Why Blogging about Your Career Development is a Great Idea! (Pt. 2) Building Your Future Now

Why Blogging about Your Career Development is a Great Idea! (Pt. 2) Building Your Future Now If you are established in your career or starting out keeping a blog about your career development is an interesting and exciting way of documenting your growth. You can talk about your projects, any positive interaction with clients or even what kind of training you have done. Writing a post or two a week can be a good way of marking some important benchmarks in your career. A Hobby Writing about something that you know (ie. Your job) can be an easy way to starting a blog. You dont have to invest much at first, but the rewards can be great. For example, a few posts here and there can turn into a full-fledged hobby. Although you already have a career the blog can definitely augment your credentials and showcase your talent to a wider audience. Writing a Book Imagine building a blog to such an extent that you can parlay that into a book? It might seem overwhelming but writing a blog over some time helps build enough information into something you can package and sell. A book also lends credibility to your blog and may even help your career. Becoming a Consultant Even if you love what you are doing it doesnt mean you cant start a business to help others. If you are writing a career development blog people over time will see you as a specialist. If readers reach out to you seeking advice look into building a consulting business. If the demand is there, you maybe have a great chance of positioning yourself as a Consultant within the field that you love! Writing Guest Blogs and Articles Your career development blog can be a launching pad for other exciting opportunitiesone of which is writing guest blogs for other sites and even contributing for magazines. That would definitely be a notch for you. Image: Raw Pixels

First Impressions - Is There a Second Chance

First Impressions - Is There a Second Chance (And Oy! that applies to hiring clients as well as candidates!) I often wonder what people think of me when they meet me for the first time. Do they make an instant judgement of me based on what I am wearing, how I am feeling that day or the context of the meeting? And is the impression I give to them, the one that I would want them to have of me? Candidate checklist: Within a recruitment context, we often talk about creating the right 1st impression in an interview, don’t we?  Heres the checklist for “good 1st impression” for the candidate: A smart new suit (not shiny or too trendy), top-to-toe elegance and professionalism immaculate hair, nails, shoes and tie if a man. A good strong handshake. Good, regular eye contact not too much but not too little either. Fresh breath no cigarette, garlic or wine breath allowed! Smile and be friendly and approachable. Build a rapport with the interviewer and follow their lead if they create small talk to soften the atmosphere. Do all the above whilst being ushered into a meeting room and manage to sit graciously at a desk and accept a drink if offered. Remember also that the 1st impression you create is not just with the interviewer. It is also with the PA, Office Manager and the colleague that meets and greets you or walks past you in reception. It is the person who buzzes you in.  The 1st impression you create when engaging with a new potential employer is actually plus-fold. If you follow all of this advice and remain genuine, you will be memorable and have a good chance to prove why you are the right person for this business â€" if they turn out to be the right business for you! Butclients! Have YOU remembered that YOU also need to create a good first impression?  In candidate-driven markets (which is the case in so many sectors now, including R2R and LONG may it last), all too often a first impression of a company can be misguided if the interviewer hasn’t followed their own essential checklist too: Client checklist: Here is the checklist for a “good 1st impression” for the hiring client: Make sure the exterior and reception area of your office is neat, clean and welcoming. Ideally, have on a coffee table some literature and even awards/testimonials on show to start the grooming process for the candidate! Your chance to allow a candidate to window shop, before you have even met them! Whoever has greeted them needs to offer them refreshments upon arrival. Nothing worse than sitting there thirsty. Rules of hospitality apply as you would to any guest! You also need a good, strong handshake, to be suited and booted and to follow the above checklist about demeanour, presentation and rapport! You have a job to do too. If this candidate turns out to be your next best hire, you need to convince them that they should choose you! Don’t turn the candidate off by starting with probing questions straight away. This is your chance to settle them and tell them all your USPs and why it’s a great company to work for. It is your job to make them desire your opportunity! Do second chances exist? And if, in both instances, you don’t follow these rules, is it possible to start again and have a second chance of a first impression? I personally don’t think so. I  think that recruiters are naturally instinctive and so can see through whether it is likely to be nerves as oppose to something else. So remember that each and every time you meet someone. What is the 1st impression you want someone to have on you? Remember the checklists each and every time you meet anyone (as the list is not exclusive to a recruitment scenario it can apply to client meetings too!)

Top Business Trends That Will Keep Rising In 2019 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Top Business Trends That Will Keep Rising In 2019 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Spotting the business trends can be difficult for leaders and unfortunately, not all predictions may come true. However, some of these trends are so obvious that ignoring them would be same as signing your death warrant as a company. Below you can find some of the most obvious trends of 2019. Personalization: In the past, mass production and mass marketing was popular. Companies were making mass production and with mass marketing, they were making the product popular so everybody was buying it. A few years ago, with the rise of social media and big data, this trend has started to change. People wanted to feel special and therefore, personalization concept has come into our lives. Companies which personalize marketing and produce products that can be personalized will continue to grow. Unfortunately, companies which cannot adapt to this trend will eventually die. Remote Employees: With the rise of millennials among the workforce, remote working became the new norm especially for tech companies. If you want to hire the best employees and retain them in your company, as an employer, you should let them work remotely at least two days a week. This will give them the flexibility they need and enable them to be more creative since they are getting out of their daily routines by working somewhere else than office. Crowdfunding: Crowdfunding will continue to rise not just as a tool to raise capital but also for validating new product ideas. Smart companies use crowdfunding platforms to engage with customers and learn from them early on. The best way to validate a new product is to ask your customers. Using these platforms, you can engage with your customers and as a result, you can reduce your risk, save money and accelerate new product’s time to market. Green Products: Consumers started to become more aware of the planet and the damage they cause. For this reason, they tend to use green and eco-friendly products. They also care about being socially responsible and prefer to purchase from companies which not only want to earn revenues but also have a social mission and help the planet. If companies cannot go greener, then, they may face losing some of their customers.

Top 5 New Years Resolutions in Action - Classy Career Girl

Top 5 New Years Resolutions in Action (Note: Whatever resolution idea you decide on, make sure you download our free 90-day planner to  help you make your goals happen in just 90 days). Here is your quick-start plan for the top 5 new year resolutions: Resolutions Idea #1: Get Out of Debt If you want to get out of debt in the new year, read 15 ways to  pay off $80,000 of debt in 18 months. Additionally, check out six ways eliminating debt can propel your career forward. And for those who prefer video, check out this video on how to get out of debt. Resolutions Idea #2: Find a New Job First of all, make sure you stay motivated at your current job. Then, start working on attracting  your dream job. Finally, watch this free live webinar from our CEO, Anna Runyan, to learn the Love Your Career Formula so that you can find a career you love in the new year. Resolutions Idea #3: Start a Business Want to make 2016 the year you quit your day job and go full-time on your dream business? Make sure you read these 11 no-nonsense tips for starting your business first. And while you are at it, watch this free live webinar from our CEO, Anna Runyan, to learn the five steps to ditch your day job and transition into a profitable, freedom-based business. Finally, dont you dare make these  new entrepreneur mistakes.   Resolutions Idea #4: Find Balance Want to feel more balanced. Try 30-minutes of these top yoga YouTube channels every day for some major stress relief. Its crucial  to practice self-care and put yourself first. Watch this video to learn more about taking care of yourself better in 2016. Finally, since balance is all about time and productivity, make sure you practice these 13 time management habits of successful women. And while you are at it, learn how to wake up earlier in 2016 too. Resolutions Idea #5: Get Healthy To get you started, make sure you study these health tips we love. Then, study those women who are successfully finding time to workout. Finally, listen to  advice from nutrition experts and explore workouts like yoga or Insanity.

How to Make Your Sales Resume Stand Out

How to Make Your Sales Resume Stand OutWhether you're just starting a new job or if you've been out of the business for quite some time, building up your sales resume is essential. Without a good sales resume, you're practically sitting on your head... and it won't get any better than that. To help get you started, here are three tips to help you with your sales resume:Focus on one objective. You want to be very specific about what you want your resume to accomplish. This will help you to create a tailored resume that does its job. Also, make sure to answer all the questions on your sales resume. It's hard to explain what you can do when you don't even know what you want to do!Next, narrow down your target market. Who are you going to sell to? Now you can develop sales resume by laying out the information you've already gathered about these people. For example, if you know that some women are looking for a solution to their dry or chapped lips, then include some key facts about what dry or chapped lips can do to those people.Finally, include a brief summary of why you're great at this job. Try to avoid listing everything that you can think of. However, provide a little insight into what makes you so special. This should provide a clear picture to the reader so they know why you'll be great at this job.If you're starting over, keep in mind that your sales resume will be a solid investment. Even if you don't get a call for an interview right away, it will be more likely to help when the day comes. In fact, remember to add this information on to your sales resume after the initial interview.Sales resume will help to take the guesswork out of your job search. Remember, you don't have to reinvent the wheel here. Sales people and managers go through the same things every day and put the same information on resumes and cover letters.Make sure you don't skimp on the formatting. If you're not too experienced in writing, you might want to start with a basic sales resume template. These often have templates included that will help you get a general idea of how the information should look.As you can see, there are a few basic rules to follow when creating your sales resume. The most important thing is to make sure you go through it step by step. This will help you to write a well-formatted and professionally looking sales resume.

4 Things Employers are Searching for in Your Online Profiles - CareerEnlightenment.com

3. QualificationsEmployers are also looking to find out more about your qualifications. A resume only gives them so much insight into your background, skills, and interests. They may also compare the information in your resume to your online profiles to ensure it’s accurate.4. Well-roundednessBeing “well-rounded” is also something 35 percent of hiring managers said they look for when searching candidate’s profiles. How much experience do you have in the skills you’ve listed? What types of job experience do you have? Do you have leadership or volunteer experience? What do your reference letters or recommendations say about you?Think about it: What does your online presence tell potential employers about you?Are you active on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter? What would employers find out about you if they looked at your online profiles?

Restarting Your Job Search When All Else Fails - CareerAlley

Restarting Your Job Search When All Else Fails - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. I remember really early in my career (probably before most of you were out of diapers) when we were living in the modern world of IBM XTs (with an Intel 8088 processor at 4.77 MHz, a hard drive of 10MB and 640kb of memory) and Lotus 1-2-3. Spreadsheets were taking off, replacing all of that green ledger paper and handwritten analysis. You would spend hours building your spreadsheet (no tabs in those days) and every once in a while you would display your masterpiece (which showed profit growing by 600%!) to your boss only to find out that there were major formula errors. And you know what that meant? Yes, you would need to start over. All of that hard work down the drain (not to mention the impact on your ego). Sometimes job search is much the same. You spend countless hours building your resume, gathering contacts, calling friends and posting your resume only to find out your resume is a disaster and that you need to start over. While that is the last thing that many of us want to do, sometimes you just dont have a choice. Your second release will be far superior to the previous version. You know what they say what doesnt kill us makes us stronger. Reevaluate Your Job Search Strategy: Have you created your job search strategy (why you are looking, what you are looking for and what your perfect job would be) or are you just looking for a job. Looking for a job is the action, but you need to have a strategy as to your approach. Change The Pattern For Your Work And Life Sometimes timing is everything. While I started writing my post several days ago and decided to finish today, this article appeared in my inbox (perfect timing) today. Posted on Timsstrategy.com, it perfectly matches the topic. Take a read, it is worth the time. Your Career Planning and Job-Search Calendar If youve decided to look for another job (no matter the reason), you need to have a plan. This article, posted on Quintcareers.com, provides some easy steps for planning and executing your job search strategy. Presented in calendar form, the article is filled with lots of good advice. Also, there are embedded links to additional information throughout the article. And, if that is not enough, also check out the career tools on the left hand side of the page. The best place to start is always the beginning, and my view is making a list of what needs to be done is the best place to start: Research You need to decide what you want to do when you grow up. If you already know this, great. If not, time to get started thinking about it. In either case you will need to do some research. Vault.com Company Research Vault.com offers company and employer research on their site. You can search by name, industry, state, country, number of employees, rankings, etc. (or any combination). There is basic information on each company on their list as well as the companys website (which will have additional information). There is company search on the right hand side of the page and tons of information. While you are there, take a look at the other job related information. Careers and Industries Dont know where to begin? Wetfeet.com provides two lists: Industry Profiles and Careers. The first provides background on trends, markets and the companies involved. The second list provides requirements for each career type as well as salary trends the the outlook for that particular career choice. Each item on the items links to a full page resource. Making a Plan: Find a Job: Create a job search plan This is a great article (provided by the U.S. Department of Labor Careeronestop) for making your [easyazon_link asin=B008WENA4O locale=US new_window=default nofollow=default tag=caree07-20 add_to_cart=default cloaking=default localization=default popups=yes]job search plan[/easyazon_link]. There is a general overview with some some pointers, followed by a day by day (for 5 days) list of what you should do. Additionally there are a number of great links both, on the left hand side of the page as well as links on top of the page. Job Search Checklist This article from quintcareers.com provides an excellent guide for developing a plan of attack.The article has 5 parts with quite a few links, but the very first section (Part 1) focuses on planning and preparation with 10 or so points (understand the process, understand the jobs that interest you, creating your list and more). We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+ Visit Joeys profile on Pinterest. jobs by Job Search job title, keywords, company, location