Melinda Holm & Associates Blog

• 27Apr

  Juggling Work & School

  Career Advice No Comments

  Whether you are working full time and going to school part time or if you are working part time and going to school full time, you have to remember “time management.”

  As far as time management, it is best to set a schedule and stick to it. Obviously block off the time for work and classes, but then also block off your free time for homework and entertainment. Yes, no matter how hectic your schedule, you will go crazy and get over-stressed if you don’t block off time to go out with friends, watch a movie, take a walk, or whatever else you like to do for fun to get your mind off work and school for a bit. And setting specific times for homework will help you get it done and feel less stress because you know you have time for it.

• 05Apr

  Summertime and Workin’ is Not So Easy

  Career Advice No Comments

  If you’re like most people in the Midwest, or other areas with minimal sunshine in the winter, when the weather finally starts to heat up all you want to do is sit outside and put your feet up, preferably by a pool. The thing is many of us have full-time jobs that depend on us being in an office, in a cube, sometimes with no windows for 8 or more hours out of the day. With the summer months approaching (and for those in Chicago, who have already experienced the early summer weather), I thought I would share some simple ideas that might help you stay motivated during the dog days of summer.

  “Rebrand” your work space

  Sometimes all you need is a little change to re-engage your focus. Rearrange your desk, bring in a plant, hang something new on your wall or just find a new way to organize your work materials.

  Exercise!

  I know, I know. No one has ever told you that before!! But seriously, we all know that physical exercise is not only a way to stay healthy and fit but it also improves mental health by elevating your mood and promoting self esteem which can, in turn, increase your motivation at work. Regular physical activity can also help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently thus giving you more energy throughout the day. In the summer, try to get outside for a walk, a run or a bike ride to soak in the Vitamin D!

  Identify your “Prime Time”

  Whether you’re full of focused energy first thing in the morning or need to warm up with some coffee before your brain starts functioning, everybody has a best time of day. If possible, schedule your most complicated projects during your prime time.

  Get out of there!!

  No, don’t quit your job. That’s a little extreme. Instead, reserve half an hour per day to remove yourself from your chair and go outside. Sit outside and read a book, take a stroll with a co-worker or even take a work call outside if you can. Also, utilize your vacation time! For many companies, business tends to slow down in the summer months. Even if you aren’t able to get out of town, make it a “staycation” and take a mental health day to refocus your energy.

• 09Mar

  St. Paddy’s Day Come Early!

  About Us No Comments

  Happy St. Patrick’s Day!! I know this is a little early since St. Paddy’s Day isn’t until March 17th, but fortunately for us at Melinda Holm & Associates – we get to celebrate twice! This Saturday, March 10th, MHA will once again be marching in the annual Forest Park St. Patrick’s Day parade! We’d like to extend an invitation to all of you to come out to celebrate, eat a corned beef sandwich, drink a green beer, or sip on a pint of Guinness. We’ll be marching at noon, so if you’re able to attend, please keep an eye out for us! We’ll be dressed in green and our MHA orange! All of Madison Street is gearing up for the event so be sure to check out all that Forest Park has to offer. You may see some of our staff at any of the bars around town after the parade!

  Hope to see you all there!

  Sláinte!

• 30Jan

  What I Have Learned

  Job Search Advice No Comments

  When I started here at Melinda Holm & Associates I had no idea what a recruiter did. I had received calls from recruiters over my career and never even gave them a chance to talk before saying “not interested” and hanging up. I assumed they made calls all day bothering people. My impression was that they’d just waste people’s time trying to sell them on opportunities which would benefit the recruiter more than the candidate. I’ve learned in my time here (after being hung up on a few times) that there are others that see this the same way.

  Well, I’ve come to find out I couldn’t have been more wrong. Recruiters tirelessly work at finding the right candidates for their clients. They do their best not to waste the candidates’ time by contacting them for inappropriate positions. This is not an easy task as the careers and lifestyles of candidates change all of the time. There are some times we have a dated resume and information on file. This could lead to candidates being contacted for positions at a different level then where they are currently at. This being said it’s definitely in your best interest to send your resume over as you continue to update it and advance in your career.

  Aside from having our candidates who register with us directly or who are referred to us, there is still a lot that goes into finding the right candidate for the position and vice versa. There are many resources recruiters exhaust to find the perfect candidate for very difficult searches. It is not an easy or quick process by any means. There is never down time.

  In addition, recruiters are extremely busy presenting the candidates to the clients, following up for feedback, convincing clients to meet candidates, scheduling interviews, negotiating offers and keeping the candidates up to speed on where everything is at in the process. This is a job that truly requires a strong ability to multi-task and willingness to put in a lot of hours.

  Overall I’ve learned recruiters are not out to bother people and do what is best for themselves. They really do want to make people happy in their professional lives, both employers and candidates. Feel free to see How to Manage Your Recruiter 101.

  So as we have all heard a million times, “never judge a book by its cover.” The next time you receive a call or an email from a recruiter, in my opinion it may be in your best interest to at least hear them out. Sometimes the best opportunities surface when you’re not even looking.

• 19Jan

  Meet and Greet

  Job Search Advice 1 Comment

  I have the pleasure of interviewing many candidates for Melinda Holm & Associates, both by phone and in person. I enjoy talking with our candidates and love meeting new people, so while speaking with you on the phone is great, the chance to actually meet you is something I really look forward to.

  I am rather old school about these things and believe that nothing beats face-to-face. Learning to use a blackberry and wireless computer was a traumatic experience for me and I am, according to my son, incapable of checking/doing text messages or even remembering the feature exists at all. So, for me, sitting across a table with a live person and chatting is far superior to any form of electronic communication.

  The chance to hear, up close and personal, how individual careers take shape, how your lives and goals evolve, what you want and what goes into your career choices helps us to help you as you progress in your career. An in-person meeting helps build a relationship and a level of trust with your recruiter and greatly enhances the job search process and our ability to represent you to our clients.

  So, the next time we talk by phone or email and you have not had the opportunity to meet one of us, let’s set it up! (But not by a text message!)

• 18Jan

  I Never Thought I would like Yoga!

  About Us No Comments

  I am someone who really likes to get a strenuous workout and sweat – running and cycling are my two favorite activities. Kickboxing is great too! So, when I decided to start taking yoga, I was somewhat skeptical that it would be something I would be interested in pursuing. As a company, we decided that every Tuesday starting in January 2012, we would have a yoga instructor come to our offices for an hour and anyone interested could participate for a nominal hourly rate.

  It has been great! Yoga is something I now look forward to each week. I have found it is not only a good work out, using muscles I may not use in other activities, but it also clears my mind. The stress I am feeling seems to go away as the teacher puts us through different poses. She also has us concentrate on something we want to get out of yoga – feeling stronger, more competent, and more positive, whatever your goal might be. And, the stretching exercises complement the running and spinning I do as well.

  It has also been a fun and positive activity for my office. Each week about eight of us are ready to go and come out feeling great (or so they tell me)! Our yoga instructor has been great too, and very accommodating in creating a schedule that works for all of us.

  Now for the weekly massages…

  Our Yoga Instructor
  Katie Thomas
  kathrynrenee@gmail.com
  www.meetkatiethomas.com

• 19Sep

  Buzzwords…Jargon…What????

  Job Search Advice No Comments

  I was reviewing a series of resumes the other day when I came across one that had a series of industry “buzzwords” in it. For the life of me, I had no idea what this person was talking about. So, just as I was about to go to the next resume I thought – no, wait a minute. I’m going to figure this out. So, I went to that source of ALL KNOWLEDGE that every inquiring person goes to, GOOGLE, which, of course, took me to Wikipedia.

  So I read the article on that particular phrase, and when I finished, I said to myself, “I have no clue what I just read”! Then I noticed a tag line at the end of the Wikipedia article which said “This article has too many buzzwords!!”

  So, back to the resume which sent me to Google in the first place. What was I to do?

  There are many, many people in this world who know exactly what you do and how you do it. They will read your resume, smile and nod and be totally illuminated on your skills and goals. But there is also a vast SEA of individuals who just know GENERALLY what you do. These are the people who you hope will pass your resume on to those people who really understand you. That vast SEA might not take the time to go to their on-line or off-line dictionary of choice.

  So, try doing a buzzword or jargon check. Oh, I know that in this world of computers, “key word searches” are important. But there will be times when an actual person will look at your resume. Clarify, define or simplify if you can, at least some of those industry phrases. Perhaps you could provide a quick explanation of what you do included with the industry phrase to further explain it in layman’s terms. With so many new terms out there, and new ones coming all the time, this can be very helpful for your reader.

  And while you are doing a review of industry buzzwords and jargon, do an acronym check as well.

  No…wait, never mind. Don’t get me started on acronyms. That is a subject for another blog.

• 26Aug

  Get “Over” the Whelmed!

  Job Search Advice No Comments

  

  Overwhelmed? I confess it happens to me sometimes. So, how do you avoid it and what do you do about it when it happens?

  Being overwhelmed leads to high levels of stress, resulting in the fight or flight response. This is not very useful in the modern office environment. So, if you are feeling stressed, it can be useful to get out and run. At least take a walk or have a swim to burn off that extra adrenalin.

  Find another project to work on. Don’t just focus on one thing all day or you’ll drive yourself crazy.

  Daily Plan: I have recently started a Daily Plan. Sometimes it doesn’t change but it keeps me focused and moving! Don’t cross off items as you finish. Highlight, as in highlight your accomplishments.

  Get some rest, the experts say. Yeah right! I can’t sleep half the time due to worrying about my work load or things in my personal life. I increased my level of fitness by planning regular exercise. Even just that decent night’s sleep will help you regain a healthy perspective. The source of stress must be dealt with, or the fight or flight response gives way eventually to burning out.

  Invest an evening or a half day in catching up. The harsh reality is that it is going to need an additional push from you to get back on top of things, but it is an investment of time that will be returned to you. Procrastination certainly isn’t the answer, even though your brain might want it to be.

  Exercise: If your workload is mental, make sure there is physical work to balance it.

  So Please Remember: Once you have rested, through that early night or short break, book that block of time to catch up. This might mean getting into the office very early for one or two days, a trick which can be amazingly effective. You might choose to stay very late one day instead. Just don’t burn the candle on both ends at once. Use this additional work time exclusively for that backlog list. With some focused effort, you will churn through it quickly. As you feel the load lightening, your daily productivity will pick up and you’ll soon be permanently back on track. Now you can focus on staying there, and enjoying life!

• 19Aug

  BIG vs. small

  Job Search Advice No Comments

  

  I’m still a fairly new addition here, coming from the BIG scary world of banking. As most people know banks are not the most secure companies to work for at this time and I was, oh so fortunate enough to be working for one of the “lucky banks” that was taken over by the FDIC. So, after 6 years in banking, I chose to leave and pursue a new career path that landed me here at Melinda Holm & Associates!

  I have been here for 8 months now and have come to realize there are many differences working for a company with 500-1000 employees to our office here of 11. For those of you wondering if it was an easy career choice or even the smartest one, the answer is NO. This doesn’t mean I dislike what I do or feel I made a mistake. It just simply means that there are many differences that I was not prepared for when making the change.

  So, for those of you considering a switch or just plain wondering what the differences are because you have not worked for both types of companies. Here are some fun facts:

  In a company with so many employees your opinion and ideas are not always heard or taken into account. There are a lot of layers, procedures, proofing, and regulations that have to be met and approved to even get your idea considered or opinion heard. While at a smaller company your voice is heard and your idea is considered. You are relied on and an equal team member no matter what your title is. You are also able to get immediate answers to your questions/problems instead of having to call around or wait until the appropriate person is available to get back to you.

  Being in a smaller company each person’s role is strongly dependent on another’s. There is less room for error and you are relied on heavily to make sure you are keeping up with your work flow. While in a bigger company there are a lot of other people doing the same job and a lot of people behind the scenes prepped and ready to fix your errors in the event they are made.

  In a smaller company you are recognized more for your achievements and progress, which is always nice. However, even though you may be great and excel in your position there is not always the opportunity for advancement. In a bigger company, in the event of recognition you have a lot more opportunities for advancement.

  In bigger companies you can’t help but to sometimes feel like you’re a number and that you are fighting to keep your spot. You never quite know what is going on in the bigger picture of the company. You could be told the company is doing fine, but the reality is it may be a sinking ship and only certain individuals know and can see it coming. This is not to say that in a smaller company you are secure either. You just have more of an idea of where you stand as well as where the company stands. You can see the trends. You know when things are going well, when work is steady or overwhelming and you know when things are not doing so well, when things have tremendously died down. You have a better idea of when the possibility of change that could affect you directly may need to be made.

  Last but certainly not least, I think one of the biggest differences going from a bigger company to a smaller one is benefits. In bigger companies the benefits are usually a lot better, than smaller ones. This isn’t a dig at small businesses, just a fact. Bigger companies often have a lot more affordable coverage on health plans and better 401k programs. Smaller companies have coverage as well it just costs more for you and it is also not cheap for them.

  Overall there is no win or lose in either size company. It comes down to you as an individual and where you thrive at best. Some people excel in bigger companies and enjoy the fight to get to the top. Others may just simply enjoy the smaller company where they feel comfortable. It’s really all your own perspective. As for me personally, I have learned I can work in both. I don’t like or dislike one more than another. Although there are many times I miss the fight, I have taken on a new chapter and am learning to thrive in a new environment!

• 04Aug

  Email Signatures

  Client Advice, Job Search Advice No Comments

  Name
  Never assume the recipient knows who you are. Always use your first and last name. If you go by a nickname but have your given name on a resume, then you can sign with your nickname and enter your full name a line or two below that:

  Jim
  James Smith

  Company Name
  Company names should be placed under your name, never before it.

  Email Address
  You do not have to label your email address since it looks like an email address. Your email address isn’t required since you have just sent an email from it. However, you should correspond with only one email address. Do not provide more than one email address and do not put an email address in your signature that is different than the one you are sending your correspondence from UNLESS you are telling the recipient to use your new email address.

  Phone Numbers
  It is always a good thing to provide at least one phone number. It is also a good thing to label whether your phone number is a home, mobile, work, or fax number. You do not need to label your number “phone” or “telephone” since it already looks like a telephone number. Also provide your Skype address. Finally, use the proper format for your phone numbers. In the US it’s “(123) 456-7890″ or, if you are sending your emails internationally, it’s “+1 (123) 456-7890.”

  Physical Addresses
  When providing a location, you can keep it to just city, state, and zip code. If you expect “snail” mail, then you can also provide a street address. For proper formatting of physical addresses, see Contact Information on Resumes.

  Hyperlinks
  You can provide hyperlinks to your company, personal website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. For professional emails, only provide hyperlinks to necessary sites. If your blog is a personal blog, then don’t provide a link to it. If your personal website has samples of your work, then do provide a link to it. For several sites, you may use the logos of the site instead of the actually URL address. If you are using multiple logos for these site, then make sure the size of all the logos are the same. When providing links, avoid using the “http://” in your text if possible.

  Logos
  Company or personal logos should be placed below your name and contact information, but can be above or below your hyperlinks.

  What “NOT” to Put in your Email Signature

  • Pictures of yourself.
  • Multiple fonts.
  • Videos, sounds, or flashing elements.
  • Quotes (which can be offensive to the reader)

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