How to Eliminate Any Potential Red Flags from Your Resume

How to Eliminate Any Potential Red Flags from Your ResumeHow to Eliminate Any Potential Red Flags from Your ResumeCall it intuition, foresight, spidey sense, or old-fashioned good judgment. Weve all encountered people, facts or scenarios that throw up red flags and tell you to exercise a little extra caution. While this can be handy when venturing down a dark alleyway alone at night or sipping cocktails with that shady first date, the last thing you want as a potential job-seeker is your perspective employer raising an incredulous eyebrow over your resume. Add in todays competitive job market when even one potential red flag is enough to send your job interview hopes plummeting and youve got a recipe for disaster. Never worry though, were breaking down just how to eliminate any and all potential red flags from your resume. Read on to find out just which issues give hiring managers unterlass and how you can avoid them and up your chances at scoring that interview.Gaps in Employment Hi storyWhen reviewing your resume, prospective employers like to see stable, long-term employment. Large gaps in your work history can throw a wrench in the works and create questions as to why you were unemployed. When crafting a resume, strive for continuity in positions, listing even seemingly irrelevant jobs if they help flush out job history. If you do have a gap due to personal or other reasons, consider putting in an entry marking time out from the workforce due to family or other issues or address the gaps in a cover letter.Missing Cover LetterIn todays competitive employment space, candidates cant afford to fall behind the competition for the best job openings. Unless an application specifically asks you not to include one, always be koranvers to attach a brief, well-written cover letter to serve as a preface to your resume. The cover letter is an excellent way to showcase your communication and writing skills and can also help fill in blanks when it comes to your personality or soft skills. Just as a missing cover letter can throw up red flags, so can a missive that is out of character with the norm. A good cover letter should be no more than one page made up of three brief paragraphs that provide an introduction, basic background information on your skillset and an offer to provide additional information if needed. Include these items and youll be in line with best practices and formats for what hiring managers expect to see in a resume and cover letter.Getting Too PersonalWhen preparing your resume and reviewing for potential red flags, keep in mind that prospective employers are really only interested in your professional qualifications. The extensive inclusion of facts such as personal hobbies, religious or political beliefs or other information that isnt relevant to your qualifications not only takes up valuable resume space, it can also raise red flags for would-be employers. HR professionals and hiring managers alike are also leery of knowing th is type of personal info regarding candidates, which could open them up to potential discrimination claims. Keep things professional and leave out your penchant for knitting doll sweaters from your cats fur, to give your resume a leg up in the hiring process. Errors and TyposAsk any hiring manager about their biggest pet peeve when reviewing resumes and theyre likely to tell you that avoidable errors such as typos, formatting issues, and glaring grammatical mistakes rank right up there. Sure, weve all been known to switch up a tense or miss an Oxford comma from time to time, but a professional resume is a far cry from a Facebook post or email to your mother confirming your attendance for Thanksgiving dinner. Prospective employers expect that candidates have put a great deal of time, effort and revisions into crafting this snapshot of their professional qualifications, and expect to see few if any, obvious errors.The resume should be a candidates best foot forward. When that foot is muddied with grammatical mistakes, spelling errors and fonts and indents, it can distract from the candidates overall qualifications. If a person cant get a one-page resume right, after all, how can they be expected to perform adequately in the open position? Before submitting your resume, be sure to read and re-read. Dont be afraid to ask one or more friends or colleagues to also give your document a once over. As a bonus, once you have an error-free base, future revisions to update your work history will be that much easier.The Red Flag Bottom LineWhile weve identified a few of the most common, and annoying, red flags employers see in resumes, keep in mind that anything out of the norm will draw attention to your candidacy. While all attention is good attention may be a common marketing saying, the same certainly doesnt hold true in the professional world. Keep your resume red flag free and let your qualifications shine for the best shot at landing that job, position or career of your dreams.

Salary Negotiation Tips (How to Get a Better Offer)

Salary Negotiation Tips (How to Get a Better Offer)Salary Negotiation Tips (How to Get a Better Offer)Before you even begin salary negotiations with a prospective employer, you need to find out how much the job is worth and how much your skills and experience are worth to the employer. Take the time to research salaries long before you even begin discussing pay. That way you will be prepared to make your case and land a job offer thats realistic and reasonable. What Are Salary Negotiations? Salary negotiations involve discussing a job offer with a prospective employer to negotiate a salary and benefits package thats in line with the market (and hopefully, that meets or exceeds your needs). The most productive salary negotiations occur between people who realize that they have a common goal to get the employee paid appropriately for their skills and experience. Negotiations neednt be adversarial, and no one has to get aggressive. If youre a reluctant negotiator, it might help to keep in mind that youre on the same side. Negotiations can include all aspects of compensation, including salary, bonuses, stock options, benefits, perks, vacation time, and mora. Salary Negotiation Tips Wait for the Appropriate Time Once you know what you should be earning, how do you go about getting it? Start by being very patient. When interviewing for a new position, do your best elend to bring up compensation until the employer makes you an offer.Resist Throwing out the First Number If youre asked what your salary requirements are, say that they are open based upon the position and the overall compensation package. Or tell the employer youd like to know more about the responsibilities and the challenges of the job prior to discussing salary. Base Your Salary Request on Data If youre forced to give a number, provide a salary range based upon the research youve done up front. Use this research to inform your negotiating technique. Talk about whats appropriate for the role, b ased on your experience and what you have to offer. Resist the temptation to talk about your personal financial needs.Take Your Time Once youve received the offer, you dont need to accept (or reject) it right away. A simple I need to think it over can get you an increase in the original offer. Consider Saying No If youre ambivalent about the position, a no can bring you a better offer too.But Dont Decline a Job That You Want or Need Be careful though if you do need that new job, theres a risk that the employer may accept youre declining the position and move on to the next candidate.Negotiate Benefits Consider whether there are employee benefits and perks that might be negotiable, even if the salary isnt. Salary and Paycheck Calculators When youre considering a job offer, its important to know the bottom line how much your net pay will be. You can use free salary and paycheck calculators to estimate how much youll bring home in your paycheck Negotiating a Raise Prepare If y ou are currently employed and want a raise, start by being prepared. Gather your salary survey information, average raise data, recent performance appraisals that document the job youre doing, and any other relevant information. Be aware of company policy regarding compensation. Some employers are limited by budget constraints and can only give raises at certain times of the year, regardless of the circumstances.Have a Clear Idea of What You Want Determine the salary range youre looking for and the justification for the increase and have both ready to review with your supervisor. Be Flexible Would you consider an extra couple of weeks of vacation instead of a raise? I know someone who has regularly taken time-off instead of money and now has six vacation weeks a year.Request a Meeting With Your Supervisor to Discuss Salary Present your request, supported by documentation, calmly and rationally. Dont ask for an immediate answer. Your boss is most likely going to have to discuss it wi th Human Resources and/or other company managers. Despite your best efforts, there may simply not be enough money in the budget to increase your salary or compensation package offer. The company may also not want to create inequities by paying one person more than others in a similar position. In that case, you can at least know you tried. Plus, if this is a job you really think that youre going to love, consider whether the company culture, the benefits, and the job itself are worth it regardless of the salary.

How to Target Top Employers in Your Job Search

How to Target Top Employers in Your Job SearchHow to Target Top Employers in Your Job SearchLand a job with the right employer by building a strong target company list.Even when you start your job search with a very strong in at an organization, landing a new job will likely require you to pursue multiple job opportunities at the same time. In fact, I recommend that job seekers continue pursuing new job leads even as theyre entering the final interview round of another opportunity. To help you streamline this process and ensure you land a job with the right company, I encourage you to develop a target company list based upon your job goals.Below are tips on how to research and vet prospective employers as you build a strong target company list.Never discount a good, old-fashioned Google search. With a few key strokes you can identify companies that align with your core values, such as the importance of work-life balance or innovation. Visit sites like The Muse to peruse the companies they profile this is a great way to get an inside look at an organization and get a sense of what its like to work there.Set up Google News Alerts for your target industry and prospective employers. This way, you will learn mora about the key players in the marketplace and may be able to predict when new job opening will become available. For instance, if your dream employer wins a big contract with the government or announces plans to expand its operations to another region of the country, then the company may require new employees to handle the extra business.Your network can be a powerful source of job leads and company intel. Take stock of your current network to determine if you know anyone who works, or used to work, in one of your ideal companies. Ask your contact out for an informational interview to learn more about the organization. Your connection (1) can provide you with insight into the company culture and hiring process, and (2) may be your gateway to uncovering the hidden jobs that never get posted online.Start following your target companies and their senior leadership through their primary social media channels. Companies often leverage their best employees to be brand ambassadors, so be on the lookout for these folks social media presence. ansicht often provide job seekers with great insight into the companys culture.Check to see if the company is planning to attend or host events this information can often be found in the companys Careers section or Press Room, through one of their social media channels such as the Events section of their Facebook page, or on a site like 10times. These events are great opportunities to meet people from the company and demonstrate that youre genuinely interested in working at their organization.

Bye Bye PPP-S

Bye Bye PPP-SBye Bye PPP-SBye Bye PPP-S BREAKING NEWS FOR TEN STEPS TRAINERS Priority Placement Program for Spouses is OverKathryn Troutman, Federal Career CoachPresident, www.resume-place.comAnd Bobbi Rossiter, MAS, Program ManagerTen Steps to a Federal Job, June 15, 2018Resume Place, inc. online forum and message board for discussion of issues in the field of resume writing, career development and federal employment.6/29/18 PPP-S UPDATE The PPP-S HRO Specialist ARE STILL taking registrations for PPP-S. There seems to be a STOP buchung or Slow Down Order regarding the closing of PPP-S. It could have to do with the Executive Order for Military Spouses and Non-Competitive federal jobs. We do not know the details. There is NO official statement from DOD on PPP-S, except that they are still taking spouse registrations.LOTS More Military Spouse Federal Jobs News Federal Agencies are going to HIRE more spouses WOW, we will see what happensWashington Post Eric YoderStars and Stripes Military.com articleWe baked a cake to say Bye Bye PPP-Sand Hello USAJOBS and Military Spouse PreferenceYesterday, we rolled-out our NEWLY-UPDATED curriculum, Stars are Lined Up for Military Spouses with Military Spouse Preference on USAJOBS in our Ten Steps to a Federal Job Certification class for Military District of Washington, US Navy class at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling One month ago, we were teaching The Stars are Lined Up for Military Spouses on PPP-S and USAJOBS.Big update for the Stars are Lined Up for Military Spouses the book by Kathryn Troutman19 pages of Chapter 2 will be changed from all of the complex STARS required to register for PPP-S, to the STARS required to find announcements using the Military Spouse Preference on USAJOBS.Recently USAJOBS and agencies have increased the number of positions posted with the Military Spouse PreferenceNO moraPPP-S Registrations no more searching for the point of contact or register no more struggle to set an appointment with the H RO no more two-hour meetings with HRO about the PPP-S process no more email MATCHES to positions in your military kusine area no more option codes no more antique registration forms (that many people could not understand).NOWAnnouncements applying Military Spouse Preference can be found easily using the Military Spouse filter found in the Hiring Path section on the left side of any USAJOBS search page. It is very important to target these announcements and to orient your resume towards them. (We recommend answering the questionnaire at the highest possible level that you can prove and to use the Outline Format to showcase your supporting qualifications in your resume.)BIG DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PPP-S AND USAJOBS AND MSPThe new USAJOBS Military Spouse Preference application process is WAY easier than PPP-SThe application is online, instead of an in-person or email meetingEach resume can be targeted toward a specific positionEach announcement is selected by YOU, because you are intereste d in this positionResults will come to you via OPM emails and will be viewable in the results section in your USAJOBS profile.STARS ARE LINED UP FOR MILITARY SPOUSES INSTRUCTORS Kathryn Troutman, Author Bobbi Rossiter, MAS, Military Spouse and John Gagnon, Ph.D., Ten Steps TrainerBOTTOM LINE FOR MILITARY SPOUSES AND FEDERAL JOBS.The EO 13473, Military Spouse Preference can give a spouse the opportunity to apply for more positions on USAJOBS.The spouse can apply for federal employee announcements, in addition to the US Citizen Announcements. The great thing here is that with these federal employee announcements Veterans Preference candidates will not take the list.Spouses want a solid career with growth potential, many positions at/near military bases, strong benefits, family flexibility, and retirement options. Civil service provides GREAT careers for military spouses who are living on military base around the world.Veterans prefer federal jobs as their number one employer spouses prefer the sameThe new Executive Order by President Trump is going to increase the number of Military Spouse positions posted on USAJOBs.Agencies will need to provide a quarterly report on the number of spouse job announcements This is a GREAT improvement about the visibility of positions for Military Spouses on USAJOBSTHE BOOK THE STARS ARE LINED UP FOR MILTIARY SPOUSESThis book, Chapter 2 and the PowerPoint are being changed from PPP-S emphasis to USAJOBS MSP emphasis. Six of the stars are different to make this a more MSP-oriented curriculum. Four of the stars remain the same.The STARS curriculum is licensed for Ten Steps trainers. The new PowerPoint is finished now, so we can send you the copy if you write to Bobbi Rossiter, the Program Manager for the Ten Steps certification, at bobbiresume-place.com.

5 Rules of Salary Negotiation

5 Rules of Salary Negotiation5 Rules of Salary Negotiation Are you hoping to receive an awesome job offer? Are you praying that your employer will give you a raise this year?Whether its the fear of being perceived as pushy or feeling uncomfortable about the negotiation process , professionals are hesitant when it comes to salary negotiation.Make it a goal this year to earn the salary you deserve. Instead of fearing salary negotiation, here are five rules every professional should follow when asking for a raiseWhen negotiating a job offer, dont be quick to say yes. Instead, tell the employer you need more time to think about the offer.Ask the employer if you can provide a response within the next 24 to 48 hours. During this time, sit down with the job offer and determine whether its a fair offer. After youve made your decision, approach the employer with your counteroffer and be ready to negotiate a higher salary.The art of salary negotiation is to wait for the emp loyer to make their offer. Unless the employer asks what your expected salary is, dont provide a number until requested. The key is to be patient and wait for the employer to present what they think is a suitable salary for your experience and skills.Salary negotiation can put you through a roller coaster of emotions. It can be scary, stressful, exciting, and even frustrating. Regardless of how challenging the salary negotiation process becomes, make sure to keep a positive attitude and stay professional.What many job seekers overlook during the negotiation process is the additional benefits theyre receiving as a part of the job offer. Instead of solely focusing on the salary, pay attention to other perks such as health benefits, a sign-on bonus, paid vacation time, and the opportunity to telecommute. Its very likely an employer will be open to offering you additional perks if they cant promise a higher salary.The most important rule of negotiating a salary is knowing what youre wo rth and what the employer can offer. The brde thing you want to do is to request a higher salary and more benefits without doing your research first.For example, if you applied for a marketing position at a small nonprofit, you cant expect the organization to have the same budget as a large marketing firm in New York City. Before you negotiate your salary, determine how much you should be paid for the position youve applied for. This will help you think of a realistic counteroffer to present to the employer.Salary negotiation is a challenging process for many professionals, but it can be one of the most rewarding things you do for your career . By following these rules of salary negotiation, hopefully youll earn the salary you deserve in 2019.What salary negotiation rules do you always follow?

New Step by Step Roadmap for Technical Resume Examples

New Step by Step Roadmap for Technical Resume Examples The Basic Facts of Technical Resume Examples 1 approach to guarantee a hiring manager remembers your application is to make a robust and attractive professional resume. There are businesses that dont only examine the technical facet of an individuals qualifications. You should target each resume to the particular job listing and business. Its possible for you to take a look at the IT resume example for more details Employers like to employ employees who need to work for them. From it, youre going to be in a position to comprehend whats important to the employer for hiring for the engineering position, and its possible to craft an outstanding objective that meets their needs for the function. The very last thing you would like to do is make a possible employer think youre boring or not able to communicate effectively with nontechnical personnel. The employer will know your degree of work if you are going to be given the job. Our resume builder gives you tips and examples on the best way to compose your resume summary. A stunning, minimal and user-friendly template that you could edit based on your abilities and experience. Use the technical resume template on top of this post. The entire selection of resume templates is made up of a selection of creative resume designs. If you still doubt whether writing a technical resume is a task you may complete by yourself, its very easy to get in touch with our writing company and forget about all of the stress. Resume builds a very first impression in any interview and needs to be impressive and simple to read. One of the simplest methods to boost your IT resume is to produce personal projects. Jalali also recommends customizing your work responsibility section from preceding positions to include technical abilities and the way you used them. The secret is to list skills that will allow you to land the job. As you obviously need to concentrate o n your technical abilities, you shouldnt neglect your soft abilities or supplementary abilities, either. Its possible for you to add additional technical skills that might or might not be about the job to reveal the number of work you may provide. Third, show ways to provide help. Use keywords that are particular to the work position to stick out in the competition. Youre likely going to want to incorporate a Technical Skills section also. Study the work description. Most Noticeable Technical Resume Examples The high number of capable candidates means its vital to create a resume that may set you apart from the competition. Because you still dont have any expert experiences, its very critical that you list down the information regarding your educational attainment and other details linked to your academic background. A bulleted list will ensure it is scannable. Fill in what you are able to and use the interview to acquire your remaining questions answered. If you doubt wh ether youre ready to create a strong resume, you can look for technical resume samples zugreifbar. Your resume should consist of the next sections. Also supplies an online resume builder. Think of the examples above. Youll enhance your probability of finding the internship if you scrape up a very small bit of experience first. Theres always the chance that if you put competitive running on your resume that the individual reading your resume is a marathoner and provides you with an interview because of this. Which format you select will depend, in part, on the kind of work youve performed and whether you will continue in the exact same field. Make certain that you have a minumum of one example for a time you demonstrated every one of the top five skills listed here. The Technical Resume Examples Stories The great industrial engineering resume has the proper mixture of relevant info, strength-highlighting and formatting. Experience section has become the most important porti on in a computer engineer resume. A software engineer is to blame for applying computer sciences, mathematical analysis, and engineering so as to design and develop software and systems which make it feasible for a computer to do its function. You merely picked the incorrect tech resume format.

An Evening With Women Data Science Leaders

An Evening With Women Data Science Leaders The leaders of PowerToFly and Christine Hurtubise, Vice President of Data Science at Stash, invite you to an evening for women in data science.The evening will include a panel featuring women leaders from several of NYCs most exciting startups as well as a chance for you to network with your fellow women in tech over food and drinks.The event will take place on Tuesday June 19th from 6pm to 830pm at Stash HQ, located at 19 West 22nd Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10010.Stash is hiring and they are dedicated to increasing the number of women on their team by over 40% through 2018. FOLLOW Stash for updates on mora events and open roles.This event would be a great fit for data scientists, data analysts and data engineers with at least 2+ years of experience in Python, Scala, Java or similar.About our Events All RSVPd attendees are welcome, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, pregnancy, physical or mental dis ability, or age. If you require accommodation to fully participate in this event, please email hipowertofly.com, and we will contact you to discuss your specific needs.Unfortunately, PowerToFly and the company it is holding an event on behalf of cannot admit outside recruiters to that particular event. Please email hipowertofly.com if you have any questions about this policy.

How to maintain a balance when you work with your family

How to maintain a balance when you work with yur familyHow to maintain a balance when you work with your familyWhen youre running a company, maintaining a healthy work-life balance sometimes feels impossible. Your job dominates all facets of your life. Working in the office and working at home become one in the same.For some, this is fine. But most of us need personal space - we need defined family time. Without it, all aspects of your life begin to suffer - your work, your family, and your personal happiness.When I was younger, I had no problem maintaining a healthy work-life balance. I had friends outside the office and time to invest in my personal development.But when I first became vice chairman of Aditya - a company of mora than 5,000 employees that serves over 70,000 students - I couldnt avoid bringing my work home with me.A big part of that is because Aditya is a family business, so everyone in my family is an employee. We also all live together. It seemed that for a long time, our dining room table doubled as our at-home boardroom.For me, this lifestyle wasnt sustainable. I needed some kind of separation. So I made some changes.Heres what I do now to maintain a sense of work-life balance that molds with my familys unique schedule.1. I schedule daily me timeYou need time during the day to do things that sustain you personally.When I started at Aditya, me time was something I did not prioritize at all. My day would start at 430 a.m. and end at 11 p.m. Even when I got home, more work would always be waiting for me right there on that dining room table.I began to lose my sense of self and my personal identity as Krishna, the human being. Thats because I wasnt investing any time in myself. Id stopped doing the things I love to do, like reading or riding my bike. I spent no time reflecting, meditating, or otherwise preserving my health.So I started blocking out an hour each day to spend time doing things that I loved. Sometimes I would read, code, or cal l up a couple of friends. Other times I would hop on my bike and go for a ride.There are limits to how much time you can spend doing these things, sure. But you can always make some time. You need to. elend only does this sort of self-investment make you happier - it makes you a better leader, too.2. I maintain a sense of professionalism at workYou need to be meticulous in platzdeckchenting and maintaining the boundaries that separate personal time from family time, and family time from work time.If your family members are also your colleagues, its important when youre at work that you treat them as such.At Aditya, I report ultimately to my father. When I talk to him in the office, I try to act as professionally as possible. I approach him not as a son talking to his dad, but as a professional working with another professional.I encourage my family members to treat the time we spend together at work with the same appreciation. For instance, when my wife and I need to talk at the of fice, we try to schedule time on each others calendars, just as we would when scheduling meetings with other employees.My wife can still walk into my office whenever she needs to. But weve both learned the importance of not making this a routine practice. Maintaining a culture of professionalism at the office goes a long way toward ensuring that you can relax more completely at home.3. I set personal goalsMost of us set goals to help us follow through on commitments and achieve things in our professional lives. We identify a promotion we want to receive or a project we want to complete, and we set goals that help us do that.Fewer people do this in their personal lives. But if you have things you want to personally accomplish - whether thats spending more meaningful time with your family or reading more books - theres no reason to not set personal goals, too.These goals dont have to be crazy or stressful. They can be as simple as committing to reading one book each month, or commit ting to spending one night out with your wife each week.Ever since I started doing this, Ive not only felt happier and more sustained - Ive become more efficient in my work, too.Ultimately, maintaining a sensible and healthy work-life balance comes down to being purposeful.It looks different for everyone, but once you identify a system and a schedule that works for you, commit to it, and prioritize keeping your array of spaces separate.Both your career and your family will be healthier for it.Deepak Reddy isVice Chairman at Aditya Educational Institutions.This column was originally published on Quora.

J.P. Morgans New Recruiting Video May Make You Spill Your C

J.P. Morgans New Recruiting Video May Make You Spill Your CJ.P. Morgans New Recruiting Video May Make You Spill Your CNot to be outdone by Morgan Stanleys cringeworthy recruiting video released a few weeks ago, J.P. Morgan has put out its own embarrassing and ridiculously simplified bastardization of what its like to work as an investment banking analyst at a supposedly world-class (and very diversified, as J.P. Morgan ever so sublty jams down your throat at 310 in the below video) institution like itself.With several billion dollars a year in revenue, you would think these banks could throw a few more dollars, not to mention brains, toward producing these videos. Be honest, after enduring the below, would you trust the folks who greenlighted these five minutes with tying your shoelaces or getting your coffee order straight?

The important mental shift you need to increase your productivity

The important mental shift you need to increase yur productivityThe important mental shift you need to increase yur productivityWe all have the power to pull ourselves up to keep going. - Richard BransonIf productivity were just a series of steps - a paint by numbers exercise - then wed all be functioning like efficient AI machines. It would be easy to master the course. But we would also feel robotic and unchallenged. Despite productivity experts promising us that it is a science and not an art, thats not entirely the truth.You need the routine. The consistency. But fruchtwein importantly, you need the creativity to help get you unstuck first, in order to propel you in the direction of delivering high-level performance. Creative imagination drives ideas, which lead to thoughts, constructive plans and the ability to develop the framework for a routine.The intent of this article is not to share the tools and techniques of what makes you successful and productive, as there are plent y of those on the Internet. But rather, to promote the thought leadership required to become mora productive. Productivity truly, in its simplest form, should be defined asCreativity meets Routine meets Consistency.Without any of these key components, there is no productivity.Theres a lot of great articles and literature out there about the routines and productivity rules of many successful entrepreneurs, businesswomen and thought leaders. Ive profited from these lists, and I have no doubt you have as well. Just know that checking the box on a few simple tips wont cut it. You must coach yourself to make a change in how you binnensee yourself, your work, the management of your time and how you inspire yourself to act.Getting unstuckStop waiting for perfect conditions to launch a great project. Immediate action fuels a positive feedback loop that drives even more action. - Robin SharmaMany of us spend far too much time beating ourselves up about how and why we seem to do things wrong. When we dont reach our desired goals in a short amount of time, we start soul-searching, looking for a cure for what ails us. We self-examine, we blame ourselves and highlight all our deficiencies.Now ask yourself this question - What good does the blame-game really do? For one it hurts our self-esteem. It stifles enthusiasm, which is needed to drive creativity and action. The best way to become more productive is to focus on making a behavioral change. That begins in your mind.Author of the book, Getting Unstuck How Dead Ends Become New Paths, Tim Butler talks about the ways to make a change and how that begins in the mind with understanding our place in the worldWhat impasse requires of us is to realize that our old models, our old ways of thinking about things, our old ways of feeling about things, simply are no longer working. So impasse requires, demands that we stop and say, my way of understanding the world and myself is no longer working. Ive got to dig deeper. Ive got to find a new way of understanding the world and my place in it. - Tim Butler Source HBRYou cannot keep going and repeating the same things that havent worked and expect new and different outcomes. You surely know the cliche by now the definition of insanity is repeating the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. You must be the one that drives change. And you must empower yourself to think differently to find new ideas that will lead to a new routine that gets you on the right track.We need to have a productivity routine that energizes and inspires us each day. Routines dont have to be boring. And frankly, the moment you do have a boring routine, youre in trouble. Youre not going to feel motivated to want to keep going. Youll find less desire to grow, learn and continue fueling your journey and as a result, youll be less successful and stagnate.So essentially we have to get stuck before we can grow. Impasse demands that think deeply in a radically different wa y. It gives us the opportunity to think of new methods, opportunities, relationships and situations to put ourselves in. This creativity and curiosity inspires productivity. It gets our brains moving and this synergy, before long, helps us to stop feeling sorry about our situation.Have a planIve learned through research and working with top executives that productivity is about breaking the pace of whats not working, then focusing your performance on what will work. To become more productive, determine the root cause of whats keeping you stuck, while developing a rhythm for repetition and consistency of planning and doingAuthor of the book, I Know How She Does It, Laura Vanderkam talks about productivity from a planning standpoint. The way we develop the routine AND consistency is through planning in advance. We must be prepared. We must be concerned with the moment, but always looking ahead to the future. Get ahead by planning the night before or at the beginning of your work day.V anderkam saysPlot out what youre going to do when you get to work, that way you can capture that first burst of energy when you show up at work and use it to tackle something important. The best time to do this is Friday afternoon or Sunday evening. Friday afternoon is not the fruchtwein productive of times as is, so repurpose it as planning time. Or try Sunday night, when youre already in workweek mode.Motion creates emotion Deep thinking fuels planning. While plans are meant to be modified, it doesnt diminish the importance of starting somewhere. Planning prevents poor performance, and more importantly protects us from just jumping in to situations that were ill-equipped to handle. Productivity is always driven by planning.Breaking the habitUltimately, the fruchtwein important thing you can do to find your productivity breakthrough is to break the habit of whats not working. In other words - get out of a vicious cycle of repetition to find a stimulating, more effective form of ro utine. You have to stop the flood and use your determination and brainpower to decide to step back, think things through, then game plan for shifting course.A prime example of this is setting reminders on your smartphone (ironically enough), to stop using your smartphone so much. Using the Pomodoro technique to budget your time more wisely to not waste time. That begins with where you are today. It starts with small changes, as this Harvard Business Review article beautifully articulates Becoming more productive is more like losing weight than memorizing the presidents names - it is the product of behavior or lifestyle change, not (only) knowledge. As a result, the key to becoming more productive is changing small behaviors (i.e., developing new habits) and sticking with those changes over time.So be willing to change. Be a big enough person to embrace change The change will drive you to a new routine, which can always be modified and re-assessed to determine how well youre perfor ming. Ill close with remarks from Mr. Plummer, in the aforementioned HBR article. Make sure you have goals, but have a plan, an open mindset and a willingness to change.Your productivity depends on it. Lots of us spend our days developing strategic plans for our own companies, or helping clients do so, and yet fail to take a strategic approach to improving our own productivity. As most of us know, any good strategy involves setting goals, developing a plan for achieving those goals, and tracking progress towards those goals. The same is true for productivity. Yet most of us dont have sustainable productivity goals, much less a plan for achieving them.Keep goingJoin my newsletter and check out my book, The Value of You. This will give you inspiration to start planning for success on your journey.This article first appeared on Medium.