COMMENT #CONTEST Win a Copy of David Bradfords Up Your Game

COMMENT #CONTEST Win a Copy of David Bradford's Up Your Game 53 “6 timeless principles for networking your way to the top.” Only a few days left to win! How to Enter Simple â€" at the bottom of this article, leave a comment about networking. Some suggestions of what to comment on are: A networking mistake you (or someone else) made and how you would fix it Your favorite networking tip/website A funny job search networking story The most memorable networking event you attended and why it was so Don't be shy…eval Comment now About the book No matter where you are on your career trajectory, a new college graduate, a CEO, or anywhere in between, networking is essential to your success. In Up Your Game, David Bradford address or Twitter account when you comment so that I can contact you if you win. Contest Deadline To be considered as entries in the contest, all comments must be submitted by this Thursday May 29th 2014, midnight PST, which is 10am Friday morning Israel time (check your local time here). Comment now Good luck!

Can You Meditate Your Way Into a Better Career (Infographic)

Can You Meditate Your Way Into a Better Career (Infographic) Meditation is often harnessed by sports greats in order to gain focus and an added edge. It is used in leisure in order to help people to relax and centre themselves. Interestingly, while meditation is used in many other areas of our lives, it is rarely looked at in terms of how it can impact your work. This infographic from Crystal Heart Psychics entitled ‘Can you meditate your way into a better career?’ which asks if meditation can positively impact a person’s abilities when it comes to doing their jobs. Studies from the Harvard Medical School have found that meditation can reduce workplace anxiety, while a UCLA study showed that regular meditation can enhance focus and creativity. Discover some fascinating facts surrounding meditation and learn its advantages for both companies and employees.

10 Appropriate Questions to Ask During an Interview

10 Appropriate Questions to Ask During an Interview One of the most awkward moments of a job interview is at the conclusion of an interview when the hiring manager asks, “Do you have any questions for me?” They have been asking you questions, and now you have to ask them?You really want to ask, “When do I start?”, especially if you REALLY want the position, but that cannot happen. So, if you are not sure how to end an interview, do not say, “Thanks!” and walk out. Try these three appropriate questions to ask during an interview.1. What Would Your Employees Say Is the Best Part About Working Here?This is an appropriate question to ask during an interview because it helps you see if the company listens to their employees. You also get to hear what the company perceives theiremployee's value. Also, interview questions at the end are not made to put the hiring manager on the spot, but if you see the question is difficult to answer, it could be a sign of trouble.2. How Will My Performance Be Measured at This Company?One of the worst things to happen is to accept a job where your performance is not measured. This leads to disagreements between employees and management over “who is working harder to achieve success”. Having performance measured also gives everyone in a company a sense of purpose and value to a company.3. Will I Be Hired to Implement or Follow Strategies?This is an appropriate question to ask during an interview because anyone looking for a director, senior, VP, or CEO position is usually at a stage in their careers where they “build”. This interview question is designed to find out if they want to hire a leader or a follower.4. Can You Tell Me More About Your Main Competitors?Ask this appropriate question during an interview to see if the company is aware of its own market. (You should have already done the research!) You will also get a sense of how competitive the company is by their answer. Aside, you may also find out other companies you may wish to apply for if this one does no t work out.5. Can You Tell Me More About Your Main Competitors?At the conclusion of an interview, you should be able to say to yourself, “The people in this company seem happy to work here. That is a good sign.”6. How Big Is the Team I Will Be Working With?This is simply an appropriate question to ask during an interview because you may be a leader that prefers small teams. Not everyone is meant to manage large teams. You will also get a good idea of the workload ahead and if they are giving you sufficient resources to work with.7. What Do You See as the Most Challenging Task in My Position?When they called you in for the interview, they had something in mind that led to start thinking, “This is the person we need!” Ask this question and at the conclusion of an interview, you will know exactly what they see in you and the challenges you will face.8. How Would You Describe Your Own Company Culture?Over the last decade, company culture has become more and more important. By th e conclusion of an interview, their answer will give you an idea if the company’s morals and ethics are aligned with your own. If the company’s answer disturbs you, it’s best to pass on the job.9. What Have Past Employees Done to Succeed in This Position?This is a simple and great question to ask at the conclusion of an interview. You are discovering what the company defines as “achieving success”.10. If You Hired Me Today, What Would You Expect of Me in My First Month?What makes this an appropriate question to ask during an interview is the fact you are seeing if they already have plans for you, or you are seeing if this company needs you to come in and figure things out as you go.Some like to have a set path ahead of them and others like to pave their own roads. You are finding out what type of road this company will take you on.Be sure to reach out to Find My Profession for interview prep services to help you answer interview questions at the end with confidence.If you enjoyed this article, you may also find this comprehensive article to be helpful,100+ Questions to Ask in an Interview.

Collaborative ideas Produce increased results - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Collaborative ideas Produce increased results - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career After many years of being in the competitive corporate sales environment, it took a long time to accept the idea of freely collaborating with others. In fact, I was very doubtful it would work. However, knowing risk and trying new ideas is at the core of entrepreneurship, it was in my best interest to consider all the facts. As an entrepreneur, I soon realized it becomes necessary to acknowledge those who excel in an area where we may lack knowledge and that we know we need. On occasion we also need to agree to ideas of others of which we may not be 100% certain. Trust and putting ego in the backseat are at the core of effective collaboration. When you are able to embrace trust and find valued others with whom to collaborate, you are then positioned to reach a far larger audience. Here are some ideas to consider: 1. In-person and online events Inform your trusted collaborative partners of all upcoming events you have planned. Provide enough lead-time for them to notify their appropriate audiences to help fill the room. Should you have fees involved and wish to pay those helping you, develop an affiliate program to track the registrants and appropriately compensate each partner. However, should each of you do similar work, then reciprocity of promotion is a preferred route. 2. Product Consider creating a product such as a manual where you may feature your business partners. Consider whether you collectively have a self-help theme, or if a Resource Section will be appropriate to share with your combined audience. 3. Community Will a community effort tie in with the theme of your businesses? This could be in the form of community service, a special project or development of a 501C. You may even consider an online effort encouraging increased discussion and forums offering help. The idea of collaboration works beautifully online. Introductions are quick. When you are well connected on the social media sites, and with the click of a mouse, you are able to reach millions to help spread word of your work. Recognition of you and your business instantly becomes worldwide. With your team actively involved, your messages are seen multiple times from a number of people, and expressed in a variety of ways producing a very effective branding effort. Given my experience in the corporate sales world, trust and collaboration only came when I found myself a fledgling entrepreneur. The ideas I heard sounded somewhat “out there” but there was a hint of possibility. Today many of us are good friends. We not only recommend one another every opportunity we have, but we also include one another in events, products and introductions to highly valued connections. Whereas there was once only a hint, today the possibilities soar. When you make collaboration a habit, the possibilities and connections expand far more rapidly. You become seen everywhere and your personal brand may develop into that of “Leader.” The added reward of working with partners in this manner is that you build lifetime friendships and you feel the glow of having helped others. When you feel this sense of achievement, the stress wanes, happiness increases, and you feel as if it were all a Smooth Sale! Author: Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale, LLC, (800) 704-1499, was honored by Open View Labs with inclusion in their international list of “Top 25 Sales Influencers for 2012.” Elinor authored the International Best-Selling book, “Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results”, Sourcebooks and the best selling career book, “HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews”, Career Press. She provides team sales training, private coaching and highly acclaimed inspirational keynotes for conferences. Elinor is available for consultation.

Using a Resume Writing Service to Write Your Own Resume

Using a Resume Writing Service to Write Your Own ResumeYour resume is the first impression that you will be making in the eyes of the hiring company. While you are doing your best to make it as impressive as possible, it can be a little tricky for you to do this if you are not careful. If you have never used a resume writing service before, here are some of the things that you should look for in them.Make sure they send you a sample of jobs you are looking for. It is one thing to prepare a resume but it is another thing to send it out to hundreds or even thousands of potential employers. You want someone who is going to send you a sample of the jobs you are looking for so that you can take their advice and customize your resume according to what the company is trying to get across.The sample should include jobs that the hiring company is looking for. If you want to get an executive position in a large corporation, the job description would most likely be a lot different than if you w ere applying for an entry-level position. Another great way to send out samples of the jobs you are looking for is by sending the company a sample letter instead. They can then use the letter as a template for your own letter.The best letters are going to be personalized. You want the person that reads your letter to get an idea of why you are the best candidate for the job. Just because you are a good writer does not mean that the hiring company is going to hire you.The best resume writing services will provide samples of resumes that are personalized and written for the hiring company. They know the language of the business and understand the job descriptions that the company is seeking. They can write resumes for you according to what the company needs and tell you what types of resume samples they provide to help you write your own resume. A resume writing service should be able to provide samples of the work samples that the company is looking for, which can include a sample of the company's website.Resume writing services also know how important it is to take their clients' resume ideas and turn them into a formal letter. If you take the time to get your resume letter customized according to the hiring company's requirements, you will not only save money but you will also make a lasting impression on the hiring company. These professionals will be able to convert your resume ideas into a document that includes all of the necessary information and documentation that the hiring company will need.Finally, a resume writing service should also provide quality resources for you to help you create your own samples of jobs you are looking for. Since they have used the resume writing services that are available to them, they understand that you may not have the time to devote to researching. In fact, the fact that you have no time may make it more difficult for you to get the best resume writing service. A well-written resume is often times the first impression t hat is made on the hiring company, so make sure that the resume writing service you are dealing with has resources that can help you design your own samples of jobs you are looking for.Sending out a sample of the jobs you are looking for is the best way to ensure that the hiring company you are working with has access to a resume writing service that is capable of creating samples for any company in need of one. The more effort you put into getting your resume ready, the more confident you will be that you will be hired for the job.

3 ways that job descriptions help build an effective resume

3 ways that job descriptions help build an effective resume 0 Flares 0 Flares Job descriptions are an extremely powerful tool when it comes to resume writing.  Unfortunately, once securing a job, employees will most likely never see their positions exact job description again.  Tragic.  Along with saving descriptions for previous positions held, I suggest saving/printing any descriptions for the jobs youd like to obtain. Here are 3 ways that job descriptions help build an effective resume: Help write a clear job history A job description for each of your previous roles helps to clearly point out duties/tasks from those positions.  Along with job responsibilities, your managers title, departmental information, and a company overview may also appear on the job description.  This information can be used to write up the Professional Experience section on a resume.  Keep in mind that most employees go above and beyond the job description, performing duties/tasks that are not included on it.  If you are re-writing your resume and lucky enough to have your job description from previous positions, use it as a guide and make sure to include any job tasks on the descriptions, as well as those you performed that were  not written down. Help set up resume for your dream job Once you know what kind of position youd like to obtain, you can start printing out job descriptions for that  specific role.   Highlight similarities and look for themes.  When you notice duties/tasks on the description that match your previous work experience, do your best to highlight this on your resume.  Never lie, but look for ways to sculpt your resume into one that is perfect for your dream job. Key Words Job descriptions are a key word swamp.  In a previous article, I discussed just how critical key words are for a resume.  Look at your previous job descriptions for common key words that you can include on your resume.  These key words will make you easier to find in resume databases.  You should also check for key words in the descriptions of a position youd like to obtain. Do your best to utilize as many key words as possible, without sounding like a robot. How to get a hold of both current and previous job descriptions: Current Position Reach out to your contact in Human Resources, they should be able to track it down for you.  If for some reason you dont feel comfortable doing so, check your company Career Site.  Most times the same job description is posted over and over again for the same position.  Review it to make sure it looks similar to your role. Previous Position Contact the Human Resources department from your previous company, or your supervisor if you left on good terms.  If you didnt leave on good terms, check the public careers site of the company to see if the description has been posted again.  You can also ask a friend inside the company for help.

Reposition your job search for success - Sterling Career Concepts

Reposition your job search for success Reposition your job search for success As a member of the Career Collective blogging community of resume writers and career coaches, this post is one of many this month offering a mid-year job search checkup. I encourage you to visit other members responses linked at the end of my post and follow our hashtag on Twitter all month long: #careercollective. Weve passed the halfway mark of 2011 and are halfway through with summer as well. As with anything, its important to stop, take a step back, and assess your performance your hits as well as your misses. Ill break my assessment parameters down to what I consider three of the most commonly discussed components of ajob search online job boards, networking, and resumes. Are you posting your resume on all the big job boards but not getting much back in the way of quality leads? Try posting to niche boards instead. First, let me preface this with saying that Iam not a huge proponent of job boards, but if youre going to do it, do it right. I do agree that they can be a viable part of a larger job search plan. The danger is when job seekers place too much weight on them. The big job boards were never the most efficient job search method, but in recent history, have become known within the careers industry as one of the mostinefficient job search strategies out there.Plus, depending on your profile settings, youre leavingyourself susceptible to identity theft and/or caught by your current employer if youregainfully employed. Niche boards which may charge a subscription or other fee to join are built around an industry, geography, or job type, and are a more effective use of your time and efforts.Never say never, but for most job seekers out there, dont u pload your resume to Monster orCareerBuilder and expect too much. Are you networking from behind your computer? Try getting out of the house more often. Social media has changed a lot in the way of job searching, but sitting in front of your computer is still not the same as picking up the phone or getting out and meeting and speaking with people in person. Its been said before, and its worth repeating (and remembering) people hire people.At the end of the day, a company is hiring a person for each role, nota resume or a profile.It boils down to personal connections, chemistry, and fit. You cant generate or convey that from behind your computer. Are you using a one-size-fits-all resume and not getting called for as many interviews as youd like?Try customizing your resume for the position to which youre applying. This may or may not require working with a professional resume writer, but it will require more time and effort on your part. Before you tune me out, ask yourself how is y our one-size-fits-all resume working for you now? If its not securing you the interview you want, then why not try something new?Howmuch longer are you willing to wait that your existing resume will makethe phone startringing? Resumes targeted to specific job types include a focused headline and possible subheadline, a targeted list of keywords, and a streamlined presentation of your past experience as it relates to your job target. If youre not submitting a targeted resume, the next candidate may be. Its time to stop thinking that one resume can multi-task effectively in a job search.The dog days of summerare the perfecttime to take a break and reviewhow well your search is progressing and which changesyou could be making to jumpstart activity for the fall. Take the three questions above as a start to your own assessment. ________________________________Read along for more advice from my esteemed fellow members of the Career Collective: 4 Summer Strategies to Step Up Your Job Search, @DebraWheatman Putting Your Job Search Up On The Rack For Inspection, @dawnrasmussen Mid-Year Job Search Checkup: Are you wasting your time? @GayleHoward What is your unique value proposition? @keppie_careers It is Time for Your Check-up Ms/Mr Jobseeker, @careersherpa Mid-Year Career Checkup: Are You On Your Game? @KatCareerGal How to Perform a Mid-Year Job Search Checkup, @heatherhuhman Mid-Year Job Search Checkup: Whats working and Whats not? @erinkennedycprw Mid-Year Job Search Check-Up: Getting Un-Stuck, @JobHuntOrgMid-Year Check Up: The Full 360, @WalterAkana 5 Tips for Fighting Summer Job Search Blues, @KCCareerCoach Are you positive about your job search? @DawnBugni Where Are The Jobs? @MartinBuckland, @EliteResumes Mid-Year Job-Search Checkup: Get Your Juices Flowing, @ValueIntoWords When Was Your Last Career Job Search Check Up? @expatcoachmegan Is Summer A Job Search Momentum Killer? @TimsStrategy Is It Time for Your Resume Checkup?