11 Warning Signs Your Career Has Stalled

Your career can lose power for many reasons: a lack of opportunities, industry changes and plain old boredom are just a few of them.
Are you wondering whether your career has stalled? Here are some of the top warning signs, according to experts:

1. Your role and responsibilities haven’t changed in a few years or more.

2. You’ve bounced from employer to employer without much change in job title or salary.

3. You can’t remember the last time you learned something new about your industry or field.

4. People hired after you have been promoted faster than you.

5. You’re not invited to important discussions or meetings of the kind you used to attend.

6. You have fewer job duties than you used to.

7. Your performance reviews contain terms like “consistently meets expectations” or “adequate performance.”

8. No one at work asks for your help — or no one in your professional network asks for advice.

9. You dread going to work in the morning.

10. Your manager and coworkers stop communicating with you — in general, your phone rings less and you get fewer emails.

11. You spend a lot of time complaining about work, or and when you tell stories about work, you are the story’s “victim,” not its hero. Sound familiar? Never fear — there are plenty of ways to get your career back in the fast lane.

Here are some ideas:

Talk to Your Boss

A first step is to address problems head-on. For instance, if you’ve been stalled in the same position at the same employer, request a copy of the title hierarchy and job descriptions in your organization, says Debra Yergen, author of the Creating Job Security Resource Guide. “Work with human resources and your boss to find out what steps you need to take to move from where you are to the next step up,” she says.

Alternatively, tell your boss you’re ready for new challenges and new assignments. If you’ve been quietly doing your job and
keeping your head down, he may not realize that you’re feeling unfulfilled.

Ask for What You Need

Alan G. Bauer, president of recruiter Bauer Consulting Group, says you can ask your manager for tips on what you need to improve. Also, he says you can ask your HR department what’s going on with an overdue raise. “If your merit increases are lower than your coworkers’, there may be an issue,” he says. “The company budgeted a certain amount for salary increases — if you aren’t getting your share, you need to find out why.”

Brad Karsh, founder and president of the career-services firm JobBound, says to look for ways to be more effective, efficient and
strategic. “Ask your manager about the possibility of a rotational program to see the inner workings of the company and gain fresh perspective and new ideas,” he says.

Take Initiative

Karsh also suggests figuring out what keeps your boss up at night. “Find a way to solve that problem,” he says. “You need to be a key player.”

You can also take some classes or work toward a degree, suggests Mary Greenwood, author of How to Interview Like a Pro.

Or consider on-the-job training. “If you value continuous learning, you can volunteer for a project that will require new skills,” says executive coach Elene Cafasso. “Perhaps you can transfer to another area of the business or learn what’s needed to back up a coworker.”

Rick Dacri, author of Uncomplicating Management, suggests getting actively involved in a professional association. “Get a leadership role, speak before the group or write an article for the newsletter, for instance,” he says.

Adjust Your Attitude

Negativity is one of the worst career killers. “If you are spending a great deal of your energy moaning and whining about your circumstances, it’s time to try and make a new start before you become so emotionally expensive that the organization feels the
need to cut you,” says Cy Wakeman, author of Reality-Based Leadership.

Identifying your dissatisfaction and taking steps to resolve it is the first step. The next step may be to update your resume and start
looking for a new job. “It may be that hanging on to an unhealthy or unproductive employment relationship is what’s holding you back,” Yergen says. “I’ve witnessed a handful of people this year who have identified their dissatisfaction and set a date to quit –
even without a job waiting — and found something just before or just after the date of their resignation. Sometimes you just have to take that step.”

If your career is stalled, perhaps a new career is the right answer. Start exploring options by reaching out to your professional network, job shadowing or talking to your HR department about an internal transfer.

Originally posted at: http://career-advice.monster.com/job-search/career-assessment/stalled-career-signs/article.aspx?WT.mc_n=CRMUS000096

Do Your Research Before a Job Interview

You hear it all the time from career experts: “Research the company before you go into a job interview.” But what does that mean, exactly? Here are some tips on using the Internet and tapping your network to gain information and insight that’ll improve your interview answers — and help you ask the right questions.

The Company’s Mission

Your prospective employer’s Web site is a great place to see the company as it wants to be seen. Look for its mission statement — something that outlines the company’s values (perhaps on an About Us or similar page). Then consider how the position you want relates to that mission. Also think about how your experience and background have prepared you to support the company’s goals. Don’t parrot a mission statement back word for word, but do let it inform your discussion.

Recent Company Achievements

While you’re at the company’s site, look for a Press Room or Company News page that links to recent news releases. (Or simply search the Web for news about the company.) Then think about the long-term implications of this news — not only for the company, but also for you when you get the job — and prepare some questions about the news if that makes sense. Your well-informed conversation may be a critical factor in your interview’s success.

Your Interviewers

If the company site has a search tool, use it to search for the names of the people you’ll be meeting. You may find bio pages or
press releases that give you insight into their most visible activities at the company. Then look to LinkedIn or do a general Web search to get some more background information about them. You might find some common ground (for instance, a shared alma mater) you can bring up in conversation, or a recent professional achievement for which you can pay a compliment.

What to Wear

The company’s Web site can also help you determine how to dress for the interview. Are there pictures of the executive team? If they’re all wearing dark business suits, you should probably dress very formally. If the CEO is pictured wearing a T-shirt, business casual is probably fine (though you’ll rarely want to dress more casually than that).

The Industry

Next, learn what general-interest publications, trade publications and blogs are saying about your employer and the industry as a whole. Search national publications for news on major corporations; use hometown newspapers to learn about small businesses or local industries. Depending on your field, you should be prepared to discuss your industry’s financial prospects or other industry trends.

People on the Inside

People who already work at the company are another great source of information — they can give you insight into business
initiatives, corporate culture and even personality dynamics. Start on LinkedIn to see if you have any connections — but don’t stop there. Look to professional organizations and alumni organizations you belong to, and ask friends and relations if they know anyone who might have information to share about your prospective employer.

Research Yourself

Now that you’ve found out everything you can about the company and the people who’ll be interviewing you, Google yourself — you can be sure the interviewers will be doing the same. (If you have a common name, use your name and city or your name and
industry as the search term.) First, make sure that everything a Web search reveals about you presents you in a good light. Then prepare to discuss the search’s top hits — they might just come up at your interview.

Originally posted at: http://career-advice.monster.com/job-interview/interview-preparation/interview-company-research/article.aspx?WT.mc_n=CRMUS000096

How Long Should You Wait for an Offer?

You have an interview or two for a position you really want, and everything goes well. It’s a regular love fest between you, the hiring manager and your future boss. Your heart skips a beat when you’re told, “We’ll have an offer to you by the end of the week.”

But what happens when a week goes by and you don’t receive an offer? Should you sit by the phone and wait or throw in the towel?

Neither, says career counselor Robin Ryan, author of 60 Seconds & You’re Hired! She believes you should continue your job search until you receive and accept a formal job offer. “Even if you’re certain an offer is coming, do not stop job hunting,” she says. “These things have a tendency to fall apart.”

Take Action

Don’t wait too long to follow up after an offer fails to materialize. “Contact the person who said you’d be getting an offer no more than a few days after you were to receive it,” Ryan says. Ask leading questions about its status, such as “Where are you at with this?” or “When will this come through?”

Ryan adds, “If you’re told that the process is going to take a bit more time, ask, ‘Are you talking weeks or months?’”

If you are being stalled, it’s risky to wait on an offer, Ryan says. “If it doesn’t come through and you haven’t been searching elsewhere, you’re going to get really depressed,” she says.

Poof! There It Isn’t!

A number of things can delay a job offer. Some are tied to how large a corporation is and how elaborate the hiring chain of command is. If you’re applying to a Fortune 500 company, the process as a whole may take longer than at a small business. However, job offers can fall apart at anytime — and at any size company.

“A hiring manager may be stalling you while an offer is out with someone else for the same position,” Ryan says. “You also may be
promised a job only to learn that the funding for the job is no longer there.” She reminds job searchers that mergers, too, may kill a position’s creation or eliminate an established job altogether.

Hold or Fold?

If you feel that your job offer is stalled indefinitely, you may be tempted to try to force a potential employer’s hand by saying that
you have another offer when you don’t. “Never bluff,” Ryan says. “Many companies — especially bigger ones — will call you on it and tell you take the other offer.”

Rather, says Ryan, inform the recruiter, “I’m continuing to interview, but I’m still very interested in this job.” She urges candidates
to try to find out what is really happening with the position and get a commitment from the company.

If the offer does vanish, Ryan reminds workers to remember, “There’s more than one dream job out there.”

Originally posted at: http://career-advice.monster.com/job-search/getting-started/how-long-should-you-wait-for-an-offer-hot-jobs/article.aspx?WT.mc_n=CRMUS000096

Bandwidth Management is now a critical

Bandwidth management is now a critical part of any organization’s connectivity strategy. It is defined as the processes, products and policies designed to ensure optimal results for both public Internet access and private link such as MPLS. Bandwidth management consists of managing all carrier links and how traffic flows through them, with the right strategy for continuity when disaster hits.

To deliver consistent bandwidth management, the most appropriate devices are Link Balancers, defined as network-based appliances that have the capabilities needed to fully manage bandwidth, and multiple ISP or private links. In a majority of situations, these devices are typically installed between the firewall and modems and/or routers.

Some of the functions that Link Balancers provide are: link failover, which allows for one or more links to take over in place of a faulty ISP link until service returns to normal; outbound traffic balancing, which enables the link balancer to delegate traffic coming from the organization and going across various links that work in conjunction with organizational preferences; inbound traffic balancing, which is, in essence, a link balancer able to distribute incoming traffic across all chosen links; and session persistence management, which is when certain types of traffic including SIP (VoIP), HTTPS (secure web site access) and FTP (File Transfer Protocol) cannot be balanced. Most organizations with a Link Balancer will use outbound balancing for VPN clients as well.

According to Elfiq Networks, the leading provider of bandwidth management technology such as Link Balancers, the benefits associated with implementing these solutions are bountiful. First, business continuity is easily attainable as the use of many ISP links simultaneously creates a dramatically increased connection speed. This then helps the organization to be able to handle online activities, even in cases when certain ISPs are not working. Crucial processes such as web surfing, VPN access and voice traffic will always remain intact and business operations can continue without any adverse affects. Second, productivity is increased as the ability to run multiple links directly through one Link Balancer allows for a business to complete multiple activities such as uploading and downloading in a short period of time. Third, cost is greatly reduced due to the fact that downtime is virtually eliminated and employees can continue their work even if a link ceases to work. Fourth, help desk are decreased because Internet access will continue to work under various circumstances and users will no longer need assistance. Fifth, sales departments will gain traction as prospective employees have continuous access to the company’s website and their product offerings. If a website is rendered as functioning improperly, a customer can quickly lose interest and instead travel to a different competing organization.

When building a bandwidth management strategy, a diverse combination of ISP technologies can yield significant advantages and it is recommended to choose ISps with different carrier technologies. T1/E1/fibre circuits are very popular within organizations and offer symmetrical bandwidth. In addition, these ISPs come complete with SLAs that provide increased uptime. DSLs on the other hand are lower in cost than many ISP links. The most common type is ADSL which allows for increased download speeds. Cable modems power increased download speeds as well and usually operate on a parallel physical network so if a carrier’s network stops functioning normally, the second one will be available to take over the operation. With fixed wireless carriers, services have the potential to reach up to 100Mbps.

Mobile networks allow for 3G mobile telephony services and give organizations access to the Internet or other services, if in the case where wired providers become inactive. WiMax and LTE offer increased performance functions over 3G networks, while utilities’ ISP links offer another type of bandwidth distribution, either through electrical grids or fibre through natural gas pipelines. These ISPs can even act as an alternative network in situations where ISPs fail. Satellite links are prevalent all over the globe, which makes them a great option when either geography or local ISPs are major obstacles but throughput is limited while latency is high.

Originally posted at: http://bandwidth-management.tmcnet.com/articles/235636-what-bandwidth-management.htm