We Wrote 13 Career Resolutions for YOU

When it comes to work, many of us have the same resolutions. We figured we’d save you the time and type them up for you. If you truly want to get your career on the right track or just have a better attitude towards work, we recommend you start off slow, picking one or two of the items below and building from there.
Set a Deadline on “Perfecting” Your Resume
The longer you wait to send it out, the longer it will take you to land a new job. You need to get it error-free but not at the expense of never finishing it. Resumes are fluid. Do not be afraid to hit the send button.
Narrow Down What You Want to Do
Just saying that you want a new job is a temporary solution. You must ask yourself the hard questions. You also need to rely on family and friends to give you an unbiased view at what you are good (and not so good) at. Continue reading the 13 career resolutions …
Article by Andrew G.R. and courtesy of jobacle.com – your cure for carbon copy career advice!

Community Building Improves SEO

Lee Odden, Albert Maruggi, Barry Judge, CMO at Best Buy & I had a conversation on Twitter one morning. Lee recently summarized it. Most of you are probably well aware that the organic SEO gained from community building & user generated content is quite powerful.
Lee says:
My opinion is that it would actually take extra effort to make community building work and not realize the positive effects for SEO. Many search engine optimization consultants that engage social media channels have noticed how their efforts resulted in community building effects. Building up profiles on various social media sites and participating in communities to share and promote content attract links, but it also builds trust.

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Job Search Success: Part 3

The job search L-U-C-K series continues with the third precursor, which actually contains two essential elements:
C – Commitment and Courage
As Will Rogers, the legendary American humorist and writer used to say, “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you sit there.” So, commit to act – not rashly, but with reasoned forethought and personal courage. If you are stuck in the “paralysis of analysis” mode in your job search (a common condition for job seekers), commit to at least ONE action you can take today to visibly advance your job search.
For example, research companies of interest and the hiring authorities for your targeted job title or job function within those organizations. Use your network, both offline and online (such as LinkedIn), to connect with current or former employees, suppliers and vendors, and/or customers in those companies for information, advice, job leads, and referrals.

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What Makes A Smart Recruiter?

I know for a few of my non recruiter friends the immediate response will be, “There is such a thing as a smart recruiter?”
Yes friends with all sarcasm put aside there are. In fact most are smart and good at what they do but like most industries a small percentage can ruin it for the group at large.
Jason Davis is running a “contest” at RecruitingBlogs.com called “Are You a Smart Recruiter?” The site is nearing 15,000 members and at each milestone Jason does a contest of sort. You can find out more by clicking Are You a Smart Recruiter?
The contest is sponsored by the folks at SmartRecruiters, an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) provider.
So far 35+ recruiters have participated and you can read the entries by clicking What makes me a Smart Recruiter.
What follows is my entry:
I am not so convinced I am a smart recruiter because 75% of what I know has come from trial and error and 25% from listening to what others do and then make it work for me in the way I do things. Maybe the combined knowledge of messing things up and listening to smart folks makes me a smart recruiter.
Here are five reasons for my success:
- Short memory and avoiding the roller coaster. In football they say the best cornerback’s have a short memory. What they mean is whether you gave up a touchdown, got an interception or usually something in between you have to forget what just happened and think about the next play. The common analogy is riding the roller coaster. It is hard to see this business clearly when your emotions are all over the place. Keeping the highs and lows not so extreme has served me well.
- I ask a lot of questions but the most important part is to listen and take good notes. I do this with almost every conversation I have. I will ask a candidate five different ways what the salary requirements are, same with the client on what is most important to them. A recruiter needs to know what really motivates both parties in order for a placement to benefit both the candidate and client.
- Do right by the client and the candidate. We are asking clients to trust our evaluation of talent and the marketplace and based on our information will invest lots of time, energy, salary, benefits and our fees. We ask candidates to pursue opportunities with our clients that will have an impact on their career paths and financial security for their families. I know if I do right by them my business, financial security and family will be well.
- I use a variety of tools without which my career as a one man band of a search firm likely would have ended years ago. Among them: phone, email, blog, social media, newsletters, RSS feeds, sponsoring events, speaking before groups, referral networks, talent pipelines, SEO and creating interesting and optimized job ads. Not every tool is right for every search but because of the niche and location I am in the previous in some combination always works well.
- #1 reason: Most days I like most people and most days most people like me.
Article by Paul DeBettignies and courtesy of MN Headhunter — where they “play with their cards face up.”

Networking Tips for the Very Shy

For some, the very thought of networking is enough to get the fear hormones working. Imaginary beliefs of “networking incompetence” grip shy individuals so hard they refuse to even consider the possibility of trying. Well, I have some good news for self-proclaimed introverts: first, networking skills can be improved with practice; second, there is no such thing as networking incompetence.
Networking is not always about wearing dresses (or tuxedos) and making toasts at upscale ballrooms. It is about making connections in everyday life; from gyms and coffee shops to conferences and trade shows, possibilities exist almost everywhere. Business wisdom would testify that a simple hello or smile could be a precursor to a career-making conversation. Continue reading about networking for the very shy …
Article courtesy of SAI Careers where visitors find free career information, tools and resources

Top Five Career Mistakes

Held, guilty of career stagnation — of course, no one is ever going to pass that sentence on you, but by ineffectively managing your career, you could easily find yourself making the same career mistakes most individuals make.
1. Randomly pursuing jobs
Apparently, even the greatest of strategists do not have a clear plan when it comes to their own careers. Most, just accept jobs or opportunities that come their way, without ever thinking about where they will lead them. “Let’s just see where this job takes me,” is what most professionals tell me when they accept a new position.
It is very important to define both long term and short term career goals. If my long term goal is to be the director of a group, what short term goals should I pursue to get there?
Continue reading the top five career mistakes …
Nimish Thakkar is a sought-after career management coach and professional resume writer. He has helped thousands of clients through his Resume Writing Service and Free Career Information site. Thakkar holds two graduate degrees, including an MBA. He is also a graduate of the prestigious Career Coach Academy. Nimish can be reached at nimish@resumecorner.com

Networking Advice: The 29% Solution

For most of us, networking is something that operates in the background as we go about our everyday business. Personally, I often find myself having to push extra hard to make, keep and cultivate relationships. Those of us who sit on our networking laurels will often site the “six degrees of separation” law as an excuse. After all, if you subscribe to the theory, then you’ll meet the connection you need “naturally.”
What if I told you that the six degrees of separation law is a myth, designed to create complacency while others get ahead? According to a new book, The 29% Solution, only 29 PERCENT of us are six degrees apart from everybody. And authors Ivan Misner and Michelle Donovan tell you how you can get into the 29%.
The book is broken into 52 weekly networking success strategies and it can be read chronologically or you can pick and choose the chapters that apply to you. Each section ends with action items, making this reading exercise more than just a passive activity.
From setting networking goals to making sure you block out free time to meet others, these assignments are sure to improve your networking skills. You’ll also learn the top 10 traits of master networkers. Continue reading about the 29% solution …
Article by Andrew G.R. and courtesy of jobacle.com – your cure for carbon copy career advice!

How interesting are you to prospective employers?

During an interview, you will likely be asked why you are interested in _____ field, why you are interested in pursuing ____ career, why you’re interested in working for _____ organization. There is a positive correlation between the quality of your responses and the interviewer’s interest in you – the more sincere, detailed, and thoughtful your responses, the more interesting you will be to the interviewer.
So, how interested are you in your field?

• Are you staying current with trends, technologies, and news that impact your field?
• Are you reading relevant journals and trade magazines?
• Are you networking with professionals either via professional associations, online communities, or both?
• Are you actively contributing to the field, even in basic ways, like participating in conferences, writing blog posts, commenting on articles, attending lectures, taking classes, volunteering?
• Are you looking for ways to advance the field by pursuing new or innovative approaches to current practices?

How interested are you in your career?

• Are you keeping your occupation-specific skills current?
• Have you identified role models or mentors whom you might shadow or, at the very least, emulate?
• Are you working to enhance your skills either in formal settings (i.e. taking classes) or informal ones (i.e. volunteering)?
• Are you developing a network of professional colleagues both locally and nationally (or even internationally)?

How interested are you in working for this organization?

• Have you read the organization’s mission statement?
• Have you become intimately familiar with the products/services provided by the organization?
• Have you read at least 3 articles about the organization written by a third party?
• Are you conducting informational interviews with employees or supervisors at the organization?
• If the organization is in a different geographic location, have you researched the city where the organization is located?
• Are you aware of the organization’s impact on its local and professional communities?

If you think that accomplishing even a few of the above tasks seems cumbersome, think for a moment about subjects in which you really are interested. I, for example, love cosmetics! I’ll be perfectly honest – I can spend hours watching YouTube tutorials on different techniques for applying eyeshadow. I practice putting on makeup, even when I don’t have to go out. I subscribe to a magazine dedicated to cosmetics. I read makeup blogs and have my feed reader automatically update me whenever new articles are posted. I participate in online makeup forums, read reviews of different products, and am familiar with a wide variety of cosmetic brands. I join groups associated with cosmetics on social networking sites, and talk about makeup with my friends. Why?? Because I’m interested in makeup, and yet, cosmetics isn’t my field. I won’t even begin to list all the things I do related to career development. My point is that when you are truly interested in a subject, you pursue activities related to that subject. You find ways to connect with others who are equally interested in the subject, and they seek you out because they find you interesting. Likewise, if you are truly interested in your field, your career or a particular organization, there should be evidence of that interest. If there isn’t any evidence, you’ll leave interviewers wondering, “Why are you pursuing this?” Frankly, you should be asking yourself the same question.
About the author: Career development professional with 10 years of experience in career advising. Specializes in working with undergraduate students with little-to-no work experience. Special interests include: international students, immigrant populations, parents transitioning back into the workforce, faith in the workplace, and Christian career counseling. Grace’s site, Sweet Careers, provides tips, advice, videos, and tutorials to help job seekers find meaningful careers.

What unique talent do you offer? Why do you feel it is unique?

I am an Opera tenor, I paint and I am an expert on Military history.

– Submitted by R. C. from Camden, New Jersey, United States through the CollegeRecruiter.com Career Blog Application on Facebook.com.

New Year’s Office Party

The new year is almost here and that means a fresh start for everyone. If you are working on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, you might take part in a holiday office party. I’m not sure how popular these parties are compared to others during the holiday season, but that is irrelevant. What is important is knowing how to conduct yourself if you are attending a New Year’s office party. For those of you with an internship, this is an opportunity to make a favorable impression with company employees you may have never met before.

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