Posts
By Careerealism
Sometimes, there is nothing wrong with defining who you are based on NOT being someone else.
Let me explain.
When I was in high school, I didn’t really stand out. Despite how hard I tried. Grew my hair long, dyed it green. Whatever it was I tried, it didn’t really work. I was still the quiet, unremarkable kid in the back of the class.
Then, one day the loud speaker announced, “Will Joshua Waldron please come to the principle’s office immediately.”
I turned bright red. The whole class started to chuckle, “this quiet kid got into trouble?”
“But wait”, I futilely tried to explain, “She said ‘Waldron’, I’m Waldman!”
“Never mind that, go to the principals office.”
And so I got my first badge of honor. Which I didn’t really deserve. So I thought.
But I kept explaining it wasn’t me. There was indeed a Joshua Waldron who got himself into quite a bit of trouble on a weekly basis, and it was NOT me.
Looking back, it was that one silly mix-up and then my defining myself as “not-Waldron” that turned things around for me.
I Am Not this, I Am That
I believe this same principle can be applied in almost any situation based on a principle found in a book called, “Made to Stick."
It describes the idea of a Meme, an idea-object that is easily grasped by others. The example of, “a pomelo is like a large grapefruit” can be better understood than a lengthy description of the exotic fruit.
By relating to something that others already know about, you can define yourself.
In high school, Waldron was notorious. By defining myself as not-Waldron, I became memorable to many people who I ordinarily wouldn’t have known.
Who Are You NOT - More advice and complete article
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Top 40 Career Experts on Twitter
Love Twitter? So do we. And what we love even more is connecting with others out there who help us bring the best career advice to young professional women like you.
So we’ve scoured the Twitterverse to bring you a list of experts who do just that. They range from big names you’re sure to recognize to lesser-followed, up-and-coming tweeters. But what they all have in common is a knack for tweeting interesting, relevant advice on getting the job, succeeding at work, and having a fulfilling career. Check out our 40 favorites!
Best All-Around
@AlevitAlexandra Levit, named a best online career expert by Money, “helps people find meaningful work and succeed once they get there.” Tweets include tips like what to do with summer interns and how to communicate across generations.
@careerwomaninc
This “international consulting company dedicated to the advancement of women” tweets issues, trends, and topics to help women achieve both professional and personal goals.
@ExcelleNews
Monster’s “social networking community for career-minded women” tweets super- relevant tips like how to spot a toxic boss at the interview and how to minimize distractions at work.
@littlepinkbook
Tweets by the site that pledges to be “your path to a beautiful career and a beautiful life” cover not just work, but money, life, and style topics, too.
@nicegirlsbook
The co-author of Nice Girls Just Don’t Get It gives sharp advice to help women stop being too nice and start being more successful.
@PYPro (of course)
Our Twitter stream will keep you in the loop on our “smart content for smart women.” Plus, join in our chats at #GenYJobs for answers on your biggest job-related questions (our next topic: résumé tips & tricks).
@RulesforWork
Look for the Rosie the Riveter icon for “humorous, tell-it-like-it-is advice” from Kelly Love Johnson, author of Skirt Rules for the Workplace: An Irreverent Guide to Advancing Your Career.
@The_Grindstone
Fresh, funny, work-related content for professional women, from the serious issues (“Attention Women: the Media World Needs You”) to the lighthearted and cheeky (“Casual Fridays: Stripper Heels Are Meant For Strippers”).
@WomensAlly
Founder Diahann Boock takes seriously Madeline Albright’s warning, “there is a special place in hell for women that don’t help other women.” So she’s created a “dedicated place for women’s career advice” with great tips for workplace success.
@workawesome
Targeted at “people who want to be awesome at work,” this site’s tweets keep you informed on its own killer content (“How to Create Happy Employees” and “Workaholics Anonymous” are recent faves).
More Twitter Users and Complete Article
Thursday, June 16, 2011
How I Did It: Dan Schawbel on Becoming a Personal Branding Expert
The founder of Millennial Branding talks about establishing his position as the personal branding guru for Gen-Y.
Dan Schawbel, the Managing Partner of Millennial Branding LLC, is a world renowned personal branding expert. He is the international bestselling author of Me 2.0, and the publisher of the Personal Branding Blog. He talks about how he created his own personal brand.
When I graduated college in 2006, I had to struggle to get a job at a Fortune 200 technology company, despite having eight internships, seven on-campus leadership positions, and a management roll at a small website design company under my belt. While in college, I learned how to sell myself through interviews along with using a website, business cards and a professional portfolio. But I was an introvert, intimidated by the idea of attending networking events and asking for jobs. As a result of my fear, my job search process was eight months long. After meeting 15 people and getting rejected for two positions, I finally landed a job in product marketing.
After a year of full-time employment, I read Tom Peter’s famous article in Fast Company called “The Brand Called You.” I realized immediately that Tom’s words reflected my own understanding and appreciation of the topic. I began searching online to see if there were any websites and experts who were already competing in the personal branding space and realized that no one my age was talking about it.
My friends were complaining about how tough the job market was and that there were no resources to guide them through the process successfully. It became my mission to help young individuals embrace their own brand identity so they could have a more fulfilling career. And since I was only 23 at the time, I could relate to what they were going through.
I took my passion for personal branding online, and started PersonalBrandingBlog.com, where I shared career and branding advice for students and young professionals. My age was my biggest challenge at first, and I was criticized for not having enough life experiences to draw from. So I started new projects that would reinforce my expertise. Within six months, I was publishing more than 10 posts per week, filming videos for Personal Branding TV, and writing articles for blogs and magazines. I also launched Personal Branding Magazine, which included an interview between Donald Trump and Guy Kawasaki, among other articles. For my efforts, my work was profiled in Fast Company, which positioned me as an expert in the field. The execs at my day job found the article and I was recruited internally to co-create the first “Social Media Specialist” position at the company.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Five Common Reasons Resumes Get Discarded
Posted by Meghan M. Biro
Who can forget Elle Woods, cheerfully handing her resume to her law professor’s assistant. “It’s pink,” he says. “And scented. I think it gives it a little something extra,” she bubbles in reply.
But wait – maybe not so much.
In the annals of resume mistakes, ‘cute’ is near the top of the list. Let’s look beyond cute at five more common reasons resumes are discarded – often before they’ve even been read.
Spelling, grammar, punctuation
Tales of resumes with spelling errors are legion among hiring managers – from the pathetically funny ‘Pubic Relations Expert’ to the sadly amusing ‘Manger’ where Manager was intended. Spell check is adequate but not sufficient – use a real dictionary if you’re unsure how something is spelled, have a friend read the resume to you back to front to proofread for errors, have a parent read it, or, best option, retain a professional resume writer or coach for final review, edit and proof. Your resume is your proxy with prospective employers. Make sure to present your best face.
Objective statements
Once a resume standby, have fallen out of use. Stating your objectives on a resume is a triple-fail – it focuses the resume on what you want, rather than how your skills match the job description; it steals precious space for information that should be in the cover letter; and, except in cases where your job record may not match the requirements of the post you’re applying for, it doesn’t tell the recruiter anything they don’t already know. It may be ok to use an objective statement when you’re trying to position your experience in one field as applicable to a new opportunity in a different field, but even that’s a stretch. Avoid the objective statement to avoid the wastebasket.
Overly formatted
Cursive fonts, multiple fonts, elaborate paragraphing, excessive use of bullets, gratuitous boxes and margin rules, graphics and images – especially photographs – stop many recruiters before they’ve read word one. Communicate clearly why you’re the right candidate by including useful information about your skills and experience, and using formatting sparingly. Formatting your resume in such a way that it’s hard to read – or cute – is a mistake.
Too much information - More Information and Complete Glassdoor article
Meghan M. Biro, founder of TalentCulture, is a serial entrepreneur and globally recognized career expert in talent acquisition, creative personal and corporate branding.
Who can forget Elle Woods, cheerfully handing her resume to her law professor’s assistant. “It’s pink,” he says. “And scented. I think it gives it a little something extra,” she bubbles in reply.
But wait – maybe not so much.
In the annals of resume mistakes, ‘cute’ is near the top of the list. Let’s look beyond cute at five more common reasons resumes are discarded – often before they’ve even been read.
Spelling, grammar, punctuation
Tales of resumes with spelling errors are legion among hiring managers – from the pathetically funny ‘Pubic Relations Expert’ to the sadly amusing ‘Manger’ where Manager was intended. Spell check is adequate but not sufficient – use a real dictionary if you’re unsure how something is spelled, have a friend read the resume to you back to front to proofread for errors, have a parent read it, or, best option, retain a professional resume writer or coach for final review, edit and proof. Your resume is your proxy with prospective employers. Make sure to present your best face.
Objective statements
Once a resume standby, have fallen out of use. Stating your objectives on a resume is a triple-fail – it focuses the resume on what you want, rather than how your skills match the job description; it steals precious space for information that should be in the cover letter; and, except in cases where your job record may not match the requirements of the post you’re applying for, it doesn’t tell the recruiter anything they don’t already know. It may be ok to use an objective statement when you’re trying to position your experience in one field as applicable to a new opportunity in a different field, but even that’s a stretch. Avoid the objective statement to avoid the wastebasket.
Overly formatted
Cursive fonts, multiple fonts, elaborate paragraphing, excessive use of bullets, gratuitous boxes and margin rules, graphics and images – especially photographs – stop many recruiters before they’ve read word one. Communicate clearly why you’re the right candidate by including useful information about your skills and experience, and using formatting sparingly. Formatting your resume in such a way that it’s hard to read – or cute – is a mistake.
Too much information - More Information and Complete Glassdoor article
Meghan M. Biro, founder of TalentCulture, is a serial entrepreneur and globally recognized career expert in talent acquisition, creative personal and corporate branding.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Warning: This video will make you hate your job more than you already do
By Stephen Chapman
It’s another Monday morning and you’re tired, your weekend was too short, and you probably uttered something close to the following last night: “I can’t believe I have to go back to that hell hole tomorrow.” Don’t you wish you could tell your boss how much the workplace sucks, even if you’re doing something you’re passionate about?
Back in the day, an employee telling their employer that they were unhappy in the workplace would have most likely afforded said employee nothing more than an “oh, I’m sorry; let’s go cry about it, shall we?” These days, it’s fairly well-understood that happier employees are more productive employees, but a vast majority of large corporations have a long way to go in the department of employee happiness.
With that in mind, companies like Google are paving the way to a model work environment with unheard of perks and niceties; thus, making themselves easily one of the most attractive companies to work for. To see what I mean — and to give you a reason to hate your employer about 100-times more than you already do — check out the video below to see just how much Google provides for their employees:
Check out the Video and the rest of the story
It’s another Monday morning and you’re tired, your weekend was too short, and you probably uttered something close to the following last night: “I can’t believe I have to go back to that hell hole tomorrow.” Don’t you wish you could tell your boss how much the workplace sucks, even if you’re doing something you’re passionate about?
Back in the day, an employee telling their employer that they were unhappy in the workplace would have most likely afforded said employee nothing more than an “oh, I’m sorry; let’s go cry about it, shall we?” These days, it’s fairly well-understood that happier employees are more productive employees, but a vast majority of large corporations have a long way to go in the department of employee happiness.
With that in mind, companies like Google are paving the way to a model work environment with unheard of perks and niceties; thus, making themselves easily one of the most attractive companies to work for. To see what I mean — and to give you a reason to hate your employer about 100-times more than you already do — check out the video below to see just how much Google provides for their employees:
Check out the Video and the rest of the story
Monday, June 13, 2011
'They Don't Negotiate': Why Young Women College Graduates Are Still Paid Less Than Men
Casey Ferguson was sitting in her car on Jan. 19 when she finally got the call she'd waited months to receive.
The voice of Jon Newman, the founder of the Hodges Partnership, a strategic communications firm in Richmond, Va., where she had recently interviewed, was on the line.
He was calling to offer her an entry-level position.
Ferguson, a 22-year-old who graduated in December with a bachelor's degree in communications from East Carolina University, began her job search in the summer of 2009, when she worked as a summer intern at Hodges. After the internship was over, she began a protracted courting ritual: Staying in touch with former colleagues through social networks and meeting up with ex-coworkers for lunch or coffee. She even brought homemade cookies by the office on more than one occasion.
But when she heard the word "offer," all of the lessons that had been drilled into her during college career fairs -- namely, that she could and absolutely should negotiate -- went flying out the window.
Even before Newman could finish explaining the full terms, Ferguson interrupted him to say that she accepted.
"After I said 'yes,' my boss immediately started laughing. He told me my first task was to enroll in Negotiating 101," recalls Ferguson.
It wasn't that she didn’t care about the money. The daughter of an elementary school teacher and a South Carolina cable company employee, Ferguson put herself through college by working a series of part-time jobs and taking out student loans, on which she still owes more than $15,000.
"Thinking of all my friends who have graduated and still don't have jobs, why would I get greedy?” she says. "It's just not in my nature to nickel and dime."
Ferguson is hardly alone in her discomfort with playing hardball -- especially among other women, and especially during a recession.
Even during the most robust of economic times, women are less inclined to negotiate. In fact, according to Sara Laschever, co-author of "Women Don't Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide," 20 percent of women say they never negotiate at all. And in the current recession, which has made many job seekers feel grateful for any work they can find, even a part-time toehold can feel like a victory.
Based on several interviews with women under the age of 30, nearly all reported feeling almost guilty about asking for more money than was initially being offered.
The problem with this reluctance to ask for more is that women are still paid less than men. And as new research released last month reveals, young women often get the raw end of the deal.
A May study by the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University polled nearly 600 young men and women that graduated from college between 2006 and 2010. The authors found that young men are not only out-earning young women, they’re doing so by an average of more than $5,000 per year. Male participants reported first year job earnings averaging $33,150, while young women earned about $28,000.
Another report released in May, this one by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, indicated that new female college graduates are earning 17 percent less than their male counterparts.
More Info and Complete Huffington Post Article
The voice of Jon Newman, the founder of the Hodges Partnership, a strategic communications firm in Richmond, Va., where she had recently interviewed, was on the line.
He was calling to offer her an entry-level position.
Ferguson, a 22-year-old who graduated in December with a bachelor's degree in communications from East Carolina University, began her job search in the summer of 2009, when she worked as a summer intern at Hodges. After the internship was over, she began a protracted courting ritual: Staying in touch with former colleagues through social networks and meeting up with ex-coworkers for lunch or coffee. She even brought homemade cookies by the office on more than one occasion.
But when she heard the word "offer," all of the lessons that had been drilled into her during college career fairs -- namely, that she could and absolutely should negotiate -- went flying out the window.
Even before Newman could finish explaining the full terms, Ferguson interrupted him to say that she accepted.
"After I said 'yes,' my boss immediately started laughing. He told me my first task was to enroll in Negotiating 101," recalls Ferguson.
It wasn't that she didn’t care about the money. The daughter of an elementary school teacher and a South Carolina cable company employee, Ferguson put herself through college by working a series of part-time jobs and taking out student loans, on which she still owes more than $15,000.
"Thinking of all my friends who have graduated and still don't have jobs, why would I get greedy?” she says. "It's just not in my nature to nickel and dime."
Ferguson is hardly alone in her discomfort with playing hardball -- especially among other women, and especially during a recession.
Even during the most robust of economic times, women are less inclined to negotiate. In fact, according to Sara Laschever, co-author of "Women Don't Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide," 20 percent of women say they never negotiate at all. And in the current recession, which has made many job seekers feel grateful for any work they can find, even a part-time toehold can feel like a victory.
Based on several interviews with women under the age of 30, nearly all reported feeling almost guilty about asking for more money than was initially being offered.
The problem with this reluctance to ask for more is that women are still paid less than men. And as new research released last month reveals, young women often get the raw end of the deal.
A May study by the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University polled nearly 600 young men and women that graduated from college between 2006 and 2010. The authors found that young men are not only out-earning young women, they’re doing so by an average of more than $5,000 per year. Male participants reported first year job earnings averaging $33,150, while young women earned about $28,000.
Another report released in May, this one by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, indicated that new female college graduates are earning 17 percent less than their male counterparts.
More Info and Complete Huffington Post Article
Friday, June 10, 2011
Career Gold: A Word From Your Sponsor
Forget mentors. If you want to reach top management you'll need sponsors–powerful senior players who will stake their reputation on your behalf. While mentors offer informal advice and coaching, a good sponsor opens the doors of the promotion elevator and pushes a protégé through.
Star performers don't always find and use a sponsor well, however. Men are 46% more likely to have sponsors than women, according to a study released last December by the Center for Work-Life Policy. And some experts blame the scarcity of women and minority men in the highest corporate jobs on their insufficient sponsors.
As a result, at least nine big businesses have recently created sponsorship initiatives. They typically match promising leaders with sponsors or teach them how to earn one. These companies are already pointing to some successes, though it's still too early to tell if they'll be truly effective in moving executives up the ranks.
Not everyone is convinced formal sponsorship programs make sense. "They don't work because you're assigned to somebody," insists Stephen Miles, head of leadership consulting for recruiters Heidrick & Struggles International Inc. "Forcing these things doesn't deliver the right outcome."
Half of 20 women in an American Express & Co. pilot sponsorship program last year subsequently landed promotions or lateral moves, a spokesman says. The financial-services concern launched a formal program dubbed "Pathways to Sponsorship" in January. It involves a separate set of 21 female senior vice presidents worldwide.
At International Business Machines Corp. 45 emerging female technical leaders found executive sponsors through a program begun last summer. Five subsequently accepted posts "that will groom them for promotions,'' a spokeswoman reports.
Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP, the U.S. arm of the global accounting giant, paired 106 female partners with senior-level "advocates" under a nationwide initiative inaugurated in July 2010. Three of those women soon will take charge of a region for the first time.
PwC intends to create a similar sponsorship push for minority men, says Robert E. Moritz, chief executive. "I have to double down my efforts to get more women and minorities in leadership roles.''
Kathryn S. Kaminsky, an audit partner at PwC, obtained a more important role last January–with help from her advocate Mark J. Casella, a managing partner. PwC matched them in late 2007 through a prior program for New York-area female partners. They got to know each other through a series of formal and informal meetings.
Mr. Casella says he didn't know Ms. Kaminsky personally, but agreed to become her advocate at the request of a trusted senior colleague who praised her abilities. "There needs to be some trusted relationships that are being leveraged" in order for a formal program to succeed, he adds
Mr. Casella says he pushed to get Ms. Kaminsky an important "stretch" assignment last year. She spent about 11 weeks seated alongside the finance chief of an asset-management business, advising her about its imminent spinout from a multinational parent.
The asset-management unit had considered switching auditors. "Through Kathryn's efforts, we were able to win this work,'' Mr. Casella recalls. He endorsed her candidacy to become a market team leader. She now manages 110 staffers in that role.
Read The Rest Of The WSJ Article
Star performers don't always find and use a sponsor well, however. Men are 46% more likely to have sponsors than women, according to a study released last December by the Center for Work-Life Policy. And some experts blame the scarcity of women and minority men in the highest corporate jobs on their insufficient sponsors.
As a result, at least nine big businesses have recently created sponsorship initiatives. They typically match promising leaders with sponsors or teach them how to earn one. These companies are already pointing to some successes, though it's still too early to tell if they'll be truly effective in moving executives up the ranks.
Not everyone is convinced formal sponsorship programs make sense. "They don't work because you're assigned to somebody," insists Stephen Miles, head of leadership consulting for recruiters Heidrick & Struggles International Inc. "Forcing these things doesn't deliver the right outcome."
Half of 20 women in an American Express & Co. pilot sponsorship program last year subsequently landed promotions or lateral moves, a spokesman says. The financial-services concern launched a formal program dubbed "Pathways to Sponsorship" in January. It involves a separate set of 21 female senior vice presidents worldwide.
At International Business Machines Corp. 45 emerging female technical leaders found executive sponsors through a program begun last summer. Five subsequently accepted posts "that will groom them for promotions,'' a spokeswoman reports.
Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP, the U.S. arm of the global accounting giant, paired 106 female partners with senior-level "advocates" under a nationwide initiative inaugurated in July 2010. Three of those women soon will take charge of a region for the first time.
PwC intends to create a similar sponsorship push for minority men, says Robert E. Moritz, chief executive. "I have to double down my efforts to get more women and minorities in leadership roles.''
Kathryn S. Kaminsky, an audit partner at PwC, obtained a more important role last January–with help from her advocate Mark J. Casella, a managing partner. PwC matched them in late 2007 through a prior program for New York-area female partners. They got to know each other through a series of formal and informal meetings.
Mr. Casella says he didn't know Ms. Kaminsky personally, but agreed to become her advocate at the request of a trusted senior colleague who praised her abilities. "There needs to be some trusted relationships that are being leveraged" in order for a formal program to succeed, he adds
Mr. Casella says he pushed to get Ms. Kaminsky an important "stretch" assignment last year. She spent about 11 weeks seated alongside the finance chief of an asset-management business, advising her about its imminent spinout from a multinational parent.
The asset-management unit had considered switching auditors. "Through Kathryn's efforts, we were able to win this work,'' Mr. Casella recalls. He endorsed her candidacy to become a market team leader. She now manages 110 staffers in that role.
Read The Rest Of The WSJ Article
Thursday, June 9, 2011
How to Create Your Own Board of Career Advisors
By Tim Tyrell-Smith
All companies have some sort of advisory board. The board’s role is to provide an outside perspective, strategic suggestions, and critical feedback.
Often these boards include people from different industries, much larger organizations, or different disciplines to bring new ideas under consideration. They help evaluate decisions on how the company will grow, how fast, and by pulling which levers.
In the end, the decision on which way to go falls with the company.
During a job search, career change, or as you seek to negotiate a promotion or pay raise, where are you getting advice and feedback on your career?
Many options are available to you:
• Start or be a part of an accountability group, meeting weekly to help keep members focused on key objectives. As a part of this group, you will get and give critical feedback.
• Hire a career coach, someone who is trained to provide guidance and directional feedback along the way, helping you negotiate new positions, think through a career change, or struggle with a new boss.
• Start or join a career or job-search reading group. Think of this like a study group from college. You pick up a great book, read it, and discuss the content against what’s happening in your career. Count on more support here but likely less critical feedback.
• Find one key person in your life to provide straight-shooting advice along your journey, career advice from a successful relative, family friend, or anyone who can be a voice of reason when you are unsure how to move ahead.
Did you know you could create your own board of career advisors?
If you are actively looking for work or career direction today, here’s how to get started:
Recruit Your Board
Identify three to five people who know you and would be interested in playing a role to support your career. Consider a family friend who is employed and review your situation with fresh eyes. Try a former supervisor, coach or professor who has worked with you in some capacity. Be clear as to what role you’d like them to play and how often you’ll need them.
Schedule the First Meeting
Find a quiet place like an office, conference room, or private room at a local restaurant. This first meeting should be no more than 90 minutes, including you speaking (30 minutes) then listening (60 minutes).
Present Yourself
For 3o minutes, share your story. If you are looking for work, formally present your marketing materials (resume, cover letter, one page bio, and business card), deliver your elevator pitch, and provide specific job search objectives (target industry, geography, job level, function and target companies). If you’re looking for feedback for a career change, help your board understand your motivations for the change, how you are a fit with the new industry or function, and your plans to ease the transition (education, internships, etc).
More Advice and Complete USNews Article
All companies have some sort of advisory board. The board’s role is to provide an outside perspective, strategic suggestions, and critical feedback.
Often these boards include people from different industries, much larger organizations, or different disciplines to bring new ideas under consideration. They help evaluate decisions on how the company will grow, how fast, and by pulling which levers.
In the end, the decision on which way to go falls with the company.
During a job search, career change, or as you seek to negotiate a promotion or pay raise, where are you getting advice and feedback on your career?
Many options are available to you:
• Start or be a part of an accountability group, meeting weekly to help keep members focused on key objectives. As a part of this group, you will get and give critical feedback.
• Hire a career coach, someone who is trained to provide guidance and directional feedback along the way, helping you negotiate new positions, think through a career change, or struggle with a new boss.
• Start or join a career or job-search reading group. Think of this like a study group from college. You pick up a great book, read it, and discuss the content against what’s happening in your career. Count on more support here but likely less critical feedback.
• Find one key person in your life to provide straight-shooting advice along your journey, career advice from a successful relative, family friend, or anyone who can be a voice of reason when you are unsure how to move ahead.
Did you know you could create your own board of career advisors?
If you are actively looking for work or career direction today, here’s how to get started:
Recruit Your Board
Identify three to five people who know you and would be interested in playing a role to support your career. Consider a family friend who is employed and review your situation with fresh eyes. Try a former supervisor, coach or professor who has worked with you in some capacity. Be clear as to what role you’d like them to play and how often you’ll need them.
Schedule the First Meeting
Find a quiet place like an office, conference room, or private room at a local restaurant. This first meeting should be no more than 90 minutes, including you speaking (30 minutes) then listening (60 minutes).
Present Yourself
For 3o minutes, share your story. If you are looking for work, formally present your marketing materials (resume, cover letter, one page bio, and business card), deliver your elevator pitch, and provide specific job search objectives (target industry, geography, job level, function and target companies). If you’re looking for feedback for a career change, help your board understand your motivations for the change, how you are a fit with the new industry or function, and your plans to ease the transition (education, internships, etc).
More Advice and Complete USNews Article
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Updating a Résumé for 2011
By ELIZABETH GARONE
Q: I am a senior executive and haven't looked for a job in more than 10 years. How can I make my résumé more current by today's standards?
--Boston, Mass.
A: While the résumé as you know it from 10 years ago is still alive and kicking, there have been a number of modifications to it. No longer do job candidates simply present a Word document of their qualifications. Today, they need to craft a package both online and off to present to a prospective employer. This needs to include both a résumé and an online profile as well as an easy way for a prospective employer or recruiter to move back and forth between the two.
Embrace technology. The biggest change is also the most expected one: a move toward technology. An online networking presence is no longer just an option but a requirement.
In today's executive search market, if you're not on LinkedIn, you don't exist," says Wendy Enelow, author of "Expert Resumes for Managers and Executives" and "Best Resumes for $100,000+ Jobs." Ms. Enelow suggests including live email links on your Microsoft Word résumé and live links to your LinkedIn profile. "Make it easy for recruiters and hiring managers to contact you with one click to your email and one click to your LinkedIn profile," she says.
Don't make assumptions. The job market is in a transition stage when it comes to applications and how they are submitted, says Mary Henige, General Motors' director of social media and digital communications. Therefore, a lot of how you present yourself should depend on the hiring manager's preference, she says. If you're not sure what that is, it's best to cover all of your bases. "I recommend that a candidate include both a link to his or her résumé and an attachment but to never assume it's one way or another unless it's clear," says Ms. Henige.
Expansion is good. The one-page rule for résumés no longer holds true, according to Howard Seidel, a partner at Essex Partners, a Boston-based senior level career management firm. "While one page makes sense when you have little experience, it doesn't make sense when, as a senior executive, you have 10, 20 or more years of experience," he says. "Executive typically do themselves an injustice by keeping the résumé to a page." Mr. Seidel suggests expanding to two or three pages but giving the first page enough punch to entice the reader to delve further.
Overused is out. At first glance, "team player" and "innovative" might sound like good words to use on your résumé, but that would be a mistake, according to Krista Canfield, a spokesperson for LinkedIn. The business networking site recently combed through millions of user profiles and came up with a list of the top 10 overused terms. These included innovative, dynamic, motivated, extensive experience, results-oriented, proven track record, team player, fast-paced, problem solver, and entrepreneurial.
"Your online profile is a valuable piece of professional real estate," says Ms. Canfield. "The problem with using generic words and phrases in your profile and résumé is that hundreds, if not thousands, of other professionals are describing themselves the exact same way." She suggests replacing the overused terms with descriptions of those specific projects that you have worked on, which resulted in concrete results for your clients.
More advice and complete WSJ article
--Boston, Mass.
A: While the résumé as you know it from 10 years ago is still alive and kicking, there have been a number of modifications to it. No longer do job candidates simply present a Word document of their qualifications. Today, they need to craft a package both online and off to present to a prospective employer. This needs to include both a résumé and an online profile as well as an easy way for a prospective employer or recruiter to move back and forth between the two.
Embrace technology. The biggest change is also the most expected one: a move toward technology. An online networking presence is no longer just an option but a requirement.
In today's executive search market, if you're not on LinkedIn, you don't exist," says Wendy Enelow, author of "Expert Resumes for Managers and Executives" and "Best Resumes for $100,000+ Jobs." Ms. Enelow suggests including live email links on your Microsoft Word résumé and live links to your LinkedIn profile. "Make it easy for recruiters and hiring managers to contact you with one click to your email and one click to your LinkedIn profile," she says.
Don't make assumptions. The job market is in a transition stage when it comes to applications and how they are submitted, says Mary Henige, General Motors' director of social media and digital communications. Therefore, a lot of how you present yourself should depend on the hiring manager's preference, she says. If you're not sure what that is, it's best to cover all of your bases. "I recommend that a candidate include both a link to his or her résumé and an attachment but to never assume it's one way or another unless it's clear," says Ms. Henige.
Expansion is good. The one-page rule for résumés no longer holds true, according to Howard Seidel, a partner at Essex Partners, a Boston-based senior level career management firm. "While one page makes sense when you have little experience, it doesn't make sense when, as a senior executive, you have 10, 20 or more years of experience," he says. "Executive typically do themselves an injustice by keeping the résumé to a page." Mr. Seidel suggests expanding to two or three pages but giving the first page enough punch to entice the reader to delve further.
Overused is out. At first glance, "team player" and "innovative" might sound like good words to use on your résumé, but that would be a mistake, according to Krista Canfield, a spokesperson for LinkedIn. The business networking site recently combed through millions of user profiles and came up with a list of the top 10 overused terms. These included innovative, dynamic, motivated, extensive experience, results-oriented, proven track record, team player, fast-paced, problem solver, and entrepreneurial.
"Your online profile is a valuable piece of professional real estate," says Ms. Canfield. "The problem with using generic words and phrases in your profile and résumé is that hundreds, if not thousands, of other professionals are describing themselves the exact same way." She suggests replacing the overused terms with descriptions of those specific projects that you have worked on, which resulted in concrete results for your clients.
More advice and complete WSJ article
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
What do hiring managers want?
As a recruiter, I was just talking to a client, a Director at a mid-size company, about a couple of positions he’s trying to fill and specifics of what he wants to see in a good candidate.
I wish many of the people in my job search classes could have listened in on the conversation because he clearly answered what many job seekers want to know… “What do hiring managers really want?”
Certainly, in both of the open positions he has, he needs specific skills for those roles. However, more important to him than having all the technical/functional skills were characteristics that were critical for him to find.
Those characteristics could be summarized by…
Positive Attitude, Communication Skills, and Professionalism!
He related to me how he believed those traits were the most important, and somehow the most difficult to find. He recently had to let someone on his team go because although the person had strong technical skills for the job, they did a poor job of communicating with others in their job, and their professionalism (i.e. appropriateness, and attitude) was lacking. They did a good job of executing the technical aspects of their job, but did more harm than good when it came to working with others and helping them understand the requirements and process.
He told me about multiple candidates they’ve talked to that also had the technical skills, however, fell short when it came to projecting those other qualities. He expressed concern that he couldn’t afford, in this economy, to hire average employees. He needs people that can not only do the job, but represent his department effectively and positively to the rest of the company.
People come in to interview often express sour grapes rather than optimism. They dress inappropriately or sloppily making a poor first impression. They ramble on or give one word answers to questions, or generally don’t articulate ideas well. They are unprepared and don’t know basic information about the company or position. They can’t ‘think on their feet’ well. They act intimidated when talking to superiors. They are not very self-aware about their own strengths, weaknesses, or abilities. They try too hard to impress instead of showing sincere interest in others. They come across as overly concerned with what’s in it for them.
So often I hear from job seekers something like:
“I don’t understand why I didn’t get that job! I was a perfect fit. My skills and experience matched up exactly with what they said they were looking for. They don’t know what they want!”
Actually they do know exactly what they want, and usually within a couple of minutes of talking to the job seeker it becomes clear to me why they didn’t get hired.
Complete Article and More Advice From "The Wise Job Search"
I wish many of the people in my job search classes could have listened in on the conversation because he clearly answered what many job seekers want to know… “What do hiring managers really want?”
Certainly, in both of the open positions he has, he needs specific skills for those roles. However, more important to him than having all the technical/functional skills were characteristics that were critical for him to find.
Those characteristics could be summarized by…
Positive Attitude, Communication Skills, and Professionalism!
He related to me how he believed those traits were the most important, and somehow the most difficult to find. He recently had to let someone on his team go because although the person had strong technical skills for the job, they did a poor job of communicating with others in their job, and their professionalism (i.e. appropriateness, and attitude) was lacking. They did a good job of executing the technical aspects of their job, but did more harm than good when it came to working with others and helping them understand the requirements and process.
He told me about multiple candidates they’ve talked to that also had the technical skills, however, fell short when it came to projecting those other qualities. He expressed concern that he couldn’t afford, in this economy, to hire average employees. He needs people that can not only do the job, but represent his department effectively and positively to the rest of the company.
People come in to interview often express sour grapes rather than optimism. They dress inappropriately or sloppily making a poor first impression. They ramble on or give one word answers to questions, or generally don’t articulate ideas well. They are unprepared and don’t know basic information about the company or position. They can’t ‘think on their feet’ well. They act intimidated when talking to superiors. They are not very self-aware about their own strengths, weaknesses, or abilities. They try too hard to impress instead of showing sincere interest in others. They come across as overly concerned with what’s in it for them.
So often I hear from job seekers something like:
“I don’t understand why I didn’t get that job! I was a perfect fit. My skills and experience matched up exactly with what they said they were looking for. They don’t know what they want!”
Actually they do know exactly what they want, and usually within a couple of minutes of talking to the job seeker it becomes clear to me why they didn’t get hired.
Complete Article and More Advice From "The Wise Job Search"
Monday, June 6, 2011
5 LinkedIn Tips You Didn't Know
BY Amber Mac
Whether it's Mark Zuckerberg talking about killing pigs or a Hollywood blockbuster under its belt, Facebook has plenty of attention in our lives. Twitter falls into the same camp. From Justin Bieber's noisy 10 million followers to hordes of social media gurus tweeting the benefits of 140 characters or less, it's easy to discover how and what makes Twitter work. However, there is one social network that lacks drama but makes up for it with a devoted business community and plenty of compelling features.
Here are five LinkedIn tips you should try today.
1. Use "Signal" to discover relevant news and information
When you're logged in to LinkedIn, take a tour of a new-ish feature called Signal. This tool lets you easily monitor updates within your network, but more importantly you can filter information so you can also see what people in your extended circle (2nd and 3rd connections) are posting. You can also do the same filtering by industry or location, so you can weed through the noise.
2. Export your connections
Go to "My Connections" to view a list of all your LinkedIn contacts. This address book is a really handy way to get email addresses and updated information, but most importantly you can export this list. At the bottom of the page click "Export Connections," which will put all this contact info in a format suitable for your address book (Micorsoft Outlook, Yahoo! Mail, etc.).
3. Create a resume
It may not be as dramatic as Twitter or as ubiquitous as Facebook, but LinkedIn attracts dedicated users who are serious about business. Here's how to connect with them using the fast-growing service's most powerful new tools.
Here are five LinkedIn tips you should try today.
1. Use "Signal" to discover relevant news and information
When you're logged in to LinkedIn, take a tour of a new-ish feature called Signal. This tool lets you easily monitor updates within your network, but more importantly you can filter information so you can also see what people in your extended circle (2nd and 3rd connections) are posting. You can also do the same filtering by industry or location, so you can weed through the noise.
2. Export your connections
Go to "My Connections" to view a list of all your LinkedIn contacts. This address book is a really handy way to get email addresses and updated information, but most importantly you can export this list. At the bottom of the page click "Export Connections," which will put all this contact info in a format suitable for your address book (Micorsoft Outlook, Yahoo! Mail, etc.).
3. Create a resume
If you've already filled out your LinkedIn profile information, it's easy to use it to create a foundation for a resume. The Resume Builder will suck in your professional past and you can use any of the pre-built templates to make it look good. From an Executive style presentation to a more casual layout, this tool will take some of the pain out of the resume building process. You can export the resume, share it easily, and edit as you wish.
Friday, June 3, 2011
10 Jobs With High Depression Rates
No one said managing other people’s money was an easy job. But these days making investors happy is taking a toll on financial advisors’ own health.
A report from health.com lists financial advisors as one of the 10 professions where workers are mostly likely to experience major depression in a given year.
Others on the list include health care workers, social workers, administrative staff support and maintenance/grounds people.
There’s a lot at stake when managing someone’s retirement nest egg. Job performance doesn’t just impact an advisor’s own livelihood, but rather it means the difference between helping someone retire comfortably or losing someone a portion of their assets on a bad investment.
Deborah Legge, PhD, tells health.com, “There is so much responsibility for other people’s finances and no control of the market. There is guilt involved, and when (clients) are losing money, they probably have people screaming at them with regularity.”
Since the financial crisis there’s been an increase in the number of reported suicides among financial advisors. In March, a Toronto-based financial advisor was found dead in his home after being sued by investors. In February, a Smith Barney broker named to Barron’s list of Top Advisors jumped from a bridge to his death. Deutsche Bank broker Russell Smith left a note to some of his clients before committing suicide in October 2008:
“Since you are reading this, I have just taken my life. It was necessary because the alternatives were totally unpalatable. I consider you a friend first and a client second. That said, I had a fiduciary relationship with you that charged me with putting your interest first. I can say that I always tried to do that. However, some of the investment recommendations that I chose did not work.”
Here’s the complete list of depression-prone professions.
A report from health.com lists financial advisors as one of the 10 professions where workers are mostly likely to experience major depression in a given year.
Others on the list include health care workers, social workers, administrative staff support and maintenance/grounds people.
There’s a lot at stake when managing someone’s retirement nest egg. Job performance doesn’t just impact an advisor’s own livelihood, but rather it means the difference between helping someone retire comfortably or losing someone a portion of their assets on a bad investment.
Deborah Legge, PhD, tells health.com, “There is so much responsibility for other people’s finances and no control of the market. There is guilt involved, and when (clients) are losing money, they probably have people screaming at them with regularity.”
Since the financial crisis there’s been an increase in the number of reported suicides among financial advisors. In March, a Toronto-based financial advisor was found dead in his home after being sued by investors. In February, a Smith Barney broker named to Barron’s list of Top Advisors jumped from a bridge to his death. Deutsche Bank broker Russell Smith left a note to some of his clients before committing suicide in October 2008:
“Since you are reading this, I have just taken my life. It was necessary because the alternatives were totally unpalatable. I consider you a friend first and a client second. That said, I had a fiduciary relationship with you that charged me with putting your interest first. I can say that I always tried to do that. However, some of the investment recommendations that I chose did not work.”
Here’s the complete list of depression-prone professions.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Start-Ups Tag Facebook for Career Networking
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
11 Money-Smart Steps All Grads Should Take
By Wise Bread
Graduation season is upon us, and now is the time for soon-to-be and recent graduates to start thinking about what their futures hold. Graduating can be a scary and confusing time for young adults who aren’t quite sure how to make the transition from college life to the real world, but here are eleven tips to help make the transition a little easier.
1. Get Educated About Taxes
The government is going to take money out of your paycheck, so you might as well learn about the different types of taxes, brackets, and deductions. By educating yourself about taxes, you can learn where your money is going and how to better shelter your income, ultimately keeping more money in your bank accounts.
2. Be Careful With Credit Cards
If you have credit cards, don’t overuse them, no matter how tempting it is. Only spend money you have and be sure to pay off your balance in full each month. If you aren’t capable of exercising restraint when it comes to credit cards, use a debit card or only pay for things with cash. Also, check your credit score on a regular basis to make sure it’s accurate.
3. Sign Up For LinkedIn
LinkedIn is like Facebook for professionals. It enables you to connect with your personal and professional contacts, showcase your resume, and make new connections that can ultimately help you find a job. Take the time to fully fill out your profile so you can be more marketable to potential employers.
4. Start an Emergency Fund
An emergency fund—money stored in case of an unexpected occurrence such as a job loss or sudden medical problem—is absolutely vital given the state of the economy. If you can, try to stash away some money each month so you have funds to fall back on should you lose your job (or, if you haven’t graduated yet, until you land your first job). Your goal should be to have enough money to support yourself for at least a few months – but any bit can help.
5. Get Educated About Retirement
It is never too early to start thinking about retirement. Educate yourself about 401(k)s and IRAs so you can start getting prepared. If you currently have a job or when you get one, find out if your company does any 401(k) matching. If they do, take advantage of it—it’s essentially free money.
6. Make Your Facebook Account Employer-Friendly
Go onto your Facebook profile and make it employer friendly. This means removing all inappropriate pictures and information or, at the very least, making your profile as private as possible so potential employers cannot see pictures from your crazy weekend in Vegas or your spring break trip to Cancun.
Tips 7 - 11 and Complete US News Article
Graduation season is upon us, and now is the time for soon-to-be and recent graduates to start thinking about what their futures hold. Graduating can be a scary and confusing time for young adults who aren’t quite sure how to make the transition from college life to the real world, but here are eleven tips to help make the transition a little easier.
1. Get Educated About Taxes
The government is going to take money out of your paycheck, so you might as well learn about the different types of taxes, brackets, and deductions. By educating yourself about taxes, you can learn where your money is going and how to better shelter your income, ultimately keeping more money in your bank accounts.
2. Be Careful With Credit Cards
If you have credit cards, don’t overuse them, no matter how tempting it is. Only spend money you have and be sure to pay off your balance in full each month. If you aren’t capable of exercising restraint when it comes to credit cards, use a debit card or only pay for things with cash. Also, check your credit score on a regular basis to make sure it’s accurate.
3. Sign Up For LinkedIn
LinkedIn is like Facebook for professionals. It enables you to connect with your personal and professional contacts, showcase your resume, and make new connections that can ultimately help you find a job. Take the time to fully fill out your profile so you can be more marketable to potential employers.
4. Start an Emergency Fund
An emergency fund—money stored in case of an unexpected occurrence such as a job loss or sudden medical problem—is absolutely vital given the state of the economy. If you can, try to stash away some money each month so you have funds to fall back on should you lose your job (or, if you haven’t graduated yet, until you land your first job). Your goal should be to have enough money to support yourself for at least a few months – but any bit can help.
5. Get Educated About Retirement
It is never too early to start thinking about retirement. Educate yourself about 401(k)s and IRAs so you can start getting prepared. If you currently have a job or when you get one, find out if your company does any 401(k) matching. If they do, take advantage of it—it’s essentially free money.
6. Make Your Facebook Account Employer-Friendly
Go onto your Facebook profile and make it employer friendly. This means removing all inappropriate pictures and information or, at the very least, making your profile as private as possible so potential employers cannot see pictures from your crazy weekend in Vegas or your spring break trip to Cancun.
Tips 7 - 11 and Complete US News Article
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
5 Ways to Use Google to Avoid Layoffs
by Susan P. Joyce
Being uninformed today is a dangerous habit. Companies go out of business or have layoffs. Divisions are shut down. Products or services are discontinued. Technology shifts business from one company or industry to another. Manufacturing moves to a different supplier or country.
Most of those events result in the loss of jobs, or, at least, jobs shifting from one employer, industry, or country to another.
If you are employed, stay informed about what is being published on the web about your employer. Use that information for career management and for financial self defense. If your employer seems to be having a tough time, start thinking about moving on to another employer. Read Job-Hunt’s Layoff Self-Defense ebook for suggestions about how to prepare to move on.
If you are unemployed, stay informed about potential employers so you can avoid pursuing employment with an employer who may stop hiring or may offer short-term employment.
Below, find 40 search queries in 5 categories of information that can be strong indicators of pending layoffs.
Business Uncertainty
Millions of business opportunities and threats happen all the time. For example, consider the recent history of Eastman Kodak, and pity the Kodak employees who were ignoring the news and what was going on around them.
Eastman Kodak -
Fortunately, it is much easier to be well-informed today than ever, with technology (aka, Google).
Using Google Search
Discover the bad news, or just speculation, about your employer so you can help address the problems, avoid moving into a group that is failing, or move out of a bad situation (the employer as a whole or one part of it).
Most Google searches are automatically “Everything” searches, but you may find the “News” searches to be more helpful. You may also find that the “Videos” and “Images” searches may be helpful.
Select the type of search you want from the upper left side of the Google search results pages (inside the red box in the image below).
If you don’t see the ”Images,” “Videos,” and “News” options, click on the arrow beside the “More” button to find them.
Try these Google searches. Some will work better for you than others, and some may not be appropriate for your situation. Use the search results you get to refine your search until most of what you get is best for your situation.
Try these searches to find information about sales or revenue going down, which may lead to layoffs to reduce expenses -
See more search tips and complete article
Being uninformed today is a dangerous habit. Companies go out of business or have layoffs. Divisions are shut down. Products or services are discontinued. Technology shifts business from one company or industry to another. Manufacturing moves to a different supplier or country.
Most of those events result in the loss of jobs, or, at least, jobs shifting from one employer, industry, or country to another.
If you are employed, stay informed about what is being published on the web about your employer. Use that information for career management and for financial self defense. If your employer seems to be having a tough time, start thinking about moving on to another employer. Read Job-Hunt’s Layoff Self-Defense ebook for suggestions about how to prepare to move on.
If you are unemployed, stay informed about potential employers so you can avoid pursuing employment with an employer who may stop hiring or may offer short-term employment.
Below, find 40 search queries in 5 categories of information that can be strong indicators of pending layoffs.
Business Uncertainty
Millions of business opportunities and threats happen all the time. For example, consider the recent history of Eastman Kodak, and pity the Kodak employees who were ignoring the news and what was going on around them.
Eastman Kodak -
- 1995: ranked at 43 in the Fortune 500
- 2011: ranked at 327
- 1988: 145,000 employees; in 2009 down to fewer than 20,000 (Forbes magazine)
Fortunately, it is much easier to be well-informed today than ever, with technology (aka, Google).
Using Google Search
Discover the bad news, or just speculation, about your employer so you can help address the problems, avoid moving into a group that is failing, or move out of a bad situation (the employer as a whole or one part of it).
Most Google searches are automatically “Everything” searches, but you may find the “News” searches to be more helpful. You may also find that the “Videos” and “Images” searches may be helpful.
Select the type of search you want from the upper left side of the Google search results pages (inside the red box in the image below).
If you don’t see the ”Images,” “Videos,” and “News” options, click on the arrow beside the “More” button to find them.
Read the Google-izing Your Job Search article for useful tips on using Google search syntax, and learn the trick about using dots (periods) between elements of a phrase rather than quotation marks, as in some of the examples below.
Finding the Bad NewsTry these Google searches. Some will work better for you than others, and some may not be appropriate for your situation. Use the search results you get to refine your search until most of what you get is best for your situation.
Note: In the search strings below, the brackets [ ] are around search terms for you to fill in with what ever is appropriate for you.
1. Drop in sales or revenueTry these searches to find information about sales or revenue going down, which may lead to layoffs to reduce expenses -
- “sales drop” +[company.name] +[current year]
- “earnings drop” +[company.name] +[current year]
- “revenue dropping” +[company.name] +[current year]
- “negative revenue” +forecast +[company.name] +[current year]
- “negative outlook” +[company.name] +[current year]
- “negative sales forecast” +[company.name] +[current year]
- “negative revenue forecast” +[company.name] +[current year]
See more search tips and complete article
Friday, May 27, 2011
Top 10 Traits Of Highly Successful People
We have all read about people who are successful briefly. They win a gold medal, make a fortune, or star in one great movie and then disappear.…These examples do not inspire me!
My focus and fascination is with people who seem to do well in many areas of life, and do it over and over through a lifetime. In entertainment, I think of Paul Newman and Bill Cosby. In business, I think of Ben and Jerry (the ice cream moguls)…As a Naval Officer, husband, businessman, politician and now as a mediator and philanthropist on the world stage, Jimmy Carter has had a remarkable life. We all know examples of people who go from one success to another.
These are the people who inspire me! I’ve studied them, and I’ve noticed they have the following traits in common:
1. Repeatedly successful people respond instantly! When an investment isn’t working out, they sell. When they see an opportunity, they make the call. If an important relationship is cooling down, they take time to renew it. When technology or a new competitor or a change in the economic situation requires an adjustment, they are the first and quickest to respond.
2. They work hard! Yes, they play hard, too! They get up early, they rarely complain, they expect performance from others, but they expect extraordinary performance from themselves. Repeated, high-level success starts with a recognition that hard work pays off.
3. They are incredibly curious and eager to learn. They study, ask questions and read—constantly! An interesting point, however: While most of them did well in school, the difference is that they apply or take advantage of what they learn. Repeated success is not about memorizing facts, it’s about being able to take information and create, build, or apply it in new and important ways. Successful people want to learn everything about everything!
4. They network. They know lots of people, and they know lots of different kinds of people. They listen to friends, neighbors, co- workers and bartenders. They don’t have to be “the life of the party,” in fact many are quiet, even shy, but they value people and they value relationships. Successful people have a Rolodex full of people who value their friendship and return their calls.
5. They work on themselves and never quit! While the “over-night wonders” become arrogant and quickly disappear, really successful people work on their personality, their leadership skills, management skills, and every other detail of life. When a relationship or business deal goes sour, they assume they can learn from it and they expect to do better next time. Successful people don’t tolerate flaws; they fix them!
6. They are extraordinarily creative. They go around asking, “Why not?” They see new combinations, new possibilities, new opportunities and challenges where others see problems or limitations. They wake up in the middle of the night yelling, “I’ve got it!” They ask for advice, try things out, consult experts and amateurs, always looking for a better, faster, cheaper solution. Successful people create stuff!
Traits 7 - 10 and complete article
My focus and fascination is with people who seem to do well in many areas of life, and do it over and over through a lifetime. In entertainment, I think of Paul Newman and Bill Cosby. In business, I think of Ben and Jerry (the ice cream moguls)…As a Naval Officer, husband, businessman, politician and now as a mediator and philanthropist on the world stage, Jimmy Carter has had a remarkable life. We all know examples of people who go from one success to another.
These are the people who inspire me! I’ve studied them, and I’ve noticed they have the following traits in common:
1. Repeatedly successful people respond instantly! When an investment isn’t working out, they sell. When they see an opportunity, they make the call. If an important relationship is cooling down, they take time to renew it. When technology or a new competitor or a change in the economic situation requires an adjustment, they are the first and quickest to respond.
2. They work hard! Yes, they play hard, too! They get up early, they rarely complain, they expect performance from others, but they expect extraordinary performance from themselves. Repeated, high-level success starts with a recognition that hard work pays off.
3. They are incredibly curious and eager to learn. They study, ask questions and read—constantly! An interesting point, however: While most of them did well in school, the difference is that they apply or take advantage of what they learn. Repeated success is not about memorizing facts, it’s about being able to take information and create, build, or apply it in new and important ways. Successful people want to learn everything about everything!
4. They network. They know lots of people, and they know lots of different kinds of people. They listen to friends, neighbors, co- workers and bartenders. They don’t have to be “the life of the party,” in fact many are quiet, even shy, but they value people and they value relationships. Successful people have a Rolodex full of people who value their friendship and return their calls.
5. They work on themselves and never quit! While the “over-night wonders” become arrogant and quickly disappear, really successful people work on their personality, their leadership skills, management skills, and every other detail of life. When a relationship or business deal goes sour, they assume they can learn from it and they expect to do better next time. Successful people don’t tolerate flaws; they fix them!
6. They are extraordinarily creative. They go around asking, “Why not?” They see new combinations, new possibilities, new opportunities and challenges where others see problems or limitations. They wake up in the middle of the night yelling, “I’ve got it!” They ask for advice, try things out, consult experts and amateurs, always looking for a better, faster, cheaper solution. Successful people create stuff!
Traits 7 - 10 and complete article
Thursday, May 26, 2011
What The Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast
By Laura Vanderkam
Mornings are a mad-cap time in many households. Everyone’s so focused on getting out the door that you can easily lose track of just how much time is passing. I’ve had hundreds of people keep time logs for me over the past few years (you can see some of mine here and here), and I’m always amazed to see gaps of 90 minutes or more between when people wake up and when they start the commute or school car pool.
That would be fine if the time was used intentionally, but often it isn’t.
The most productive people, however, realize that 90 minutes, 120 minutes or more is a long time to lose track of on a busy weekday. If you feel like you don’t have time for personal priorities later in the day, why not try using your mornings? Streamline breakfast, personal care and kid routines. Then you can use 30-60 minutes to try one of four things:
1. Play, read, or talk with your kids. Mornings can be great quality time, especially if you have little kids who go to bed soon after you get home at night, but wake up at the crack of dawn. Set an alarm on your watch, put away the iPhone, and spend a relaxed half an hour reading stories or doing art projects. If you have older children, aim for a leisurely family breakfast. Everyone talks through their plans for the day and what’s going on in their lives. If family dinners aren’t a regular thing in your house, this is a great substitute.
2. Exercise. You shower in the morning anyway, so why not get sweaty first? Trade off mornings with your partner on who goes out and runs and who stays home with the kids. Or, if your kids are older (or you don’t have any) work out together and make it a very healthy morning date.
3. Indulge your creative side. Lots of people would like to resurrect a creative hobby like painting, photography, scrapbooking, writing, even practicing an instrument. What if you went to bed a little earlier three times a week? Skip that last TV show or those last emails and get up a little earlier the next morning to put in some time at your easel before the day gets away from you.
Tip 4, More Advice, and Complete bnet Article
Mornings are a mad-cap time in many households. Everyone’s so focused on getting out the door that you can easily lose track of just how much time is passing. I’ve had hundreds of people keep time logs for me over the past few years (you can see some of mine here and here), and I’m always amazed to see gaps of 90 minutes or more between when people wake up and when they start the commute or school car pool.
That would be fine if the time was used intentionally, but often it isn’t.
The most productive people, however, realize that 90 minutes, 120 minutes or more is a long time to lose track of on a busy weekday. If you feel like you don’t have time for personal priorities later in the day, why not try using your mornings? Streamline breakfast, personal care and kid routines. Then you can use 30-60 minutes to try one of four things:
1. Play, read, or talk with your kids. Mornings can be great quality time, especially if you have little kids who go to bed soon after you get home at night, but wake up at the crack of dawn. Set an alarm on your watch, put away the iPhone, and spend a relaxed half an hour reading stories or doing art projects. If you have older children, aim for a leisurely family breakfast. Everyone talks through their plans for the day and what’s going on in their lives. If family dinners aren’t a regular thing in your house, this is a great substitute.
2. Exercise. You shower in the morning anyway, so why not get sweaty first? Trade off mornings with your partner on who goes out and runs and who stays home with the kids. Or, if your kids are older (or you don’t have any) work out together and make it a very healthy morning date.
3. Indulge your creative side. Lots of people would like to resurrect a creative hobby like painting, photography, scrapbooking, writing, even practicing an instrument. What if you went to bed a little earlier three times a week? Skip that last TV show or those last emails and get up a little earlier the next morning to put in some time at your easel before the day gets away from you.
Tip 4, More Advice, and Complete bnet Article
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
5 Tips for a Flawless LinkedIn Profile
FACT: If brown is the new black, then LinkedIn is the new resume. It’s not enough just to have a profile, you need to leverage your profile’s design to ensure it sends the right personal branding message. Brand or BE BRANDED! In this session of Brand ME! on CAREEREALISM TV, J.T. shares 5 basic tips anyone can use in less than an hour to make sure their LinkedIn profile is up-to-date and making a good impression on the people viewing it. You’ll learn:
See The Video and More
- Why recruiters are no longer posting jobs and doing proactive LinkedIn searches instead.
- How your lack of a picture is getting you discriminated against.
- Why you Summary could be turning off hiring managers.
- How your Work History could be saying you aren’t a good professional.
See The Video and More
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
5 Tips To Separate Personal And Professional Life Online
BY Amber Mac
"My life and biz is so intertwined in every way that it's hard to make that clean separation on and offline." That's what Candace Alper (@NameYourTuneCDs) said on Twitter when I asked about the importance of separating your personal and business life on Facebook. As an entrepreneur who runs a made-to-order children's CD company, she is comfortable mixing business with pleasure online. Monica Roddey (@MicaR) agrees. She says "my online persona = my 'real life' persona ... what you see is what you get."
I fall into Alper's and Roddey's camp. When I signed up for Facebook years ago, I opened it up to anyone and everyone. Although I now also maintain a fan page, it's still hard for me to refuse friend invites that make their way into my personal account. However, the majority of the responses I received disagreed with this approach. Matt Hall (@mattwiter) writes that "you simply don't combine the two to begin with ... that is a sure mistake." For Kathy Dabrowska (@_katdee), she says "you can't be ON all the time ... you need a place where marketing yourself is not needed."
In theory I agree that separation is a good thing. With more employers lurking on social profiles and more people oversharing online, it just makes sense to keep some things private. However, the reality is that sometimes the tools make it difficult to split up your networks. Here are five tips to help you get closer.
1. Use different networks for different purposes
Jon Lax (@jonlax) uses LinkedIn for business and Facebook for personal. This seems to be a pretty safe and standard approach for a lot of people. After all, LinkedIn just doesn't lend itself to the more personal information that is expected on Facebook. If you do this, it's important to warn people in your professional life who are expecting to be accepted as a Facebook friend. In other words, let them know gently that LinkedIn is where your like to do business.
2. Create a Facebook personal profile AND brand page
Mike Frey is a fan of separation, so he maintains a private account and a company page. This way it's clear that the latter is for professional networking only. To create a public page simply go to the Pages section on Facebook. You have the option to create a page as a Business, Company, Public Figure, Brand, or Community Cause. One thing to note, until you have 25 fans you cannot get a custom URL for your page (an important part of your overall branding).
3. Push your business contacts to Twitter
Maury Estabrooks (@maurye) thinks using Twitter as a professional networking tool and Facebook for personal relationships is ideal. Since Twitter works best as a public forum, this is a solid approach. The only downside to this option is that your tweeting profile lacks the infrastructure to expand on your business information and history, so it's limited as a professional tool.
Read Tips 4 - 5 and Complete FAst Company Article
"My life and biz is so intertwined in every way that it's hard to make that clean separation on and offline." That's what Candace Alper (@NameYourTuneCDs) said on Twitter when I asked about the importance of separating your personal and business life on Facebook. As an entrepreneur who runs a made-to-order children's CD company, she is comfortable mixing business with pleasure online. Monica Roddey (@MicaR) agrees. She says "my online persona = my 'real life' persona ... what you see is what you get."
I fall into Alper's and Roddey's camp. When I signed up for Facebook years ago, I opened it up to anyone and everyone. Although I now also maintain a fan page, it's still hard for me to refuse friend invites that make their way into my personal account. However, the majority of the responses I received disagreed with this approach. Matt Hall (@mattwiter) writes that "you simply don't combine the two to begin with ... that is a sure mistake." For Kathy Dabrowska (@_katdee), she says "you can't be ON all the time ... you need a place where marketing yourself is not needed."
In theory I agree that separation is a good thing. With more employers lurking on social profiles and more people oversharing online, it just makes sense to keep some things private. However, the reality is that sometimes the tools make it difficult to split up your networks. Here are five tips to help you get closer.
1. Use different networks for different purposes
Jon Lax (@jonlax) uses LinkedIn for business and Facebook for personal. This seems to be a pretty safe and standard approach for a lot of people. After all, LinkedIn just doesn't lend itself to the more personal information that is expected on Facebook. If you do this, it's important to warn people in your professional life who are expecting to be accepted as a Facebook friend. In other words, let them know gently that LinkedIn is where your like to do business.
2. Create a Facebook personal profile AND brand page
Mike Frey is a fan of separation, so he maintains a private account and a company page. This way it's clear that the latter is for professional networking only. To create a public page simply go to the Pages section on Facebook. You have the option to create a page as a Business, Company, Public Figure, Brand, or Community Cause. One thing to note, until you have 25 fans you cannot get a custom URL for your page (an important part of your overall branding).
3. Push your business contacts to Twitter
Maury Estabrooks (@maurye) thinks using Twitter as a professional networking tool and Facebook for personal relationships is ideal. Since Twitter works best as a public forum, this is a solid approach. The only downside to this option is that your tweeting profile lacks the infrastructure to expand on your business information and history, so it's limited as a professional tool.
Read Tips 4 - 5 and Complete FAst Company Article
Monday, May 23, 2011
Jobety: A Job Search Tool for Web Developers and Designers
by Steve Gibson
Looking for a job can be nerve racking. I remember graduating college into the height of the dot com boom. Apprehensively I sent out cover letters and resumes, hoping against hope that I might somehow be selected. After a few interviews and rambling on about where I wanted to be in five years I found myself with a couple offers. Little did I know how easy we had it back then.
Nowadays things are much harder. With the slow down in the economy people have been scrambling to find a job. Whereas my initial interviews were more like pulse checks and introductions, now companies scrutinize every candidate. Every ‘i’ must be dotted and ‘t’ crossed to find a job in this economy.
Job boards have been the haunts of those who find themselves out of work. Most of them include every type of job imaginable. Candidates typically only want one type of job though. We’re either software engineers or sales people, but not both. For the former case, Jobety was founded. It’s a web development job search engine that is built strictly for web designers and developers.
One of the problems with looking for a job is you need to go to all the major sites to check and see what’s available. By navigating to Jobety you can enter the types of skills you have and your location, and it will return results from a variety of sites. It gives you a quick overview of up and coming work in you area.
Jobety’s web design job search engine gives you a few filtering options to make it easier to sift the results. First is filtering based upon the date the job was posted. It allows you to indicate how far back you’d like the search results to go. Next is to adjust the distance you’re willing to travel. One thing about working office jobs that I’m dead set against is commuting. There’s no single way to better evaporate one’s time than sitting in a car going to and from work. Hence, I’ve resolved to always move closer to the office in order to reduce the commute. Now, if you’re riding a motorcycle then that’s a whole different story, but I digress. Once the results are displayed Jobety lets you sort them based upon relevance, date, or distance.
Once you’ve found a few positions that look interesting you simply click on them and it takes you out to the site. Jobety’s job is complete. From there you can follow up through whatever protocol provided by that particular job board. Beyond that you only need be perfect in every way for the next 3-6 weeks to be welcomed into the ranks of the employed.
Read The Complete BusinessWeek Article
Looking for a job can be nerve racking. I remember graduating college into the height of the dot com boom. Apprehensively I sent out cover letters and resumes, hoping against hope that I might somehow be selected. After a few interviews and rambling on about where I wanted to be in five years I found myself with a couple offers. Little did I know how easy we had it back then.
Nowadays things are much harder. With the slow down in the economy people have been scrambling to find a job. Whereas my initial interviews were more like pulse checks and introductions, now companies scrutinize every candidate. Every ‘i’ must be dotted and ‘t’ crossed to find a job in this economy.
Jobety Home
Job boards have been the haunts of those who find themselves out of work. Most of them include every type of job imaginable. Candidates typically only want one type of job though. We’re either software engineers or sales people, but not both. For the former case, Jobety was founded. It’s a web development job search engine that is built strictly for web designers and developers.
One of the problems with looking for a job is you need to go to all the major sites to check and see what’s available. By navigating to Jobety you can enter the types of skills you have and your location, and it will return results from a variety of sites. It gives you a quick overview of up and coming work in you area.
Jobety’s web design job search engine gives you a few filtering options to make it easier to sift the results. First is filtering based upon the date the job was posted. It allows you to indicate how far back you’d like the search results to go. Next is to adjust the distance you’re willing to travel. One thing about working office jobs that I’m dead set against is commuting. There’s no single way to better evaporate one’s time than sitting in a car going to and from work. Hence, I’ve resolved to always move closer to the office in order to reduce the commute. Now, if you’re riding a motorcycle then that’s a whole different story, but I digress. Once the results are displayed Jobety lets you sort them based upon relevance, date, or distance.
Once you’ve found a few positions that look interesting you simply click on them and it takes you out to the site. Jobety’s job is complete. From there you can follow up through whatever protocol provided by that particular job board. Beyond that you only need be perfect in every way for the next 3-6 weeks to be welcomed into the ranks of the employed.
Read The Complete BusinessWeek Article
Thursday, May 19, 2011
8 Tips for Using Social Blogging to Grow Your Business
By Carolyn M. Brown
Social networking. The big corporations have bought into it. Smaller companies, too. Even independent consultants use Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook to do business. It is a great way to get the word out about your product or service. It boosts brand awareness, it builds loyalty, and it attracts and retains customers.
But more companies are exploring ways get a bigger pay off with social media. The next frontier of social networking and weblogging is social blogging. This ever-changing construct represents a way of communicating for people who like to inform each other about their daily activities and share common points of interest, according to Wikipedia authors Lambert M. Surhone, Mariam T. Tennoe, and Susan F. Henssonow. This is usually done through continual updates that often include text, pictures, audio, or video.
In general, you want to use social media to increase your visibility, improve your search engine results, and drive more traffic to your company's website, which stands a good chance of increasing sales and growing the business. Social blogging is simply another tool to add to your overall social media strategic toolkit.
Business owners whose companies are at all levels of growth, from promising start-ups to established and mature firms, are looking for effective promotional tools that are also cost-effective, says Gail Z. Martin, author of 30 Days To Social Media Success. "Though social media is one of the most exciting new communications tools to emerge in the last twenty years and can provide cost effective marketing, it's one of the most misunderstood mediums," says Martin.
Social media, be it weblogging, microblogging (i.e., Twitter), or posting status updates, is a different kind of marketing. It's not about creating a sales pitch for your product or service. Instead, it's about generating interest and keeping your audience current on news, events, and the latest product developments. A social blog is essentially a form or combination of microblogs (short posts) and status updates. Users post content such as short sentences, images, or video links to large groups of friends, followers, or co-workers. As with traditional weblogging, users can write messages on topics that range from "what am I doing right now" to thematic ones such as "best places to eat sushi." These messages can be transmitted via posting, text messaging, or e-mailing.
Businesses can use the concept of social blogging to provide up-to-the-minute news as they will find the need for quicker, current, and condensed information far more useful to their audiences, say social media gurus. But social blogs and status updates on Twitter and Facebook, for instance, aren't just limited to news content, businesses also can use these as effective forms of communication to reach large groups of consumers and associates instantaneously to learn about their needs and wants.
Starbucks Corporation is a social media giant when it comes to engagement, including incorporating blogs, status updates, tweets, and forums. When the trendy Seattle-based coffeehouse chain realized that its sales were stagnating and that competition was becoming fierce, it had to find ways to solidify and expand its market share. In 2009, Starbucks launched the interactive MyStarbucksIdea website and corporate blog. While some industry analysts doubted whether the site would catch on, well over 100,000 internet users had visited the site by the end of its first week online. The site allows users to submit ideas for new drinks, food items, packages, even store designs. Suggestions are voted on by Starbucks consumers with the most popular ones getting highlighted.
But Starbucks took it a step further, adding an "Ideas in Action" blog that gives updates to users on the status of suggested changes. Starbucks doesn't just communicate news and business developments with its audience, but it also lets them know which of their suggestions the company has really taken to heart. Starbucks also has fully embraced Twitter beyond notifying consumers about bargains; @Starbucks focuses on sharing interesting events and music information or brand- and charity-related topics the company would like to address. It's not a one-way monologue. Followers are not just entertained. They are being engaged in a brand and conversations around it.
Like Starbucks, Zappos embraces microblogging to manage customer relations. Tweets @Zappos are used to highlight interesting facts, and to talk to customers in a way that is friendly, helpful, funny and trustworthy. The Brooklyn Kitchen keeps foodies up to date on events from notices about the new book club in full swing to the next skills knife class kicking off. Amateur chefs Taylor Erkkinen and Harry Rosenblum opened The Brooklyn Kitchen in 2006 after scouring the neighborhood for kitchenware and coming up empty-handed. Today, their homegrown shop is crammed wall to wall with tools for both serious cooks and hobbyists. The duo focuses on providing useful and targeted information in their posts whether it's through their website, weblog, or twitter account. From videos on how to shuck oysters or saber a champagne bottle, Erkkinen and Rosenblum always provide real value for enthusiastic cooking fans.
This type of added-value and engagement translates to increased brand awareness and direct sales. These companies demonstrate the effective use of compelling and condensed content aligned with tangible business objectives. Here are some tips to help you make the most of social blogging:
1. Position yourself as an expert. When people are looking for a product or service, oftentimes they will first look for information about the subject on the Internet. In general, blogging is about having conversations in a public space that position you as a subject matter expert. "The type of discussions you ideally should have ought to be answering questions that people out there on the Internet are searching for," says Adria Richards, Organic Technology Consultant and blogger. "For me, social blogging is a way to have conversations with potential customers and to draw traffic to your site." For instance, you can answer questions from consumers via Twitter, which is a popular thing to do.
Read Tips 2 - 7 and The Rest Of The Inc. Article
Social networking. The big corporations have bought into it. Smaller companies, too. Even independent consultants use Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook to do business. It is a great way to get the word out about your product or service. It boosts brand awareness, it builds loyalty, and it attracts and retains customers.
But more companies are exploring ways get a bigger pay off with social media. The next frontier of social networking and weblogging is social blogging. This ever-changing construct represents a way of communicating for people who like to inform each other about their daily activities and share common points of interest, according to Wikipedia authors Lambert M. Surhone, Mariam T. Tennoe, and Susan F. Henssonow. This is usually done through continual updates that often include text, pictures, audio, or video.
In general, you want to use social media to increase your visibility, improve your search engine results, and drive more traffic to your company's website, which stands a good chance of increasing sales and growing the business. Social blogging is simply another tool to add to your overall social media strategic toolkit.
Business owners whose companies are at all levels of growth, from promising start-ups to established and mature firms, are looking for effective promotional tools that are also cost-effective, says Gail Z. Martin, author of 30 Days To Social Media Success. "Though social media is one of the most exciting new communications tools to emerge in the last twenty years and can provide cost effective marketing, it's one of the most misunderstood mediums," says Martin.
Social media, be it weblogging, microblogging (i.e., Twitter), or posting status updates, is a different kind of marketing. It's not about creating a sales pitch for your product or service. Instead, it's about generating interest and keeping your audience current on news, events, and the latest product developments. A social blog is essentially a form or combination of microblogs (short posts) and status updates. Users post content such as short sentences, images, or video links to large groups of friends, followers, or co-workers. As with traditional weblogging, users can write messages on topics that range from "what am I doing right now" to thematic ones such as "best places to eat sushi." These messages can be transmitted via posting, text messaging, or e-mailing.
Businesses can use the concept of social blogging to provide up-to-the-minute news as they will find the need for quicker, current, and condensed information far more useful to their audiences, say social media gurus. But social blogs and status updates on Twitter and Facebook, for instance, aren't just limited to news content, businesses also can use these as effective forms of communication to reach large groups of consumers and associates instantaneously to learn about their needs and wants.
Starbucks Corporation is a social media giant when it comes to engagement, including incorporating blogs, status updates, tweets, and forums. When the trendy Seattle-based coffeehouse chain realized that its sales were stagnating and that competition was becoming fierce, it had to find ways to solidify and expand its market share. In 2009, Starbucks launched the interactive MyStarbucksIdea website and corporate blog. While some industry analysts doubted whether the site would catch on, well over 100,000 internet users had visited the site by the end of its first week online. The site allows users to submit ideas for new drinks, food items, packages, even store designs. Suggestions are voted on by Starbucks consumers with the most popular ones getting highlighted.
But Starbucks took it a step further, adding an "Ideas in Action" blog that gives updates to users on the status of suggested changes. Starbucks doesn't just communicate news and business developments with its audience, but it also lets them know which of their suggestions the company has really taken to heart. Starbucks also has fully embraced Twitter beyond notifying consumers about bargains; @Starbucks focuses on sharing interesting events and music information or brand- and charity-related topics the company would like to address. It's not a one-way monologue. Followers are not just entertained. They are being engaged in a brand and conversations around it.
Like Starbucks, Zappos embraces microblogging to manage customer relations. Tweets @Zappos are used to highlight interesting facts, and to talk to customers in a way that is friendly, helpful, funny and trustworthy. The Brooklyn Kitchen keeps foodies up to date on events from notices about the new book club in full swing to the next skills knife class kicking off. Amateur chefs Taylor Erkkinen and Harry Rosenblum opened The Brooklyn Kitchen in 2006 after scouring the neighborhood for kitchenware and coming up empty-handed. Today, their homegrown shop is crammed wall to wall with tools for both serious cooks and hobbyists. The duo focuses on providing useful and targeted information in their posts whether it's through their website, weblog, or twitter account. From videos on how to shuck oysters or saber a champagne bottle, Erkkinen and Rosenblum always provide real value for enthusiastic cooking fans.
This type of added-value and engagement translates to increased brand awareness and direct sales. These companies demonstrate the effective use of compelling and condensed content aligned with tangible business objectives. Here are some tips to help you make the most of social blogging:
1. Position yourself as an expert. When people are looking for a product or service, oftentimes they will first look for information about the subject on the Internet. In general, blogging is about having conversations in a public space that position you as a subject matter expert. "The type of discussions you ideally should have ought to be answering questions that people out there on the Internet are searching for," says Adria Richards, Organic Technology Consultant and blogger. "For me, social blogging is a way to have conversations with potential customers and to draw traffic to your site." For instance, you can answer questions from consumers via Twitter, which is a popular thing to do.
Read Tips 2 - 7 and The Rest Of The Inc. Article
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Are You a Fit?
by
When you think of the word “fit,” what comes to mind? Clothing? Trying on a new pair of jeans at the mall?
You’re thinking: Do these jeans give the right impression? Will they work well with the shirts I own? Will they make a nice outfit? Can I afford them?
Funny enough, these are many of the same thoughts running through a hiring manager’s mind when interviewing candidates. Is he/she making a good first impression? Will they work well with others in the company? Be a good team player? Can we afford them?
Fit is much more than simply matching up your experience to the job description’s qualifications, writes L. Michelle Tullier, Ph.D., in her book The Unofficial Guide to Landing a Job (Wiley Publishing, Inc.). Fit is the unique package that you bring to the table. It’s how you bring to life the words on your resume.
So do you “fit” the job your applying for? Michelle explores three main areas in her book:
1. Value
What kinds of value would you bring to the organization? Yes, there are different kinds of value:
Content knowledge: The subjects you know about and overall expertise.
Transferable skills: These are skill sets you’ve acquired from many different aspects of your life. You might have learned how to manage multiple projects while volunteering or how to make deadlines through a position unrelated to the one you’re applying for. These are skills that will serve you for life and can be used in many roles throughout your career.
Personal qualities: The characteristics that you make you unique are valuable to employers. Examples include being detail-oriented or a leader. (Learn how to develop your leadership qualities, here.)
Experience: And of course, employers look at your value in terms of past performance and achievements.
2. Fitting In
“In an employer’s ideal world, all positions would be filled through personal referral.”
Company culture is important in organizations, and hiring managers want to find a person who meshes with the organization’s values. They’re looking at:
Personality: Will you work well with others in the company? Is it a good match?
Image: In addition to physical appearance, employers are looking at nonverbal characteristics like whether you carry yourself with confidence.
Values: Do you match the core values of a company? What drives you? Is it money? Competition? Helping people?
Work Style: Everything from being a talkative person to how many hours you expect to work relates to meshing with a company culture.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
In Hiring, Firms Shine Images
By JOE LIGHT
Employer-Branding Campaigns Try to Attract Most-Coveted Job Candidates
Companies have long set aside resources to develop and market consumer brands. Now, some are finding that to attract the best job candidates, they need to put similar efforts into their so-called employer brands.
Unlike a company's product brands—say Fritos or Dial—employer brands target potential employees to make a company seem like a desirable place to work.
The slow job market has brought the perception that job takers are plentiful, but already companies are finding that the most skilled candidates are in short supply, and are difficult to find, recruiters say. This has prompted some companies to launch employer-branding campaigns for the first time in several years.
Potentialpark AB, a market-research firm that specializes in employer branding, has seen the number of analyses it does for companies almost double in the past year, said Chief Executive Torgil Lenning, whose clients include Hewlett Packard Co. and Credit Suisse Group.
"There's a clear correlation with the economy. As companies realize they need to recruit, they'll spend much more effort improving their [employer] brands," Mr. Lenning said.
In the past, it came down to the logo outside the building. Now, marketing for job candidates involves intensive work and research, says Brian Kropp, a managing director with Corporate Executive Board Co., a business-consulting firm.
PepsiCo Inc. launched its new employer-branding campaign last fall. The company felt its previous campaign, launched a decade earlier, placed too much emphasis on its consumer brands—which include Quaker and Frito-Lay—instead of the actual positions available.
Candidates such as chemists and businesspeople sometimes assumed that PepsiCo only had roles for individuals with experience in the food-and-beverage industry, said Paul Marchand, vice president of global talent acquisition. The new campaign aims to capture candidates from other areas, such as consulting or entertainment, Mr. Marchand said. "We want people coming right out of college to consider us just as they'd consider McKinsey or GE," he said.
PepsiCo produced a series of short videos profiling employees. The videos can be seen on PepsiCo's careers website and on its iPad app, which launched in February and has been downloaded more than 3,000 times, according to Mr. Marchand. PepsiCo's brand logos are noticeably absent from the app, which lets jobseekers learn about work at the company and find openings. The company also revised its LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter accounts to reflect the new campaign.
PepsiCo spent tens of thousands of dollars on research and the campaign, dubbed "Possibilities," Mr. Marchand estimates. He says the company's recruiters have told him it is helping to attract candidates.
The success of employer-branding campaigns is hard to measure. Unlike marketing for a particular product, which can be reflected a few months later in sales, a successful employer-branding campaign doesn't necessarily result in more job applications, Mr. Kropp said. "The purpose of an employment brand is to get the best applications, but for those who aren't the best fit for you, to get them to say 'that seems like a cool company but not the right place for me to work,'" he said.
Still, AT&T Corp. says it saw the number of visitors to its careers site jump 20% after it positioned itself to appeal to the technology-savvy crowd at this year's South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas.
At the conference in March, AT&T's recruitment materials carried "quick response" codes—bar codes that are readable by camera phones and can take candidates quickly to a careers website without typing in a URL. They also handed out contact cards with "augmented reality" glyphs that when held up to a camera phone show candidates a Web video.
AT&T's director of staffing, Jennifer Terry, said that the company hopes the new technologies would signal to the conference attendees that AT&T had moved beyond its telecommunications roots. The company has a particular need for engineers, application developers and hardware and software experts.
"[Before], candidates might picture someone climbing a telephone pole to install something," Ms. Terry said. "If we focus on our digital presence, it helps recruit the right people and set the stage for the company we've become." The number of candidates who came to their careers website from the SXSW conference rose five times over the prior year, Ms. Terry said, and the company has five highly desirable job candidates identified for hard-to-fill tech jobs who found the company via SXSW.
Read The Rest Of The WSJ Article
Employer-Branding Campaigns Try to Attract Most-Coveted Job Candidates
Companies have long set aside resources to develop and market consumer brands. Now, some are finding that to attract the best job candidates, they need to put similar efforts into their so-called employer brands.
Unlike a company's product brands—say Fritos or Dial—employer brands target potential employees to make a company seem like a desirable place to work.
The slow job market has brought the perception that job takers are plentiful, but already companies are finding that the most skilled candidates are in short supply, and are difficult to find, recruiters say. This has prompted some companies to launch employer-branding campaigns for the first time in several years.
Potentialpark AB, a market-research firm that specializes in employer branding, has seen the number of analyses it does for companies almost double in the past year, said Chief Executive Torgil Lenning, whose clients include Hewlett Packard Co. and Credit Suisse Group.
"There's a clear correlation with the economy. As companies realize they need to recruit, they'll spend much more effort improving their [employer] brands," Mr. Lenning said.
In the past, it came down to the logo outside the building. Now, marketing for job candidates involves intensive work and research, says Brian Kropp, a managing director with Corporate Executive Board Co., a business-consulting firm.
PepsiCo Inc. launched its new employer-branding campaign last fall. The company felt its previous campaign, launched a decade earlier, placed too much emphasis on its consumer brands—which include Quaker and Frito-Lay—instead of the actual positions available.
Candidates such as chemists and businesspeople sometimes assumed that PepsiCo only had roles for individuals with experience in the food-and-beverage industry, said Paul Marchand, vice president of global talent acquisition. The new campaign aims to capture candidates from other areas, such as consulting or entertainment, Mr. Marchand said. "We want people coming right out of college to consider us just as they'd consider McKinsey or GE," he said.
PepsiCo produced a series of short videos profiling employees. The videos can be seen on PepsiCo's careers website and on its iPad app, which launched in February and has been downloaded more than 3,000 times, according to Mr. Marchand. PepsiCo's brand logos are noticeably absent from the app, which lets jobseekers learn about work at the company and find openings. The company also revised its LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter accounts to reflect the new campaign.
PepsiCo spent tens of thousands of dollars on research and the campaign, dubbed "Possibilities," Mr. Marchand estimates. He says the company's recruiters have told him it is helping to attract candidates.
The success of employer-branding campaigns is hard to measure. Unlike marketing for a particular product, which can be reflected a few months later in sales, a successful employer-branding campaign doesn't necessarily result in more job applications, Mr. Kropp said. "The purpose of an employment brand is to get the best applications, but for those who aren't the best fit for you, to get them to say 'that seems like a cool company but not the right place for me to work,'" he said.
Still, AT&T Corp. says it saw the number of visitors to its careers site jump 20% after it positioned itself to appeal to the technology-savvy crowd at this year's South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas.
At the conference in March, AT&T's recruitment materials carried "quick response" codes—bar codes that are readable by camera phones and can take candidates quickly to a careers website without typing in a URL. They also handed out contact cards with "augmented reality" glyphs that when held up to a camera phone show candidates a Web video.
AT&T's director of staffing, Jennifer Terry, said that the company hopes the new technologies would signal to the conference attendees that AT&T had moved beyond its telecommunications roots. The company has a particular need for engineers, application developers and hardware and software experts.
"[Before], candidates might picture someone climbing a telephone pole to install something," Ms. Terry said. "If we focus on our digital presence, it helps recruit the right people and set the stage for the company we've become." The number of candidates who came to their careers website from the SXSW conference rose five times over the prior year, Ms. Terry said, and the company has five highly desirable job candidates identified for hard-to-fill tech jobs who found the company via SXSW.
Read The Rest Of The WSJ Article
Monday, May 16, 2011
Old Friends: 'the Holy Grail' of Networking
When it comes to one's career, old friends may be better than new ones.
At least that's the claim of new research that says dormant contacts could be "the holy grail of networking strategy." Former colleagues and long-lost peers are even more helpful than those one speaks to regularly, according to the report: "Dormant Ties: The Value of Reconnecting," which will be published in an upcoming issue of the peer-reviewed scientific journal, Organization Science.
The report's authors -- Daniel Levin (Rutgers University), Jorge Walter (George Washington University) and Keith Murnighan (Northwestern University) -- rounded up 224 executive MBA students and asked them to solicit work advice from two people they had not communicated with for at least three years. One of the contacts had to have been a close friend, while the other was required to have been a "weak tie."
At the same time, participants completed a survey about advice they had already harvested from 15 people with whom they spoke regularly.
Turns out, the dormant colleagues provided more novel insight more efficiently than the contemporaries. Even the long-lost contacts that participants were never close with proved more valuable than many people the subjects talked to often.
"I thought the dormant relationships would be helpful, but I didn't think they would be this helpful," said Daniel Levin, the researcher from Rutgers. "Basically, you get a lot of bang for the buck by reconnecting."
The dormant ties were trusted sources and they were less likely to provide redundant information and insight, Levin noted.
Read the rest of the article
Friday, May 13, 2011
How to Answer the 5 Toughest Interview Questions You’ll Face
By Amy Levin-Epstein
Job interviews are a theatrical performance. In this case, a stutter could mean bad reviews — and cost you a perfect position. And in a competitive market, interviewers are inundated with qualified candidates, so they’re throwing out tougher questions than ever. Here are five of the toughest questions you may likely face during your job search — and how experts say you should answer them.
Tough Question #1: Why Should I Hire You?
How To Answer: Listen and learn, then use that information. “Throughout the interview, ask them specific questions on who they are looking for, what specific attributes stand out for them, discuss a day-in-the-life of the position, etc. Then once you understand their terms, their methodology, their process — you use those exact attributes in answering [that famous] last question, ‘Why should I hire you?’” says Laura Rose, founder of Rose Coaching.
Tough Question #2: What is your greatest fault?
How To Answer: Keep it relevant and simple. “Stay away from personal weaknesses, and don’t use a fake ‘weakness’ such as ‘I work too hard,’” says Charles Purdy, senior editor and career expert at Monster.com. If possible, mention something that you’re working to improve. Purdy’s example: “I am always working on improving my communication skills to be a more effective presenter. I found that joining Toastmasters was very helpful.”
Tough Question #3: What three historical figures would you invite to dinner and why?
How To Answer: If you’re asked a real off-the-wall question like this, the one thing you must do is remain calm. “When an interviewer asks you a bizarre or oddball question, they’re typically looking to see how well you think on your feet. Often, there is no ‘correct’ answer to what they’re asking…This is often your chance to incorporate a little humor into your answer or show your personality — so try not to stress too much about being ‘right,’” says Heather R. Huhman, founder and president of Come Recommended.
Questions 4 - 5 and Complete CBS Article
Job interviews are a theatrical performance. In this case, a stutter could mean bad reviews — and cost you a perfect position. And in a competitive market, interviewers are inundated with qualified candidates, so they’re throwing out tougher questions than ever. Here are five of the toughest questions you may likely face during your job search — and how experts say you should answer them.
Tough Question #1: Why Should I Hire You?
How To Answer: Listen and learn, then use that information. “Throughout the interview, ask them specific questions on who they are looking for, what specific attributes stand out for them, discuss a day-in-the-life of the position, etc. Then once you understand their terms, their methodology, their process — you use those exact attributes in answering [that famous] last question, ‘Why should I hire you?’” says Laura Rose, founder of Rose Coaching.
Tough Question #2: What is your greatest fault?
How To Answer: Keep it relevant and simple. “Stay away from personal weaknesses, and don’t use a fake ‘weakness’ such as ‘I work too hard,’” says Charles Purdy, senior editor and career expert at Monster.com. If possible, mention something that you’re working to improve. Purdy’s example: “I am always working on improving my communication skills to be a more effective presenter. I found that joining Toastmasters was very helpful.”
Tough Question #3: What three historical figures would you invite to dinner and why?
How To Answer: If you’re asked a real off-the-wall question like this, the one thing you must do is remain calm. “When an interviewer asks you a bizarre or oddball question, they’re typically looking to see how well you think on your feet. Often, there is no ‘correct’ answer to what they’re asking…This is often your chance to incorporate a little humor into your answer or show your personality — so try not to stress too much about being ‘right,’” says Heather R. Huhman, founder and president of Come Recommended.
Questions 4 - 5 and Complete CBS Article
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
7 Interview Questions to Uncover Corporate Culture
By Scott Ginsberg
You won’t succeed if you think your co-workers are annoying. (Or vice versa.) So ask these questions upfront to uncover what’s really going on
You’re not the only person being interviewed. In fact, your perception of a company is equally as important as their perception of you.
Here’s the reality: You can’t work where you don’t feel comfortable. You can’t thrive where you don’t feel at home. And you can’t grow where you don’t feel welcome.
Therefore, the culture of the company you’re applying for carries tremendous weight on your decision to work there.
Today we’re going to explore seven questions to ask about corporate culture, along with an explanation of what makes them work. Consider asking a few of these on your next interview:
1. If you could describe your corporate culture in three words, what would you say?
This question accomplishes several goals. First, it’s creative. That positions you as a thinker, not just another resume. Second, it challenges the interviewer to boil down the essence of their workplace in only a few words. Finally, your interviewer’s response isn’t as important as how she responds. Watch her body language. Check her posture. And keep an eye on her facial expressions. Look for consistency between actions and words to get the true description of the culture. Because someone’s body never lies to you.
2. If you were going to give public tours of this company, what stops would the guide make?
This is another creative question to challenge your interviewer. What’s more, her answers will represent the “greatest hits” of the company’s culture. This delivers invaluable insight into what they perceive as the leading attributes of their company. After all, you wouldn’t make it a stop on the tour if it didn’t symbolize a core component to the company’s culture, right?
3. If the local paper were going to run a four-page article about your company’s culture, what would be impossible not to include?
Creative, challenging and counterintuitive. Also positions you in a positive light, regardless of the answer. And, similar to the tour question, this allows your interviewer to put her company in the best light. The secret is, by suggesting a newspaper article it reveals the parts of the company’s culture that she would want the public to know about. Transparency is key.
4. What’s the best part about working in this environment that I won’t be able to see from just a walk around the office?
This question digs deep into the true value of working in a particular company environment. You learn the culture behind the culture, as some workplaces are quite different once you’ve been employed there for a few months. This might be helpful in eliciting a little candor in your interviewer about the reality you’d be working in. Sometimes culture is hard to discern from a brief walkthrough or few weeks of work.
Tips 5 - 7 and Complete Ladders Article
Here’s the reality: You can’t work where you don’t feel comfortable. You can’t thrive where you don’t feel at home. And you can’t grow where you don’t feel welcome.
Therefore, the culture of the company you’re applying for carries tremendous weight on your decision to work there.
Today we’re going to explore seven questions to ask about corporate culture, along with an explanation of what makes them work. Consider asking a few of these on your next interview:
1. If you could describe your corporate culture in three words, what would you say?
This question accomplishes several goals. First, it’s creative. That positions you as a thinker, not just another resume. Second, it challenges the interviewer to boil down the essence of their workplace in only a few words. Finally, your interviewer’s response isn’t as important as how she responds. Watch her body language. Check her posture. And keep an eye on her facial expressions. Look for consistency between actions and words to get the true description of the culture. Because someone’s body never lies to you.
2. If you were going to give public tours of this company, what stops would the guide make?
This is another creative question to challenge your interviewer. What’s more, her answers will represent the “greatest hits” of the company’s culture. This delivers invaluable insight into what they perceive as the leading attributes of their company. After all, you wouldn’t make it a stop on the tour if it didn’t symbolize a core component to the company’s culture, right?
3. If the local paper were going to run a four-page article about your company’s culture, what would be impossible not to include?
Creative, challenging and counterintuitive. Also positions you in a positive light, regardless of the answer. And, similar to the tour question, this allows your interviewer to put her company in the best light. The secret is, by suggesting a newspaper article it reveals the parts of the company’s culture that she would want the public to know about. Transparency is key.
4. What’s the best part about working in this environment that I won’t be able to see from just a walk around the office?
This question digs deep into the true value of working in a particular company environment. You learn the culture behind the culture, as some workplaces are quite different once you’ve been employed there for a few months. This might be helpful in eliciting a little candor in your interviewer about the reality you’d be working in. Sometimes culture is hard to discern from a brief walkthrough or few weeks of work.
Tips 5 - 7 and Complete Ladders Article
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)