Pump Up Your Social Media Presence

Pump Up Your Social Media Presence Hate to keep harping on your Social Media presence, but its one of the most important things to look at during your job search. Many job applicants think that Social Media is all fun and games, and while it certainly has those aspects, its also a great tool to showcase yourself. However, putting forth the wrong image could cost you dearly. Do you think HR Managers are not Googling your name, Facebook stalking you or reviewing your LinkedIn profile? If you answered no, youre absolutely wrong. Think of the first thing you do when you meet someone newyou take a look at their online profile. Nothing wrong with that, the information is there for anyone to see. So, why would that stop HR Managers from checking up on prospective employees? It doesnt.  HR  Managers  look at everything and if you have one embarrassing, drunken photo on your Facebook wall, they will see it and judge you accordingly. No one said it was fair, but that public photo is fair game. So, how do you compete in the Social Media space? What can you do to pump up your online presence without destroying your good social standing? Find out below: 1. Allow access to only certain people: Facebook allows you to block access to people who are not your friends and even filter out your posts, links and other media. LinkedIn only gives access to people who request it. Keeping your account setting private means you are insulated and safe from prying eyes of HR Managers. 2. Update your profile pictures in order to keep a professional appearance: When youre looking for a job, one of the first things people see when they Google you  are your Social Media photos. What are you doing in yours? Are you wolfing down a piece of cake with chocolate covering your face or are you dressed in a nice suit, showing your finest business attire? You think people dont look at this, but youre absolutely wrong. They place a huge amount of consideration into how you present yourself. Present the wrong image and youre finished. 3. Update your work history: Make it known on Social Media sites that you are actively looking for employment. You would be surprised with the amount of people who will come forward with job tips, advice or just general care. Updating your work history also opens up avenues for future employment because HR Managers can see your list of skills, accomplishments and awards. HR Managers are looking over your LinkedIn profile, so take pride in it. 4. Add more friends: This is especially true for LinkedIn. See a job you want, look up someone who works for the company and see if you have a secondary connection with them. If so, ask your friend to introduce you  to his/her colleague  and begin talking about the open position. Pumping up your Social Media presence is  all about making yourself available and putting  your best foot forward. Its not hard, you just have to craft the right image. The better you present yourself and your skills in Social Media venues, the better off you will be.

How to Avoid Age Discrimination in Resume Writing to Land That Interview

How to Avoid Age Discrimination in Resume Writing to Land That InterviewWhen applying for jobs, knowing how to write a resume can make the difference between you land that interview and not. Whether you are a recent college graduate or a former corporate executive with a few years experience, you should know how to construct a resume to avoid age discrimination. Most people don't even realize that some employers evaluate your age as well as your credentials on a first come, first serve basis.If your resume is not prepared by the time you walk into an interview, you will most likely be told to do a little more legwork to provide a little more information. Your employer will most likely not provide an interview until you have provided your application with updated contact information. It can be extremely frustrating to have a perfectly written resume, only to be told to fill out additional questions and provide a bit more information just because of your age.A common scenario in which an older job seeker is rejected is that the prospective employer does not see the potential in your age. Usually, the hiring manager feels that you are not mature enough to handle the responsibility of making decisions or taking time out to be interviewed. Often times, this is not a valid reason to deny someone an interview. Instead, you should try to follow up and tell them why they might not be interested in you.Another way to make sure that you get a job interview is to prepare yourself for it. If you are not familiar with the company, how they operate, or what they are looking for, learn as much as you can about their industry. And, if you already know a lot about their industry, then be sure to write the right resumes to be hired. Resumes are filled out by employers, and they are not going to hire someone who is not qualified.If you have personal issues, such as a disability, needing professional assistance, you should contact the Human Resources department. Remember, you shoul d never be the only person who has this problem. Getting professional assistance is vital when it comes to obtaining employment. You should also be prepared to pay for this assistance, if you do not qualify for it yourself.As much as possible, try to keep your resume at least five pages long. Although, it's tempting to add extra information, such as additional education or volunteer experience, your resume should stand alone without adding in extraneous information. In addition, if you do not have many years of experience, you may want to list what experience you have, if any. However, it is important to list the amount of experience that you do have.If you follow these suggestions, you will have no trouble creating a great resume to avoid age discrimination. You may not get your dream job, but you will be able to create a resume that will have great potential to land you an interview. You can rest assured that you did everything you could to keep from being turned down, and you sho uld be proud that you put together a resume that other candidates might benefit from.

When is the Best Time to Have a Big Meeting at Work

When is the Best Time to Have a Big Meeting at Work Imagine this: you’re in charge of planning exactly when to present the Big Proposal to the boss, and you have to pick the location, day, and time for the meeting. You’ve got a slot on Tuesday at 10 a.m., 3 p.m., or 4 p.m. Which do you choose so that the boss is the most receptive to your ideas? A recent New York Times Magazine piece shared research about “decision fatigue,” a concept coined by a social psychologist studying how mental activities can affect how people make decisions and which choices they make. The research showed that those who have to go through the laborious process of weighing potential outcomes from a block of information are often less in control of their own willpower. So, to relate this research to our question at hand, if you’re giving a long, potentially expensive pitch to someone, their choice on whether to act on that proposal might be extraordinarily taxing on them, mentally. And if you want someone to negotiate with you and give a little bit of leeway, forget about it if they’re worn out. People who have been hit with a lot of information, options, and scenarios to sift through (say, in a long business meeting) might just be unable to “be the decider” by the end of the presentation (hence “decision fatigue”). So how do you combat it and make sure your big complex idea makes it out of the boardroom unscathed? 1. Schedule that meeting as early in the day as possible. Fresh minds are going to be your best bet. Ever try to get even a small issue resolved at 4 p.m. in the afternoon? No way, not going to happen. 2. Have experts ready to offer their opinions in your favor. If your decider is decision-fatigued, they may just ask for a recommendation. What you want to offer is the most respected array of people who’ve already come to the same conclusion you want to win. When the boss asks for their help, you don’t want to hit him or her with even more to worry about. 3. Tempt them with something that will appeal to their senses. Like something sweet and cheap at the checkout lane, the end part of your presentation should be especially hard to resist. How about a cost savings or some flashy perks? Maybe it’s a promise of notoriety or free press that couldn’t possibly go wrong. All of that would be awfully tempting at the end (and with minimal effort by the decider). If they are tired and depleted, it will help steer them in your direction. 4. Finally, feed them. The study showed that no matter how delicious (or not) the chow, glucose helps stimulate willpower and can help keep your brain in check. If you have a skittish boss who will want to bolt as the meeting creeps towards lunch, provide the old standby: snacks. Help your target focus on the task at hand, and hopefully come away from the meeting on your side.   More From PayScale: 5 Ways to Fake Confidence Survey: 76% of Workers Are More Productive Outside of the Office Real Work-Life Balance Starts With Your Boss

The Invisible Conversation - Work It Daily

The Invisible Conversation - Work It Daily One of my new favorite blogs is called Productivity Flourishing. This article (click here) is about a phenomenon known as “emotional contagion,” a.k.a. the invisible conversation. The concept is simple: There are conversations that go on between us and others that are non-verbal. They are driven by the emotions of the people we surround ourselves with. The article describes it as this: An interconnected network of brain cells known as mirror neurons respond to the emotional state of those around us by mirroring that same state. This immensely powerful conversation happens without intention, and much of it can be nonverbal. Though it’s as powerful as any deliberate, verbal conversation, if not more so. It goes on to discuss how these invisible conversations affect us in various situations. Sometimes You Need a Ghost Writer As I read this article, I couldn’t help but think how many job seekers need a “ghost writer” to help keep their invisible conversations on-track and positive. What’s a ghost writer? It’s a person who helps you maintain the proper talk-track in your head so you get the results you are looking for. Let me give you an example: When we are struggling to find work or advance our careers, we can become very down on ourselves. This projects a negativity that impacts the invisible conversations we have with friends, family, our job search network, and even hiring managers. I often find much of the career coaching I do by phone or Skype are focused on helping people work through this negativity so they can feel better and have more productive invisible conversations with those they are interacting with. Invisible Conversation Killing the Job Interview Recently, I did a coaching call by Skype with a CareerHMO.com member who has been between jobs for 18 months. He wanted to do some work on his interviewing skills because he was convinced his answers were hurting him on job interviews. As we started to discuss how he answered basic behavioral questions, I felt a strong negative invisible conversation going on. I stopped him and asked point blank what happened in his professional past that had hurt him so deeply. He was shocked, and said, “How did you know I’ve been hurt?” I told him it was the non-verbal cues. His voice tone, body language and hand gestures were making it clear he was upset. Even the way he was articulating his answers gave away the deep anger, sadness and insecurity he was feeling. We spent the rest of the call talking about the situation and helping him to come to terms with it. As his ghost writer, I helped him look at the situation more objectively so he could remove the emotion from the invisible conversation. A few exchanges by email and a follow-up Skype call shortly after led to some encouraging results. You could feel the difference when we interacted! It won’t surprise you to learn he has found it much easier to increase his networking activities too. His confidence is up and it shows! And in my experience, this will eventually lead to a new job. Do YOUR Invisible Conversations Need a Ghost Writer? This recent experience with a CareerHMO.com client made me realize it was time we expanded our offerings and give members a way to regularly work with a career coach to ensure the invisible conversations they are having are productive and positive. So, let me introduce you to two new subscription plans: Our Professional subscription offers you a coaching call with an expert by phone or Skype every other week, while our Executive subscription offers you a coaching call every week. Check them out and let me know what you think. Depending on the subscription you buy, you save $5-10/coaching session. Click for New Subscription Plans » P.S. Any existing member (Premium or Freemium) who upgrades their subscription by October 31, 2011 will get two extra coaching calls [$90 VALUE] for one month. How to Upgrade In order to upgrade, you must e-mail and inform me which level you'd like to purchase. I will take care of everything else. You can reach me at info@careerhmo.com. Don’t let the invisible conversations you are having with others hurt your career. Let us help keep your emotions in check so you can send the right message every time! J.T. O’Donnell is the founder of CAREEREALISM.com and CEO of CareerHMO.com, a web-based career development company. Image from Martin Fischer/Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!

5 Reasons You Should Just Take the Sick Day

5 Reasons You Should Just Take the Sick Day When I see someone battling a terrible sinus headache or taking multiple trips to the bathroom throughout my workday, I am baffled. Maybe its because I work in an industry where Ive been afforded unlimited sick days. Or perhaps its just because I have common sense to know when I shouldnt be in the office because Im not feeling well. But I know quite a lot of people struggle with calling in sick for multiple reasons. Some feel it wont look good to colleagues or managers. Others feel so committed to their work that they think that they have to complete their tasks no matter what. As someone who has worked in career services for 15 years advising people on this very thing, here are five reasons I feel you should reconsider getting dressed and just stay in bed.1. Your job is all about performance.When I used to swim competitively as a teenager, I knew I had to get good rest and eat before a race or I would be dead last. Your job is about perfor mance. And when you arent feeling your best, you cant perform well. You risk not utilizing your talents or top strengths when the rest of your body and mind are struggling. Dont make them struggle.2. Sick days help you avoid the worst possible scenario. I recently had oral surgery on a Friday. Things were going well until Sunday night when my mouth continued to bleed incessantly. Throw in the fact that the antibiotics I was on were making me sick. I considered going into work since I thought calling in sick on a Monday was a rookie move. But then I envisioned my day. Was having a mouth full of blood a wise choice when I do a lot of public speaking? Did I have time in my day to zustrom back and forth to the bathroom? Staying home helps you avoid getting sicker in the workplace, as well as helping you avoid any real embarrassing moments like throwing up at a staff meeting. 3. No one else wants to get sick.Generations before mine HAD to show up to work because there was no such thing a s paid sick time. But now, when flexible work scenarios are trending and everyone is more concerned with life outside of the office, no one wants to spend it being sick. So, do yourself and everyone else a favor and stay home so no one has to awkwardly Purell everything youve touched when you leave the copy room.4. No one else cares.Thats a bold statement, but think about it. Even the most important events can go on without you. How many celebrities cancel concerts with thousands of people ready to see them because of illness? With all of the technology we have there is essentially no job that cant be done virtually. There is no information that cant be sent via email, text, or Skype. The work can get done and essentially, no one will care if you are missing. They will be more focused on trying to execute whatever needs to happen without you. 5. Youre setting back the big picture.The bigger issue for all of us is that people are fighting for paid sick leave in this country. When ind ividuals have the benefit and dont take it, consider the homilie its sending to those who have been fighting for your rights (and the rights of others) to have this benefit. The working class now represents a new generation that is reconsidering how we want to live and work, and its a constant push and pull. When I see people coughing and sniffling around the office, I think they are setting us back by making it seem like sick days arent important, when they are. Physical health is just as important as planning those mental health vacation days. Dont spend your sick day feeling guilty about the unpredictable nature of the human body. We all get sick, and we all need to take a break so we can be our best selves. And at the end of the day, there really is no other good reason to sit and watch Netflix for hours.

Finding the Best When Writing Summary on Resume Is It Specific to Place

Finding the Best When Writing Summary on Resume Is It Specific to Place A strong summary statement at the peak of your resume can increase the probabilities of them noticing what youve got to offer from the beginning. In place of or besides the true title, even a working title or an overview of the thesis contents or objective is helpful. Your summary should incorporate any relevant facts about yourself that make you an exceptional option for a general manager. Yes, your resume summary is the ideal aussicht to provide a great overview of what youre able to bring to a job, but its also a fantastic place to drill into a few specifics. 1 A resume summary is a brief, snappy introduction paragraph that delivers a summary of your very best work. Youre going to compose a resume summary which gets many more interviews. Its important to keep in mind the resume summary isnt all about you. Whilst you write your summary for your resume, attempt to think of what you want them to discus s with you, and what exactly you desire an opportunity to discuss. Basically, your career summary has to be forward-looking. It must also be specific and relevant. A great career summary is a significant portion of the career summary as it adds depth and clarity to your resume. Lastly, you must remember to proofread your career summary like the remainder of your resume. As soon as you own a list of the keyword phrases and key abilities and values, you can begin building your career summary further. If you follow the suggestions above you will have an interesting, compelling resume summary that is likely to make the reader want to find out more about you even regardless of your lack of work experience A great career summary is basically a glimpse of your skill set and the value you may bring to your possible employer. Finally, it focuses on your ability to offer value to the company. Look carefully at the posting, and in case you have the mandatory skills be certain to li st them. Because resumes have limited space, your career objective should be concise. Career summaries on the opposite hand subtly reveals the desire for work, while listing the very best hard and soft skill sets a candidate offers. Writing a great career summary doesnt need to be an intimidating experience.

Writing a resume for an executive position

Writing a resume for an executive position Writing a resume for an executive positionPosted October 13, 2011, by Elizabeth Fenech Not all jobs are created equal. An executive position demands great responsibility so an executive resume must demonstrate that youve got the gumption to deliver the skills and savvy required to carry a company. Job seeking requires you to get a grip on the competition. Your resume needs to be of the highest calibre because you can guarantee that that of your competitors will be. Getting started Executive resumes need to be clear and focused. Think about which skills and attributes your prospective employer would value the most, then tailor the details you include to demonstrate that you are uniquely qualified to meet those needs. The information should be thorough and use a professional tone. Use a layout that is easy to read most executive resumes use Times New Roman font and a balanced amount of white space. The executive profile The executive profile should be short and hard-hitting, a sort of advertisement to set the tone for the rest of your resume and encourage the reader to read on. Include your strongest attributes and most valuable achievements here. For example, a finance executives profile might say, An accomplished tax executive with a strong grounding in zwischenstaatlich taxation and global finance. Has had extensive experience with three of the largest international accounting firms and is a long-term board member of Australian Taxation Office. Frequent speaker on tax issues in the media and at universities. Experience Put your experience immediately after your executive profile in reverse chronological order so that the reader can easily reconstruct your most recent career moves. Focus on the results that you achieved rather than your responsibilities. The results, as they say, will speak for themselves. Emphasise the transferable skills you possess to tell your prospective employer that they could get the results youve