Nicole Webb, Author at She Owns It

Why You Need A Vacation! by @nkwebbgroup1

June 10, 2016 by Nicole Webb 1 Comment

by Nicole K. Webb | Featured Contributor

Have you ever said to yourself, “I need a vacation!” and then seconds later, talk yourself out of it? It’s not the right time or you have too much work to get done?

Many professionals don’t take vacations because of fear of falling behind and jeopardizing their employment. However, many fail to realize that the reason they are falling behind in the first place is often due to working ineffectively and failing to be strategic. Instead of avoiding a vacation, using one to analyze and assess what could be done differently could actually be more effective.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a vacation is a period of time that a person spends away from home, school, or business, usually in order to relax or travel. It’s not uncommon for individuals to come up with their most creative ideas when they are relaxed and not intentionally working to create. This is why most major companies and organizations afford their employees paid time off (PTO). They want their employees to be more motivated and creative at work once they return. This is also why employees return to work more refreshed and empowered than they were before they left.

Here are a few more benefits to taking a vacation:

You get the opportunity to decompress and disconnect from your daily work routine.

You decrease your chances of experiencing burnout.

You get the opportunity to catch up with family and friends whom you don’t typically have time for when you’re working.

You get the opportunity to take care of your personal business endeavors (e.g. banking) during the work week instead of waiting for the weekend which saves you time and energy.

I strongly encourage that all career professionals take a vacation in order to break from their careers and gain clarity in their professional and personal lives. This will help to reduce stress, anxiety and unhealthy feelings that are detrimental for an individual’s mental and physical well being. Whether you take a vacation to relax at home or travel to a designated destination, the overall goal is to take time to step away. Make the decision to give yourself a break.

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Nicole K. Webb is a former “Perfect Patty” who was committed to doing everything by the book because of her fear of failure. However, in 2012 she faced some life-changing decisions that revealed to her that although you can try your best to do things perfectly, it’s impossible to be perfect at everything. For the first time in Nicole’s career, she struggled with a job in which she was not a good fit and was able to recognize this for herself. Nicole decided to resign from what many would consider a dream job in human resources in order to take time to figure out what to do next.

After being unemployed for two months, she found herself a great career opportunity in the human resources field. She also began to follow her dream of becoming a business owner. She opened her very own human resource consulting and career coaching business, NK WEBB GROUP LLC. Since launching her business, she has authored The Workplace Playbook: Strategies to Help New Employees Win In Their Careers.

Nicole has over 10 years of experience in human resources. She has an MBA from University of Baltimore and a BA from Coppin State University.

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Never Dim Your Light: Why You Should Be Proud of Your Professional Accomplishments by @nkwebbgroup1

May 5, 2016 by Nicole Webb 1 Comment

Photo Credit: wocintechchat.com via Compfight cc

by Nicole K. Webb | Featured Contributor

Why is it that we are sometimes impressed with other people’s professional accomplishments, but when it comes to our own, we feel we are never doing enough?

Early in my career, I worked extremely hard to accomplish career goals in record-breaking time so that I could be ahead and always have a competitive advantage. While in many ways this was smart, strategic and very helpful in my career advancement, it also hindered me. Because I was so focused on finishing one thing after the other, I failed to take time to enjoy my successes. This caused me unnecessary stress and anxiety.

Each time I had a victory, in my mind I was never doing enough. I was so focused on accomplishing goals that when others would congratulate me or try to celebrate me I would avoid it and minimize my success because I did not believe it was warranted. I knew I had more to do.

I had also prided myself on being humble. As a child growing into an adult, my mother always taught me to remain humble because when you are not, things can be taken from you instantly, causing your circumstances to change. But I misinterpreted my mother’s guidance and instead created this fictional belief in that I should not display any pride I felt regarding my accomplishments openly.

Things changed when I launched my business and struggled day in and day out to accomplish goals with limited resources. In the past, there was always a blueprint to guide me along the way. For instance, my college degree provided a set pathway of courses and a syllabus for each one. All I had to do was follow the directions given to me. I felt more “determined” than “smart.”

There are no blueprints for starting a business. I had to create it for myself. There are no professors assigned to provide guidance. Instead you have to seek out the right contacts yourself and pray that they are willing to help you.

I have spent my own money, lost it and often gained very little returns. I have written countless career advice articles and had very little responses from individuals, causing me to sometimes feel like it was pointless to write at all. Additionally, I have reached out to dozens of contacts and have received few calls back.

But these setbacks have not stopped me from continuing to pursue my goals. They give me more momentum and the realization that we should be proud of our achievements, no matter how big or small.

“In the end, its about being proud of yourself for being where you are now” – Anonymous

The lessons and experiences this journey has afforded me have been like no other. I realized that my mother was absolutely correct about needing to be humble, but I most certainly will not hide my “happy.”

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Nicole has over 10 years of experience in human resources. She has an MBA from University of Baltimore and a BA from Coppin State University.

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How A Lack of Confidence Can Complicate Your Career Growth by @nkwebbgroup1

April 7, 2016 by Nicole Webb Leave a Comment

by Nicole K. Webb | Featured Contributor

According to The Merriam-Webster dictionary, confidence is defined as a feeling of one’s powers of reliance on one’s circumstances, and faith or belief that one will act in a right, proper or effective way.

It’s noticeable when an individual lacks confidence, particularly in the workforce. When one does not believe in their own professional abilities, it’s difficult for their supervisors, colleagues or clients to believe in them as well. People don’t trust individuals who do not trust themselves.

A perceived lack of confidence can interfere with the type of assignments the individual is given, the ability for the individual to successfully perform their position’s requirements, the individual’s effectiveness when leading a group or working as a team, the individual’s ability to receive constructive criticism, and the individual’s capability of securing higher wages or advanced positions.

A low self-esteem can also have a negative impact on relationships with potential employers. Employers aren’t only interested in hiring individuals who have the right education and work experience; their employees need to exhibit great confidence in their own abilities.

Unfortunately, confidence is not something that is easy to acquire, but with continuous practice, it can be obtained.

Here are 4 key tips to help you get started.

Accept that you know what you know, and what you don’t know, you can most certainly learn.

Don’t be afraid of making mistakes while at work. If you treat them as learning opportunities, you can use them as leverage to greater things instead of letting them push you down.

Explore responsibilities at work that are outside of your comfort zone.

Surround yourself with other individuals who exude confidence.

The ultimate key is to continuously work at developing and improving your confidence on a day-to-day basis.

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Nicole has over 10 years of experience in human resources. She has an MBA from University of Baltimore and a BA from Coppin State University.

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How to Identify a Healthy Work Environment During a Job Interview by @nkwebbgroup1

March 11, 2016 by Nicole Webb Leave a Comment

Photo Credit: wocintechchat.com via Compfight cc

by Nicole K. Webb | Featured Contributor

Most individuals when preparing for a job interview are filled with emotions of excitement and nervousness. It’s thrilling to be invited for an interview and to have the chance to compete for a new employment opportunity. It can also be a little stressful because of the anticipation of answering questions presented by the decision-makers within the organization.

Job applicants must keep in mind that while they may be the ones being interviewed, they have the opportunity to interview their prospective employers as well. It’s important to take advantage of the interview process by not only asking questions regarding your starting salary, health benefits and a potential start date, but also by evaluating whether or not this is truly a place you’d want to work.

The work environment has a large impact on how well one performs in their position as well as how long one remains with their employer. An unhealthy work environment can be extremely detrimental to one’s mental and physical health and can cause one to experience anxiety, depression, stress and more.

No job applicant wants to be employed in an unhealthy work environment. That is why it’s important to ask the following questions to learn whether or not the workplace culture is a healthy one.

Here are 5 questions that you may ask the interviewer(s):

How long has this position been vacant?

How long did the last individual employed in this role remain with your company?

How would you describe the current morale of the company and the department in which this position is housed?

Who does this position report to? Describe their management style?

As a manager/supervisor, how do you address conflict in the workplace?

In addition to obtaining answers to these questions you should also consider what’s important to you specifically as it pertains to your happiness with your workplace culture. Everybody is different and what makes a good fit for one individual may not be the best fit for another.

It’s crucial that you take all of this information into consideration when determining if this is an organization you are willing to spend 35 to 40 hours each week and potentially years to come.

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Nicole has over 10 years of experience in human resources. She has an MBA from University of Baltimore and a BA from Coppin State University.

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Key Advice for Overqualified Job Applicants by @nkwebbgroup1

February 17, 2016 by Nicole Webb Leave a Comment

by Nicole K. Webb | Featured Contributor

In today’s economy and sometimes tricky job market, it’s not uncommon for job applicants to apply for positions in which they may be considered overqualified. Instead of meeting the minimum requirements for a position, they exceed them by twice the amount of experience requested or more. The truth is, some overqualified job seekers actually prefer lower level positions as a way of reducing stress, decreasing responsibilities, minimizing their daily commute, or gaining more work/life balance. Unfortunately, recruiters and hiring managers may actually disqualify these individuals from the applicant pools.

Some of the common questions recruiters ask themselves when reviewing overqualified job applicant resumes are as follows:

Why would they apply for this position given all of the experience they possess?

If we hire this person, how long are they likely to stay employed before moving on to another employer?

Will this person be able to be managed by someone who is equally qualified or potentially even less qualified than they are?

Will we be able to meet this individual’s salary demands?

Is this person a problem, which is why they are applying to lower-level positions instead of those on the level that meets their current qualifications?

Being able to answer these questions for your potential employer before they’ve even had a chance to ask will eliminate them from having to wonder about whether or not you’d make a suitable candidate. It’s important that you include the answers to all five of these questions in your cover letter and job application, specifically in the section that asks your reason for leaving your current employer. Here is a quick example of how you can include the answers to these questions in your job application documents:

I applied for this position because I have the experience and can hit the ground running with your organization. Ideally, I see myself in this position for the next 3 to 5 years. If you are willing to employ me for the position, this will provide me ample time to make a positive impact on your organization. I am a team player and know that my experience can add value to the current team that you have in place. This position is not only perfect for me as it pertains to the essential job duties, but also the advertised compensation is comparable to industry standards. Finally, I have a great work history and would be delighted to gain experience working with your organization. My professional references can attest to this and I am certain that you will be impressed with their comments.

Minimizing the areas for recruiters and hiring managers to speculate will certainly increase your chances of being considered for an interview and of earning the position at hand.

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Nicole has over 10 years of experience in human resources. She has an MBA from University of Baltimore and a BA from Coppin State University.

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5 Reasons You Need a Career Coach by @nkwebbgroup1

January 22, 2016 by Nicole Webb Leave a Comment

by Nicole K. Webb | Featured Contributor

When you think of a coach, the first thing that typically comes to mind is a sports coach: the individual you see clapping their hands on the football field or nodding their head on the basketball court. They’re the ones wearing the nice suit, providing direction to the team that’s working together to gain a victory. It’s common for coaches to have previous experience as actual players, which gives them direct insight on each player’s role. As a career coach, my responsibilities are very similar. A career coach’s role is to empower clients by providing them with the guidance and strategy they need to reach their goals.

After working in human resources for over ten years, I have had my share of experiences recruiting employees, navigating coworker conflicts, and facilitating terminations. On the flip side of this, I have also had my own career, where I have prepared for interviews, accepted job offers, declined job offers, and resigned from organizations. I’ve even walked away from a job without having a new one lined up, and was then forced to search for employment without knowing what was ahead. These professional and personal experiences have built the foundation I use to guide clients who struggle in their own careers.

Determining when you need a career coach is not always clear. Coaching is a fairly new industry, so the term “career coach” isn’t common among most professionals. While career coaches can be valuable throughout unemployment, there are plenty of other circumstances where a little support and bit of guidance can go a long way.

Here are 5 key factors that indicate you need a career coach:

You have no idea how to proceed in your current job and overall career.
You have a major decision to make concerning your job, whether it’s accepting or declining a position, or relocating for a new opportunity.
You experience conflict at work and need guidance outside of your manager and human resources department to help you address the situation.
You come to the realization that you are no longer satisfied in your career field, and want to transition into something totally different but have no idea how to start.
You want information from an experienced third party who is familiar with human resource processes and can educate you on the “games” that are often played within the workplace.

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Nicole has over 10 years of experience in human resources. She has an MBA from University of Baltimore and a BA from Coppin State University.

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Nicole Webb