Career Kate

Here is more food for thought if you are in transition or looking to level up your career. I spoke with Karen Kodzik, who is the Founder, President and Career Counselor of Cultivating Careers. She shares a lot of great information on her inspirations, company and book, Navigating Through Now What. Click Here For Full Video Best of Luck! Stay safe, sane and healthy!      Sincerely, Career Kate

I had the pleasure of speaking with Grete Tiemeier, VP of Recruiting at Hollstadt Consulting. She shares a lot of great suggestions and insight, on how to prepare for your interviews as well as how to have a successful interview with hiring managers. Click Here for Full Video “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined.” - Thoreau Best of Luck! Stay Safe, Sane and Healthy!      Sincerely, Career Kate

In 2009, I graduated college and started applying for a plethora of jobs. When I received my first rejection letter saying “Thank you for taking the time to interview for (insert job), we have decided to move forward with other candidates more suitable for the role…”. I was surprised, I honestly thought the interview went well, I was a little bummed. Trying to find a job wherever you are in your career is not an easy task. Nonetheless, instead of letting this rejection hold me back, kick me to the ground, or shatter my confidence, I tucked that rejection letter away and said to myself “I’ll show them!”. Not that I know where the letter is today, but the point is: have a positive mindset!  The fear of rejection is an unconscious blocker that has the ability to hold people back in their professional and personal lives equally. For instance, it might keep them from applying for the job they want because they don’t believe they have enough experience, or don’t speak up when they

The Art of Networking with Dr. Marcia Ballinger I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Marcia Ballinger, Co-Founder/Principal of Leafblad, a national executive search firm and renowned author of the book, The 20-Minute Networking Meeting. I invite you to listen to our conversation to learn why networking is important! Click Here for Full Video Good Luck, Stay Healthy, Well and Sane. Career Kate

How to Achieve a Flawless Resume Check out this conversation with Ashley Houle, Sr. Recruiter at Hollstadt. We will be covering ways to achieve a polished resume to help you in your job search. Having a polished, tailored, and clean formatted resume that's specific to the job you are applying for will help you get noticed.  Ashley discussed why it is important to have a complete understanding of the job. Don’t be afraid to utilize key works within the job description to call out in your resume as it pertains to your experience and background. If anyone needs help, let me know. Happy to provide support in any way possible. Click here for the full video of our conversation! Best of Luck! Stay Safe, Sane and Healthy!      Sincerely, Career Kate

Planning for Success – It Takes More Than Luck to Succeed If you know me, you know I am a copious note taker. At any given moment I have at least 4 notebooks, 2 planners, and a bazillion pens in my home office. In college, I would write out what I needed to remember three times to help study for exams. I don’t know what it is, but if I don’t write something down it goes in one ear and straight out the other. Long story short, I am old-school when it comes to planning for success and I don’t use my computer, phone or tablet. I prefer using colored markers to make my goals, to-do lists, and aspirations look all pretty!  First off, if you have not heard of Ashley Shelly’s planners you should stop reading right now and check them out by clicking here . Here are a few key aspects to plan for success:  -         Planning is essential: Set aside a time at the end of the day to go over your lists, look at your calendar, and plan the priorities for the days ahead. On Sunday nights, I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61BmC-D7lqo&t=195s May is Brain Tumor Awareness Month  Kortney Rose Foundation As you may know, one of my passions is to help recognition the accomplishments of strong women who are doing fantastic things within our communities.   With that being said, May is Brain Tumor Awareness Month. I had the pleasure speaking with the Founder of The Kortney Rose Foundation, Kristen Gillette. I learned so much from our conversation and hope you do as well! To learn more about The Kortney Rose Foundation, get involved, and donate, please visit their website, and follow their social media pages noted below! To get involved with the HOPE and KINDNESS Initiative  click here . -         Website:   https://thekortneyrosefoundation.org/ -         Facebook: @thekortneyrosefoundation -         Instagram:  @thekortneyrosefoundation  -         Twitter: @Krtneyrose4cure Best of Luck! Stay Safe, Sane and Healthy

I hope everyone is staying safe! I had the pleasure of having a conversation with Linda Barnhart, retired nurse and burgeoning sewist.  She shared a great story of how a community came together for the greater purpose of helping others. Linda and at least 12 other sewist who have donated over 3000 masks in the last 2 months! Great job to everyone who has contributed their skills, supplies, and time. This is a fantastic example of how a community coming together can make everyone stronger! Here is the conversation with Linda Barnhart, where she shares all the work she and others have been doing with mask-making for their community! Special thanks, to Andersen Corporation's Plant in Bayport, MN and Affinity for Quilting in White Bear Lake, MN.  Affinity for Quilting donated fabric and Andersen's Bayport Plant had many individuals help sew masks. Thank you for all the service everyone has provided. Additionally, I want to share my appreciation a

Routine for Success - Keep Truckin’ Whether it is working from home, being a teacher to the kiddos, or trying to find a balance between family life and career; making these adjustments can pose challenges to staying on top of all the chaos. Here are a few tips to consider in helping you thrive in this new environment and successfully adjust to the colliding of our work/life worlds.          Stick with a routine: Working from home hasn’t stopped me from waking up at 6:30 to perform my normal routine: I get up, brush my teeth, wash my face, have my coffee, pick out a cute shirt to wear and do my hair and make-up. Don’t worry, I still seize the opportunity to wear yoga pants all day. But this allows me to start my day feeling (and looking!) good and ready for whatever will come next. -         This tip is all about building a structure and routine to help cultivate a positive mindset even if I am not leaving the house or seeing anyone besides my husband.

Tips on Getting a Job During COVID-19 With unemployment on a rise and being in a time of uncertainty, my heart goes out to those who have been laid off/lost their jobs as a result. It may be a challenge to land a new job in this market; here are a few quick action items to take to improve your search. Build Your Network: The old adage “It’s all about who you know,” is more imperative now than ever. Take this opportunity to meet new people and reconnect with friends and family. LinkedIn is a GREAT tool; don’t be shy, ask individuals to connect and have a virtual networking meeting. In today’s world of Social Distancing, suggest connecting via email conversation, phone call or video conference. Whichever works best for the other party. ñ        Tips to Prepare for Networking Meeting: Prepare questions ahead of time to cover during the conversation. Send the questions, a brief introduction of yourself, as well as, roles and target companies you are seeking.

Unfortunately, with COVID-19 and social distancing, getting involved in the community is inherently more challenging. Don’t let this be an excuse not to get involved; there are still plenty ways to lend a helping hand. With a few hours of your time, you can easily help those in need, create a stronger community and grow long-term relationships with others. I am sure you are wondering, if I can’t go places to help, what can I do? ñ         Volunteer Virtually : Here are a few sites where you can find openings locally or simply power up the Google machine to find opportunities. o    HandsOn Twin Cities o    Red Cross o    www.urbanventures.org/volunteer ñ         Buy local : Our small businesses need some love! Support local/small businesses to give them the opportunity to re-open their doors when it is time! One way to do this is ordering takeout to help restaurants. ñ         If you can, donate to your favorite charities. Many foundations ar