings.

Agencies. AirCareCrews; Integrity Flight Crews, LLC; Jet Professionals, Inc.; J.S. Firm; Turner Services are all some of the names out there associated with providing hiring services. Expect to pay a fee in most cases; do not expect many opportunities. Your call.

As one of our message board members has advised: build your own sources. You may find that something works better for you than another person. Much depends on your own initiative; I find that those individuals who do the most exploring have an easier time finding work. If flying corporate is something that you want, be persistent. Another good trait: be flexible. This includes having a willingness to relocate and being available to work 247365.

Corporate Gift Giving the Easy Way Let your Employees Pick Out Their Own Gift!

Probably the only thing more difficult than picking out a gift for ones boss is choosing gifts for multiple employees. Get each person the same thing, and odds are that some employees will not be happy with the gift, but get each person something different, and youre swamped with work trying to figure out the likes and dislikes of a bunch of different people. And some of them still wont be happy with their gift. There is a way, however, to ensure that each employee gets exactly what he or she wants, and its much easier than it sounds. By letting employees pick out their own gift, many companies have found a solution that benefits everyone. Some might argue that this method of gift giving seems impersonal and cold, but the end result is much better than some employees being unhappy with their gift.

There are several ways to go about letting employees choose their own gift, the most obvious of which is to purchase each person a gift certificate or gift card to a popular store, such as a book or movie store, or a department store. Gift cards are becoming increasingly popular as of late, and are readily available at most stores that sell consumer goods of the type that make great gifts. Some cards come with decorative designs, and can also be accompanied with an attractive envelope that is sold with the card, for a festive look. They are more personal than just giving employees the money, as it shows that there was still some thought put into the gift. It can be a challenge, however, to come up with a store that would please everyone, so another option that many companies are choosing is to give employees gift cards from a bank, which act as pre-paid debit cards. They can be loaded with any denomination of currency, and are much safer than putting cash in an envelope, as the latter cannot be tracked in the event that it is lost or stolen. An added bonus for the recipient is that once the balance on the card has been used, it can be re-loaded with more money, and can be used as many times as the holder wishes. Parents find this feature especially useful, as the cards provide a great way to give their school-age children emergency money to carry around, without having to worry about them carrying cash that could be stolen or lost. Plus, some banks even offer interest on the cards balance, to act as a basic savings account.

Another method of providing a choice in gifts to employees is to come up with several gift options, and to circulate a memo or post a sign-up sheet detailing them. Employees can then choose which gift they would like best, and would receive that gift on the appropriate day. For example, some companies have a tradition of giving employees a ham for Christmas, but as some people are vegetarians or do not eat ham for religious or health reasons, alternative gifts must be made available. In this case, a choice could be offered between a ham, a turkey, and a gift card from a grocery store to buy a more appropriate gift.

By letting employees choose their own gift, companies can avoid the inevitable conflict and disappointment that some employees may experience when receiving a gift they do not want or cannot use. By giving gift cards from a store or bank, or by circulating a sign-up sheet to let employees pick from several gift options, companies can ensure that each employee will be happy with his or her present.

The Bodyguard industry is quite a large industry, making the Bodyguard industry an attractive industry in which to find a job. Being such a large industry, the Bodyguard industry is less competitive than other job industries and offers a range of jobs.

Although the Bodyguard industry is less competitive than other job industries, you are still required to meet certain job criteria, prior to working as a Bodyguard. Usually, you are required to attend a Bodyguard training course, prior to working as a Bodyguard.

Most Bodyguard Training courses are designed to provide you with basic first aid training, self-defence techniques and sometimes weapons training. Although not all Bodyguard jobs require that you carry a weapon, there are some Bodyguard jobs that do.

A person with Military training, or Martial arts training, is usually highly regarded in the Bodyguard industry, as their skills are often needed in certain Bodyguard positions. Although you are not likely to ever have to physically grapple with a person, there is the possibility that it can occur, so knowledge of self-defence techniques are important.

There are many situations in everyday society that require a Bodyguard. For example, many film and music stars often hire Bodyguards to protect them from the possibility of kidnapping, or from the possibility of being attacked by a crazy fan.

There are also less glamorous Bodyguard positions, such as protecting a bank, shopping mall, or private properties at night. Often these Bodyguard positions require you to be on your own, hence the need for self-defence skills.

As a Bodyguard, you also have the responsibility of protecting other people, which is why you will often be required to have a first aid certificate. In the event of a shooting incident, or other form of injury, you will need to know how to help an injured person, while ambulance officers arrive.

As you can see, being a Bodyguard is much more than just standing around in a uniform, it requires a level of skill, confidence and professionalism. However, being a Bodyguard also requires you to be fit.

Fitness plays an important role in being a Bodyguard, as you may be required to run after someone, or may need to apprehend someone who is dangerous. Being fit will ensure that you will be stronger than you opponent and thus will be capable of apprehending them.

Although Bodyguards do not have the same legal powers of the police force, they play an important role as a supportive partner in conjunction with the police force. Often, a Bodyguard is the first at a crime scene and is often the person who contacts the police.

Bodyguards play an important role in society, making sure that everyone can live in a safe and comfortable fashion. The often silent, role of a Bodyguard is essential in preventing, kidnappings, bank robberies, public brawls and many other types of incidents.

In several related articles I made mention of finding work as a flight coordinator, as a flight attendant, or as a pilot. Each specialty, as you can imagine, has its own requirements, hence the job sites that feature these types of opportunities are not always the same. If you have some idea where to look besides contacting an employer directly you can narrow down your searches and, hopefully, shorten the entire job hunting process. The following list contains some of the sites that are most helpful in listing viable opportunities for airline dispatchers.

Aviation Employment Board This site offers free registration and allows for you to post your resume for free as well. Airlines featured include United, Continental, Trans States, Spirit, Southwest, Northwest, Mesa, EOS, Champion, Pace, and a host of others including many European and Asian carriers. Please visit www.aviationemploymentboard.net for more detailed information.

Monster Monster regularly lists over 800,000 opportunities, including many airline openings. There is no charge to register and you are permitted to list your resume for free as well. Please visit www.monster.com for more information.

Avianation One of the largest aviation related job sites online, Avianation features a variety of opportunities, including many dispatcher positions. There is a fee involved for their service, currently set at 9.95 per month or 80.55 annually. Occasionally, posted specials drop the price considerably so visit this site for current information: www.avianation.com today.

Air Jobs Daily As one of the leading job posting sites for the aviation industry online, Air Jobs Daily features a variety of opportunities for business and commercial aviation employees. Air Jobs Daily charges an annual fee of 77.95 which also includes a subscription to the Air Jobs Digest, a periodical featuring additional job listings and aviation related information. Please visit www.airjobsdaily.com for more information.

Hot Jobs Hot Jobs, owned by search engine giant Yahoo, is an employment site featuring several hundred thousand opportunities, including airline jobs. Registration is free and you may list your resume for free too. Please stop by www.hotjobs.com for more information.

Career Builder The largest job posting site online is Career Builder which at any given time lists more than one million jobs. Airline jobs, such as flight dispatchers are listed, perhaps not in as abundance as some of the aviation sites, but a good place to look nevertheless. Membership is free and you can list your resume for no charge too. Visit www.careerbuilder.com for all the details.

Other sites that feature airline dispatcher opportunities include: AEPS, Plane Jobs, Jet Jobs , and Skyjobs. Please note that most of the paid sites contain the same job opportunities as each of the other sites, therefore belonging to more than one is not cost effective.

The fear of loosing a job is overwhelming every wise person. But the actual event is no tragedy, no matter how big a loss it. All the professional psychologists advice not to fall into the state of constant depression, but to work the way out of this dreadful situation. Everything depends on the level of motivation. There are two possible options for people that changed their status to unemployed: either to continue searching for another job in the sphere of prior employment, or seek luck in the fields that are unknown.

If you feel like you want to be involved in the same sphere you started in the simplest decision would be to call the competitors. Do not follow the standard procedure and submit your resume to the personnel department, but contact the authority directly, offering your services in a very polite manner. All a good boss has to know about a future employee is professional experience Tell him about your professional experience, education, personal traits and features that will help an employee to develop and professionally grow making a contribution to the company. Be sure to stay business like and try to inform the future employer only about heshe has to know, any previous failure of yours can be used as an argument to lower your cost at the job market. According to the statistics, those who change their places of employment have more chances to be promoted than those who work there all their lives. The results of the research show that those who change work have more chances to be promoted than those who work in one company all their lives. Look for a place in spheres you feel comfortable with. If you get stressed out because of the constant strain and noise in a large company, look for a place in smaller ones. Another statistics shows that employees of the smaller, but fast growing companies get to the top of a career ladder faster than those who get lost among thousands of employees in a big company. If none of the mentioned above options work for you, start looking for a part time job. You have to realize that proposals will not be piling up in front of your door; you have to hunt for them. There is nothing more important than an ability to cover the bills. In this case all the possible variants are acceptable. You can get a part-time job of a freelancer or get employed by a company in terms of a contract. This is a convenient way for big companies to control the process. The employer is responsible for the project and works o it from the beginning to the state of completion. This way you will have time to find a good full-time job.

Part-time job gives you an opportunity to cover your bills. In this case it doesnt really matter if the job you are going to take part-time participation at is related to the field where you have previously worked. Be sure not to include this employment in your resume unless it really contributes to your list of skills.