Establishing the right meeting rhythm with your executive team is key. Many executives spend the majority meeting1of their days in one meeting or another; when you consider their salaries and the many other demands on their time, you want to ensure you are doing everything possible to only have meetings that add value. (Rhythmsystems)
Image provided courtesy of http://www.RhythmSystems.com.
Job search is a skill. Be encouraged is a habit. 2-1-30= 2 new skills 1 new habit every 30 days
It’s easier to get a job when you already have one. Take that part time position, or the one that pays less then what you expected, consider a entry level position. Employers are more open to hiring you when they know someone else has taken a chance on you. It’s gives you verifiable work experience.
There are jobs out there!
74% of available job openings are found in the hidden job market and filled through word of mouth referrals. Networking is key. Attend professional associations and service club meetings. Put yourself on the announcements at church to let people know that your interested in working.
Volunteer with a community based organization (reciprocity is real) let people know that your looking (map your relationships and contacts on paper)
There are jobs out there!
300,000 jobs were offered in the healthcare industry in the last 12months.
Make sure you have at least three CLEAR job objectives, know the job title that your seeking. Never say “i’m looking for any job” have a firm understanding of what your truly qualified to do.
Remember job search is a numbers game. 3-5 applications per day three days a week should be the goal.
Are you ready for the christmas
hiring season? Employers are! I might mess with Macy’s or something, I need some new shoes and a winter coat and the little one wants a car.
Change your voice mail from “baby I’ll call you back” to a standard or more professional one.
Dump the babygotback@gmail.com
addy for a standard yourname@gmail.com
Go to vistaprint and get some free business cards. Get your resume proofed and edited!!!!!!!!!!!
And stop sending your resume out like it’s a “chain letter.” Tailer each resume specifically for each employer.
1. Be known by the right people
According to some sources, over 80% of jobs are given to those with some kind of personal connection to the employer. That means those without connections already have the odds stacked against them 5 to 1. There’s no magic formulae that you will suddenly make you known by the right people but coming from a wealthy, well-connected family and/or a prestigious university can help. To quote a venture capitalist blog:
“The truth is, who you know matters more than what you know. This is not to say that being smart and knowledgable is useless. Knowing “what” is often an effective means of getting introduced to the right “whos”. But ultimately, the people you know and trust (and more importantly who trust you) matter more than the factual knowledge you may have at your immediate disposal.”
2. Include a photo with your resume
Conventional wisdom says you’re not supposed to supply a picture with your resume because some companies will pass over you because they don’t like people of your particular ethnic background. Include your photo anyway; you’ll save yourself the pain of visiting places where the idiots reject you because of the way you look.
Do you ever get the feeling that you would/wouldn’t like someone just by looking at their picture? Employers get that feeling too and the smart ones take it seriously. A large part of a job involves getting along with employers and cowerkers.
3. Look good and use body language that conveys you’re interested in the position
The interview consists of two separate sections. The view, and the interrogation. The first 15 seconds of the interview is called the view. Looking bad and/or displaying incorrect mannerisms during this time period are surefire ways to be dropped from consideration for a position before any questions are fired.
4. Play up your skills and experience
Employers like to scare potential employees away from lying by stating that any deviation from the truth will be grounds for dismissal later on. What they fail to mention is that everyone they interview is exaggerating their skills and experience. By shooting straight you are just about guaranteed to be passed over. I would advise against outright lying unless you are extremely smart and believe you can learn the skills you lied about on-the-fly. Generally this won’t work though because the same dishonesty that makes you lie about their skills will also cause you to overestimate your intellegence.
5. Realize that in a good amount of cases what lands you a job is how much the employer likes you as a person
Ask yourself this question, do I appear likable to strangers? Can I get along with many different types of people? Am I able to mute my negative attitude long enough to make it through a couple rounds of job interviews. A lot of business involves social or soft skills one can only learn by observing and mimicking those with more experience in the field. These are skills books and lectures could never teach even if they tried. You’ll see lots of job advice columns droning on about education but realize many of these columns are sponsored by online universities.
By Thomas L. Friedman
Underneath the huge drop in demand that drove unemployment up to 9 percent during the recession, there’s been an important shift in the education-to-work model in America.
Anyone who’s been looking for a job knows what I mean. It is best summed up by the mantra from the Harvard education expert Tony Wagner that the world doesn’t care anymore what you know; all it cares “is what you can do with what you know.” And since jobs are evolving so quickly, with so many new tools, a bachelor’s degree is no longer considered an adequate proxy by employers for your ability to do a particular job — and, therefore, be hired.
So, more employers are designing their own tests to measure applicants’ skills. And they increasingly don’t care how those skills were acquired: home schooling, an online university, a massive open online course, or Yale. They just want to know one thing: Can you add value?
One of the best ways to understand the changing labor market is to talk to the co-founders of HireArt (www.hireart.com): Eleonora Sharef, 27, a veteran of McKinsey; and Nick Sedlet, 28, a math whiz who left Goldman Sachs. Their start-up was designed to bridge the divide between job-seekers and job-creators.
“The market is broken on both sides,” explained Sharef. “Many applicants don’t have the skills that employers are seeking, and don’t know how to get them. But employers also … have unrealistic expectations.” They’re all “looking for purple unicorns: the perfect match. They don’t want to train you, and they expect you to be overqualified.” In the new economy, “you have to prove yourself, and we’re an avenue for candidates to do that,” said Sharef.
“A degree document is no longer a proxy for the competency employers need.” Too many of the “skills you need in the workplace today are not being taught by colleges.”
The way HireArt works, explained Sharef (who was my daughter’s college roommate), is that clients — from big companies, like Cisco, Safeway and Airbnb, to small family firms — come with a job description and then HireArt designs online written and video tests relevant for that job. Then HireArt culls through the results and offers up the most promising applicants to the company, which chooses among them.
With 50,000 registered job-seekers on HireArt’s platform, the company receives about 500 applicants per job opening, said Sharef, adding: “While it’s great that the Internet allows people to apply to lots of jobs, it has led to some very unhealthy behavior. Job-seekers tell me that they apply to as many as 500 jobs in four to five months without doing almost any research.
One candidate told me he had written a computer program that allowed him to auto-apply to every single job on Craigslist in a certain city. Given that candidates don’t self-select, recruiters think of résumés as ‘mostly spam,’ and their approach is to ‘wade through the mess’ to find the treasures. Of these, only one person gets hired — one out of 500 — so the ‘success rate’ is very low for us and for our candidates.”
How are people tested? HireArt asks candidates to do tasks that mimic the work they would do on the job. If it is for a Web analytics job, HireArt might ask: “You are hired as the marketing manager at an e-commerce company and asked to set up a Web site analytics system. What are the key performance indicators you would measure? How would you measure them?”
Or, if you want to be a social media manager, said Sharef, “you will have to demonstrate familiarity with Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, HTML, On-Page SEO and Key Word Analysis.” Sample question: “Kanye West just released a new fashion collection. You can see it here. Imagine you had to write a tweet promoting this collection. What would your tweet be?” Someone applying for a sales job would have to record a sales pitch over video.
Added Sharef: “What surprises me most about people’s skills is how poor their writing and grammar are, even for college graduates. If we can’t get the basics right, there is a real problem.” Still, she adds, HireArt sees many talented people who are just “confused about what jobs they are qualified for, what jobs are out there and where they fit in.”
So what does she advise? Sharef pointed to one applicant, a Detroit woman who had worked as a cashier at Borders. She realized that that had no future, so she taught herself Excel. “We gave her a very rigorous test, and she outscored people who had gone to Stanford and Harvard. She ended up as a top applicant for a job that, on paper, she was completely unqualified for.”
People get rejected for jobs for two main reasons, said Sharef. One, “you’re not showing the employer how you will help them add value,” and, two, “you don’t know what you want, and it comes through because you have not learned the skills that are needed.”
The most successful job candidates, she added, are “inventors and solution-finders,” who are relentlessly “entrepreneurial” because they understand that many employers today don’t care about your résumé, degree or how you got your knowledge, but only what you can do and what you can continuously reinvent yourself to do.
A version of this op-ed appeared in print on May 29, 2013, on page A23 of the New York edition with the headline: How to Get A Job.
By: Trish Freshwater on April 15th
Did you know that April is National Volunteer month?
When it comes to volunteering, many people immediately think of spending time at a local soup kitchen or pitching in for a day with Habitat for Humanity to help build a house.
While these are important ways to volunteer in your community [as well as gain organizational, planning and management experience], in today’s economy many organizations are hungry for volunteers with professional skills: administrative, communications, marketing, accounting, project management, events coordination, and many more.
Volunteering your talents to any number of organizations – including non-profit, for profit and professional/trade associations – offers you a win-win: not only do you get to feel great for helping an organization and its clients, but volunteering can help you build your network and skills, and help you find a job.
Where to Find Volunteer Work
There are two places to start your search for the right organization that matches your interests and professional goals: student-run professional organizations and the local chamber of commerce.
Student-run professional associations usually seek volunteers to help run the campus chapter. These organizations tend to have a strong relationship with the “parent” professional organization in the area, and often seek student liaisons. Collectively, these professional associations are traditionally interested in helping students advance their careers and can provide contacts to other similar organizations in the area. They can also help you connect with the organizations that they partner with outside of your professional area of interest where you may find meaningful volunteer work.
The local chamber of commerce is another great resource to look into. From online directory listings of member organizations, to monthly social activities where members come to network, the chamber can provide you with direct access to finding just the right organization for you.
Build Your Network
Volunteering for an organization can open many doors. Professionals from many other companies often participate on the organization’s board of directors or volunteer their time. By becoming actively involved in an organization, you will have the opportunity to meet other professionals who may be able to connect you with key people in your career field.
However, making connections will not happen on its own. You will need to show your value to the organization through the projects you help with, and the skills you show off during your volunteer time. This can also help you to find a mentor, or a person who can guide you as you develop your career plans and gain experience. By volunteering, this becomes your time to shine and really make a difference for the organization through your skill set, while meeting and connecting with others.
Build Your Skills
Becoming actively involved in an organization will strengthen your skill set. Even if the volunteer work you do is not completely aligned with your future career aspirations, do not worry! This is a great time to build your transferable skills – the skills that are useful in almost any job situation – leadership, communication, project management and more.
For example, if you help coordinate an annual event, you will exercise your planning, project management, marketing and communication skills. If you get involved in a particular initiative, you might lend your professional expertise by suggesting best practices that you’ve learned about in class or you might have the opportunity to actually put those best practices to use in the real world.
Find a Job
Some of the most enjoyable work I have done has been through my volunteer work; which has led to the beginning of many amazing professional and personal relationships. The relationships that you develop during this time will help to open doors for you in the future.
Perhaps you will get inside information about a job that will post next month. An organization may be looking to hire someone with your exact skill set, and, through your volunteer work, you have proven that you can be an asset to the organization. Moreover, someone you meet may be impressed with your work ethic and values, and he or she will connect you with just the right person to serve as a mentor or contact who knows about a job opening.
Many students are far more interested in finding a paid internship or part-time job because of the obvious advantage of a paycheck. However, do not discount the value of volunteer work as you may even be able to do both.
Ultimately, there is one tenet which remains to be true time and time again: you have to give in order to receive, and there is no greater feeling than giving to an organization that aligns with your values and interests!
Author
Trish is a senior communications manager for Sodexo, a world leader in quality of daily life solutions that contribute to the progress of individuals and the performance of organizations. As a member of the marketing and communications team for Sodexo’s Talent Acquisition department since 2010, Trish is an employment expert who aims to educate job candidates about the hiring process, networking opportunities and the culture of Sodexo. A graduate of Marist College (BA – Psychology) and the University of Southern Mississippi (MS – Public Relations), Trish has never been far from the classroom. As a former adjunct professor for the College of Charleston and professional advisor for the college’s Public Relations Student Society of America chapter, she enjoys helping students reach for their potential and guide them through the process of preparing for their future careers. A lover of technology and gadgets, cookies, chocolate and baking, Trish spends most of her free time raising two small children and competing with husband to obtain the most stamps in her National Parks Passport book. Feel free to connect with Trish or learn more about careers at Sodexo.
By: Vic Massaglia
Life is complicated and time is short, especially if you are someone who works hard and plays hard. Wasting a precious resource like your time can mean missing out on chances to grow professionally and engage socially, and let’s face it, managing the daily administrative tasks that accompany an ambitious lifestyle can be mind-numbingly boring!
For years I had tried to find the perfect productivity/planning tool to help keep me keep organized, on-task, and meet deadlines so I could focus on what’s really important in my life. I tried using many various tools such as:
‘To do’ lists – which I’d lose and extremely burdensome to transfer action items from one list to another.
Outlook or Google tasks function – I would miss tasks because of it’s linear design (listing tasks as a list).
Various types of planners (e.g. Day Runner, At-a-Glance, Franklin) which felt overwhelming because of the amount of daily and weekly maintenance I had to do.
My calendar as a place to put my tasks but had so many action items, it really would clutter my calendar and I’d confuse what I should be doing with where I would supposed to be.
Post-it® notes but would frequently lose the notes.
A PalmPilot (they were called PDAs – Personal Data Assistants – yikes!). This tool was a step in the right direction but was not compatible with other technology. In fact, many people carried so many devices, they looked like they had Batman’s Utility Batbelt.
So you see, I tried many different tools and systems, and none of these seemed to work for me. Perhaps they may for you.
A few years ago, however, I finally found a tool that works perfectly for me and have developed a system that I have found to be extremely effective. I use a free, web-based tool called Remember the Milk (RTM). It truly lives up to its creator’s claim that “it makes managing tasks an enjoyable experience.” I use the site for everything I need to do and remember. Since I’m the only one with access to my RTM account, I use it for both personal and professional reasons, and I believe it’s the perfect tool for students and professionals.
It’s also very helpful in managing the one’s job search.
With RTM, I love the global view where I can see all of my projects. Here’s how easy it is: You create “Sections” that will organize tasks. For example, you can create a “Follow-Up” section where you can list people you need to connect with or a section titled “Job Postings” to help you keep track and follow-up with the jobs you apply to. Then, you list ”Tasks” under the “Section” heading where you can include a lot of useful data: due dates, notes, websites, tags, etc.
In addition to being able to be sent reminders via email, Twitter, Facebook, etc., an extremely helpful function of RTM is that it’s able to sync with your mobile device and with your Google calendar.
I use RTM particularly for tasks and use a calendar for is only two things: where I’m supposed to be, and what I’m supposed to be working on.
With all the organization/productivity tools I listed above, I have found Remember the Milk to be the most effective tool for me and, as I mentioned, have used it for years. Give it a try. It’s super easy and, more importantly, it will help you keep organized and productive!
Author
Vic has a passion for working with students and professionals who are preparing to establish careers on a global stage. He has extensive experience in leadership, career and organizational development in both the public and private sectors. Currently, he is a career counselor and adjunct associate professor for the University of Minnesota Law School, where he provides career path, job search strategy, and life-work balance counseling for law students, alumni, and foreign-trained attorneys. He is also principal of Cygnus 360, a career development consultancy that helps career counselors, career services offices, and clients with their career needs which include creating their brands using social networking tools and other technology. Vic is currently serving on the board for the National Association for Legal Career Professionals (NALP).
He is a former board member for the Minnesota Career Development Association (MCDA), past president of the Minnesota Legal Career Professionals City Group, and former director of learning for the Minnesota Organization Development Network. You can follow Vic at Twitter or connect via LinkedIn.
By: Yolanda Owens
In the current employment climate, landing a job may feel like a task that can only be achieved through divine intervention. But if relying on a wing and a prayer isn’t part of your job pursuit, then here are five employment commandments to help you get to the occupational pearly gates.
Thou shalt not be a spaghetti thrower.
You know that old trick of testing spaghetti to see if it’s done by throwing some against the wall and watching if any sticks? Well many of you approach your job search the way.In your frustration, you’re throwing everything against the wall. We get the concept of casting a wider net. But there is no need to apply for every job on a company’s career site in hopes that one of the applications will stick.
Not only will this leave you with a mess you won’t want to clean, it will also leave employers with the impression you’re not serious about their company or putting any thought into your job search. Be strategic and thoughtful in the roles you apply to. Not seeing anything that fits what you’re looking for? Then check your LinkedIn contacts and find friends with connections to the companies you want to work for and ask for an introduction. An introduction now could lead to an opportunity later…And you won’t be wearing spaghetti on your face.
Thou shalt let hooked on phonics work for you.
Save yourself and the employers whose jobs you’re applying to some frustration and read before you respond. Whether it’s the job description, an email about an interview or potential meeting, an application, or an invitation, take the time to READ (not skim, assume, or guess) what’s being said or asked before you react.
Keep in mind that there could be hundreds of applicants applying to the same job. So the deciding factor could boil down to who’s able to read more effectively without interrupting the manager or recruiter with endless questions that have already been put in writing. Exercise patience and your reading comprehension skills and let hooked on phonics work for (not against) your job search.
Thou shalt always dress to impress.
Just because a company embraces casual Fridays or has a business casual dress code, doesn’t mean you come to your interview dressed for happy hour on the beach. Always dress in professional business attire (suit, tie, skirt, heels…) when going for interviews and make sure the clothing is clean, pressed, and presentable. You should never show up to an interview with mustardy armpits or look like a balled up piece of paper in sensible shoes. Be well dressed so you’re remembered for your many attributes and not your fashion flaws.
Thou shalt not commit stalking.
As a recruiter, this commandment is near and dear to my heart. We understand you want to get our attention and stand out among the masses. But invading personal space will not win you any brownie points in the attention grabbing game. So please don’t blindly friend recruiters and managers on their personal social networks, personal emails, websites, or personal cell phones in hopes of making a good first impression.
Trust me, this is the quickest way to get your credentials added to the recycle bin or blacklisted in larger recruiting circles. Use this as your litmus test; if you’d feel weirded out by someone doing the same thing to you, you should probably rethink your actions.
Thou shalt not talk in generalities.
Employers aren’t looking for generally speaking when reviewing candidates to fill their roles. They want candidates who can give them specific examples of what they bring to the table. So don’t come to the table regurgitating the job description or spouting what someone in the role would generally do.
Instead, talk about what you’ve done in your previous jobs to improve a process, save money, be more efficient, demonstrate your leadership or accentuate teaming skills. Then take it a step further and quantify these examples. Explain how your process improvement caused 25% fewer defects saved the company $5000 and freed up four hours a day in production time. That says a lot more to employers than the fact you created a spreadsheet.
Author
Yolanda M. Owens is a recruiting sensei, intern whisperer and awarding-winning author of How to Score a Date with Your Potential Employer. Learn more about Yolanda and her employer “dating” tips by visiting her website or fan her on Facebook.
“Brand yourself, or Google will” is wise advice from branding expert Dan Schawbel. Scumbag Steve is a case study of what happens if you don’t.
For those unfamiliar with him, Scumbag Steve is a meme gone viral. Entire websites have been created to showcase the best memes – customized captions on a photograph. The crazy part is that the guy in the photograph (his real name is Blake Boston) didn’t even know this was going on. His entire “brand” was created by total strangers without his knowledge.
It started simply enough. Blake’s mother was taking a photography class and took a lot of photos of her children including the iconic one of Blake. Only 16 at the time, Blake wanted to be a rapper, and used the photo for an album cover, some marketing materials and on a MySpace page. There it languished until someone copied it and added a caption, picking up the name “Scumbag Steve” along the way.
While Scumbag Steve had a huge presence on the Internet, Blake was virtually invisible. It was only after friends told him that Blake became aware of his alter ego. Eventually, Blake became Scumbag Steve – attempting to channel his notoriety into a music career. So far, he’s been unsuccessful – people seem to like Scumbag Steve a lot more than they like Blake Boston.
Can this happen to you? Sadly, yes.
You should not only create your distinctive brand and make sure your online presence is positive; you should also regularly Google yourself (web and images), and take immediate action if you see anything negative.
Take control of your online presence and position yourself for career success, not as the next Scumbag Steve.
Author
Marilyn is the Assistant Director of Graduate and Alumni Career Services at Bentley University. She brings an uncanny ability quickly discern strengths and differentiators and turn this knowledge into strategic career plans. She is passionate about equipping graduate students and alumni with cutting edge skills. Marilyn has a great deal of corporate experience, primarily in the technology, biotech and healthcare industries. She is a long-time user of social media (she was mentioned in Fast Company’s “Most Influential People Online 2010”). She holds degrees in Psychology and Public Administration from The Florida State University. Marilyn immigrated from Cuba as a child and is bilingual. She is active in Boston’s Hispanic business community.
Think Different: Career Advice from Steve Jobs
Market Research on the Brand Called You
Learn to Appreciate Your Own Brand
By: Pete Leibman
Imagine that you have a big first date tomorrow night. You’ve been excited but nervous about this date for the last week. The person you are going out with is HOT and you want to make a great first impression. Unfortunately, you woke up today with a massive pimple on your forehead. Hey, zit happens.
So, you go the drug store desperately looking for a product that will help you remove this blemish in the next 24 hours. You find two choices. The 1st product is called Brand A. On the outside of the bottle for Brand A, it says:
“Designed to remove pimples and used by people all over the U.S.”
The 2nd product is called Brand B. On the outside of the bottle for Brand B, it says:
“100% guaranteed to remove pimples within 6 hours and used by more than 1 million people each week.”
Brand A could be just as effective for your acne as Brand B. However, Brand A simply told you what it was responsible for doing, while Brand B provided you with compelling evidence that it could get you the results you were seeking. If you could only try one product, your choice would be pretty easy.
What’s the point? Most people create resumes that are like Brand A. They just talk about what they were responsible for and they don’t provide any compelling evidence that they could get employers the results they are seeking. Then, they are somehow surprised when employers don’t blow up their cell phone and inbox with job offers.
You need to be like Brand B: offer compelling evidence for why you are the best person for the job.
If you are creative, you can offer compelling evidence for your credibility, no matter how inexperienced or unimpressive you might think your background is.
As a student in college, I had a part-time job as a personal trainer at Bally Total Fitness. One of my responsibilities was to sell fitness packages to members at the gym. The bullet point on the resume of most students would have said, “Responsible for selling fitness packages to gym members.” That would have been the Brand A way to describe myself.
However, I wanted to be like Brand B, so the bullet point on my resume said, “Generated over 400% of January 2003 sales goal.”
This was 100% true. My sales goal for January 2003 was $800 and I made one sale for $3,300.
Be like Brand B! Employers don’t care about what you were responsible for, so give them compelling evidence that you are credible.
Author:
Pete Leibman is the Founder of Dream Job Academy and the Author of the new book titled “I Got My Dream Job and So Can You.” His career advice has been featured on Fox, CBS, and CNN, and he is a popular Keynote Speaker at career events for college students and at conferences for people who work with college students.
Managing a Facebook Career Page is another way to broaden a company’s social engagement. It may seem a bit superfluous to have a Facebook Career Page in addition to a company website or company LinkedIn profile, but having a career page on Facebook immediately opens up a business to the 901 million Facebook users.
By curating your Facebook Career Page yourself, instead of letting Facebook automatically create one, you are taking control of your brand, much the same way as creating a page for your business gives you control over the content. Managing your company’s page yourself is the only way that you can control how your brand is marketed.
Having a career page provides an outlet for you to create a dialogue with your consumer base. Marketing through social media is all about creating a community of followers and interacting with your followers can strengthen your brand, SEO, and…
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Brand You, Inc. 