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Articles by Kristen Harris

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31 articles by Kristen Harris · showing 31

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By Kristen HarrisRecently published1 topic

What Employers Look For: Performance Skills Are Critical To Career Success

Whether searching for a new position, or looking to advance your current career, it’s necessary to understand the skills and traits employers are looking for. In an environment where education and training is fairly accessible, it is possible for technical skills to become a commodity. If so, then what will set you apart from all the other candidates when applying for a position? In a recent survey, Portfolio Creative found performance skills (how you do the work) to be at least as important as technical skills (the work you do).

Primary topic: Career Development
Career Development
611 views
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By Kristen HarrisRecently published1 topic

Closing the Skills Gap: Is It Really a Technology Issue?

The so-called “skills gap” has become a hot topic lately—lots of people are talking about the problem, but few have solid ideas about how to solve it. In a nutshell, unemployment in the U.S. is still high, but employers are saying they can’t find the workers they need to grow their businesses. So what exactly is this gap, and how do we fill it?

Primary topic: Career Development
Career Development
1,089 views4/5 (1)
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By Kristen HarrisRecently published1 topic

Workforce Readiness and Training: Don’t Rely on Employers to Bridge the Gap

A perfect storm is brewing, setting us up for a workforce that will be ill-prepared for the jobs of today and the future. Young people are graduating from high school, and even college, lacking basic skills required for success on the job. Companies have ever-increasing needs for basic, applied and specialized skills to compete effectively. And employers are becoming less and less willing to provide on-the-job training. These three factors are leading to a substantial gap between company needs and the preparedness of workers, with employers not necessarily willing to bridge the gap.

Primary topic: Career Development
Career Development
629 views
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By Kristen HarrisRecently published1 topic

Social Media: Using LinkedIn for Design Professionals

LinkedIn is the most widely-accepted social media platform for business. Anyone who is an employee, employer, student, freelancer, business owner, job-seeker or otherwise involved in a professional endeavor should have a complete and current LinkedIn profile. It’s the site where recruiters find candidates, employers check out potential employees, freelancers connect with future clients, former coworkers reconnect, and business contacts find opportunities every day.

Primary topic: Career Development
Career Development
684 views
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By Kristen HarrisRecently published1 topic

Development: If You’re Not Growing Your Career, Who Is?

Wondering who’s responsible for your career development? Take a look in the mirror. It’s you. Yeah, you. Why? Because no one else is. There may have been a time when employers provided extensive on-the-job training for new, potential or current employees. But in an era of fast-paced, ever-changing, competitive business on a tight budget, that level of training and development is no longer the norm.r

Primary topic: Career Development
Career Development
1,253 views
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By Kristen HarrisRecently published1 topic

Kick-start Your Career: Tips for the New Year

Whether it’s a New Year’s resolution, rebounding from the holidays or simply having more free time, the new year makes people think about their career. Typically folks fall into one of three camps: happy, okay for now or definitely not happy. Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, there are things you can do to move your career in the right direction.

Primary topic: Career Development
Career Development
1,130 views5/5 (1)
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By Kristen HarrisRecently published1 topic

Sharpen Your Job Hunting Focus: It’s Competitive Out There

Unemployment numbers. Job loss reports. The latest jobs-related statistics are enough to make you want to just crawl under a rock and hide until “this whole thing” blows over. Guess what? It’s not blowing over and nothing will be exactly like it was before. The jobs marketplace is highly competitive; you must focus all of your energy and efforts to succeed.

Primary topic: Career Development
Career Development
699 views
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By Kristen HarrisRecently published1 topic

Engagement: Mentors Help Creative Professionals Grow

Remember the teacher who encouraged you, or even pushed you, to try something new? Or that supervisor who took you under their wing to show you “how things really get done around here?” Maybe you had a business associate who met you for coffee to talk through a troublesome problem. We may not call these people “mentors,” and they may not have even realized it, but these trusted counselors, supporters, advisors and guides help us to navigate the tricky waters of career and life.

Primary topic: Career Development
Career Development
646 views
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By Kristen HarrisRecently published1 topic

Entering the Danger Zone: Handling Tough Job Interview Questions

There are literally hundreds of questions you may be asked in an interview, from straightforward ("do you know xyz software?") to eclectic ("how many things could you make with three paper clips and a rubber band?"). A quick online search will give you many lists of different types of questions, along with advice on how to answer them. However, there are a few key questions to always prepare for before getting in the hot seat.

Primary topic: Career Development
Career Development
920 views
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By Kristen HarrisRecently published1 topic

Design Job Forecast: A Look Ahead

Forced to be more innovative and efficient with the resources they have, companies continue to need creative thinkers to compete. No longer a manufacturing-based workforce of skilled laborers, we’re idea and technology-based. We’ve moved from the Industrial Economy to the Creative Economy. Enter the era of the designer.

Primary topic: Career Development
Career Development
741 views
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By Kristen HarrisRecently published1 topic

Brushing Up on Soft Skills: 10 Lessons from Preschool

There’s been a lot of talk about “soft skills” lately, they continue to be an important differentiating factor for job seekers, employees and employers in the current market. Beyond the technical skills and education (“hard skills”) required to do a job, employers are also looking for the traits that influence how we work individually and with our teammates. These so-called soft skills include things like being able to focus, having self-control, resolving conflict, being curious or open to new experiences, and being able to negotiate differences.

Primary topic: Career Development
Career Development
980 views
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By Kristen HarrisRecently published1 topic

Debunked: Five Myths About Working With Recruiters

Think you know all there is to know about working with a recruiter to land a great job? In my work running a temporary staffing firm, I’ve found many job seekers fall prey to false beliefs about what the process is like. Here are the top five myths when it comes to working with recruiters. Don’t let these common roadblocks get in the way of your next job search.r

Primary topic: Career Development
Career Development
1,178 views
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By Kristen HarrisRecently published1 topic

Connections for Job Seekers: Associations Lead to Opportunities

Job hunting in a good economy can be an effort. In a slumping economy it can be downright brutal. It would seem logical that job seekers would use every available strategy to secure employment. Yet according to a recent study by Career Builder and The Inavero Institute for Service Research*, the majority of job seekers are not utilizing key resources in their search.

Primary topic: Career Development
Career Development
698 views
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By Kristen HarrisRecently published1 topic

Recruiting is For Lovers: Life as a Professional Cupid

My reality television weakness is The Millionaire Matchmaker. In case you haven’t seen it, the premise is that Patty (The Matchmaker) runs a high-end dating service (The Millionaire’s Club). Every week she and her team select two high-net-worth individuals, preview potential dates for them, set up a social mixer, orchestrate a “master date,” get feedback from both parties, then decide how to move forward. She’s from a long line of matchmakers and focuses on helping her clients find true love, not just a hot date.

Primary topic: Career Development
Career Development
910 views
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By Kristen HarrisRecently published1 topic

References Matter: Three Tips to Prep For Success

References Matter: Three Tips to Prep For Successr By Kristen Harris There is a lot to think about when applying for a job—prepare a great resume, write a compelling cover letter, dress appropriately for the interview, follow up with a thank you note—these are all things YOU need to do. There is one more thing that OTHERS can do for you, and that’s provide a good reference. The difference between a glowing recommendation and a ho-hum reference check could be the difference between you getting the job offer or not.

Primary topic: Career Development
Career Development
864 views
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By Kristen HarrisRecently published1 topic

First Impressions: Using Your One-Tenth of a Second Wisely

One-tenth of a second. That’s the amount of time you get to make a first impression every time you meet someone. Yes, in less than one second that person has made a judgment about you, and their impression is very difficult to overcome once it’s been made. Unfair? Don’t a judge a book by its cover? Of course you’re a really great person with a lot to offer, but unless you’re able to make the right first impression you may never get the chance to prove it.

Primary topic: Career Development
Career Development
1,643 views
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By Kristen HarrisRecently published1 topic

Ideas Matter: Why the Creative Class Survives and Thrives

Looking back at the recent economic crisis, it’s easy to think that all classes and industries suffered equally. In reality, workers in the so-called creative class have come through relatively unscathed. Yes, just under three quarters of a million creative jobs were lost during 2008-2010, but that’s less than two percent of total jobs in the category.1 And certainly some categories of creative jobs fared better than others--news reporters, musicians, photographers and editors were especially hard hit.

Primary topic: Career Development
Career Development
992 views
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By Kristen HarrisRecently published1 topic

From Job Renter to Owner: Tips for Making the Commitment

You might not know it just by looking around, but every workplace has two kinds of employees: renters and owners. Renters are in a job temporarily. They might be committed for a while, a one-year lease, maybe even two. But they’re not planning to put down roots and stay for the long haul. It may be a nice enough place, they may even love it…for now. Or they don’t love it, and are looking to move ASAP. Either way, renters are pretty sure they’re not going to stay where they are “forever.”

Primary topic: Career Development
Career Development
814 views
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By Kristen HarrisRecently published1 topic

Your Career in the New Year: Three Resolutions Worth Keeping

I love a new year! It always feels so filled with possibility. It’s a fresh start and time to try something new. Instead of the same old resolution to lose ten pounds, exercise every day, or give up chocolate (gasp), this year make some resolutions worth keeping. Here are three ideas that will make a difference in your career over the next year, and for many years to come.

Primary topic: Career Development
Career Development
862 views
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By Kristen HarrisRecently published1 topic

Survey Says: Employers Feeling a Talent Shortage

The 2011 Talent Shortage Survey1 results have been released, and news is mixed for job seekers. By being forced to reduce their workforce and find ways to “do more with less” during the recent recession, businesses have found that they can do great things if they have the right talent in place. What is interesting is that while companies are not planning to increase their staff back to the pre-recession levels, they are looking for the “right” people, and apparently having a difficult time finding them.

Primary topic: Career Development
Career Development
752 views
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By Kristen HarrisRecently published1 topic

Workplace Flexibility: The New Normal

We keep hearing the phrase “the new normal,” and wondered what exactly that means for the world of work. With that expression, experts are essentially saying, “Don’t expect things to return to how they were pre-recession. What you’re seeing now is about what your expectations should be.” When it comes to jobs, “the new normal” often means higher unemployment rates, fewer manufacturing and construction jobs. What else should we expect as we adjust to lingering changes in the work world? Here are a few trends that seem to be here to stay:

Primary topic: Career Development
Career Development
741 views
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By Kristen HarrisRecently published1 topic

Making Connections: Three Steps to Grow Your Career Through Personal and Professional Networks

We’ve all heard the phrase “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” It can seem pretty negative, as if some people have all the advantages due to family, circumstances or other advantages, while the rest of us are out of luck. But at the core, “who you know” means exactly what it says—who YOU know can be a tremendous asset during a job search and throughout your career.

Primary topic: Career Development
Career Development
590 views
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By Kristen HarrisRecently published1 topic

Your Career: It’s All About Results

“Never mistake activity for achievement.” –John Wooden This quote by John Wooden is great to keep in mind when talking about your career. Experience is great, education and training is usually required and always useful, industry knowledge helps, but in the end it’s all about the results. When you’re talking to a prospective employer, the main question they’re asking themselves (and probably you) is “did you deliver results before, and can you do it again for me?” People are hired based on prior success, and an assumption they can make a repeat performance.

Primary topic: Career Development
Career Development
714 views
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By Kristen HarrisRecently published1 topic

Think You’re Too Old? That Employer Might Think So Too

With some of the recent unemployment statistics it’s no surprise age discrimination continues to be a hot topic. Looking for a job is hard enough. Feeling as if you are being discriminated against for any reason makes it even harder to keep moving forward. There certainly are documented cases of age discrimination. Yet often job seekers create a trap of their own making when it comes to feeling “too old.”

Primary topic: Career Development
Career Development
919 views
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