The story reminded me of when I was in 7th grade and auditioned for the part of Peter Pan in our school musical. When my mom first suggested I audition for the part, I thought she was crazy! Peter Pan is a boy! She took me aside and told me two thing: 1) Mary Martin did it, so it isn’t a big deal. 2) Who cares if he is a boy? You can sing the part, you can act the part, so you should audition for it!

I ended up getting the part (and lots of random kids in school crowing at me in the hall…not really the way to win a popularity contest…), but it was a tremendous lesson in going after what you want and ignoring the voice in your head that makes up all of those reasons why you shouldn’t.

Pudsey’s victory also reminded me of the girl in my high school who joined the all-male wrestling team – and the boy in my high school who joined the all-female lacrosse team. What incredible courage and conviction to go against the unspoken rules and just do what they truly wanted to do.

What are you holding back on? What are you afraid to try because the voice in your head is telling you that you aren’t allowed to try. It might be time to tell the voice in your head to be quiet and go after what you have been dreaming of. Here’s to going after the unconventional, the unique, and the adorable Pudsey

Change is an essential part of career success. Sometimes the change will make your job more enjoyable, and other times it will make it less. Either way, take on the change with a positive attitude and trust that in time it will all change again.

And while going along with it is important, you have every right to ask questions. In fact, asking questions is a must. You will only succeed with the new responsibilities if you are equipped with the knowledge necessary to do the job well.

Here are a few quotes from BrainyQuote.com about change to keep in mind, especially if a change in your life isn’t as easy as you had hoped for:

Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are. ~Bertolt Brecht
Change alone is eternal, perpetual, immortal. ~Arthur Schopenhauer
Change before you have to. ~Jack Welch
Change brings opportunity. ~Nido Qubein
Change in all things is sweet. ~Aristotle

1. Keep the email short: as a general rule, keep your emails relatively short. So many people don’t even read the emails you send, let alone get all the way to the bottom. So make every word count!

2. Send it right away: do this so you won’t forget to send it and whatever you covered on the call will be fresh in your mind.

3. List exactly what has to happen next: listing out the next steps/action items that should occur because of whatever happened on the call, will help everyone involved actually accomplish whatever needs to be done next.

Why? Because if your interviewer likes you, they probably won’t want to talk about the job. They’ll just want to chat with you…about golf, knitting, running, travel, cooking, hiking, white water rafting…your volunteer work with Big Brothers Big Sisters…your gap year with Africa Impact…the houses you built with Habitat for Humanity…whatever it is that you do and love when you’re not working.

The important thing to note is that you shouldn’t participate in these activities just to add something to your resume. You should do it because you love it; because it gives you life experiences; because it makes you a dynamic and interesting person.

I’m about to begin my second year of membership with the Young Friends of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It has expanded my social network, given me great pride in supporting my community and while I’m not on the market, it has certainly added something interesting to my resume.

I understand that it can be uncomfortable. Many fear a conversation like this might make them seem arrogant. Please get over that concern now. If you are the type of person who is worried about this, you most likely don’t have that problem.

Also, think about it this way. Your boss likely has at least a handful of people reporting to her. She certainly can’t promote all of you, and while skill and performance are part of her decision, she is also going to consider who actually wants to move to the next level.

Promotions often involve less time at home with family, more stress, and greater responsibility. Not only must you be capable of the challenges associated with the next step, you also have to be willing. Show your boss through your actions and through what you communicate, that you are comfortable with the responsibility of what lies ahead.

Finally, be sure to do this long before the promotion becomes available. At a minimum, request time with your boss each year to discuss your performance from the previous year. Then request opportunities to expand your role and responsibilities. Asking and showing interest in doing more and learning more will tell your boss that you are interested in moving to the next level when the time is right.

• Fish hand – you have a weak/limp wrist
• Lady fingers – you only offer your fingers
• Bone crusher – you squeeze a person so hard they are in pain
• Double handed – you wrap your 2nd hand around the handshake taking place

You can also ruin a handshake, if you shake for too long or don’t make eye contact. I do, however, relax the rules when I tell my dog to “shake.”

Ultimately, I would suggest practicing your handshake with a few people you trust. Ask for feedback and be willing to adjust the firmness of your grip based on the hand you are shaking. If you are a 300 pound man and you are shaking the hand of a 90 pound woman, perhaps you should ease up a bit. I’m certainly not 90 pounds, but those “bone crushers” can really do a number on my knuckles!

So there we were, throwing our child-like punches and kicks, and WHAM! He kicked me right in the throat. I was stunned and just stood there barely able to breath. My little punk partner was just standing there too – staring at me with no concern for the effect of his action.

Our instructor finally realized what happened, and to my shock and horror started chasing my punk partner around the room. At that point, I felt like crying and was mortified. After that class, I refused to ever go back again…

Fast forward about 18 years, and I am still terrified of any type of martial art/self defense class. The problem is that I really need to get over it. For starters, I am a female (that really is reason enough). And not only am I a female, but I am a female who works in a major city and also has to travel alone at times for work. Without question, I need training in self defense. But I always refused because the memory of that karate class haunted me.

But it is 2012. And what is my theme in 2012?? (If you are a regular reader, I hope you know by now!) Putting myself out of my comfort zone!

So, there I was last night sitting in my car about 20 minutes early for a Women’s Self Defense Course at an Israeli Krav Maga studio. My stomach was in my throat and I really, really, really wanted to turn around and go home…

But I thought back on everything I have done in 2012 that I didn’t want to do, and the one common theme is that I have yet to regret any of it. So I forced myself up and out of my car, and into the studio. The first sign I saw said “Krav Maga Rules – There Are None.” Oh no…definitely getting kicked in the throat again…

The class began, and Suzanne was our instructor. She had us do jumping jacks to warm up – my head was pounding, and the nausea was getting worse. She then had us introduce ourselves and when we were all done, she told us why she is an instructor – she was attacked on the street in NYC.

Without warning, my fear was gone. It was replaced with an unexpected feeling of anger. Complete and total anger for the man who did that to her. Complete anger that there is enough danger out there that I even need to take a self defense class. I soon learned why Krav Maga doesn’t have any rules. Because if someone attacks you, they don’t have a set of rules or standards they will follow to fight fair.

I fully ABHOR the fact that I may ever need it, but that doesn’t really change anything. I’m going back again next month to continue learning.

There are 3 important lessons you can take from my experience:

1. Again, try what scares you: Step out of your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to try new things. I’m really loving my 2012 resolution and seem to be taking it on far more than I ever expected!
2. If your first experience at something is negative, don’t assume all future experiences will be: So, my first rinky-dink Karate class was a bust? So what?! I found an alternative at a place where I feel comfortable, and I’m thankful I gave self defense another shot (even if it took me 18 years…)
3. If you are a female, please take a self defense course: Find a reputable location like I did in Israeli Krav Maga of Cherry Hill, and take ownership of your life and safety. Many careers today take us on the road (alone) or keep us in the office late (alone). Certainly, nothing is a guarantee, but at least take the steps to give yourself a fighting chance.

Olson credits his new employment at Laser Design & GKS Services to the self-promoting billboard.

To be honest, when I hear these stories I cringe a bit. I’m all for going the extra mile, but something this extreme is just too much for my comfort level.

So, here’s my question – how far would you go to get a job? What have you done to get yourself hired? Do you think Olson is crazy, lucky or brilliant…or all three?!

Please share your stories of hiring success here as a comment on the blog, on my facebook page or tweet me @RonicaSpeaks.

Then I stumbled across this article on CNN.com addressing the topic of resume padding, which made me realize this is a bigger issue than I ever knew.

Let’s be clear – “padding” your resume – no matter how you justify it – is lying on your resume. And who on earth would want to hire a liar?

I once took an investigative reporting course in graduate school. We had to take the resume of a public figure and do a fact checking exercise. The person I chose will remain nameless, but she was the editor and chief of a newspaper in a large US city. And if you can believe it – I found a few things that were falsely stated on her resume. Now if I could easily find that information by making a few phone calls as a graduate student, please do not assume your HR professionals won’t be able to do the same…and probably more efficiently and more effectively.

Do yourself a favor and skip the lies. Nothing is worth jeopardizing your credibility, honesty and integrity.

Laurie,
Thanks for the great question! Unfortunately, a resume doesn’t always have a clear set of steps to follow in order to reach perfection. Resumes are subjective, and many hold different opinions on the subject. Based on my years of experience editing resumes, here are 3 tips to keep in mind when considering what experience to include on a resume:

1. If at all possible, show career focus on your resume: If this is the first job you are looking for in a new field, you may need to include work experience that doesn’t fit in with the industry you hope to gain employment with. If this is the 2nd or 3rd job since you switched careers, try to focus on the work experience that is consistent with the next job you hope to obtain. You may still need to list the work you did in the previous industry to show what you have been doing professionally over the years – just don’t take up too much space explaining work experience that isn’t relevant to your long term goals.

2. To create career focus when you don’t have it, volunteer: If you are looking to transition from one industry to another, volunteer in the new industry to help add content to your resume. For example, if you want to work in journalism, but have no experience, look for an online publication that will allow you to write a regular column without pay. They will benefit from the content you create, and you will gain valuable experience to add to your resume in the new field where you hope to gain employment.

3. Venture back more than 10 years with caution: Anything you did more than 10 years ago (same industry or not) may seem like too much detail for a resume, and will most likely take you to a 2nd page. Be sure that if you plan to go back more than 10 years (or onto the 2nd page), the work you are including is truly significant, unique and worth sharing. You most likely cannot gauge this on your own – ask a mentor or coach to share their honest feedback about the importance of the work you did more than 10 years ago and if it is really worth including.

Have a question for Ronica or an issue you would like her to discuss? Contact Ronica here to submit your idea!