The first three posts in this series, explored how you can begin creating your personal brand through having a few great brainstorm sessions, organizing your thoughts by creating a web diagram, showed you how to create your own self-hosted blog with some great how-to videos and then gave some tips on how to promote your personal brand.

This week's post will give some quick tips on how you can monitor your personal brand and see the conversations taking place about you on the web.

Monitor the conversations

First, it's important to understand that conversations are taking place all over the web. Everyday, millions of people read blogs, comment on them, write their own blog posts, tweet about content on Twitter, post links on Facebook and update their status. What is being said about you on the web is important because it helps to build or break down your personal brand. If you don't know the conversations taking place about you on the web, you're flying in the dark and missing out on critical information.

If you don't know what's being said about you on the web don't fret. Remember, creating your personal brand is a process that you should continuously strive to improve. Monitoring your personal brand is just the next step in your brand's evolution.

Two great personal brand monitoring tools

Google Alert: Allows you to set up an alert for any search term you desire. Make sure you set up a Google alert for your name. You will then be able to see anything that is said about you on the web. If you have a popular name, it's even more important to begin building your personal brand so Google can start to index you and push you up its page rankings.

Twitter Search: Allows you to set up an alert for any search term you desire on Twitter. Again, make sure you set up a Twitter alert for your name. Now you will be notified anytime somebody tweets about your name or any other search term you're interested in. If your going to monitor your name on Twitter make sure you add the @ in front of your account name.

From using these two monitoring tools, you will be able to see the conversations taking place about you on the web and in social networks. You can reach out to people who share the same interests or who like your work. You can also counter anything harmful being said about you that could have a negative impact on your personal brand. The key is that you will be in the know and have access to vital information to promote and protect your personal brand.

This is the last post in How To Create Your Personal Brand series and I hope you've found them helpful! For some more in depth tips on this series I highly recommend you read Dan's new book Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Personal Brand to Achieve Career Success.

Chad Levitt is the author of the New Sales Economy blog, which focuses on how Sales 2.0 & Social Media can help you connect, create more opportunities and increase your business. Chad is also the featured Sales 2.0 blogger at SalesGravy.com, the number one web portal for sales pros, the professional athletes of the business world. Make sure to connect with him on Twitter @chadalevitt.

Article by, Dan Schawbel, the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y. He authors the Personal Branding Blog and publishes Personal Branding Magazine and authored the upcoming book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success (Kaplan, Spring 2009). Dan has been called a "personal branding force of nature" by Fast Company and his work has been published in BrandWeek Magazine, Advertising Age and countless other publications.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 30, 2009 at 9:07 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

It's been almost 6 months since I first started talking about how the video game industry is a good place to find a job during a recession, yet I continue to be amazed by how aggressively some gaming companies are hiring. I don't know if it's a result of the fact that people buy video games when they're unemployed or it's that hard to find people to fill these jobs, but I'm shocked to see a company like Bungie with 21 job openings - many of which appear to be suitable for new grads. Now, Bungie and I go way back. I've been using Macs since the early 90s, and Bungie was one of the premier game creators for Macs. Although I was never a serious gamer, I definitely have fond memories of Bungie's first huge success - Marathon. Then they hit it big with Halo. Microsoft bought them out, and they picked up shop and moved (all of their employees chose to follow the company) to Kirkland, WA.

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Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 30, 2009 at 9:01 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Are you "interesting, impressive, hippy, happy and one-of-a-kind"? If so, you're a lot like the products sold by Pier 1 Imports and would likely fit in well as part of their team. As North America's largest retailer of imported decorative home furnishings and gifts, Pier 1 Imports offers extensive benefits focused on quality of life. According to their Web site, they have chosen their benefits to "help associates stay healthy, feel secure, meet their financial goals, and balance the demands of work and personal life." But, let's face it, I'm sure everyone's favorite benefit is the employee discount!

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This is a guest post by Heather R. Huhman. Heather is the media relations manager at a national health care professional association. She is also the entry-level careers columnist for Examiner.com, a career expert for the CAREEREALISM Twitter Advice Project, the job search expert for Campus Calm and author of the e-book "Gen Y Meets the Workforce: Launching Your Career During Economic Uncertainty."

Article courtesy of Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 30, 2009 at 8:56 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Most of us have, at one time or another in our careers, been quite disgusted with the hypocrisy, mendacity and generic mean-spiritedness that we encounter. And the workspace, for all of its subdued lighting, central air, and other amenities, may as well be a reptile house instead of an office. It's always at these times, when we feel the most vulnerable, that we tend to idealize other jobs. You know the drill - 'I wish that I worked in Hawaii, even as a dish jockey'. 'Home Depot doesn't seem so bad, and hey, I might even learn a thing or two'. True, most of us do, however, stop just short of wanting to work at McDonalds.

Yet of all the jobs that many mid-careerists find very appealing - at least from afar - is that of being a tour guide in some exotic clime. No, I don't mean standing around musty, and often bloody relics at, let's say, the Bullfight Museum in Madrid. Or even acting like a shave-headed Russian mafioso, while showing the tourists around the former Nazi/Communist headquarters, now called The House of Terror Museum in Budapest. What I'm really thinking about is what it would be like as a tour guide in Kenya, or Costa Rica, or Tibet. You know, a la National Geo. Sun-kissed mountain peaks, volcanoes, wildlife, expensive cameras, khakis and Timberlands.

In the interest of honesty, let's take a look at what these folks, who we tend to glamorize, really do. Let's say that we're going to take a group of tourists around one of these eco-friendly countries for a week. Check out the following job description. BTW, also remember that these duties and responsibilities apply 24/7.

The 25 Basic Tour Guide Duties:

1. You must display total patience and enthusiasm at all times.

2. Meet and greet all jet-lagged and cranky new arrivals at crowded, often chaotic third-world airport.

3. Make sure that all luggage is accounted for, and loaded onto bus. Deal with any missing luggage at claims office, and hope that your pigeon version of the local language suffices.

4. Take the first of many headcounts.

5. Answer any and all questions.

6. Coordinate hotel/lodge check in, to include passport collection and return, luggage off-loading and delivery to rooms.

7. Deal with any and all complaints as to room size, view, missing towels, etc.

8. Resolve any special menu requirements or dietary restrictions before meal time.

9. Answer any and all questions.

10. Review the tour schedule with bus driver, so that each trip arrives at, and departs from, each site on time. Continue reading ...

Article by, Victor Kipling and courtesy of Andrew G.R. and jobacle.com - your cure for carbon copy career advice!

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 29, 2009 at 11:38 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

I don't know where they were when I was looking for a math related non-profit for Pi Day, but I was excited to learn about Reasoning Mind through a Facebook message from George Khachatryan that asked me to help them get the word out about their entry level positions. We'll get to those in a second, but first let's talk about what Reasoning Mind is. It's a Houston, TX based non-profit (with offices in Dallas, TX and Moscow too) that is offering "an engaging online community that develops students' math knowledge and thinking skills" so that every child can receive "a first-rate math education." They're already working in quite a few schools in California, Texas, and Louisiana, and they also offer individual enrollment over the web. Reasoning Mind seems to be a family affair, as the President & CEO and the Vice President also happen to be Khachatryans.

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Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 29, 2009 at 8:51 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Today, I spoke with Harry Paul, who is a New York Times bestselling author and an expert on organizational strategy. In this interview, Harry talks about how managers can make fun during a tough economy, money versus passion, his personal brand that he's developed and information about his new book, which is called Instant Turnaround!

How can managers make work fun during a recession? What if they have no budget?

Focus on the purpose of the organization and have everyone share ideas on how to do this in a fun way keeping in mind to take your work seriously and yourselves a little less seriously. And fun has to be part of a bigger strategy that I call Destination: Work, outlined in my new book, Instant Turnaround!

• Focus on People as well as performance numbers
• Motivate with trust not fear
• Get management involved

What if you're getting paid a lot, but you aren't passionate about your job. What should you do?

Money is a short-term motivator. Everyone needs to know the mission, vision and values of their organization and that they are making a difference for people. Fulfillment is a much stronger long-term motivator than money. People need to know all their hard work, passion, energy and creativity count for something.

Which companies are doing it right?

Many come to mind such as the Pike Place Fish Market that my book FISH! is based on and Southwest Airlines. These organizations do things a little differently and continue to be profitable even today tough economy. I also see Starbucks as a business where employees feel good about themselves, enjoy what they are doing and having fun while doing it. The employees in these organizations have great attitudes and love serving people. And it shows.

What is the main message in your new book?

The message in Instant Turnaround! is that any organization, large or small can accomplish so much more by tapping into the discretionary effort employees have; effort they regulate by how they feel management is treating them. This untapped resource of energy, creativity, innovation and effort propels companies forward and unleashes the human potential that will get us through these tough times.

How have you developed your personal brand over time? What are you most proud of?

That's easy. Through my books and presentations. We spend a lot of time at work. We don't and shouldn't have to do that in a toxic environment. I'm all about sharing with people that there is a better way to enjoy that third or more of our lives we spend at work. I'm very proud that my message gets heard, understood and I get to make a difference through my books and presentations.

Article by, Dan Schawbel, the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y. He authors the Personal Branding Blog and publishes Personal Branding Magazine and authored the upcoming book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success (Kaplan, Spring 2009). Dan has been called a "personal branding force of nature" by Fast Company and his work has been published in BrandWeek Magazine, Advertising Age and countless other publications.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 29, 2009 at 8:48 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Last night I had some friends over for dinner, and we played a question and answers game. My questions for everyone was "if you got arrested, what would it be for." Think about that for a second. I'm sure most of you never expect to run into trouble with the law, but not all criminals intend to break the law and not all people who are arrested are guilty. Since you're a college student/new grad with limited financial resources, how would you afford a defense lawyer? Your parents? (If your parents would pay for it, then maybe you should take advantage of that generosity and have them sign you up for our job search prep course.) Or would you end up needing a public defender? That's not a good thought - "someone you've never seen; someone you didn't choose; someone you have no reason to trust" is responsible for your freedom. That's why The Bronx Defenders exists. They "have transformed the role of the public defender by changing the nature of the attorney-client relationship, investing in the communities where our clients live, and striving to create justice for the people [they] serve." It's still not pleasant to consider a court case, but having better public defense makes it a little less scary.

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Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 29, 2009 at 8:47 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Who would have thought that you could build a whole startup off of a Wiki? I mean, I know that Wikipedia is wildly successful, but they're run by a non-profit called the Wikimedia Foundation. Building a real business off of that same idea almost sounds too easy, but that didn't stop the founders of San Francisco based Wikinvest from trying it. It all started when two Harvard students were day trading in their dorm rooms during the height of the Internet bubble. They were making money, so they thought they were smart investors. When the bubble burst, they realized that they weren't nearly as smart as they thought they were. As they tried to educate themselves, they noticed that most financial websites leave a lot to be desired (kind of how I noticed that most job search sites leave a lot to be desired). Instead of building a team of salaried experts, the guys who started Wikinvest decided to crowdsource their content through a Wiki. So far it seems to be working well for them - they raised $2.5 million in a first round (although that was 18 months ago).

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Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 29, 2009 at 8:41 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Over on Twitter I often ask recruiters to ping me with their advice so I can anonymously share. I also love to promote the companies who have taken the bold step to recruit on Twitter. In a tough economy, job seekers need all the help they can get.

Randy Goldberg over at Hyatt hits both nails on the head. Randy and his team of recruiters have taken a break from finding talent to share their wisdom. Even if you don't work in hospitality, there's some great lessons to be learned. Hey, if you won't listen to me, maybe you'll listen to other recruiters. Oh, and follow them on Twitter! One of their tweets today proclaimed 80 jobs available in the state of Texas alone.

Recruiters' Tips for Staying Positive in Tough Times

From the Hyatt College Recruiters: Heidi Radakovich, Brook Luedke, and Cassandra Hale

You're about to graduate and what seems to be the worst possible scenario has happened, a bad economy. You've spent the past four years preparing for your future, have a loan in your name and now there are limited opportunities and a massive amount of candidates all applying for the same positions. How can you possibly stay positive?

Well, staying positive just happens to be the key to your survival. Heidi Radakovich graduated in June of 2001 only months before a horrific tragedy that affected our country and economy. All around her fellow students, colleagues and friends lost job offers or were laid off. The good news is things turned around, they always do, and it's just a matter of time. In the meantime, it's important to not only stay positive but be flexible.

As the 3 Hyatt College Recruiters each of us recruit at minimum 8 schools per semester, meet over 65 students at each campus and average about 20 interviews per university. Therefore, each one of us interview an average of 100 students per semester all looking for the same position. Consider this: Candidate A and B are top students, leaders within their university, involved in extracurricular activities, great experience and both have a 4.0 GPA. The difference is, Candidate A is willing to start anywhere including a Front Desk Agent because he understands that within 6 months he will have proven himself and will be promoted. Candidate B only wants an Asst. Manager position upon graduation and will only reside in Virginia. Due to Candidate A's willingness to be flexible this candidate will most likely be chosen.

Willingness to swallow your pride and be open to entry level positions to get your foot in the door is key. Whether it is a line position or an internship, these opportunities allow you to prove yourself to the company. Most likely if you are successful in these roles you will be considered for future supervisory and management openings.

Expanding your relocation preferences is also necessary. The more open you are to relocation the more opportunities will be available to you. This can be difficult as most companies do not provide relocation for non-management roles. However, relocating on your own dime can be worth it in the end. When a candidate decides to relocate on their own because of an opportunity within the company-they are really differentiating themselves amongst their competition. Taking the initiative and taking any opportunity the company offers shows dedication and true commitment.

It is difficult for students to realize they are not just competing amongst the students in their own class or their university. Each candidate is competing amongst all students at each school with the same degree, same experiences, and for the same limited management role. Realizing there's more than one road that leads to their desire goal is the key to obtaining their career path. Sometimes looking at the whole picture is the solution. If becoming a Rooms Director is their goal, there are at least 5 positions underneath the Managers in the Rooms division that will allow the candidate to gain more experience and create a better foundation for their future career. All of these entry level experiences will give the candidate an advantage over their competition.

Along with staying positive and being flexible under the current conditions, it is also important to network. This means creating new networks with those you have recently come into contact with, and continuing those relationships you have already made with industry leaders, professors, and peers. Many companies are using social media tools to keep you up to date with their company. Media tools such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook are a great way to learn more about companies you may be interested in. Let's face it; sometimes it may not be just about who you know, but who knows you. If you have created a great relationship with a representative from a company, they may be the one to help you get that first interview!

If you are currently in a situation where relocating and flexibility is not an option for you, now is the time to consider making yourself a more qualified candidate for when things turn around. Develop a second language and travel to unique cultural destinations around the world to broaden your experiences. If going to graduate school is an option for you now is the time to continue your education. In addition, consider refining and developing specific skills that set you apart from another candidate.

The bottom line is, don't let a bad economy stand in your way. Let it drive you to be more passionate about your search. Have the best resume you can, apply for as many jobs as you feel qualified for, be as positive and flexible as possible and don't lose hope. Remember, there are many roads that you can take to achieve your goal and there is no wrong direction to begin. Things will turn around and when they do you want to be on the top of the list and on top of your game.

Article by Career Coach and HR Executive, Susan D. Strayer, and courtesy of KaleidoBlog, career advice for a new generation. Follow Susan on Twitter @DailyCareerTips

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 29, 2009 at 7:10 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

These days it seems that all people are talking about are lay-offs and reduced hiring rates -- so much so that they ignore an important factor in every industry: the retirement rate. While many professions may reduce the amount by which they hire on a yearly basis, the truth is that a fresh crop of employees is always necessary in order to takeover the jobs of workers who have reached retirement age.

It's an economic factor that is sometimes overlooked, but many in the media are taking notice in light of a new report on the education industry. According to the report by the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, a nonprofit research advocacy group, a third of the country's 3.2 million teachers may be retiring during the course of the next four years.

Unfortunately, there's another problem that adds to this anticipated teaching shortage: the high attrition rate that occurs amongst newly hired teachers. Research has shown that a third of all new teachers choose to leave the teaching world within five years of being hired. Combined this with the cushy retirement plans that many teachers enjoy and you get a high turnover rate.

There is, however, hope for the education industry in the form of a new generation of college graduates eager to get into the teaching game and reap the perks that the profession's hours, work demands, job security, and health benefits offer. Of course, as with any other career, you should only consider it if it coincides with your passions and goals in life - otherwise, you'll be amongst that one third of new teachers.

*The original NYTimes article for more stats and info on the matter.

Article by, Genevieve Blaber and courtesy of CollegeSurfing Insider.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 29, 2009 at 7:07 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

The world of non-profits is built on fundraising. Organizations big and small take money from donors and put it to use how they see fit. The system works, but it leaves a lot to be desired. What if you want to know where your money is going and whom it is helping? What if you want to decide where your money goes? You often can't. With San Francisco based Kiva you can. You can loan money directly to the working poor. And if you make a wise investment and the person you loan money to succeeds, you'll get your money back and get to loan it again. You can lend money to a man who runs a food market in Togo or a woman who sells traditional coats in Tajikistan. The choice is yours. Kiva is all about "connect[ing] people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty." It's a really simple idea that couldn't have taken hold before the Internet. Now it's changing the way that we think about giving through microfinance and microfunding.

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Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 28, 2009 at 11:58 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

A week ago I reminisced about my early interest in science as I told you about jobs with the Museum of Science, Boston. As a young kid, I always felt secure in loving science and never worried too much about what other kids thought. Maybe it was because it was ok for boys to like science? Or because the exposure to science that I had was designed for boys? I don't know. What I do know is that females are largely underrepresented in careers in science, engineering, and technology. Techbridge is an Oakland, CA based non-profit that is "encouraging girls in science, technology, and engineering careers" by developing and implementing a science education program just for girls. The program has been around for 9 years, and it seems to be working well.

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Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 28, 2009 at 11:53 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Article provided by Brand-Yourself.com

To put it mildly, the job market is the worst it has been in the past century. Unemployment is continuing to rise as more and more people are being laid off and companies are slowing their hiring procedures.

With that being said, there are still jobs out there for you to work, but it is important that you dot every I and cross every T in your search for your next job.

One of the biggest mistakes we see time and time again is the fact that job applicants are forgetting the basics, and a good thank you note is a basic element that every job applicant needs to have in their career toolkit.

There are 5 elements to a good thank you note:

1. Timeliness! Let's say that you just got done interviewing for your dream job and you know there are 100 others interviewing later that day. I would be willing to bet you that only a handful of these individuals actually take the 30 seconds to write a good thank you note. When you leave the interview you should have the thank you note already written and you should drop it off with the secretary on your way out or in the first mailbox that you see. The key is making sure that the note is in the hands of the interviewer within 48 hours.
2. Spelling. While the job interview may have gone really well if you send a thank you note and you misspell the person's name that interviewed you, you might just as well start looking for elsewhere.
3. Grammar. Just as spelling is important it is good for you to write out your thank you note in Microsoft Word beforehand so that you can make sure your sentences make sense and that it says what you want it to. If you are not the best writer have someone else look over it for you.
4. Legible. Now people will go back and forth trying to decide if it is acceptable to have an email thank you note, I believe that in today's world it is alright however a hand written one is ALWAYS preferred. If you do end up hand writing the note you should write slowly and make sure that the recipient is going to be able to read how much you look forward to hearing from them.
5. Short and Relevant. It is a thank you note, not a memoir! 2-3 sentences max! You want to thank them for their time, explain how much you enjoyed the interview and how you look forward to working with them in the future. Don't make the note so vague that it appears that you have one template that you send to everyone. You need to make it fit the company you just interviewed with.

Don't beg for the job, don't sound desperate, and don't over think it. A good thank you note will set you apart from the crowd. It could help seal the deal between two candidates, and it will remind them of your qualities at a later point in time.

Article by, RJ Sherman and courtesy of Brand-Yourself.com for actionable tips to put you in a position of power in the job market

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 28, 2009 at 9:22 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Some weeks ago, the mother of a childhood friend brought up politics to my mother during a run-in at the grocery store. "Oh, I know how you voted," she said with a knowing smile and a wink. "You're a good person."

Keep in mind that despite being on friendly terms with this other woman for years, the two of them have never talked about their political affiliations. Ever. But, since they've known and respected each other for years, she assumed that my mom held the same belief system -- and then proceeded to give a scathing commentary about the other side.

When my mom called me later and told me about this story, we had a good laugh because my mother is actually a big supporter of the exact opposite political party. But we were also stunned by my friend's mom's blatant assumption that only the people who voted the same way were good.

This brings up a part of personal branding that we don't normally think about -- and we shouldn't ignore:

We need to be aware of the automatic assumptions that people make about us based on stereotypes. Why? So we can negate them when they work against us.

Obviously, stereotyping is most prevalent in high school. Many students are quickly slotted into their category of jock, geek, popular person or weirdo - and build their friend groups accordingly. The students who don't fit into an easily-designated category face an additional struggle in high school because a lot of people just don't know how to react to them.

I should know: I was a major geek with giant glasses who adored Homer's epic poetry and did all sorts of other nerdy pursuits. But I was also a 3-sport athlete who swam, played basketball and ran track. (And, just to ensure that I never fit in on the basketball court, I wore very fashionable protective sport glasses for years!)

Once the agony of high school was over though, I assumed that those too-easy stereotypes would fade away. But as the mother of my friend showed, that's not true.

In fact, there are a ton of stereotypes running rampant through the minds of adults. From the assumption that liberal arts majors are doomed to a life of asking "would you like fries with that?" to the view of many college graduates that plumbing is not a good career choice.

Last year about this time, Dan wrote about some assumptions that people make: that tall people play basketball, that people who wear glasses are smart, that straight men don't wear pink, that wisdom and ability only come with age.

People also have to deal with stereotypes centered around their jobs. Salespeople are haunted by the reputation of the used car salesmen. Accountants are viewed as math nerds and CEOs as greedy. And not all 20-somethings are social media fanatics nor are all middle-aged workers incompetent with social media. (Sometimes it's even the other way around!)

The problem is that negative stereotypes can interfere with your personal branding efforts - and make it so you have to fight hard just to get back to neutral territory.

For example, not long ago, I was reminded of this when catching up with a friend I haven't seen for some years. "I do marketing," I told him when he asked about my work. He responded to that with an unimpressed "oh" and silence.

Luckily, I realized quickly that to him, marketers are people who spend their time trying to sell things to people that they don't need. When I said I was a marketer, therefore, he automatically formed a mental image of a slick advertiser -- which didn't match-up with the Ancient Greek major I was in college!

Because of my friend's image of marketers, I had to do some fancy footwork to convince him that I hadn't mysteriously swapped personalities in the past four years. I did that by explaining how I actually help people and companies doing interesting things to get the attention they deserve (via social media) and then told him about some of my past projects.

Once we'd gotten beyond the job label, he was easily able to see the good in my work. It was the label that caused all the trouble - and I would have had a lot easier time explaining my current work if I had simply jumped past the term "marketer" and talked about what I do.

From what I've seen, the best way to combat a negative stereotype of your job (or political beliefs) is to shift the focus away from your label to your actions.

In fact, that is exactly what caused the confusion of my friend's mother in the first place. The friend's mother didn't know my mom's political affiliation, and so she based her judgment on how my mother has acted over the last decade.

So, next time you tell someone about what you do (or how you vote), take a moment to observe their reaction. Is it positive? Negative? Are they reacting the way you had hoped?

If not, you might have to think about how to present your personal brand so you can circumvent the negative stereotype and get off to a good start right away.

Katie Konrath writes about "ideas so fresh... they should be slapped" at getFreshMinds.com, a top innovation blog.

Article courtesy of Dan Schawbel, the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y. He authors the Personal Branding Blog and publishes Personal Branding Magazine and authored the upcoming book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success (Kaplan, Spring 2009). Dan has been called a "personal branding force of nature" by Fast Company and his work has been published in BrandWeek Magazine, Advertising Age and countless other publications.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 28, 2009 at 9:15 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

The first two posts in this series explored how you can begin creating your personal brand through having a few great brainstorm sessions, organizing your thoughts by creating a web, and then showed you how to create your own self-hosted blog with some great how-to videos.

This week's post will explore how you can begin integrating your blog into your social networks, so you can begin to create some awareness for your personal brand and drive some traffic to your blog.

What social networks are the best to get started?

The key is to pick a few social networking sites and start to get comfortable with them. Most people usually find their comfort zone with Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter. While there is no rule stating that you should use a specific social network, the three mentioned above are so prevalent you will miss out on potential opportunities if you don't use them. They're great ways to help promote your personal brand!

Here are some social media quick tips for Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter.

Use Linkedin to promote your personal brand

Linkedin is great for connecting with colleagues and if you're in sales or business development, for finding potential customers. No matter what your niche is, you can find people to connect with on Linkedin to promote your personal brand.

Linkedin Applications: enables you to add some sizzle to your Linkedin profile. You can choose from a few different applications that allow you to share your work and collaborate with your connections. My favorite is the WordPress application that enables you to sync your WordPress blog with your Linkedin profile, helping you to spread your content through your Linkedin connections and the web.

Use Facebook to promote your personal brand

Facebook has reached what best-selling author, Malcolm Gladwell, has termed "the tipping point", with over 175 million active users. Here's an interesting fact, the fastest growing demographic on Facebook is not the college crowd, it's the 26+ crowd. Everyone is getting on Facebook and its become a part of our culture. It's a way millions of people connect, share and form communities online.

Facebook Status: enables you to share whatever you want with your friends on Facebook. You can share what you've been up to, links to content, photos, videos, etc. Your Facebook status now streams live, just like Twitter, and can be a great way to promote your personal brand as you connect with more like minded people. Start updating your status regularly with links to great content of others and your own.

Use Twitter to promote your personal brand

Twitter is probably the fastest growing social media network. It has over 6 million users, and you've probably been hearing about it everywhere. Twitter has gone mainstream and just like Facebook, it's quickly becoming a part of our culture and an awesome way to promote your personal brand.

Twitter Search: enables you to easily search through the millions of tweets that pass through Twitter to find the information you want. You can search for keywords, people, and even subscribe to these keywords through your RSS reader. By using Twitter search you can connect with like-minded people and promote your personal brand at the same time.

With these simple tips and some persistence you will begin to see your personal brand gain traction and spread through web. By no means is this a comprehensive list for spreading your personal brand, but for those looking to get started, it's a great place to take the first step to getting your personal brand out there using social media.

Now, it's your turn. If you have some tips to help promote your personal brand, please share them in the comments section below!

Chad Levitt is the author of the New Sales Economy blog, which focuses on how Sales 2.0 & Social Media can help you connect, create more opportunities and increase your business. Chad is also the featured Sales 2.0 blogger at SalesGravy.com, the number one web portal for sales pros, the professional athletes of the business world. Make sure to connect with him on Twitter @chadalevitt.

Article courtesy of Dan Schawbel, the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y. He authors the Personal Branding Blog and publishes Personal Branding Magazine and authored the upcoming book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success (Kaplan, Spring 2009). Dan has been called a "personal branding force of nature" by Fast Company and his work has been published in BrandWeek Magazine, Advertising Age and countless other publications.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 28, 2009 at 8:58 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

This is a follow-up to Sital Ruparelia's recent post on lessons to take away from Leonardo DaVinci. I recently attended a "Models" exhibition which showcased physical representations of DaVinci's concepts based on his journal writings, and walked away with a few observations of my own.

First a quick note on what I saw. The "models" exhibit featured hands-on models of DaVinci's ideas--all constructed by modern artists and woodworkers in Florence. The models are a comprehensive collection of ideas and inventions--from ball bearings and wind motion detectors to ideas that never quite worked as DaVinci envisioned--my favorite among these were "skis" that he believed would allow people to walk on water. (This exhibit has been staged in cities around the world; click here for a gallery of some of the "models" developed by Florence artisans. )

In his post, Sital provides five terrific lessons we can all learn from DaVinci--from refusing to be defined by your job title to focusing on the results of your talents, being okay with screwing up, and keeping an open mind. Here are two strategies you can use to put these lessons into action.

As you pursue your interests and explore possibilities, write them down!

Leonardo's journals have made a "priceless" contribution to society; keeping track of your ideas can help you create your own solutions to problems. Here's a great book by Columbia University Professor William Duggan that explains how the "aha" moment happens, and how you can spark your own creative intuition:

I had the good fortune to hear Professor Duggan speak last year, and he made an analogy that the mind is like a file cabinet; one of the elements of strategic intuition (or solving problems with innovative solutions) is recall. Keep a journal of your ideas, and your mental "filing cabinet" will be naturally more accessible!

Find a mentor, and stick with them--even when you've learned all you think you need to.

DaVinci may have had innate skills, but he also had training from the masters. At age 14, he became an apprentice to Verrachio, one of the premier artists of his time. Through his work with Verrachio and other apprentices, Leonardo was exposed to a vast pool of talent and technical skills--and the opportunity to learn everything from drafting and painting to mechanics and metallurgy. At age 20, DaVinci became a Master in the Guild of St. Luke, and subsequently was able to set up his own workshop. But he continued to collaborate with Verrocchio. As I see it, here's the lesson in this: Long-term mentors can help you throughout your career, not just in the short term.

This is what I see in DaVinci's work, do you have any additional observations to share?

Article by, Chandlee Bryan and courtesy of CareerHub.com. The Career Hub blog connects job seekers with experts in career counseling, resume writing, personal branding and recruiting.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 28, 2009 at 8:39 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Article provided by Brand-Yourself.com

A really great resume - one that captures attention, gets interviews, and lands jobs faster - has always been all about differentiating that job seeker and their promise of value from others competing for the same jobs.

Personal branding is the best career marketing tool today to get you there. And branding generates the kind of chemistry that helps hiring decision makers pre-qualify you as a good fit and sound hiring investment.

If you need help uncovering and building your personal brand, see my post The Personal Branding Worksheet.

Resumes these days often take the form of an online profile or part of an online career portfolio. Whether online or on "paper", follow these 7 tactics to brand and power up your executive resume:

1. Lead with a personal brand statement.

Forget about an anemic "objective statement" outlining what you want in a job. Nobody cares what you want. They want to know what you will do for them. Use this prime real estate, the first thing people will see, to tell them about the unique value you offer that no one else does.

Placing a stand-alone brand statement at the top of your resume, in itself, is a powerful differentiating feature. Few job seekers are doing it. A dramatic element like this that links your personal brand with your value proposition and ROI will immediately draw in the reader.

Craft a statement of 3-5 lines that comes from your own voice, gives a feel for who you are, and lays out your brand attributes, pivotal strengths, and vitality. If a stand-alone brand statement on your resume doesn't feel right for you, instead it can easily become part of your career bio and the foundation for your 30-second elevator pitch.

2. Format your resume with the readers' needs in mind.

More and more hiring decision makers are reviewing resumes on the go - on PDAs, netbooks, or other small screens. Brief, brand-driven statements of value surrounded by enough white space to make them stand out will have the greatest impact. Long, dense paragraphs make it hard for the reader to quickly access and digest important make-or-break information about you.

3. Tell your story above the fold.

People reviewing your resume may have to look at hundreds or more resumes for any given position, so they don't have much time to spend on each one. In fact, they may only give your resume 10-15 SECONDS to capture their attention. If you don't draw them in immediately and hold them, they may move on to the next resume and forget about you.

• Showcase your most important and compelling information at the top of page one, since this is the first, and possibly only, section that will be read. Consider this: if you tear off the top of the first page, it should stand on its own as your career branding communication.


• Include 2 or 3 achievement statements or standout contributions you've made to companies, leading each with the quantified WOW! results. Show them the numbers! These provide evidence to back up your personal brand.


• It's okay to move certain information from the second page to above the fold on page one, such as special training, hot certifications, or career milestones - especially if they're relevant to your job target. If you have an MBA, don't hide it at the bottom of the last page. They may never get there!

4. Keep your resume to 2 pages.

It may be difficult and painful, but you can do this. The purpose of your resume is to generate interest in you, compelling decision makers to want to talk with you. A resume is not a comprehensive career history covering every job you've ever held. It's a career marketing document that needs to say just enough about you to do its job. So precision-writing is the key. And in most cases, there's no need to go back further than 10 to 15 years.

To keep it brief, pare down and consolidate your value proposition and all your great achievements to just the essentials.

You can put together deeper slices of contributions, "success stories", and your softer side in collateral 1-2 page documents (Leadership Initiatives Profile, Achievement Summary, Career Biography, Reference Dossier with Accolades, etc.).

5. Highlight your key areas of expertise just once.

Instead of taking up precious space repeating obvious lists of responsibilities under each position, consolidate them in the form of relevant key word phrases at the top of the first page. For best impact, position them in nicely formatted columns or a shaded graphic box, titled something like "Key Areas of Expertise". Or, depending upon space, sprinkle these relevant key words throughout your achievement statements.

For the header "Professional Experience" or "Work History", consider using a relevant keyword phrase, such as "Senior-level Management Experience" or "IT Management Experience". Fill out the section with short statements of key contributions to each company and achievements that provide evidence of the value you will bring to your next employer.

6. Transform your executive resume into an on-brand LinkedIn profile.

This is a great way to extend the value of your resume while building your online presence and brand reputation. I'm sure you know that recruiters and hiring decision makers are searching online to source candidates and to pre-qualify those they're considering. If you're invisible online, you don't exist to them. And of course, LinkedIn offers endless networking benefits.

Everything in your branded resume can be copied and pasted into appropriate sections of your LinkedIn profile. Here are a few tips:

• An abbreviated version of your personal brand statement becomes your LinkedIn professional headline - the first thing people will see, along with your photo. You can pack quite a punch with the allowed 120 characters.
• The top half of your resume, before the "Experience" section, becomes the "Summary" section for your LinkedIn profile.
• Remember to break up dense chunks of information and add plenty of white space, just as you did with your resume.
• LinkedIn may not accept some graphic bullet points that you used in your resume, but you can get visual impact with various characters that are right on your keyboard, such as: * ~ > = - <>
• Once your profile is all done, LinkedIn lets you easily convert it to a PDF file.
• Include a link to your LinkedIn profile on your resume, along with your contact information at the top.

7. Take advantage of Google Profiles' search results power.

A few days ago, Google Profiles trumped LinkedIn and other social networking sites for building brand-solid search results, by adding a customized listing that includes your photo on page one of results for "your name". Check it out by typing "meg guiseppi" in a browser window and scrolling down the page until you see my photo and link to my Google Profile. That's an attention-grabber!

Google makes it very easy to set up a Google account and put your profile together. In fact, it's much easier than LinkedIn. Cut and paste your resume into the body of the profile, add your photo and an on-brand headline under your name, and pop in links to your other online profiles, websites, blogs, etc.

Google Profiles is now a must-do online branding strategy and another great way to extend the value of your executive resume.

For more in depth strategies to brand and differentiate yourself in your resume, see my series of posts, Think Like an Executive Resume Branding Expert.

Article by, Meg Guiseppi and courtesy of Brand-Yourself.com for actionable tips to put you in a position of power in the job market

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 28, 2009 at 8:27 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

In today's highly competitive job market, the last thing a college student seeking an internship or recent college graduate looking for an entry level job needs is to have his aspirations derailed by a less than stellar reference from a professor, advisor or former employer. Well ... there's a site for that.

Founded in 1984 by Heidi Allison-Shane, Allison & Taylor, Inc. is a firm that conducts reference checks to help job seekers either ensure that they will get positive references once they start applying for positions or to discover if the reason they're not getting job offers is due to negative references. Allison-Shane started the firm because she saw a need that wasn't being filled.

"Over half of all reference checks we do come back negative," said Allison & Taylor vice-president, Jeff Shane, in a recent interview. He went on to say that some references have been so negative and with language so strong that there was no doubt that the clients had cause to take legal action.

Although employers and HR professionals are trained to only give dates of employment, confirmation of job titles and to say whether or not a former employee is eligible for re-hire, job seekers should be aware that that rarely happens. "What employers are trained to offer and what they actually offer are very different," Shane said.

Allison & Taylor's consultants are trained to pick up on what Shane called "verbal body language" because tone of voice can be just as damaging as direct speech, and it only takes one bad reference to ruin a candidate's chances. "A great many of our clients are intensely frustrated," he explained. "They have great first, second or third interviews, then the bottom just seems to have dropped out of it."

In addition to consultants who conduct the reference checks, Allison & Taylor also has attorneys available to consult with clients about what to do next if one or more of their references is negative. With the job market being so heavily flooded with candidates, employers can afford to be extremely picky, and a tepid or cold reference is as good a reason as any to scratch a candidate's name off the list of contenders for a job offer.

"The need for our services are probably greater than they've been before," said Shane. "Everyone at every stage of their career could use our services. It's very important to know what your references are going to say."

The Professional Level is the most commonly requested reference check, for $79, which includes a detailed report that clients can access through Allison & Taylor's Web site.

"One of the most gratifying things is the peace of mind benefits that the clients receive," said Shane, "because [they] may not like what they hear, but it confirms their suspicions or dispells them. At least you have some clarity in the situation. I view it as a public service. It's very rewarding."

Finding the right internship or entry level job is tough in the current market because there's so much more competition. Knowing in advance what references will say, could help a job or internship seeker walk into his next interview with greater confidence and peace of mind.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 28, 2009 at 6:51 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

A few years ago I had the idea of building a business that would allow people to financially hedge against bad weather. For instance, if you bought tickets to a sporting event above face value and were afraid that it might get rained out and leave you out a lot of money, you could buy a type of insurance that would pay you off if the weather caused the game to be cancelled. Apparently I wasn't the only person to come up with this idea. WeatherBill is a San Francisco, CA based startup that is doing exactly that. Many think entrepreneurship is all about having a good idea, but it's not. It's about execution. WeatherBill is a perfect example of an awesome idea that is being executed well. The potential for this idea is absolutely unbelievable, and WeatherBill is already beginning to realize it. They don't call what they offer "insurance" because there is no need for a claims process or a proof of loss. I guess you can call it a hedge, as it allows you to "get paid for weather that's bad for business."

Read the full article

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 27, 2009 at 2:37 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

One of the cool things about all of the social technologies that we have these days is that it removes a lot of social inefficiency. What do I mean by social inefficiency? How about the fact that you're sitting in an airport waiting for a delayed flight even though your friend is 3 gates away and you have no idea. You're probably not going to call that friend randomly, but a Facebook or Twitter update might alert you to the fact that you have someone to hang out with for the next hour or two. There are a million examples like this, and Raptr, a Mountain View, CA based startup, has created some technology to address one inefficiency in particular - gaming alone. Ok, so they're not going to invite your friends over to play video games with you, but they will allow you to find out which of your friends are playing what video games when, so that you can link up and play together. Social gaming is huge, but it's happening mostly on non-gaming platforms like Facebook. Raptr is trying to bring this technology to more traditional gaming systems and aggregate your information across the social networks that you already use.

Read the full article

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 27, 2009 at 2:34 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

When I started this business, I focused almost entirely on the web for networking - a LinkedIn connection or an e-mail address was all that I needed. However, my mom (who is also my graphic designer) had other ideas. Right after she designed my logo, she sent away to VistaPrint to get me business cards. Although I didn't use them right away (I was glued to the computer screen and not talking to many people in real life), eventually they became a necessity. Those business cards also came with the one and only One Day, One Job t-shirt (a free gift from VistaPrint). They are the place to go for customized stuff (there's no better way to put it). You can get business cards, pens, checks, banners, postcards, lawn signs, rubber stamps, mouse pads, magnets, and much much more. The best part about it is that you can do it all online and get a really great price. VistaPrint is definitely achieving their goal of "making high-quality graphic design and custom printing convenient and affordable for everyone."

Read the full article

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 27, 2009 at 2:30 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

New and aspiring entrepreneurs have another opportunity to benefit from Sramana Mitra's knowledge and experience. On April 30, 2009, at 11:30 a.m. EST (8:30 a.m. PST and 8:30 p.m. IST), Mitra will hold the next installment of her Strategy Roundtables, hosted by TiE New Delhi.

During the 60-minute session, entrepreneurs can pitch their business ideas in 3-minute presentations. Mitra will review the material in real-time and provide feedback on each pitch, as well as address specific strategy questions from each entrepreneur. Afterwards, she will take questions about strategy from other participants. The session is open to 1000 people but only the first five TiE New Delhi members to sign up will have the opportunity to pitch Mitra and discuss their business.

Whether you're a college student considering a franchise over a traditional internship or a recent college graduate who wants to try entrepreneurship instead of battling for an entry level job, registering for Sramana Mitra's next Strategy Roundtable could help you make your final decision.

About Sramana Mitra: Sramana Mitra is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur who has founded three companies and provided strategy consulting to over 80 organizations, large and small. She writes a business blog, Sramana Mitra on Strategy, and is a columnist for Forbes. Mitra has a master's degree in electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. To get the most out of this session, she recommends you read Entrepreneur Journeys (Volume One), which is now available on Amazon.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 27, 2009 at 1:25 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

I follow the Business Basics on Forbes.com. They recently published a very good piece called What Do You Do When Your Friend Gets Laid Off? It includes excellent do's and don'ts that make sense -- this is advice we should all remember and use.

The advice doesn't only apply when someone is laid off. I believe it's relevant whenever something bad happens to someone. Whether they've lost a friend or family member, gotten a divorce, been diagnosed with a serious illness, had an accident or lost his or her job, use the Forbes.com advice as well as a few bullets I've added (from my own experience):

• Don't run away from your friend because you're afraid.
• Do acknowledge the event.
• Don't use trite sayings such as "things happen for a reason," even if you firmly believe they do.
• Do offer help.
• Don't say "everything will be all right" because you can't guarantee that.
• Do say, "things may be tough, but I have confidence you can handle it."
• Don't patronize your friend.
• Do listen.
• And most of all, DO stay in touch.

Bad things happen to people -- we can't avoid it. But one great way to handle these 'bumps in the road' is to have friends you can count on.

Be one of those friends!

Article by Melanie Holmes, Vice President of World of Work Solutions for Manpower, and courtesy of Manpower's Contemporary Working blog. Melanie shares Manpower's extensive knowledge while building strategic partnerships with government, universities and other leadership organizations across the country. She is also responsible for social responsibility at Manpower, which includes diversity, volunteerism, community involvement, community relations, philanthropy and workforce development.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 27, 2009 at 12:11 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

There is no doubt that this is a time of transition. Whether it's corporate staffing, geographical location, or the value of the investment portfolio, everything is changing. Car companies are obviously among the biggest newsmakers these days, which is a recent topic of discussion for Deb Owen at 8 Hours & A Lunch. Also check out Deb's links to her layoff series on topics like managing change and putting a plan into action.

Steve Roesler at All Things Workplace has started a terrific discussion on the correlation between transition and transparency. "People can handle the truth. What they don't handle well is finding out later that they only heard part of the truth," Roesler writes. He emphasizes honest, emotional language to help employees through difficult times. Another consideration: obvious lying during times of transition will create trust issues that will resound negatively throughout the organization, hurting employee morale even after the recession is over.

Lastly, HR Morning has a bit of unbelievable news from France on how some French factory workers dealt with news that they would be targeted in impending layoffs. The bottom line this week: Think hard about how you handle the announcement, preparation, execution and overall management of the mass layoff process. The effects will be felt in your organization and company reputation for years.

With the use of Web 2.0 technology, Transition Concierge can help displaced employees find their next opportunity faster. It boosts the morale of employees left behind and also boosts your image in the minds of departing employees. In essence, relevant and highly effective outplacement services is a way for employers to provide continued leadership - even in times of transition and even for displaced employees.

Article by, Hayli and courtesy of RiseSmart.com - RiseSmart: Search Smarter. Rise Faster.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 27, 2009 at 11:54 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

As if it isn't tough enough out there for job seekers, the UK Financial Security Association is reporting that fake job ads are up 345% over the last three years.

Those job seekers that use Craigslist probably aren't shocked by this tidbit. But if you come from the day of job searching strictly with the classifieds, this may come as a bit of a shock to you.

Why would someone post a fake job?

1. To obtain your email address and sell it to the highest bidder.

2. To obtain even more lucrative information such as a driver's license number or social security number and sell it.

3. To lure you into a scam or pyramid scheme.

I'm not quite sure how these scammers sleep at night, but please don't add to your list of troubles by falling prey to their devious schemes. Here are red flags to look for when applying to a less reputable company in a job post:

*Don't ever give out your social security number unless you are filling out paperwork because you got the job (certain companies will require that information prior to the offer for background check purposes). Bottom line? If you are being prompted for your social in the initial stages, that is a red flag. Continue reading ...

Article by Andrew G.R. and courtesy of jobacle.com - your cure for carbon copy career advice!

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 27, 2009 at 11:38 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

The 8th Annual Source of Hire Study from CareerXRoads published this February affirms once again that for those hires originating from external sources, referrals from current and previous employees, customers, and vendors are the number one external source, accounting for 27.3%.

Nearly 40% of all positions filled within companies result from internal transfers or promotions. Interestingly, job boards (excluding company sites) produce only 12.3% of external hires and seem to have reached their peak.

These facts make cultivating "insider" connections one of your best sources for job leads. With the implied endorsement from a trusted source that you have when referred to a company, you gain a great advantage over your competition. Not only are you most likely going to get an interview ahead of the pack, you are also an attractive candidate due to the fact payment to a recruiter may be partially or totally removed from the equation, substantially reducing the employer's cost of hiring.

In a tough job market, proactively building your network is arguably your best strategy to identify and pursue a new job before hundreds or even thousands of others have beat you to the door. My colleague and fellow contributor to this blog, Debra Feldman (an "Executive Agent" who helps her clients to Network Purposefully), puts it this way: "More networking relationships and more meaningful dialogues showing employers a quantifiable, unique value contribution to the bottom line are an excellent way to cultivate new employment opportunities."

Article by, Laurie Smith and courtesy of CareerHub.com. The Career Hub blog connects job seekers with experts in career counseling, resume writing, personal branding and recruiting.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 27, 2009 at 9:31 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

"What's most important to my company right now and how do I make sure I'm contributing to that, and that my achievement is visible to my boss?" Sarah Grayson, an executive search consultant, is quoted as asking in a Wall Street Journal article: Does Avoiding the 9-to-5 Grind Make You a Target for Layoffs?

Although the article is primarily about telecommuters and people with flexible schedules and how they have to be careful so as not to be subject to layoffs, there are implications for all workers.

It doesn't matter - in terms of whether you lose your job or not - if you are making fantastic contributions, but your boss isn't fully aware of them and how they impact the organization. Not only do you need to be involved in critical work, but you also have to make hiring authorities aware that what you are working on really is critical to the organizational mission.

It's all about your brand and how you express it. Make sure you know and your bosses know what your value proposition is, what your value-adds are, and what makes you unique. And then find ways to communicate those to them. Maybe send a brief update memo about a project you just successfully completed and how it benefited the company. Or you could get the message across in a brief meeting you ask for to discuss what the critical activities are that you could become involved in next.

This kind of reflection, analysis, and communication will prove invaluable not only in your bosses' appreciation of your important contributions, but also in building your personal brand and enhancing the content of your resume. It goes back to the conundrum: If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, can it be said to fall? So, as modestly as possible, get the word out about how the work you do is important to the company going forward!

Article by, Jean Cummings and courtesy of CareerHub.com. The Career Hub blog connects job seekers with experts in career counseling, resume writing, personal branding and recruiting.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 27, 2009 at 9:27 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Article provided by Brand-Yourself.com

We hear it time and time again; the purpose of bringing together a team is to create synergy. Rub two 1's together and end up with a 3. Accomplish larger goals than any one person could possibly achieve alone. The list of good reasons for pulling together a dynamic team is endless, but creating this oh so elusive perfect mix is easier said than done.

The first step is finding a diverse group of people, each with a unique personal brand which can fill a necessary gap. Once you've got the right people, you're unfortunately only halfway there. Now the molding has to begin. Here are six necessities to help you form those separate individuals into one, fluid masterpiece. Why six you ask? Because five is boring and seven is far too overplayed.

1. Understanding: First, there needs to be an absolute sense of understanding when working on a team. A group of people working together will tend to fight in order to get the largest piece of pie for themselves. A team, on the other hand, recognizes the unique value brought forward by each members personal brand and allows the larger goals of the team to come before personal gain.
2. Creative Abrasion: Conflict is good, and any smart, motivated, and driven group of individuals will realize that a clash of ideas is a necessary aspect of progression. It forces us to take a hard look at validation, raises the energy level, and brings out passions. It is important to solve conflict in a constructive manner, but never shy away from a valuable dispute.
3. Strong leadership: This one is a given. Without clear leadership, expectations become vague, visions are scattered, and time is wasted. Good leaders lead by example, constant participation, and sheer charisma. A great leader knows how to embody the vision and mission of the team simply through actions alone.


4. Personal Development: Each person has to understand the unique value they bring to the group and be open to learn from the expertise of others as well. It is not good enough to simply excel in your own niche, a team environment gives you the ability to expand and learn new things out of your comfort zone while teaching others simultaneously. A team that constantly supports one another is key for personal and team development.
5. Shared Values: It takes work, but actively establishing shared values is crucial when working on a team. These shared values create common goals, allowing everyone to effortlessly move forward in the same direction. These values also become the team's code of behavior because they define what is and what is not acceptable. These values take the form of both corporate objectives and individual values.
6. Embrace Your Personal Brand: Encourage diversity by leveraging each person's individuality. True energy, synergy, and value is created by throwing a diverse crew together and constantly building upon the core competencies of each individual member. The varying perspectives, inevitable conflicts, and cross pollination of ideas is invaluable. Very little in life is more rewarding than working on a team with a diverse spectrum of individuals that have somehow managed to fit together seamlessly, and in do so, created something great.

Article by, Evan Watson and courtesy of Brand-Yourself.com for actionable tips to put you in a position of power in the job market

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 27, 2009 at 9:14 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Regardless of the current state of the economy, it's up to each of us to position ourselves for success. No matter what is going on in the world around us, each of us has to take steps to make sure that we are prepared to succeed - for now, and into the future. While we may not be able to control what is going on in the world around us, it is a fact that we are responsible for making sure that we are prepared to deal with whatever tomorrow brings.

No matter what field you work in, there are things you can do to safeguard your professional success. Look at your job and at the industry in which you work to determine what changes you can make that are likely to position you for success. For example, as an individual, you can go the extra mile to demonstrate that you are an invaluable asset to your organization. If you own a business, you can cultivate a loyal clientele by providing service that is superior to that of your competitors.

4 Tips to Recession Proof Your Career

1. Provide Exceptional Customer Service - The only thing that truly makes your organization unique is the service you are able to provide. Competitors can copy any company's products, services, and prices. What they cannot duplicate is an organization's people and the service they provide. Companies that are likely to thrive regardless of economic conditions are those that focus on providing exceptional customer service at all times. Whether you own the company or if you want to demonstrate to your employer that you are an important asset, improving your customer service skills is essential to success in a difficult economy.

2. Improve Your Professional Skills - The higher your skill level, the more efficiently and effectively you'll be able to perform you job. By taking the time to improve your skills, you'll position yourself as an invaluable asset to your customers and to your organization. For example, if your job involves using a computer, work on perfecting your computer skills. Learn to use new software applications or take your skills to the next level with the programs you currently use. If you work in sales, learn how to apply proven consultative selling techniques to improve your performance. No matter how experienced you are, you can always improve your performance through acquiring and applying new skills.

3. Prove Your Skills with Professional Certification - When times are tough, customers and employers are less willing to take chances when choosing service providers or hiring employees. There is no better time than the present to start working on earning a professional certification that can set you apart from others in your field. Whether you work in information technology, human resource management, project management, or any other field, earning a widely recognized professional certification can help you stand out from others with similar skills.

4. Cultivate a Professional Network - It's a fact that "who you know" can have a significant impact on professional success. Whether you are in the market for a new job or you need excellent references to help yourself land a new account, having a solid professional network can be the key to success. The key to networking success lies with taking the time to build a solid network with people that you can help, and who may be able to help you in return. There are many ways to build an effective network. Consider joining relevant professional organizations, attend activities hosted by your local Chamber of Commerce, or sponsor an event that benefits your community. You'll have an opportunity to get to know and make a positive impression on many people.

The Next Step is Up to You
While it's true that the economic environment is less than ideal at this point in time, each of us has a choice. You can complain and worry about the current situation, or you can decide to make positive changes in your own professional life that can position you for long term success. Ask yourself which course of action is more likely to help you "recession-proof" your career. After all, the only person's behavior you can control is your own.

Mary Gormandy White, M.A., SPHR is the Training Coordinator for Mobile Technical Institute & MTI Business Solutions , where she specializes in human resources, management, and marketing training. She teaches open enrollment classes for MTI, provides on-site corporate training, and frequently speaks at conferences and association meetings. She is also the author of 101 Successful PR Campaign Tips in the LifeTips book series. MTI provides a variety of consulting services, including IT Training, certification testing, HR & PR consulting, custom database development and website solutions.

Courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates seeking entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Originally posted on FiredUp Careers

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 24, 2009 at 9:35 AM | Leave a Comment (1)

At some point of time in your life you will find yourself in an interview. If you are a highly sought after individual, you may find yourself in several interviews in a very short time frame. Whatever the case may be there are certain rules when you schedule an interview that should be followed for the best results.

You should always schedule your interviews between Tuesday and Thursday. If you schedule an interview on Friday you are getting someone at the end of the work week when all that is on their mind is the upcoming weekend. If you schedule an interview on Monday, you are getting someone at the beginning of the work week and an individual who is not happy that their weekend just flew by so fast. In either case you will not get the full attention you want from your prospective employer.

As far as time goes, you should always schedule your interviews for two different time spans. The first time span is between 10am and 11am. Assuming the business you are interviewing at is 9am to 5 pm, arriving any earlier than 10am will likely get you an interviewer that has not had their morning coffee kick in and may be just a bit cranky. Always give your prospective boss a little time to settle into the work day. If you schedule your interview after 11am you risk a hungry interviewer who will rush you out the door as the noon lunch hour looms. You want to make sure that you have at least a half-hour to plead your case as to why you should be working there.

The second time span is between 2pm and 4pm. Again, assuming the company is a 9am to 5pm company you can bet lunch is from noon to 1pm. Get there any earlier than 2pm and you risk interviewing for a full-bellied boss who isn't settled back into the work day. Give your prospective employer just a bit of time to get back into the work groove after lunch is over. You will also not want to interview past 4pm as the work day ends at 5pm. Nothing will get you through an interview faster than scheduling it at the end of the work day. No one likes to stay at work late if they don't have to and an interview scheduled later than 4pm puts you at risk of being hurried through the interview. Again you want to make sure you have at least a half-hour of undivided attention to get the most out of your interview.

The only other rule for interviewing is if the company you are interviewing for gives you a time and day, then that is the perfect time for your interview. Never, under any circumstances, change an interview that has been set for you by a prospective employer. If they want to meet with you at 4:49 pm on Friday, then that's when you go. But since many companies will leave it up to you as to when you want to interview for the position you are interested in, using these couple of scheduling tricks can end up being to your advantage.

Article provided by JobGoRound.com, where you can get career advice on resume writing, job searching, interviewing, and more.

Courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates seeking entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Originally posted on Daily Career Connection

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 24, 2009 at 8:38 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

The internet can add some very powerful tools to your job search arsenal and it is important to use these effectively. This article explores some of these tools.

One of the best ways to conduct a job search is by using your personal contacts and networking. Nowadays, in addition to traditional methods, you can use the internet to do this by using online social and professional networks. Some examples of such utilities are LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Orkut, A Small World, MySpace. Recently, these networks have seen a huge growth in users and are expected to keep growing. You can use them in many creative ways to display your resume/portfolio, promote yourself, find/discover relevant contacts, join communities of interest, get job leads and stay up-to-date on news and what your network is doing. We will discuss how you can use some of the more prominent ones. Many of the methods discussed apply to the other websites also, and you should be able to figure out how to use the ones most relevant for you, based on these examples.

LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a professional network, which connects working people from around the globe. To start using the network, sign-up for a free account and enter your professional profile. Try to make the profile as complete as possible and treat it as though you are writing a resume. An increasing number of recruiters are using LinkedIn, so you must project the right image and provide them with comprehensive information in case they are looking at your profile. A complete profile (filled with keywords relating to your background/goals) also increases the chances that you appear in search results.

You should then import your contacts from Outlook, Gmail, Yahoo and so on. You can also search for contacts from companies you have worked and schools you studied at. Obviously, it is better to have a larger number of contacts, since that will give you access to exponentially more people - because you can reach people who are 1/2/3 degrees away from you (e.g. the connections your contacts have are 2 degrees away from you). However, it is very important to keep the quality of your contacts in mind. I would suggest adding only people you are comfortable asking a favour from, as your contacts.

During a job search you can search your contacts (and their connections) on various aspects, to see who/what can help you. For example, you can get background information on an interviewer or see who you know in common and find people you know in your target companies.

LinkedIn has various common interest groups (organisations, schools, communities, recruiters, people in a certain region and so on), which you join to have access to more people. It is a useful way to see what people you are interested in a doing and talking about. You might also receive an expression of interest for a job or freelance opportunity through the group.

Facebook: Facebook is more of a personal network, where you share photos and other happenings with your friends and family. Many a times, you will have connections on Facebook who are not on LinkedIn and vice-versa. So you have access to more people who can help you during your job search, by using Facebook as well. The ways to use it are similar - promoting yourself and your ideas, getting job leads, background information on a person/company, common contacts, interest groups and so on.

A caveat when using Facebook - if you are including both personal and professional contacts in the network (which I don't recommend), be very careful about the content you share. For the purely professional contacts you need to make sure you project a proper image, which can easily be undermined by seemingly harmless content.

Job boards (such as Monster.com) are a very ineffective ways of looking for a job. However, there are ways to use them to your advantage, without much effort and possibly better chances of success. Instead of signing-up with individual job sites, try using aggregator sites (I like Indeed.com), which provide jobs from various different boards in one place. You can also use services which upload your resume to many job boards with one click. If/when registering for an individual job board site, it is typically better to go for one which is specialised in terms of geography, industry and so on. Also of use, is utilising keywords which are typical of your industry. This increases the chances of your appearing in employer searches.

Consider a digital presence, which is available to employers and others 24/7. It allows you to showcase yourself and enables people to find you with a simple Google search. You could have a website or a blog, with your background, ideas, and samples of your work. You can also use multiple formats such as text, audio, video and so on. Drive traffic to your website by using search engine optimisation (SEO), Google/Facebook ads and so on.

Amit Puri is the Managing Consultant at Sandbox Advisors. He has over 10 years of business and HR related experience, with companies such as Bain & Co, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup. Sandbox Advisors is based in Singapore and provides career management and HR consulting services in Asia.

Courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates seeking entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Originally posted on I-Careersearch

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 24, 2009 at 8:18 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

At a recent workshop, a jobseeker asked an incredibly broad, but often-asked, question: What are recruiters looking for when they interview you?

While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to interviews, one strategy that benefits everyone is to make your responses specific and complete. In interviews, you will be asked for examples of your work:

• Tell me about a typical project at Company X;
• Tell me about a project where you managed people/ presented to senior management/ impacted the bottom line;
• Tell me about an analytical/ research/ strategy project; or
• Tell me about your favorite/ least favorite/ most difficult/ most rewarding project;

To be a prepared candidate, therefore, you need a list of projects that showcase different points you wish to make - different skills, different scopes, different expertise. You also want to be able to describe your projects comprehensively enough so that the interviewer has a clear sense of what you can do and what you have accomplished.

Many candidates make the mistake of getting bogged down in the minutia of the project. They regale the interviewer with a lot of history and background research that usually doesn't give the interviewer a sense for their active role. Remember, you are not trying to make the interviewer an expert on the project. You are selling your skills and expertise, and therefore you need to make the interviewer understand the scope of the project and your role therein.

Be able to answer these five questions for any project you discuss in an interview and you will have a comprehensive answer:

1. Who sponsored the project ... CEO, department head, line manager? This gives the interviewer a sense of the project's importance.
2. What was the objective? This is where you showcase your business sense. Give a clear and concise answer as to why this project was undertaken. It boils down to revenue generation or cost savings, so know this and frame your answer accordingly.
3. What was the deliverable ... Powerpoint presentation, white paper, presentation to senior management, Excel model? Give the interviewer a tangible sense of the result of the project.
4. What actually happened? Let the interviewer know that you know your impact on your company's business. If the company benefited, quantify this. If the company didn't move forward, explain why not.
5. What did you do and what did everyone else on the team do? Be specific about your role so you don't come across as overreaching and so that the interviewer doesn't assume you did more or less than you did. At the same time, being clear about what everyone else did shows that you are a team player and are aware of what is going on around you and what other people contribute.

Craft your project descriptions so that the above five questions are answered seamlessly therein. Don't wait for the interviewer to prompt you. Most will not and will just rely on the incomplete information you volunteer.

Caroline Ceniza-Levine is co-founder of SixFigureStart, a career coaching firm that specializes in working with Gen Y young professionals. Formerly in corporate HR and retained search, Caroline most recently headed campus recruiting for Time Inc and has also recruited for Accenture, Citibank, Disney ABC, and others.

Courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates seeking entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Originally posted on Sweet Careers

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 24, 2009 at 8:12 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

I was asked recently to think of the worst job I ever had. It came immediately to mind. Oddly, I then found myself smiling. When I look back, it ultimately was the best job I could have had. It made everything that came after (like the expectations and pace that comes with working at EMC!) seem like a pleasure trip in comparison.

Okay, can't use that job to answer the question.

I then thought of the next toughest job I ever had. A form of rage filled my head just thinking about it because it involved working for someone I didn't connect with. But again, I then found myself smiling. Looking back, working for that person benefited me more than most other positions I've held. In that role, I learned -- grudgingly at the time -- about work styles and the value to my work product that comes from someone who approaches problems differently.

Okay, can't use that one either.

This realization, I believe, carries over to the current tough time in the economy. Most of us are being impacted personally by this point. Those of us who lived through the last recession, however, are better prepared and less phased by the current unfolding.

That old saying, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," comes to mind.

...As does the powerful observation that an "Unfolding Flower" could also be considered a "Blooming Flower."

Something to consider.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 24, 2009 at 8:03 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

One of the things I quickly discovered when I was learning to network (and yes, networking is a skill you can learn) is that networking isn't a one-time event. Not only does the process of building a single relationship require multiple steps--don't even try to go from cold to sold in one conversation--but building and maintaining your network for the long-haul requires ongoing effort and attention.

Your ongoing investment is critical

This same ongoing investment is also critical to building a brand. That's why blowing an entire marketing budget on a single event isn't smart. Companies may get a bump in web traffic or even sales, but with consumers exposed to over 4,000 marketing messages a day (according to marketing guru Jack Trout), these companies are soon forgotten if they're not consistently feeding the machine.

While you may need to crank up your networking and personal branding efforts for a specific goal you're striving for, like finding your next job, expanding your business, or landing a book deal, if you don't have the energy or the budget to keep yourself visible once you reach your goal, you run the danger of becoming irrelevant and forgotten over time. And you'll be starting from scratch, or close to it, for the next goal you want to achieve.

Maintain visibility, relevancy and value

Here are 8 ideas for maintaining visibility and relevancy, and continuing to add value on the job, in your business, and to your network so you're always top of mind:

1) Talk to people. Get out of your office and connect regularly with others one-on-one. Conversation helps to spread your message, but more importantly, it gives you the opportunity to absorb different opinions and perspectives and see what others are working on. You learn what's important to them, what makes them tick and how what you're each doing can help the other. Conversation also opens channels for feedback and questions so that you can address potential gaps and issues in your offering as well as in your communication.

2) Incorporate trends. To stay relevant, your products, ideas and skills should keep pace with the needs of the market. When I started writing and speaking about networking six years ago, connecting with people online isn't something I covered at all. In fact, I was very much an advocate of face-to-face networking. While there are certainly ways to waste time with social media, I've now integrated into my discussions a handful of powerful online strategies that tie in well with the foundational principles I've been sharing all along.

3) Test and refine new ideas. The best stand-up comics don't tell the same jokes for years and years, even if those jokes are a hit. They continually develop and test new material. For business professionals, we can test our ideas through writing, speaking, and blogging. Not only will you regularly exercise your ability to expand on and explain your ideas, you'll see what gets traction and what doesn't. And don't be afraid of failure or criticism. Thomas Edison found 10,000 ways to fail at making a light bulb before he discovered the one way to do it.

4) Seek outside inspiration. Connecting the dots in different ways helps you tell a better story, develop more powerful analogies, and touch people in new ways. In prior posts here I've linked going to the symphony and learning to ski with lessons on personal branding, and last year I started a video tip series called Passport to Networking to connect my personal passion of travel with my business passion of helping people network more effectively. Each 2-minute episode tells a brief story about the destination I visited--ranging from China to Europe to various US locations--and links it to a lesson about networking. [If you're curious, you can see the series on Facebook or YouTube.]

5) Read other people's stuff. One of the biggest benefits of Twitter that I've found is the exposure to a wide variety of new content. While there are publications, websites and blogs I read regularly, I do look to my Twitter base to surface links to new and diverse articles and resources. Some people might find this overwhelming, and you certainly don't need to read everything that comes across the stream, but if a number of people have retweeted something in your area of expertise, it's probably worth a look.

6) Acquire new assets. Developing new skills, new partnerships and new platforms can help you refine your message, gain leverage and reach more people. For example, I've led a regular teleseminar series and started a new BlogTalkRadio show to connect my email subscribers and online friends to experts in my network. I'm exposing my audience and my contacts to each other, and at the same time, I'm developing new skills in hosting and interviewing, which I realize I LOVE to do.

7) Make a regular commitment. There's nothing like having an ongoing deadline of a blog post or a radio show to stay on track and force yourself to develop new content on a regular basis. Another option is to teach a class, or even have a standing meeting with an accountability partner, whatever you need to keep pushing yourself forward.

8 ) Venture beyond your comfort zone. The times I've been the most uncomfortable and put myself out on the longest limb have been my biggest periods of growth. During the first talk I gave on networking, for example, I was shaking. But if I had stopped there, I wouldn't have reached as many people and developed the business I have today.

According to Newton's first law, "Unless acted upon, a body at rest stays at rest and a body in motion stays in motion." The common theme to all of these ideas is to find ways to keep moving forward and fight complacency. While staying in place is certainly less risky, only when you leave your protective bubble can you, your brand, and your ideas become more relevant, more accessible, and consequently, more valuable to your market.

Liz Lynch is founder of the Center for Networking Excellence and author of Smart Networking: Attract a Following In Person and Online (McGraw-Hill, 2008). She writes, speaks and consults to experienced professionals on how to seamlessly integrate social media and traditional networking to save time and accelerate results.

Article courtesy of Dan Schawbel, the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y. He authors the Personal Branding Blog and publishes Personal Branding Magazine and authored the upcoming book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success (Kaplan, Spring 2009). Dan has been called a "personal branding force of nature" by Fast Company and his work has been published in BrandWeek Magazine, Advertising Age and countless other publications.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 24, 2009 at 7:58 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

There is a special day or week or month for everything from Mother's Day to Groundhog Day to International Talk to a Pirate Day to Black History Month to National Hot Breakfast Month to... The list is endless and some are excellent and some are, well, amusing.

But this is an important week. National Volunteer Week celebrates all those throughout the country who give back to their communities through volunteerism. We don't read about most of them in the paper, but I consider everyone who gives selflessly of his or her time a hero.

There are practical benefits to volunteering as well. When I volunteer, I:

• Expand my network.
• Learn new skills.
• Practice old skills.
• Feel good about myself.
• Make someone else's day.

So if you're not out there giving back, I suggest you use this week -- National Volunteer Week -- to start. You won't regret it!

Article by Melanie Holmes, Vice President of World of Work Solutions for Manpower, and courtesy of Manpower's Contemporary Working blog. Melanie shares Manpower's extensive knowledge while building strategic partnerships with government, universities and other leadership organizations across the country. She is also responsible for social responsibility at Manpower, which includes diversity, volunteerism, community involvement, community relations, philanthropy and workforce development.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 24, 2009 at 7:54 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Owning a business comes with a lot of freedom, but there's a lot of responsibility involved, too. Karen Klein, in her article for BusinessWeek, Before You Start a Business, Do an Internship, explains how aspiring entrepreneurs can learn first hand what owning and operating a small business entails.

Klein recommends that students do internships with small or mid-sized companies in their chosen industry (i.e. retail, food service, consulting, etc) because it's easier to get close to decision makers to see how they handle different situations like finances, HR, inventory, etc. Although she recommends working with smaller companies, Klein admits that students can still learn a lot about the world of business from larger companies, too.

Doing as many internships as possible is advised, but when that's not possible, Klein suggests trying to get an internship with a larger company, then working part-time for a smaller one. Regardless of the route aspiring entrepreneurs decide to take, they should know that in this economy, landing a position with desired companies could prove difficult.

"Do some research to identify what types of issues your targeted companies want to solve and demonstrate that you're familiar with their challenges and able to assist," Klein advises. "You may benefit from the fact that companies that have downsized need extra help right now. If you can demonstrate that you're a quick study who will indeed be a help to the company's efforts--and not a hindrance--your chances for success will increase."

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 24, 2009 at 6:42 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

There is no second chance to make a good first impression. That's for sure when it comes to a job interview.

A first impression is the sum total of all the signals you transmit:

• verbal communications;
• sending and receiving messages;
• body language;
• self-confidence without over-the-top ego;
• timing;
• evidence of preparation.

Be prepared to make your case with a "sales presentation" that concentrateson three of four key points from your career path. Drive home those points.

Be aware of timing. Don't appear to be too eager. Don't arrive too early for the interview...10 to 15 minutes is about right. Being late is a killer. Be sensitive to the interviewer's signals that the meeting is over. Don't hang on as if you are overly anxious to make the sale.

Mind your body language. If a handshake is indicated by the interviewer make sure yours is firm, neither crushing nor a dead fish. Sit up right, leaning a bit forward, feet firmly planted on the floor.

Focus on the interviewer. Maintain eye contact; don't let your eyes wander around the room. No tapping of fingers, jiggling of feet or signs of nervousness.

To be most effective, keep in mind that an interview is a two-way conversation. Let the interviewer take the lead, but ask questions and offer comments that demonstrate your knowledge and develop information about the opportunity.

Keep your troubles to yourself. Your personal woes have no place in the interview, nor do criticisms of your past employers and negative stories from your career path. Be upbeat, but don't cross the line between interest and enthusiasm and eagerness.

Differentiate yourself from other applicants, but don't go overboard to be different. No stunts in appearance and presentation. Strive to be memorable. Customize yourself for the position. Show the reasons you are a strong fit for the position. Offer examples of career successes, not just the responsibilities you've held.

Demonstrate that you have prepared for the interview by showing that you've made an effort to gain at least some basic information about the potential employer's business. (Study news reports and annuals reports, Google thecompany and the industry, and consult with people who have knowledge of thecompany/industry.)

Be prepared to handle the question of compensation. Let the interviewerraise the issue of salary and perks. (A recent survey shows that abouttwo-thirds of interviewers discuss the subject in the first or secondinterview.)

If asked, be honest about your compensation package in your present (or last) job. If you are asked to discuss what you expect, respond by saying that it's difficult to say because you don't know the prospective employer's pay scale; express confidence that the compensation for the position would be competitive for the industry and the market.

Know ahead of time the average pay scale for the job.

Most people do not feel comfortable discussing the subject of compensation. Expect too little and leave money on the table; expect too much and scare away the potential employer.

But the fact of the matter is, it is not unusual for an employer to have as much as five percent "wiggle room" for direct pay when making the first offer.There is often some flexibility in benefits and working conditions.

The key is to be reasonable and to stay within bounds of what's happening with the interviewing company and the industry in which it does business.

Follow up after one week. Express appreciation for the opportunity to interview and convey your interest in the position. Inquiry as to the state of your candidacy and the schedule for a decision. Winners know that good first impressions translate into reaching their career goals.

Article by, Ramon Greenwood, a career counselor with common sense advice on how to achieve your career goals. To subscribe to Ramon Greenwood's free semi-monthly newsletter and blog, go to Common Sense at Work Ramon's take-it-to-the bank advice comes from a world of experience, including serving as Senior Vice President of American Express, an entrepreneur, professional director, career coach and author.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 23, 2009 at 11:02 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

If you were a 17-year-old kid looking for a part-time job at the local amusement park, how would you feel about competing for that job against a 40-something laid off bank teller with an Associates Degree?

A friend and colleague of mine who lives in Minneapolis forwarded me this story in the StarTribune that reflects the scary state of our national economy. Amusement parks that hold spring job fairs to find seasonal workers are drawing more than teenagers this year. First time jobber are now having to go toe-to-toe with adults that can show a lot of work experience and perhaps even college degrees, and who are willing to work for $7.50 per hour. Holy Tilt-a-Whirl!

Just three years ago I keynoted the annual convention for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions in Orlando, and the issue that was of most concern to park owners and operators was convincing teens to take these kinds of jobs and stay on throughout the summer season. And in the blink of an eye, these same employers have more applications than they can shake a stuffed animal at.

But even amidst increased application flow and reduced turnover, the labor problem for seasonal employers is far from over. You must now wade through the cotton candy to find and select the right talent for each job making every attempt to staff front liners who really want to be on your team and will reflect their delight when interfacing with your customers. And that's no easy task in a year when the employment line could end up being longer than the line to ride the roller coaster.

By Eric Chester and courtesy of Generation Why? Whysblog

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 23, 2009 at 8:38 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Many people choosing or changing a career encounter these top 3 barriers:

• Cultural transitions: military to civilian, government to private sector, immigrant working in a new country;
• Career indecision: being overwhelmed, fear of the unknown, and/or you're just an indecisive person.
• Practical obstacles to employment: affordable childcare, disability, or finding reliable transportation to work, a lack of job skills or education

Not knowing how to work through and overcome these barriers is the biggest problem of all. Add the stress of tight finances, insecurity about your own abilities, and family pressures, it's amazing anyone makes a breakthrough. But you can, using the suggestions below and the other resources on The Career Key, Career Key Canada and Self-Employment Key websites.

Whether you find this comforting or not, ultimately you are in the driver's seat for your career path. I have 3 suggestions that will help you deal with whatever barriers apply to you:

Holland's Theory of Career Choice.

Don't try to "reverse engineer" your career choice - like, I can do X, therefore I must be X. It should be forward looking: I am most interested in and my personality fits ________, and how do I make that happen?

Learn about how Holland's Theory helps you choose a satisfying career. Choose your career first, worry about how to get the job skills and education later while exploring careers and making a high quality decision.

Long-term planning.

If you plan towards a specific career goal, you'll be more likely to reach it. It will also give you hope and motivation. Whether you're a gas station attendant, foreign trained doctor, or a laid off executive, it's possible you have to work in a lower paid job than you're used to while you go to school, network for your dream job, or start your own business. If possible, choose an interim career that matches your personality.

And if you're an indecisive person to begin with, try finding your specific career goal by using these proven 4 steps to making a good career decision. We offer you a free downloadable "Decision Balance Sheet." If that doesn't help, try these other activities including personal career counseling.

Networking.

Both online and offline, networking offers your best chances at learning about the careers that interest you, affordable childcare options, the best nonprofit and government resources, and getting moral support from other people. If you're an Internet junkie, get outside and meet people in person. If you're not familiar with online networking, figure it out - and talk to people who are doing it.

In future posts I'm going to focus on each of these top 3 barriers to career decision-making. Right now, I'm working on post about making a military to civilian transition. If you have something standing in your career path to share, I'd love to hear about it.

Article by, Juliet Wehr Jones, J.D. and courtesy of Career Key, striving to help all people make the best career choices, worldwide.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 23, 2009 at 8:28 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

If you have the entrepreneurial inclination and insight, now is the best time to invest or seek investment in a green or clean-tech business. There are many other small businesses that are getting the blessings from the VCs and yes despite the word recession looming large in every economy there is lots of money to be invested in the companies of the future.
Recently SolarCycle was the Social Venture Award winner with a low cost solution to solar cooking that can help many in Africa, well maybe everywhere in the world.

CNNMoney reports:

SolarCycle's solution: Urban trash. The company's co-founders have created a solar cooker and a water pasteurizer out of the aluminized interior of chip bags. Both products work by concentrating solar energy into cooking pots or water troughs. The products are low-cost: The solar cooker, which has a life expectancy of five years, can be manufactured for $3 and sold in Africa for $5.
Timeline: SolarCycle will take several dozen prototypes to Tanzania this summer, aiming to serve 80 people through a pilot project. They plan to open their first factory there later this year.

Another example from the same source is Green Oil:

Concept: Rural India is poised for explosive economic growth, but much of the country lacks access to electricity and affordable fuel.

Two students at a top business school in India have developed a plan to decentralize energy sources. Green Oil plans to establish local "bio-fuel centres" to grow plants, collect seeds and extract oil. The oil byproducts would be sold to local residents, helping the remote villages access electricity and become more energy independent.

The bottom line is if you can do something green, clean and low cost funding might not be far behind. It is time to reset your thinking caps and if you have a viable idea hidden somewhere in the back of your brain time to shake it out and get a good marketing plan around it. The rest of the decade could very well be focused towards a greener career and business solution, the time to reinvent and to recreate is now. Do good and good will come to you; find simple practical solutions to save the earth and the earthlings and there is every reason that your business will flourish.

Some resources:

Amazon.com carries these relevant books; it is always worth a good research and reading before you step into any new or greener grounds:

Green Business: A Five-part Model for Creating an Environmentally Responsible Company by Amy K., Ph.D. Townsend

Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage by Daniel Esty

Harvard Business Review on Green Business Strategy (Harvard Business Review Paperback Series) by Hbsp

Article by Shweta L. Khare, founder and president of Careerbright and Speakbright and courtesy of Careerbright blogspot

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 23, 2009 at 8:15 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

As a consultant, I am constantly going on informational/networking meetings to convince clients to hire me. Through these experiences, I've learned a lot about how to conduct a networking meeting.

Here are six tips I have for managing networking meetings:

Be persistent

It's not easy, but I get meetings with many CEOs and other executives in the Chicago area. When people ask me how, I tell them it's a fairly basic process - I email people and convince them to meet with me. If I'm trying to reach the CEO, I sometimes schedule a call with one of his direct reports first. I sometimes send a couple of follow-up emails. I sometimes ask other people in my network for referrals.

There are many ways to ask for something, but the key to getting it is almost always persistence.

Do your research

It is not as difficult as you would think to research a company or a person thanks to Google. I research all sorts of things, from industry statistics, to competitors, to website statistics, to hobbies of the person I'm meeting. I also read through press releases and media coverage (all found on the internet) to understand the history of the company, the pain points, and what the management team cares about. If you do your research beforehand, you can make a good impression at the meeting.

Set reasonable expectations

Based on your research, you should know how much you can actually contribute to the networking meeting, and how much information you will have to ask for. It's essential to set expectations for a networking meeting so you don't waste someone's time.

I have gone to meetings where a CEO just wants to chat over beers, and I've gone to meetings where the CEO wants a PowerPoint deck of my ideas and how to implement them. If you set expectations well, you can avoid being under-prepared and making a bad impression.

Articulate your interest and your value

There are two things people want to see in a networking meeting: enthusiasm or passion, and what you bring to the table. Make sure that you incorporate both these answers into your story about your history and your goals.

Also, don't forget to tie both of these concepts to the company, the person you're meeting with, and yourself. It's a tough balance, so practicing beforehand helps!

Be open to possibilities

Often, you will not get an immediate offer from a networking meeting. That doesn't mean it was a waste. Instead, you've gotten a contact, information, or a referral. Or you found a way to help the person with one of these three things. Be open to what someone can help you with, and good things will come.

Follow-up

Because networking meetings are not for closing deals, you have to follow-up and check in on the person within a reasonable time frame. This reminds the person of what you discussed, what you want, and what value you have to them. I generally follow up with a thank you email to begin with, and then follow up once more within a month.

What other tips do you have for conducting networking meetings?

Monica O'Brien writes career advice for young professionals at her blog, Twenty Set. You can also follow her on Twitter (@monicaobrien).

Article by, Dan Schawbel, the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y. He authors the Personal Branding Blog and publishes Personal Branding Magazine and authored the upcoming book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success (Kaplan, Spring 2009). Dan has been called a "personal branding force of nature" by Fast Company and his work has been published in BrandWeek Magazine, Advertising Age and countless other publications.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 23, 2009 at 7:56 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

For an enterpreneur, structuring your day is essential. This is typically due to the wearing of many hats that enterpreneurs have to do to run their business. How you plan each day is a big key to making sure that you get the important things done. An essential question to ask is, when you are starting your day?

A simple key to starting your day off right is starting it at the right time. When is that time? Your day should have started yesterday. By that I mean that you should take some time at the end of each day to game plan and structure your next day. Most of us seem to wait until the morning to start planning our day. This becomes problematic for a couple of reasons.

The first is that we generally don't put enough thought into structuring our day by the time morning rolls around as the day is already making demands of our time that we need to get to right away. The second is that we also forget important items from the previous day since we waited until overnight to address them.

At the end of the day, we always have the best idea of what our next day needs to look like. Therefore we should put our next day together at that time. This will make sure that it's efficiently planned and that nothing gets missed and will also ensure that we don't ignore this task altogether. If you aren't planning your day like this, give it a shot and see what changes in efficiency happen. What's worked for you in structuring your day? How has structuring your day properly allowed you to be successful?

Brandon Allen is a business and vision coach with The Business Blueprint. Brandon focuses on helping businesses get clear on their vision, mission, core values and leadership. Brandon is the author of the small business blog Build Your Soul Purpose ( www.buildyoursoulpurpose.com).

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 23, 2009 at 7:49 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Article provided by Brand-Yourself.com

For the past few months, I've been writing about personal branding, and especially how it can help job seekers. If you've followed me on this blog, you know that I don't talk about theory, but about practice. People who see my presentations know I talk about the "big picture." LinkedIn alone means very little, and you can say that for almost any single component of your personal branding effort. The big picture is how you put all these things together so everything catalyzes everything else. You know, you have to make 1 + 1 equal 3 or more.

That's as theoretical as I get. The rest is what I've observed myself. I confess that I read a lot about the subject, and I pick up ideas all along the way. I'll also confess that the only business book I've read all the way through is "I'm on LinkedIn. Now What???" and that's partly because it's short.

I've started many business books, but I've never had the patience to read them. Here's my little secret: I find almost all of them trivial, boring, or just wrong. (Not a good observation for someone who hopes to write a book.)
I had the same problem through most of my work in graduate school.

Theoretical constructs drive me nuts. Show me how you can use this stuff!!!! Economics? Oy vey. It was obvious to me as a young man that economists didn't have a clue what they were talking about. (I guess I was right, but it's unfortunate that the proof is the current financial melt-down.)

Did you ever sit through a class where a teacher spent 90 minutes describing how to make a decision? Broke it down into all its major components? Asked lots of seemingly dumb - oh, excuse me - academic-type questions? OK, I'm listening to this drivel and wondering: "Why does this matter? The real issue is whether the decision was right. Was it implemented correctly? Did the manager collect the right information? Analyze it right? Get other people involved so they would participate in the solution?" The theoretical constructs of decision making are baloney. If it helps, go sit in a hyperbaric chamber and listen to Mozart while you're pondering your decision.

The only thing they can't (or don't) teach you is how to make the right decision.

Which brings me back to my first point: what makes the teacher an expert? Academic credentials? Having read tons of meaningless articles, which they promoted as gospel? I don't think so. The person who's an expert is the one who makes these decisions successfully! You can argue all day about elasticity of demand and how it affects pricing, but I had actual experience with several products - changing pricing up and down and watching sales results. Theory be damned, I knew what worked.

Thought I was wandering, didn't you?

Let's apply that to personal branding. If you accept the basic premise that having a public personna in your field (aka being an SME - subject matter expert) will help you promote your career or job search, then you can do the same thing I did. Try a bunch of things and see what works.

I tell people to sign up at personal branding and reputation management sites. Go to Ziggs and create a profile. Why? Because when I started tracking the Google results for "Walter Feigenson" I kept finding Ziggs near the top of the results. I also saw Ziki there, and ZoomInfo, and others. That's how I came up with my personal branding tactics.

Is that going to get you a job? NO! Will it stop you from losing out to a competitor for a job you've found? YES! That's why personal branding is important.

You need to be found when somebody is:

• looking for you specifically


• looking for a subject matter expert in your field

You need to have a "portfolio" for people to look at when you meet them:

• a corpus of articles that prove you're a subject matter expert
• "stuff" on the Internet that puts a personality behind your name and resume

Remember, when you're out looking for a job - or a consulting gig - you have one product, and that's YOU. Promote yourself the way any company would promote a product. Don't be shy, be proud of what you've accomplished - and show it to the world!

Article by, Walter Feigenson and courtesy of Brand-Yourself.com for actionable tips to put you in a position of power in the job market

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 23, 2009 at 7:37 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

While this post is holiday related, it also relates well to job hunting after the semester ends.

Here are some tips for keeping your job search and career planning alive over the holidays.

After a long semester, it's sometimes hard to get motivated to do your job search or to think about career development. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done and take time to reflect on everything you've accomplished over the past semester. You've worked hard and learned a lot. Get excited about what you have to offer the world!
Keep your networks working for you! The Holiday Season is a great time to get in touch with the contacts you made over the past year. Write your contacts a card or a brief note to keep them up to date about your latest accomplishments, to let them know about upcoming events or activities, or just to say hello.

Holiday get-togethers offer excellent opportunities for you to find out more about the jobs or careers of people you know, or to make new contacts with interesting people from different fields. Don't worry, you don't need to spend the entire party talking about work, but you can ask a few questions, like: "So what do you do for a living?" "How do you enjoy that field?" "How did you decide on the work you do?"

Take an inventory of the skills you used or gained over the past semester. (This is good practice at any time of year!) Plan to spend some time, either on your own, with family, or with some friends, discussing the kinds of skills you've been using in your classes, at work, volunteering, etc. List all of these skills down and date them. Next time you go to write your resume, you'll have an up-to-date inventory of the most recent skills you've been using.

Finally, make time to browse your career center's website for resources, tips, and advice. And if you haven't done so already, make one of your New Year's resolutions be to visit your career center after you return to campus in January.

Best of luck with your work search and career development.

Article by, Grace Kutney, 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.

Courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates seeking entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Originally posted on Gradversity

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 22, 2009 at 11:02 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

How to Find A Job (Fortune Magazine, 4/13) could have been a bit meatier but it is well written and includes some key stats - estimating for example that as many as eight people are available for every new job posted.
There were a few anecdotes we enjoyed in the article. One story was about an engineer who seriously studied the software of a firm with which he was about to interview. He managed to uncover three problems in the software code which he then pointed out in the interview. He got the job. We bet he didn't interview with the original development team.

It's a given, however, that scarce skills are not getting any easier to find even with all the layoffs - few folks are capable of analyzing software let alone uncovering flaws so it is no wonder that hundreds of unqualified folks are applying for each of your openings. Hopefully, many of them will figure out that submitting blindly is a waste of everyone's time.

Perhaps if they had more tools to level the playing field as an alternative to simply caving to an employer's recruiting process, otherwise known as the Black Hole Syndrome. Imagine if job seekers could:

• get really solid honest advice about the openings that exist based on an independent review of their profile including feedback on becoming more competitive.
• get help tracking ALL openings for which they are qualified - in real time.
• target firms based on a "candidate experience" ranking i.e. the company's ability to inform and provide feedback.
• obtain "concierge-like" assistance applying to ALL positions for a miniscule fee to save time.
• use a resume helper app on their mobile phone to apply to and accurately match jobs in a target firm with a single key stroke.
• answer your application question, "How did you get here?" by putting in the name of an employee referral EVERY time
• know in advance who the hiring manager is likely to be and download a profile of that person's interview style

We are aware of real and developing resources for each of the possibilities noted above and expect significant changes as these tools are fully deployed. In the mean time, here are CareerXroads' top tips for gaming the system:

1. Privacy is Your Choice. It cannot be compromised for someone else's convenience. Protect it!

If they ask for your SS# before you have an offer, make it up!
If recruiters can see inappropriate content on your Facebook page, shame on you!
But if they do see it and don't hire you, threaten to sue their ass!

It is just wrong to ask for personal information before a company has made you an offer based on your skills, knowledge and experience. It is not illegal to ask in advance (not yet anyway) but it is dangerous - to you.

2. Go Mobile, Explore the Cloud. Fake it if you must (since nobody really knows what these terms mean)

Walk into your next interview with a Smartphone in your hand.
Type '#job' and your two best skills on twitter's advanced search page. Once you find a search string for a job that reflects your interest, type '#candidate [your skill and location preference] on your twitter page each morning.

3. Stand in the Light Where Recruiters Can See You. They seldom search in the dark holes.

Join the largest national association in your profession and every chapter in your city. Get access to every directory.
Ask yourself who would I call first if I were a recruiter looking for me. Make that person your friend and referral.

4. A Company's Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is A Virtual Mirror. Look Into It!

Study it. Confirm it. Relate to it. Choose it or move on. Use it.

5. Transparency Doesn't Mean Naked. Seek answers to the "Great Questions" that affect your decisions without embarrassment. Ask as if you already know the answer and choose the firms that can answer them.

Since only 17% of practicing engineers are women, could you share with me your distribution by level?
You seem like a firm that is committed to developing its people. How many of your employees in similar positions to this one were transferred or promoted last year? How many left?

6. Know The Answers to 5 in Advance.

"Hi. You and I went to the same school but graduated at different times. I'm interviewing for a position in your firm later this week and, before I meet with HR and the Hiring Manager, I would like to test out a couple questions I have about your firm on you and see what you think the answers might be." (Later, ask if they will be your employee referral)

7. Bait and switch: Bring Your Network To Your Interview.

"I want to thank you for the opportunity to meet with you today. I learned a great deal about your position and am certain than I am a good match. I'm excited at the prospects for how my success in this job will make a difference for the company and I look forward to successfully competing for this opening.

While I'm convinced you will eventually see me as the top candidate (and I would be happy to return to continue the discussion), if for some reason you decide I'm not the best fit as you go forward, let me leave you with two colleagues' resumes.

These are Professionals in my network that I've gotten to know. These are people I'm planning to continue networking with once I'm established me in a new position.

8. Patience. Timing is everything. Your Only Location Preference Is "Open".

You cannot accept an offer that won't be made. Only negotiate after the offer is in your hand.

9. You Cannot Shake Hands With A Computer. All Relationships Have Touch Points.

Get out and meet people. Create an online journal of those you meet or have met and touched in person and keep them apprised at least monthly with an upbeat two paragraph summary of the last 4 weeks and the possibilities you are still developing

10. There is only ONE answer to how you got here- Employee Referral.

Never, EVER again complete an application without one.

Can you add to our top 10? The more outrageous the better. Send your suggestion to mmc@careerx roads.com

Article courtesy of Career Xroads, the staffing strategy connection, bringing together corporate staffing professionals who "get it" to share best practices.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 22, 2009 at 10:45 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Article provided by JIST Publishing

Let's face it: There's only so much your resume can do. In fact, it can be jam-packed with impressive stats, industry lingo, and design elements that rival those showcased in job search books, and still end up in an employer's stack of rejections.

To avoid this fate, it's essential to show employers that you're more than the bullet points and clipped phrases listed on your resume. You've got a personality, passions, goals and career experiences that make you unlike any other candidate for the job. It's up to you to share this information in your cover letter in a way that dazzles employers and strengthens your resume.

Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., author of Tell Me About Yourself: Storytelling to Get Jobs and Propel Your Career, says cover letters provide opportunities that resumes don't to inject your personality. "You can engage the employer, make an emotional connection, show results, and become instantly memorable by writing at least one paragraph in the form of a powerful story," says Hansen.

She suggests that job seekers use their cover letter to tell stories about their interest or passion for a career field or to detail successful projects, accomplishments, solutions, results, and more. In her book Hansen outlines the following do's and don'ts for cover letters that tell such stories:

Do make the letter as concise as possible. Employers are spending less time reading cover letters than they used to. Ideally, your letter should be about four paragraphs, and one of those should tell a story.

Don't neglect the "storyline" in the rest of the letter. Even if only one paragraph in your letter is in story form, try to integrate the story's theme throughout your letter and tie it together by briefly referring back to the story in your final paragraph.

Do make your stories specific and quantify results whenever possible. It's always easier for the reader to picture you succeeding on the job when you describe a specific situation. In addition, employers are attracted to numbers that indicate results.

Don't write your autobiography. Telling a story doesn't mean describing your entire career; that's what your resume is for.

Do tell relevant stories. Tell only the stories that are relevant to the employer's requirements, the problems you can solve, and the results you can achieve. If the relevance isn't immediately obvious from your story, help the reader make the connection by pointing out the skills and qualifications the story illustrates.

Don't overlook story cues in want ads. Study the want ad that describes the position that interests you. When writing your cover letter, strive to ensure that your cover letter responds to the ad's intent. To do this, incorporate into your cover letter the ad's words and the tasks or responsibilities that are mentioned.

Do use some of the employer's messages and language. Go to the employer's Web site or pick up print publications about the organization. Pick out buzzwords and phrases. Play these back to the employer in your story. Employers who read language-mirroring stories conclude that the job seeker "gets it."

Article by, Selena Dehne and courtesy of JIST Publishing

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 22, 2009 at 10:23 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

If you're more than six years old, then you've probably had a few questions regarding what job you'd like to do. When you're young, people ask what you want to be when you grow up. Some children would say that they aspire to be astronauts or firemen, while others might focus on a more creative position, striving for employment as a zombie assassin (as a teacher, my wife meets some interesting kids!). However, even those of us old enough to know that killing zombies isn't a viable career path may not know what we really want to do in a career. That's where The Career Key comes in. If the name sounds familiar, it's because they were mentioned in the Zumeo Web 2.0 review article recently and the Working Podcast covered them back in 2007.

The good folks over at The Career Key site were kind enough to let us review one of their eBooks. "The 2009 What Job is Best for You?" book helps with the questions that all of us face. What am I good at? What should I do? Why am I interested in certain topics, ideas, or activities? Is zombie hunting a legitimate career? These are just some of the issues they address over at The Career Key (excluding the undead extermination one, of course). Their focus is on being one of the best and most reliable resources available, and from what I've seen, they can certainly deliver!

Juliet Wehr Jones, J.D. sent me this intriguing note with the copy of the eBook.

What makes The Career Key and our resources unique is the focus on using the best science and counseling practices to help people make the best career choice decisions. We do not rely on advertising, link exchanges or other "pay to play" methods of building users - we simply offer the best quality career choice advice. For that reason, since our launch in 1997, thousands of schools, libraries, nonprofits, and popular career websites like the Jobhunter's Bible and The Riley Guide recommend and link to us.

Continue reading ...

Article by, Ben Eubanks and courtesy of Andrew G.R. and jobacle.com - your cure for carbon copy career advice!

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 22, 2009 at 10:11 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

In a previous post, I discussed entrepreneur, Sramana Mitra's book Entrepreneur Journeys. The sequel or second volume, Bootstrapping: Weapon of Mass Reconstruction, is being offered in advance through Amazon.com for $16.95.

As part of a special promotion for Mitra's readers and roundtable participants, advance copies of the paperback, which officially goes on sale June1, 2009, can be received in early May. In addition, Mitra is offering 15 minutes of business and strategy consulting by phone to the first 10 people who post legitimate reviews of the book on Amazon before June 1.

It's requested that all reviews be honest and contain some indication that the book was actually read. Once the review has been posted, copy the link and paste it into an email to Maureen Kelly. Once the review has been received and deemed legitimate, each reviewer will be called or emailed to schedule a date and time for a private discussion, by phone, with Mitra about his/her business or business idea.

Click here to learn more about Bootstrapping: Weapon of Mass Reconstruction.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 22, 2009 at 10:03 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

I got an email yesterday from a Minnesota man who wrote: "I followed all of your advice but I have not gotten any job interviews. Do you have any other suggestions?"

I took a quick look at his LinkedIn profile and found that he hasn't followed all of the advice I gave him.

He hasn't followed any of it, as a matter of fact.

And yet he wants more ideas from me.

So, here's my advice to him and anyone struggling to find a job: to get hired in this economy, you must execute the basics in your job search.

Here are four of them. How many are you doing?

Upload a picture to your LinkedIn profile

These days, having a profile on LinkedIn.com is as essential as an email address on your resume was 5 years ago. It proves that you're up-to-date on technology. It's free. And there's no excuse for not getting it done.

But you have to do it right. For your profile to be considered complete, you must upload a picture of yourself.

Employers and recruiters expect to see a professional photo on your LinkedIn profile. Fail to include one and you have failed to execute the basics, which makes you less employable.

Get LinkedIn recommendations

A recommendation is simply a testimonial on your LinkedIn profile, written by someone who knows your work. And it's another basic that too many people neglect.

I recently counseled a technical manager who couldn't get one person to recommend him on LinkedIn after six months of trying. Either he wasn't really trying or had never done anything worth recommending. Either way, it's no surprise that he's still unemployed.

Tip: The best way to get recommendations is to give them, because LinkedIn prompts anyone you recommend to give one to you in return. Plan on giving at least three recommendations for every one you seek.

Pick one target job or 3 specific skills

The vast majority of job seekers I talk to have no clear idea what they want to do. This is a tragedy. Because, as Yogi Berra once said,

"If you don't know where you're going, you'll probably end up somewhere else." If you don't know the job you seek, or at least the 3 skills you want to use on the job, how can you expect to find work quickly? You don't know where you're going.

I think most people resist saying "yes" to one target job because it forces them to say "no" to all others. And people want to keep their options open. But this is a trap.

The job market is like a supermarket. You can go into it hungry, without a list, but you'll likely waste time and money, only to emerge with something you don't really want.

Prepare ahead of time. Know the job you want and the 10-20 employers you want to work for.

Create a support system

Job hunting is hard enough in a strong economy. Why go it alone now?

Try to find one person you can talk to at least once a week, to brainstorm ideas with.

Even better, find two or more people and form a job-search support group. Meet weekly for coffee in a pleasant location to share what's working and what's not.

This has all sorts of benefits:

• By creating a "board of directors" for your search, you can tap the power of other people's brains and networks to solve your problems.
• By helping other people, you'll forget your own troubles, exercise your intellect, and feel better.
• By leaving the house to meet others, you'll change your environment and avoid falling into a rut, like not shaving for three days straight.
• By having to explain your progress each week, you'll hold yourself accountable and be motivated to get things done.

There's a reason why every single Fortune 500 company has a board of directors: it produces results. So, put this idea to work in your job search.

So, these are the basics of an effective job search today.

Heard some of these before? Don't think, "I know that." Ask yourself: "How well am I doing that?"

Then get going. And get hired.

Kevin Donlin is Creator of TheSimpleJobSearch.com. Since 1996, he has provided job-search help to more than 20,000 people. Author of 3 books, Kevin has been interviewed by The New York Times, Fox News, CBS Radio and others.  His latest product, The Simple Job Search System, is available at http://www.collegerecruiter.com/guaranteed-resumes.php

Courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates seeking entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Originally posted on Talent Egg

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 22, 2009 at 6:56 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

When we go off to college, sometimes we choose a career that just does not satisfy our needs. Many times scientists with the BS, MS, or PhD in the lifesciences or other science areas find themselves to be unsatisfied with the position that they find themselves in a year or two after graduation. What seemed fun and exciting is now boring and oppressive. Often the love of science and the desire to continue learning is still there, but not the desire to continue in the present career path. If you find yourself in this position, here's a list of possible jobs for you, complete with brief descriptions where needed. These positions in sales, service, and marketing exist in all areas of medical sales: laboratory, clinical diagnostics, molecular, cellular, medical device, biotechnology, histology, pathology, hospital equipment, and pharmaceutical.

Sales

Inside Sales Positions - These are usually like call centers. The key here is to be okay with the cold call and to have the optimistic attitude for success. These positions can be fun and lucrative. They usually have set hours and require no travel.

Outside Sales Positions - These are usually field-based positions. They require someone with a lot of self-discipline and of course, that "sales personality." These positions can be extremely lucrative and have a lot of flexibility. Depending on the size of the territory, the travel can be daunting. You should consider going on a ride along if this is interesting to you.

Business Development/Technology Transfer - These positions can range from someone who has a very strong technical understanding who investigates future products or acquisitions to someone who is a super salesman. You need to clearly understand your personality and specifically the job you're looking at. These positions are all different. Assume nothing - ask a lot of questions.

Technical Service

Applications Specialists - Usually the "applications" part means that you will help make sure that the assay or test is working. Your company may provide a platform and your responsibility is to help the customer get their assays working on your instrumentation. This can be very challenging, and a good field apps person has to be a great communicator. These can be high-travel positions.

Field Service Positions - This position is usually responsible for setting up a new system that a customer purchased and troubleshooting when that system is not functioning correctly. These can be high-travel positions.

Field Technical Support - Same as above.

Customer Service - Maybe the company needs an extremely technical person to help the customer purchase the correct products. This will usually be a phone-based position. The hours will be set and include very little travel.

Technical Support - In-house - like the field-based position, but without the travel. Communication skills for this position are really important.

Marketing

Marketing: Strategic - (It's important to note the difference between strategic and tactical.) The strategic marketing person is responsible for figuring out where the company should invest for future products and what the specifications for those products should be. This is an original-thought kind of person who understands the value of customer feedback and communication.

Marketing: Tactical - This person usually supports the field sales force with bulletins, pricing, and product training. Marketing job descriptions that do not clarify tactical vs. strategic are probably both. Many scientists pursue the MBA to move into marketing. Marketing positions can have a lot of travel. Be sure to ask about the requirements of every job. Never assume anything in the interview process.

Some additional careers you might consider that use your technical background:

• Science Librarian
• Science Editor
• Science Writer
• Science Illustration
• Quality Assurance

Teaching - You probably know as much about this as I do...BioJobBlog has a post on this, as well as other great info on alternative science careers.
Patent/IP work - Some scientists actually pursue a law degree to marry with the technology. Every company will have one of these on staff or on retainer.

Article by, PHC Consulting

Courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates seeking entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 22, 2009 at 6:49 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

There are two specific hats that I wanted to talk about today, the friendship hat and the boss hat. Regardless of the leadership position that you are in, it could be at work, a volunteer position, your church, parenting etc., there are certain principles that apply to healthy relationships within your organization. If you are a leader and have wondered how to draw the line between friendship and business in your leadership role, keep reading.

There are three core principles to follow when managing your leadership relationships - consistency, timeliness and clarity. These principles are what I call hard/easy. They are hard initially because you are confronting and doing it right away but they make your relationships much easier to manage in the long run because you have set the proper boundaries.

Consistency - This area is straightforward in that you need to manage your relationships the same way. For instance if you confront someone for tardiness once, you should always confront him for tardiness. As leaders we often get wishy-washy with these types of things depending on our moods or how busy we are etc. The problem occurs when we confront for a specific incident once and then let it slide the next time. How do we overcome this? My suggestion is to make a list of the characteristics that your organization must have in order to be successful and then never compromise on those issues.

Timeliness - When do you confront issues? This has to be right away. Leaders should correct undesired behavior immediately. This sends a message to the offender and to the rest of the organization that they are serious about the characteristics that can't be compromised. Don't let a bunch of small things that an employee is doing build up until it blows up into a huge ordeal. This kills a leader's credibility.

Clarity - Be very specific about what you are confronting and why. As leaders, we try to sugar coat things sometimes to be nice (we do this in the name of friendship). What ends up happening is that we send the wrong message to people that the issue being confronted isn't that big of a deal. Be direct but do it in a respectful manner. Have the employee repeat verbally the issue being confronted as well come up with solutions to fix the problem. By doing this, you then know that he understands where you are coming from. Draw the line specifically between your role as a leader and your role as a friend.

There are unintended consequences when we try to wear the friendship hat when we should be wearing the boss hat and vice versa. Usually we end up alienating people. Other problems are a building of resentment and lack of teamwork. Ever had a situation where you had a struggling employee whom you didn't confront for poor performance until you had to fire him? When we wear these hats to the right occasion however, we send a message to the people in our organizations that we care about them and the mission that we are collectively trying to accomplish. Within your organization you should place the mission of the organization first and friendship second.

Can you be both boss and friend? Absolutely. The best way to make this relationship work is to be a consistent leader who not only cares about the mission of the organization, but actually cares about the people who are working hard to make that mission a reality every day, too. Helping people win and be on a winning team is what a friend would do.

Brandon Allen is a business and vision coach with The Business Blueprint. Brandon focuses on helping businesses get clear on their vision, mission, core values and leadership. Brandon is the author of the small business blog Build Your Soul Purpose ( www.buildyoursoulpurpose.com).

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 20, 2009 at 2:52 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

When asked, some resume writers and career counselors support using keywords in resumes, especially for college students looking for internships and recent college graduates looking for entry level jobs.

The following post from Priyanka Batra, a marketing and PR manager for Dream Tech Press, not only details why keywords in resumes are important and how to include them, it contains other useful resume writing tips as well.

Key-word rich resumes are definitely more effective than regular resumes. Today, recruiters find the resumes on web-portals using some generic / specific keywords. These web-portals are keyword driven. If a candidate's resume carries that particular keyword (preferably in the resume title) his resume will be a preferred choice, irrespective of the resume mode (e-resume / printed / scanned).

It takes merely 10 seconds to leave an impression in a recruiter's mind. So, the best practice is to incorporate the keywords into your resume in the title and summary section. Detailed information about qualifications and experience can be provided in the resume body. The main reason to incorporate keywords into the resume is to have as many matches as possible between the resume and the job posting. The more exact matches, the better.

1. Run a general search for the running vacancies / job ads on the job portals. Short-list the job vacancies you are interested in. (* - You can print the original job listings).
2. Collect keywords from these selected postings. Look for the following information about the vacant position:

• Job Title


• Responsibilities


• Industry


• Years of experience required


• Education / Qualification (academic / professional) required

Your job is not complete even after drafting the resume document. You need to put in efforts to market yourself to the recruiters.

8. Use a professional looking e-mail address.
9. Keep your resume CURRENT and UPDATED, always. Make the most of the opportunity as it comes along. While, others will be busy updating their resumes, you will be receiving an interview call.
10. If possible, make different resume titles for different positions.
11. Renew your resume often. Fresh resumes are displayed above the older resumes.
12. Get permission from your references before including their names in the "references" section. Present them with a copy of your latest resume.
13. Do not restrict yourself by posting your resume to a single job portal. Submit it to various portals. Use your social networking profile as a platform for resume copy. Twitter is becoming a preferred choice for recruiters these days. Follow the tweets of the company's you are interested in applying to.

Article by Priyanka Batra

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 20, 2009 at 2:30 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

I know a lot of people who work hard but who haven't made it big yet. It makes me wonder what truly breeds success: is it work ethic or is it luck?

I listen to Gary Vaynerchuk religiously (@garyvee on Twitter). He talks about hustle and how work ethic is what you need to be truly successful. If you work hard enough, anything is possible.

I then look at two of my close friends, Neil and Sean; they don't necessarily have the hardest work ethic, but they have become pretty successful in life so far.

Sean came back from a Europe trip one summer with a European license plate. He bought it oversees and decided that it was so cool, he had to get one for his car. During the next couple of weeks, at least 12 people asked him where he had purchased the license plate. After realizing that he had just referred 12 customers to the company that sold him the license plate, he decided to create his own website to sell them.

It was as if the opportunity had been magically given to him

Neil was a college student who had a previously failed business. During his business, he had learned internet marketing in order to market his product. During the online marketing presentation that he gave to his class, one of the students stood up and said that his uncle's company needed some internet marketing consulting. Neil realized that companies desperately needed someone to teach them how to market their products online, and that he could be the guy to teach them.

It was as if the opportunity had just sprung out of no where

So what does this mean? Is luck really all you need? Are the rest of us screwed until we get lucky?

From analyzing my friends' experiences, I have realized great success is the result of a marriage between hard work and luck.

Neil and Sean are not lazy people: Neil had worked extremely hard on several failed businesses before he got his lucky break; Sean had to learn how to build a complete website and how to market a product online before he could start selling license plates over the web.

The qualities that separates the average people from the truly successful ones are the ability to see an opportunity when it slaps them in the face AND the guts to act upon it.

Opportunity slaps all of us at least once in our lives, but most of us are too scared or too stupid to seize an opportunity when it spits right on our shoes. The people who work hard, who hustle every day of their lives are given the opportunity more than once. But even then, hard work isn't enough. You need the intelligence and vision to see that opportunity and take it to the next level.

We all are lucky at least once in our lives. If you keep working hard, if you keep setting yourself up for the opportunity to be lucky, then one day opportunity will come knocking at your door.

Will you have the guts to shake its hand?

Jun Loayza is the Founder and CMO of Future Delivery where he is the host of Awesome Bloggers, the show that interviews the best young bloggers. His personal blog, Become a Young Successful Entrepreneur, gives a real, unfiltered view of the Startup Life so that current and aspiring entrepreneurs can learn from his successes and mistakes.

Article courtesy of Dan Schawbel, the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y. He authors the Personal Branding Blog and publishes Personal Branding Magazine and authored the upcoming book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success (Kaplan, Spring 2009). Dan has been called a "personal branding force of nature" by Fast Company and his work has been published in BrandWeek Magazine, Advertising Age and countless other publications.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 20, 2009 at 11:57 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

The more and more I reflect upon how I've used social media to grow my own personal brand (as well as observe others), the more I've come to realize that there are two things that are required for success: passion and expertise. Passion is your excitement and enjoyment around a certain activity that interests you and expertise is your knowledge in a particular field. Expertise is typically based on experience and talent, which is accumulated over time, whereas passion comes natural and from the heart. The idea of marrying passion with expertise is one of my big messages from the point forward. I've started mentioning it in my speeches and it will appear more and more in my other materials because it's why people are becoming successful in this web 2.0 world. They are discovering that they can build expertise around their passion and you can too!

Passion and expertise

Passion: You can't be extremely successful without passion in what you do because it's too easy to quit and change jobs or career paths. Passion is the fuel you'll need to put in the necessary workload in order to achieve your dreams. When you're passionate about what you do, obstacles and criticism won't get you down. Instead, you'll remain focused and excited every time you wake up in the morning. People will want to join you based on mutual interest and the energy that will be radiating off of you (which is more visible online than you would think). A lot of people succeed without passion, but there definitions of success are different than mine. My definition of success if making money doing what you love. If you aren't passionate, but you're making a lot of money at a company you hate, then, from my perspective, you aren't successful.

Expertise: If you don't know what you're doing, you won't be able to accomplish much of anything. You can be the most passionate person in the world, but if you're unable to service your customer or clients, then you won't make money regardless. Since we all need to make money to survive, expertise becomes just as, if not more, important than passion. It's easier for us to gain more expertise in a shorter time period if we're passionate because we can accumulate more experience and skills by working a hundred hours per week instead of just forty. Expertise is what goes on your resume, while your passion is the anxiousness and smile you bring to your interview.

5 steps to unlocking both

1. Reflect on the work experiences you've had in the past, as well as all the activities you've participated in and how they've made you feel. While you participate in activities, work-related or not, there is a certain feeling you'll get inside when you enjoy them. Whether it's a major project you've worked on or a particular sport that you've participated in, the same feelings, emotions and excitement are there.

2. Get a piece of paper and jot down your skills and passions in order from strongest to weakest. Writing things down makes you remember them and keeping a list makes you more organized. You can always refer to this, especially as you gain more experience and accumulate more interests throughout your life.

3. Draw a line between the skills and passions that closely align. By viewing both your passion and expertise on a single piece of paper and drawing a line connecting them, you will have a better sense of your (possible) future. Draw as many lines as possible because options can never hurt you. You can also interweave the lines to connect more skills to a specific passion you have, etc.

4. Do some internet market research to see what niche might be available for you to claim. Based on the keywords representing your passion and expertise, you should conduct a variety of Google searches. See how many results for each keyword you get, what the competition is and how you can position yourself relative to both your passion and expertise in a niche area.

5. Use 1-5 words to describe the connection between your passion and expertise and form a personal brand statement for positioning purposes. Once you grasp the niche you want to claim, summarize it in one to five words maximum and use it as a personal brand statement, that expresses what your passion/expertise is and the audience you want to serve.

Article by, Dan Schawbel, the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y. He authors the Personal Branding Blog and publishes Personal Branding Magazine and authored the upcoming book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success (Kaplan, Spring 2009). Dan has been called a "personal branding force of nature" by Fast Company and his work has been published in BrandWeek Magazine, Advertising Age and countless other publications.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 20, 2009 at 11:48 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

If you're reading Jobacle.com, there's a good chance you're like me: an individual who [marches to the] beat [of] his or her own drum. That means you might be interested in picking up a copy of The Fearless Fish Out of Water: How to Succeed When You're the Only One Like You.

Rife with real-life stories of fearlessness, the book illustrates examples of people embracing - and leveraging - the traits that make them unique. It's these attributes that differentiate you from the pack and help you achieve career success.

According to author Robin Fisher Roffer:

"Anybody can be fearless when things are going great. It's in times like these that you have to search yourself and be brutally honest. One of the reasons we sometimes feel that we don't fit in with others is because we actually don't like ourselves."

Ms. Roffer, the owner of Big Fish Marketing, certainly enjoys taking the road less traveled. Since 1992 her branding firm has worked with high-profile clients that include HBO, ABC and my alma mater, MTV Networks.

Article by Andrew G.R. and courtesy of jobacle.com - your cure for carbon copy career advice!

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 20, 2009 at 9:29 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

You should never post your salary expectations anywhere. Most major job boards ask you what you are looking for and most give you the option not to say or to say "negotiable". Never say what you are looking to make.

The reasoning for this is that a recruiter is thinking of a number. If you are too high above that number he will disqualify you based on salary. If you are too low, he may question how well you understand the market and know your worth. He may also doubt how good you are.

A very low salary for a very experienced professional is a red flag. It also places you at a negotiating disadvantage especially in contract rate negotiations. Permanent recruiters will probably try to get you to ask for the highest salary because this way it becomes a win-win situation. On the other hand, the more a recruiter can push you down on a contract, the bigger margin he can take from the client.

It's a dog eat dog world whether we are working in a recession or the boom times. Never give away your hand first. Make the recruiter quote you first and go from there.

Article by, Boston Technical Recruiter

Courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates seeking entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Originally posted on I-Careersearch

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 20, 2009 at 8:27 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

80% find new jobs through networking.

Yes, it really is true - 80% of job seekers find their positions through networking. We all know that networking is powerful, yet many of us neglect it not only on a daily basis, but also for months or even years. Then we find ourselves in the midst of a career transition and feel as if we just don't know anyone anymore. As if we were caught up in a time tunnel and thrown out the other side with no one in site. Ugh... an ugly feeling indeed.

So, just how can you go about keeping your network humming?

Get back in touch: First off, if you've ignored your network for a while you will need to re-ignite it. You don't want to wait until you 'need' something to start this process. Believe me that is a bad idea, so start now. If you're not a member of LinkedIn then signup - this is a great way to get things rolling again and you'll be amazed at how many people will join your network. If you're already LinkedIn then send out a message to your network - subject: Checking in after a long hiatus... (you get the idea here - let them know you recognize it's been a while).

Stay in touch: These days it isn't hard to stay in touch and just a quick email can do wonders. But, don't rely on 'mass' messages to your network to be the only link you've got. Plan to send 'one' email a day to someone within your network. If you follow that basic idea you'll touch base with 30 people a month, nearly 100 people per quarter. Maybe you've got more people than that in your network, but hey - how often are they hearing from you now?

Plan ahead: Make sure that networking is something on your 'to do' list. Perhaps you've got to move something over to do that (i.e., washing the car, mowing the lawn or sleeping in...maybe we'll skip that one!). But, be sure that it floats to the top of your list. You never know when you may send out an email needing to know whether someone knows the person you'll be interviewing with, or perhaps want some inside scoop on a sales pitch. Networking is important - just like exercise, you've got to do it to stay ahead.

Fill a need: Change your mindset around networking - how can you help? If you think of networking as a tool that you use only when you 'need' something then you are missing the most important ingredient - connection. Make it about how you can fill a need and you'll be amazed at how many of your own needs are met. It's the old adage "you get what you give".

Be a resource: Pass on useful information and tips that you believe may be helpful to others. I'm not talking about spamming here - your contacts don't need a tip a day from you. I'm talking about meaningful information that you come across that has helped you in some way and you believe it may benefit others you know.

Remember - people want to help: When you do have a need or require information let your network know. Although, this should not be the way you introduce yourself to your network, or recharge your network it is a beneficial way to get your needs met too.

There is so much more to say about networking and what a terrific resource it is. Did you ever see the movie Field of Dreams? Then you've heard "build it and they will come". The same goes for your network. Start now, join LinkedIn or Ryze and have some fun watching how many will come your way.

For over 15 years Robin has taken her entrepreneurial spirit and teamed with executives in rapidly growing startup companies in the Silicon Valley, creating HR teams who helped to build incredibly talented organizations and mold strong collaborative, goal aligned cultures. Additionally, as a Career Management Consultant for a Fortune 500 career management firm, Robin has coached and trained hundreds of individuals in their quest for new career opportunities. As Co Founder of FiredUP Careers, Robin brings her entrepreneurial talents, along with her broad range of expertise and insight to those who seek career advice.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates seeking entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Originally posted on Working Girl

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 20, 2009 at 8:07 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

We all have to prospect, whether we are seeking our next client or our next job. That's a given. And there are many things that job seekers and sales professionals may learn from each other. When I am out talking about prospecting to members of various business communities, I encounter people in both situations.

Yet, the challenges remain very similar. Just one example lies in a very important lesson that job seekers are most keenly aware, yet sales professional can sometimes forget. It's a point that author Harry Beckwith states so succinctly in his most recent book You, Inc.: "The first thing you sell is yourself." Continue reading ...

Keith F. Luscher is author of the book Prospect & Flourish, and is a Marketing Representative with Principal Financial Group. Prior to joining Principal, he served professionals in the insurance and financial services industries as a management consultant. In that role, he advised producers on issues related to marketing and prospecting, and developed groundbreaking educational curriculum. Luscher is also a nationally known author, speaker, and expert in media, interpersonal communication and marketing.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 17, 2009 at 9:40 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Earlier this week, it was the birthday of Leonardo Da Vinci. That's right, 15th April 2009 was the 557th birthday of one of the smartest people that ever lived. A genius, some would say.

A Genius - Why?

Well, apart from being one of the greatest painters of all time (who painted The Mona Lisa portrait), he also had many other talents and careers. He was also an architect, inventor, mathematician, engineer, sculpter, anatomist, musician and writer.

He was truly multi-talented and achieved success in so many different areas despite having no formal education.

You're a genius too

But being multi-talented is not just the preserve of the likes of Da Vinci - you too have many different talents. Your whole team is multi-talented. Your whole organisation has multiple talents - despite having people who are pigeon-holed into different jobs.

Why does this matter?

It matters because we now live and work in a work-place that will constantly change and adapt. Technology and globalised competition mean that there is no such thing as a 'job for life.' No such thing as a 'one career career'

The graduates coming out of college and universities today are likely to have 5 career changes by the time they retire (that's right 5 career changes, not job changes). Over the next decade, learning how to reinvent yourself and tap into different talents to serve different market needs will become a life skill that everyone will need to learn.

So your ability to change and adapt to the modern economy will play a big part in your career success - a big part in your future earnings potential.

And being a multi-talented Da Vinci who can operate in different roles and functions is a central part of that success and earnings capacity.

Plus, of course, being multi-talented allows you to become recession proof by ensuring you don't get pidgeon holed in one career.

The quicker you realise that you do have multiple talents, the faster you can leverage your skills and the better placed you will be for the modern work place.

So How Do You Do That?

1. Don't be defined by your job title

You are not defined by your job title and you are not constrained by your departmental function. You're a multi-talented, multi-faceted individual with a range of skills and talents that are portable - just like Da Vinci.

When you position yourself as a solutions provider who can solve multiple problems across a range of roles and environments, you open yourself to many more opportunities and so avoid being pidgeon holed in one role or one career.

2. Be clear about your unique talents and transferable skills

Your unique talents and transferable skills are at the core of your unique proposition. A key part of what differentiates you from the rest of the crowd - and ultimately what enables you to be mobile across a range of roles and sectors.

So, what are the unique talents and skills you possess? How are they different to your peer group? How can these translate to other roles and functions?

3. Focus on the results of your talents

It's not what you do or what you know that's key - but the results of that talent and knowledge that's most important.
If you can't demonstrate tangible, commercial benefits that result from your talent, then you're diluting your success.

So in order to be able to have a Da Vinci style ability to shift across roles and professions, get really focussed on the quantitative and qualitative results you have and can deliver - and how you can flex those across different roles and environments?

4. Be ok with screwing up

Da Vinci may be famous for all the grand paintings and inventions - but if you do your research, you'll see that he made his fair share of mistakes too. He also had a huge number of projects and paintings that he started, but never completed.

But it was this willingness to start things without fear or the need to be perfect that helped him break new ground and become a success in so many areas.

The same applies to you. Stop trying to be perfect and start experimenting and exploring different roles and functions well before you need to make a change.

5. Open your mind

Leonardo Da Vinci thrived in so many fields because he was open-minded enough to learn and develop himself whilst taping into the latent talents he already possessed. Talents which he adapted to different vocations and pursuits. That's precisely what you need to be doing.

Without an open mind, none of the points above will mean anything to you. Without a willingness to think differently, this will be nothing more than an 'interesting article' that sits in your mailbox or trash folder.

Over the last 500 years, Da Vinci has gained a cult like-status because of he's ability to succeed in a diverse range of fields. An ability that has us refer to him as a 'genius.'

But in the coming years, we will all have to become a 'genius.' Being able to tap into a diverse set of talents and applying them to a diverse set of roles, functions, sectors and markets will become a basic requirement for those that succeed. It will be the only way to survive in a modern work-place characterised by global competition, rapid technological change and old industries disappearing overnight - whilst new industries appear out of thin air.

So to survive and thrive, we all need to learn the lessons from Leonardo and tap into our own multiple talents and adapting to them to the changing needs of the market - in much the same way that every firm is attempting to do right now to survive.

In fact, people's inability to tap into multiple talents will leave pockets of the workforce in certain locations and industries unemployable. Something the multi-talented, recession-proof Leonardo Da Vinci never had to worry about.....

Article by, Sital Ruparelia and courtesy of CareerHub.com. The Career Hub blog connects job seekers with experts in career counseling, resume writing, personal branding and recruiting.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 17, 2009 at 8:34 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

I recently got a disheartening email from a job seeker we'll call "Ted in California."

Ted's tale of unemployment woe was a familiar one. Yet, if you dig below the surface, as I'll do in this article, you'll find opportunities to fix a failed job search.

Here's an excerpt from Ted's email: "My county is experiencing a 12.5% reported unemployment rate, which means the real unemployment rate is between 18% and 20%."

Kevin's comments: Computing the "real" unemployment rate is like computing the wind chill -- why look for more ways to make yourself miserable?

Here's another way to look at those numbers: 20% unemployment means 80% employment. Eight of 10 people who want a job, have a job.

What other money-paying endeavor offers an 80% success rate? Think of those 8-in-10 odds to boost your confidence level.

Ted: "Most companies are not hiring and attrition is being covered internally. I have investigated about 40 companies and none would even consider taking a paper application."

Kevin: What's stopping you from investigating another 40 companies? Nothing. And who said you had to submit a paper application? Nobody.

Do you see my point? Both of these roadblocks exist only in Ted's mind.

Meanwhile, Ted, how are you following up with the 40 companies you did survey?

Here's a startling fact. Since 1996, I've found that not one unsuccessful job seeker can tell you how they plan to follow up with employers after the first contact. They hear "No" once from a hiring manager and never call or write to them again (email doesn't count).

Put another way, failure to follow up with hiring managers means failure to get hired.

Understand this: "No" from an employer today does not mean "No" tomorrow, nor does it mean, "Never contact us again." If you leave your follow-up entirely to chance, as most unsuccessful job seekers do, you will be as unsuccessful as most job seekers are.

Moreover, there is no such thing as a hiring freeze. Positions open up every day as employees quit, die, retire, or get fired. So if you've contacted 40 employers this week and none have openings, it's statistically improbable that they will still have no openings next week or next month.

With web sites like JibberJobber.com offering free software to help manage your job leads, there is simply no excuse for not contacting hiring managers every few weeks and giving them another reason to hire you. How? Give employers another piece of information that shows you understand their business and can make a contribution. Just set up a Google Alert (www.Google.com/alerts) on a relevant topic and you'll have new tidbits to share every day.

While ordinary job seekers can claim to be diligent, self-motivated, and attentive to detail, when you follow up with employers, you'll prove it. And this makes you extraordinary.

Ted's email: "I heard so many horror stories about people like myself losing their jobs after 10 or 20 years, and there is absolutely nothing out there."

Kevin: Sorry, but you need to save the sob stories for your spouse. They won't make you more employable.

Every complaint you make about a failed job search labels you as damaged goods. Which prevents people from referring you to potential employers, because who wants to recommend damaged goods? This is the brutal reality.

So, go ahead and feel sorry for yourself. Punch a pillow. Yell at the wall. But do so in private. When you walk out the door or pick up the phone, you must project an air of confidence to the public.

How to feel confident? Remember that, unless you've been unemployed your entire life, you've solved this problem before. You've been hired once, and you're worth hiring again. There's a job out there with your name on it. It may not be advertised, or in the city or industry you have in mind, but it is out there.

Ted's email: "The reason I am writing is that I have done everything and more. I cannot find a company that could utilize my skills."

Kevin: You haven't done everything possible to find a job. Otherwise, you'd be working.

Seriously. Just Google "creative ways to find a job" or "guerrilla job hunting" and you'll find at least a dozen ways Ted could connect with employers, none of which he mentioned using.

Finally, I would suggest that Ted -- and you -- should stop trying to "find a company that could utilize my skills." That's what ordinary job seekers do. Instead, find companies with problems to solve. (Hint: There are many).

Then, research these companies to learn about their problems. Talk to people who work there, ask how you could help them do their jobs better, and offer your proposed solutions.

This is what successful networking boils down to, from the employer's viewpoint. They hire only those people who get on their radar and demonstrate that they can solve problems.

The more smart networking conversations you start having, the faster you can get on an employer's radar -- and get hired.

Kevin Donlin is Creator of TheSimpleJobSearch.com. Since 1996, he has provided job-search help to more than 20,000 people. Author of 3 books, Kevin has been interviewed by The New York Times, Fox News, CBS Radio and others.  His latest product, The Simple Job Search System, is available at http://www.collegerecruiter.com/guaranteed-resumes.php

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates seeking entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Originally posted on Tips for Young Urban Professionals

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 17, 2009 at 7:32 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

What's your profession, is it in the "top 10" list? If you are a college student, do you know what the top careers are? These are important questions and the answers can definitely impact your ability to survive the current job market and succeed once we are out of this mess. Today's links focus on the best careers and cities with job growth (based on published lists).

Best Careers - The 30 Best Careers for 2009 - This article, published by USnews.com, lists the top 30 careers. The list is alphabetical and clicking on any item (like Ghostwriter, which is writing about ghosts!) provides a full description, a link to salary data and additional resources about that particular career. This is a great list for those thinking about changing their profession or college students trying to decide on a career choice.

13 Best Jobs in Hard Times -This article, on AOL.com from Kiplinger.com reviews the careers that remain strong, even in a deep recession. The jobs range from Accounting to Government jobs (which are expected to pick up as a result of the Government's plans to stimulate the economy). Clicking on any of the 13 jobs links to s targeted search in CareerBuilder where you can further refine your search (by city, etc.).

Ten Cities For Job Growth In 2009 - Where to find the best cities for job growth is the theme of this article, provided by Forbes. The cities are listed (along with a picture and a brief description of the city). The types of jobs which are expected to remain strong or grow for each city is listed as well. You should use this information in conjunction with one of the search engines to see the what jobs are currently available in any of the cities listed.

30 best cities to find a job - Another list of the best cities to find a job, CNN.com provides a list of cities with the lowest unemployment rates. While the article does list specific job in each city, you can use this information along with some of the search engines to see what types of jobs are currently available. You can also look for employers in these cities by using some of the advanced search features available on most of the most of the job search boards as well.

Good luck in your search.

Article by, Career Alley

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates seeking entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Article originally posted on I-Careersearch

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 17, 2009 at 7:16 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

I recently talked about how to manage your schedule post layoff and one of the main topics there was to focus on to make your skills marketable or acquiring a new skill set.

In an article in Daily Times PA, an uneasy observation was:
"One trend we are seeing is that the economy is cutting into a lot of long-term employees," said Mirarchi. "The really sad thing is they don't have the skills to be marketable today."

If this is true worldwide, it is time to review your skills and find the best possible solution to enahnce your current skill-set whether you are employed or unemployed.

Some tips on how to make your skills marketable:

Research

Knowing is the first step - always. Research market trends, read between the lines on what the new government policies are and where the funding is going, and what your leaders are saying about the new job scenario - all such reports are pointers to what lies ahead. Take time to research before jumping in to any free or paid training sessions. Some insightful steps might help you in the long-run.

Your stepping stones to a successful research are not only the internet websites and advice but must come straight from the industry experts and most funded projects. Talk to industry experts, to the hiring managers to a mentor or a career expert, read trade journals and latest news and try your best now to "know" and not be left behind standing on the shore when the boat leaves the harbor.

Enhance Skill-Set

With a practical plan and the right kind of tools you can build anything. Your skills are your tools and your marketing statement. With a good foundation in research for the right path, you can plan on acquiring the right skill set suited to your vision of your next job. Your full-time job might not have enabled you with new marketable skills, now is the time, use and manage your time well.

Market Market Market

You are how you market yourself. When the job market finally opens up and people have been diligent there would be a tough competition prepare now to meet the expectations later down the road. And of course with the right kind of skills you have what it takes, hey wait, another equally important skill you must possess is in sales and marketing - yourself. What is your elevator pitch? Why should the company hire you? What makes you special than the other candidate? You might not land a job tomorrow or the week after but if you prepare now, you will eventually get what you want or perhaps more.

Article by Shweta L. Khare, founder and president of Careerbright and Speakbright and courtesy of Careerbright blogspot

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 16, 2009 at 1:18 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

While keyword-rich resumes can certainly help a candidate's job search efforts, not having them won't necessarily hamper them.

Recently, I've written several articles about the importance of keyword-rich resumes in job seeking. I've quoted career counselors, resume writers and small-business executives from around the globe. Most agree that customizing each resume with words taken from each job description will get job seekers past the initial screening process, which is usually conducted by some form of computer software.

"Resumes including a large number of keywords are more effective than 'regular' resumes for several reasons, not least of which is the fact that larger companies and government agencies often use scanning programs to narrow the vast number of job applicants before real humans actually look over the remaining resumes," said Ann Smith, who is the director of the Office of Academic Internships in the Center for Career Connections at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. "The human resources directors can program their computers to search for particular keywords, and the resumes with the most keyword matches are then forwarded to the appropriate managers. The tip I would give to college students and other job seekers is to think like a manager. What keywords would you program into your computer for your desired job? Some are probably going to be specific to the position (the names of specific computer programs, for instance), while others may refer to transferrable skills (e.g. 'analyzed' or 'collaborated')."

Not everyone buys into the keyworded resumes idea, though. "I suppose I have a contrarian view on keywords" said Carlos Bueno, CEO of Archivd. "A resume loaded with buzzwords is not more effective to me as an employer. A resume is like a fishing lure. People, especially young people, spend a lot of energy fretting about the craftsmanship and frills. But the important thing is not how they look, but getting them in the right place."

"Keyword-rich resumes are extremely important in today's economically-downturned world" said author, Rachel Ignegneri, who draws of 36 years of experience in human resources. "Job seekers of any kind, should use only positive words in their resumes, such as: confident, optimistic, practical, certain, decisive, productive, cheerful, honest, when explaining background, experience, and future potential," she advised.

Bueno still disagrees with so much emphasis being put on keywords in resumes. "'Keyword rich' means adding words that people or computers are likely to search for. This implies that there is a large stack they are impersonally trawling through. Obsessing over tricks to get an 'edge' in these situations is somewhat self-defeating."

Product evangelist, Charles Duncan, agrees with Bueno. "This 'key word rich' is the latest myth surrounding the resume content ... it's actually code for 'we scan your resume's electronically, so tell us what we want to hear,'" he said.

"I might be a bit cynical but the reality is there are so many people unemployed and so many resumes to review, it must be done that way," Duncan continued. "A tip given to me was excellent and has proven out with my peers. I was told to 'cut and paste' the job skills and attributes directly into the intro of my resume and again at the bottom. At the bottom you can actually select the type and color it white so it is unseen by human eyes, but read by the scanners. Whatever happened to straight forward? Now we have to look for a job and 'game' the process," he lamented.

Note: It's not recommended that job seekers take this approach, despite its effectiveness. Some resumes are still viewed by human eyes only, making the effort futile.

Whether for or against the practice of adding keywords to resumes, all the experts agree that it's imperative for job seekers to submit resumes that are relevant to the companies and positions for which they are applying and not just general documents that read like grocery lists of past employment.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 16, 2009 at 10:53 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Despite the strength of the mining industry, Western Australia job growth is expected to slow down slightly before the year is over.

According to the newest report by the Melbourne Institute(MI), annual employment growth nationwide is expected to slow down to 2.2 percent in March of next year, which is down 0.6 percent from this year. The real cause of the diminishing job gains is believed to be the high interest rates that the Reserve Bank has set.

"The outlook for labor remains gloomy," , Dr. Michael Chua, of MI's applied macroeconomics teamsaid. "The decline in dwelling commencements and the number of building approvals are indicative of further possible slowdown in the labor market, particularly in the construction sector."

Although the institute expects there to be fewer new jobs, it predicts that the unemployment rate will remain steady at 4.3 percent through the beginning of 2009.

Throughout the country the number of positions created may slow, but Queensland and Western Australia are expected to remain the strongest states in this regard. Since the economy of both of these areas is driven by mining and resources, the institute believes they will have the strongest economic growth in earliest part of 2009.

"The stronger growth for Queensland and Western Australia is consistent with the relatively stronger consumer sentiment observed in these two states in June," the report stated. "Although the continued demand for commodities and the associated improvement in the terms of trade tend to support the Australian economy, the prospect of rising inflation in China and India, and continued weakness in the US, poses an additional downside threat for Australian growth."

Elsewhere in the country, Victoria and New South Wales are expected to have unemployment rates as high as 4.6 percent in March of 2009. NSW job growth will likely drop to 1.8 percent by the same time period, which is down from 3.2 percent this March. The institute has predicted that Victoria's employment growth will slow down from 2.8 percent to 1.7 percent.

Posted by Joel Cheesman on April 16, 2009 at 10:27 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Today, I spoke with Randall Jones, who is the founder of Worth Magazine and author of The Richest Man In Town. In this interview, Randall talks to us about what self-made rich individuals think of personal branding, the strategies they use, how he's leveraged his brand to interview successful individuals, brand characteristics of the rich and if personal branding helps protect the rich. Read on to see this insight for unique angle from Mr. Jones.

Do the self-made rich think in terms of building a personal brand?

Absolutely, whether consciously or unconsciously, the reason America's greatest successes have gotten to the top of their towns is because they are trusted. Successful personal brands, just like winning consumer brands, are based on mutual trust.

The RMITs (Richest Man In Town) I interviewed have built successful companies and enjoyed the resultant wealth because of many factors:

• they have high octane ambition
• they own and control their own businesses
• they do not fear failure
• they are masterful salespersons
• they build their personal brands by mooring themselves to high morals--they know that reputation rules everything.

How did your own personal brand help you tackle the challenge of getting access to the notoriously reclusive rich?

It was certainly difficult to get these wealthy individuals to sit down and actually be reflective on their lives, their success and their bank accounts. But this is where my personal brand had a powerful effect. Having written The Greatest Stock Picks of All Time and being the Founder of a major magazine for the wealthy which almost all of them read, I had near instant credibility. They knew I was a serious writer who would take a serious approach to the subject. But it also took some serious selling with many of the RMITs, so I underscored the reason I was writing the book: To enlighten a whole new generation of readers about the power of the American Dream, and to prove it was still possible to achieve.

I told them that this was an opportunity for them to mentor and motivate millions of young Americans who were seeking the secrets to success in modern America. In the end, they all agreed their participation was a service to others, but ironically it also became a benefit to them as well. Most had not slowed down long enough to think about their own success trajectory. My scheduled one hour interviews often went for four or more hours and they had actually had fun reflecting on their storied careers.

What were some of the most common factors you found in the personal brands of these richest men in town?

"To a person, all of my RMITs have found their "perfect pitch"--the thing that they are most personally gifted at doing and secondarily they have found a way to monetize their perfect pitches."

RMITs believe that we do our kids a disservice when we tell them "you can be anything you want to be--anything you dream of being." They believe you can't be anything you want to be, but you can be so much more of what you are innately, genetically gifted at. Warren Buffet says, "I was wired to allocate capital." He would have been a lousy fashion designer. Hartley Peavey of Peavey Electronics was wired to engineer amplifiers and musical equipment. He loved rock music, but he was a dreadful guitar player.

What is more important, the personal brand you project to the neighbors or to the world?
Your personal brand should be one in the same. Few are us are gifted enough actors to play multiple roles in life. It would require far too much vital energy to present dual or multiple personal brands to the world, energy that is best spent perfecting one's perfect pitch. That's not to say that our personal brands can't be multi-faceted. RMITs for the most part, are addicted to ambition, but they are just as ambitious in their roles as parents, spouses, friends and benefactors.

Does having a strong personal brand protect the wealthy from the current populist rage against the rich?

Without a doubt. RMITs have personal brands built primarily on trust, honesty, local job creation and generous philanthropy. They are not remotely similar to the brand Bernie Madoff. There could be no starker contrast between these hard working, value creating American entrepreneurs and the financial engineering, no-value creating miscreants like Madoff. The richest men in town that I interviewed don't have a single felony conviction among them. Instead they are the engines of American commerce. President Obama agrees that these and thousands of folks like them are the hard working, honest folks who will lead us out of this recession. That's the personal brand: local hero.

Article by, Dan Schawbel, the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y. He authors the Personal Branding Blog and publishes Personal Branding Magazine and authored the upcoming book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success (Kaplan, Spring 2009). Dan has been called a "personal branding force of nature" by Fast Company and his work has been published in BrandWeek Magazine, Advertising Age and countless other publications.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 16, 2009 at 10:22 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Lessons from George "Why No T-Bone?" Costanza

During one of the funniest episodes of Seinfeld's final season, George tells Jerry he's tired of his name and wants to find a nickname that makes people light up.

"I'm thinking T-Bone," says George.

"But there's no T in your name!" exclaims Jerry.

Not surprisingly, when George tries to get his co-workers to call him "T-bone" by ordering a t-bone steak for lunch, which he's never done before, it doesn't stick. And in typical Costanza-fashion, the "T-bone" nickname gets co-opted by another colleague and George ends up with an unflattering alternative.

George tried to improve his personal brand with a cool nickname, but as his colleague said, "You're not a T-bone; you're the perfect George."

Why do some personal brands stick while others don't?

Here are three elements that can make a difference:

1) Congruency. A lasting personal brand, like a nickname, often arises out of the things you do that other people notice. Reggie Jackson was dubbed Mr. October because of his legendary performances in the post-season. In contrast, Ryan in "The Office" became known as "Fire Guy" when he left his cheese pita in the toaster oven and set off the fire alarm. What positive, visible actions can you take to support your personal brand?

2) Consistency. Ordering a t-bone steak once wasn't enough for George to break out of the gravitational pull of his existing brand, but had he done it regularly, he might have eventually broken free. In real life, we need to work diligently to keep our message at the forefront of our audience, not with interruption advertising, but with value. Writing articles, blogging, speaking, networking online and off. What can you do on a regular basis to show that you're walking your talk?

3) Clarity. If it takes too much explanation, it won't stick. In Hollywood, producers love "high concept" ideas, stories that can be explained in just a few words. An example would be "Snakes on a Plane" where the title tells you everything you need to know, or movies that connect familiar ideas in new ways, such as "Jaws" in space ("Alien") or "Die Hard" on a bus ("Speed"). What can you do to sharpen and hone your brand so that it becomes even more clear and differentiated?

Getting traction for your personal brand requires more than desire. It takes work, patience, and sometimes a little bit of luck. I mean, not everyone can hit three home runs in a single World Series game no matter how talented they are!

The more congruency, consistency and clarity you can incorporate into developing and communicating your brand, the more of an asset your brand will be in the success of your career.

Liz Lynch is founder of the Center for Networking Excellence and author of Smart Networking: Attract a Following In Person and Online (McGraw-Hill, 2008). She writes, speaks and consults to experienced professionals on how to seamlessly integrate social media and traditional networking to save time and accelerate results.

Article courtesy of Dan Schawbel, the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y. He authors the Personal Branding Blog and publishes Personal Branding Magazine and authored the upcoming book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success (Kaplan, Spring 2009). Dan has been called a "personal branding force of nature" by Fast Company and his work has been published in BrandWeek Magazine, Advertising Age and countless other publications.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 16, 2009 at 10:14 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

In talking about managing your time on a day-to-day basis rarely do you hear people talk about values. When I talk about values I am essentially talking about your personal core values. I have talked about business core values but to be a successful entrepreneur or employee, it's also a good idea to have personal clarity not just business clarity. The important question to ask is, what do I value?

To illustrate personal values, I will give you an example of one of my own. One value of mine is family time. How do I use this to drive my professional life? An easy example I can give is that of travel. While I do travel from time-to-time for business, I make it a point to do this as infrequently as possible. If someone were to offer me a great opportunity that required me to be away from my family 75% of the time, I would turn it down as it violates a personal core value.

This is not to judge someone who is away from their family like that, it's just not congruent for me. Time management is not just how we accomplish things. It's what things do we accomplish and how is our personal world more valuable as a result of the time spent on certain activities. We often get lost in the objective of task completion and lists when we plan our day. So why do we need values?

For us to maximize productivity, it can't be just about a system. There are often deeper layers that dictate what's managed within that system. This is where core values come in. They allow us to dictate more easily where we spend our time. It makes it easier for us to tell people "no" when the request is clearly outside our scope of what's truly important to us.

In using a time management system, keep in mind that the system is only as effective as the clarity behind it. If you haven't set aside some personal core value for yourself, do this tomorrow morning. Write down as many as you can think of and then pare them down to 5 final values. You will act with more intention and clarity by doing this and your time management system will also be more effective. How have you been able to use personal clarity to effectively manage your time? D0 you have a set of values written down?

Brandon Allen is a business and vision coach with The Business Blueprint. Brandon focuses on helping businesses get clear on their vision, mission, core values and leadership. Brandon is the author of the small business blog Build Your Soul Purpose ( www.buildyoursoulpurpose.com).

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 16, 2009 at 10:10 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

I was reading an article today about the two tech giants Google and Microsoft. The article focused on how Microsoft may be positioning itself to make a play in the highly competitive search marketplace.

Dominance and perseverance

Google was referred to as having market dominance. Microsoft was referred to as having perseverance. Clearly, the article was referring to market share and market position.

I started thinking about how these words could be applied to personal branding:

• Brand Dominance Market dominance is a measure of the strength of a brand relative to competitive offerings. Market leaders are brands with clearly defined personality. The brand personality is the chosen character that best communicates the brand proposition to the target audience. It is not the personality of the target audience, it is the personality that is most likely to draw their attention, interest them, and encourage them to take action and buy the brand. The vulnerable brands in any market sector are those with vaguely defined brand characteristics.
• Brand Perseverance Brands that are sustained superior performers are those that maintain a higher than average market share over an extended time span. These brands are said to be superior persistent performers because their performance endures. Somehow they stay above the crowd. Such brand perseverance, despite obstacles, can provide reassurance to brand loyalists.

Applying this to personal branding

I like what Gill Corkindale offers in her Harvard Business School blog - 11 Tips for Creating Your Personal Brand. Here are four points I think fit in with the concept of dominance and perseverance as they might help you "up your personal branding game" :

1. Learn from the big brands. Identify what makes you distinctive from the competition. What have you done recently to make yourself stand out? What would your colleagues or your customers say is your greatest strength?
2. Build and manage your marketing network. Your friends, colleagues, clients, and customers are an important marketing vehicle for your brand. What is said about you will determine the value of your brand.
3. Learn to influence. Use your personal power, your role and your network. But use them sensitively and intelligently, or else you will not be regarded as a credible or trustworthy leader.
4. Make yourself visible. Build your profile internally and externally. Ways to do this include networking, signing up for high-profile projects, showcasing your skills in presentations or workshops, writing for internal or external publications, volunteering for committees or panel discussions at a conference.

At the end of the day, a brand is a promise. Make sure your personal brand promise can deliver by thinking through what it takes to dominate and persevere.

Beverly Macy is the Managing Partner of Y&M Partners and teaches a social media class at the UCLA Extension. She also co-hosts Gravity Summit events.

Article courtesy of Dan Schawbel, the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y. He authors the Personal Branding Blog and publishes Personal Branding Magazine and authored the upcoming book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success (Kaplan, Spring 2009). Dan has been called a "personal branding force of nature" by Fast Company and his work has been published in BrandWeek Magazine, Advertising Age and countless other publications.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 16, 2009 at 9:56 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Issue advocacy, media strategy and crisis and reputation management are three of my favorite areas of public relations--and three specialties of Washington, DC based corporate communications and public affairs firm Chlopak, Leonard, Schechter & Associates (CLS). According to their Web site, CLS works to "inform target audiences, change critical perceptions and solve high stakes problems." So, whether you spend the day lobbying Capitol Hill with a worthy cause, keeping up-to-date with the latest media changes or stepping in when crisis erupts, I think you'll find CLS a truly exciting place to work. With a median employee age of 27, CLS offers a mix of young, energetic co-workers and seasoned professionals from whom you can learn. Other perks? Working with clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to non-profit organizations to foreign governments. It's a great environment in which to get your feet wet. Continue reading about Chlopak, Leonard, Schechter & Associates ...

This is a guest post by Heather R. Huhman. Heather is the media relations manager at a national health care professional association. She is also the entry-level careers columnist for Examiner.com, a career expert for the CAREEREALISM Twitter Advice Project, the job search expert for Campus Calm and author of the e-book "Gen Y Meets the Workforce: Launching Your Career During Economic Uncertainty."

Article courtesy of Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 16, 2009 at 9:03 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

When I was a little kid, I was fascinated by science. Some of my favorite things to do were to wake up early on Saturday mornings to watch Mr. Wizard's World, ask my Dad show me Chemistry experiments, and build all kinds of paper airplanes. I was just the kind of kid that would love the Museum of Science, Boston, and I'd still love to spend a day there if I ever get the chance. Their mission is to "stimulate interest in and further understanding of science and technology and their importance for individuals and for society," and judging from their Flickr gallery, they're definitely doing that. Some of their attractions include an IMAX theater, a Planetarium, a Laser show, a 3-D Digital Cinema, and an awesome looking Simulator that can take you under the sea or to outer space. That's not even getting into the Museum of Science's current exhibits. Boston's Museum of Science looks like an insanely cool place to visit, and an even cooler place to work.
Continue reading about Museum of Science, Boston...

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 16, 2009 at 8:58 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Much of networking has moved to the Internet, making it easier for recruiters and candidates to connect, but does that really mean that sites like Facebook and LinkedIn could, or even should, replace the standard cover letter? Even with the increasing demand for keyword-rich resumes, submitted electronically, taking the time to tell recruiters and hiring managers who one is and what one has to offer might still be necessary.

David Manaster, in his article for ERE, Social Media: The New Cover Letter?, compares the benefits of social media and cover letters as job search tools. According to Manaster, the decision to use a page on a social media site in place of a cover letter depends on what one needs. Someone who needs a job right away would be wise to use a cover letter. "The social media approach is a long-term marketing approach to career development where you make yourself professionally visible to the world," explains Manaster.

There are skills and experiences that can be highlighted in more depth on a social media page than on a cover letter; however, a cover letter is supposed to be a selling document not a supplement to a resume. Social media pages are better used for "farming" or prospecting, Manaster says.

"It's not an either/or proposition," Manaster says. "There are so many people today who need a job now. And these people cannot afford to wait for the farming approach to bear fruit. If you are serious about managing your career you should start planting those seeds, but if you are hunting for a job today, you had also better do what you can to tailor your resume and cover letter to show your interest in the position."

Although Manaster acknowledges the benefits of social media for career management, he still believes that the standard cover letter still has a place in a job seeker's arsenal.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 16, 2009 at 7:35 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

"I woke up in the morning, the day after the humiliating feeling of being a layoff, it was a strange feeling; a feeling intermingled with emptiness, an inexplicable heaviness in the head and the mind in a whirlpool of confusion on what to do next."
A friend narrated to me after a few weeks of in a layoff from a job where she had been for 9 years.

From searching for jobs on the online job boards to tapping your social network to just brooding about why you were in the layoff while many others were not.. there can be a long or short list to how you want to spend your days ahead, but the faster you plan on an organized and planned schedule the faster you will feel better and rejoin the workforce.

Advice is easier given in such situation but when you try to feel what the other person is going through, it is sometimes difficult to suggest where to start. But here are some tips on how to manage your schedule after a layoff. A routine that you had been following for years no longer exists, time to plan a new schedule to get back on track.

Plan a Routine

After battling with the many emotions after a layoff, it is time to restructure a new routine. Not easy at all, since you have been on a regular routine for the many years you have been at your previous job, suddenly everything seems in disarray. It is time to plan on managing your time so as to fill it meaningfully and bring more routine to your new lifestyle (even though temporary, it pays to plan for an effective job search and peace of mind). It may be an altogether new routine if you have no experience with working on your own, but never be disheartened; once you plan your weeks ahead it would be easier to get used to the new routine and also enjoy it. Use whatever means you are most comfortable with - a calendar, your PDA or computer/laptop - the point is to know what time you will allocate for job search, networking, doing house chores, and spending time with family.

Manage your Finances

Plan at least 2 hour a week (how about one hour every other day of a work week - comes to about 3 hours in 5 day work week) to manage your finances. Look up the loans and monthly bills and assess how will the expenses evolve in the coming few months. Always assume that you might not be in a full-time job for at least 6 months from the time of your layoff. It is better to be pleasantly surprised if you land a job in a couple of months than to be in doldrums of overestimating the job market.

Time for Acquiring new Skills

Set aside at least an hour a day (that means 5 hours a week or preferably 10 hours a week) to learn a new skill or hone your present ones. If you continue on the job search day after day, the routine and the excruciating wait to hear back from the recruiters or companies can result in a burnout. Plan now on what new skills you would want to acquire during the job search period, never hesitate to ask around either a career expert or your friends on which areas might be of value to the new job scenario of the 21st century.

Healthy Mind resides in a Healthy Body
Spending too much time in front of the computer (as most job seekers do) could result in a mind fogginess of being lost in the maze of information overload. Set aside at least half an hour and preferably an hour a day to either go for a morning/evening walk or a trip to the gym. Or just use this hour at your favorite sports activity. The point is to work your body to pump up the adrenalin and your enthusiasm and mind alertness will follow suit.

Switch off When it is Time to Switch off
Know when to get away from the job search mode and switch to recreation or family time. Don't extend your job search hours more than your normal previous work hours; try your best that you keep some quality time for your family. To rejuvenate the mind and be at peace in these trying times you need the refreshing variety of a routine.

A Sample Work day on a New Routine

As a summary if you work say 8 hours a day on your new routine. Here is an example on how it could look like:

9:00-11:00 am - Read and reply emails in your inbox. Read online advertised jobs in your area of expertise, job alerts or other job related subscriptions you subscribe to. (If you have not done so, it is time to do so - create job alerts through your email inbox or through other job boards).

11:00-12:00 noon - Schedule meetings with friends or colleagues who can possibly inform you about an internal opening within a company or call friends who could help. Prepare for any such informational interviews and draft a decent email and schedule follow-up.

12:00-1:00 pm - lunch / break time

1:00- 2:00 pm - Before you get back on the internet, perhaps it is a good idea to manage your finances now. How much savings do you have and how much you need to set aside for present payments and rainy days. Read about money management during this time if you need some guidance. Alternate: go for a post lunch walk or if you like a morning work out switch around your routine to suit your best workout schedule.

2:00-4:00 pm - Time to hone your skills. The most important two hours and you can always alternate between the afternoon hours or morning to assess better productivity. What are your current skill-sets? Are they featuring in the job descriptions presently out there? Will there be jobs in future? What would be the new skills in demand? How can you diversify and reinvent your current skills? Think about these points and make an action plan on how to act on them.

4:00-6:00 pm - Take a short break and work on revamping your resume or making a plan on what new courses or training can help you in future. Do you want to go back to college to acquire a new degree? Think and plan accordingly. If you have to network or attend some seminars it is time to register for them.

Now -- Call it a day and spend time with your family now. If you really need to then get back on the computer at night but if you can do without it for a few nights; then just work when it is time to work.

Of course it your routine and you decide how you plan around it, the above is just a mere example.

Article by Shweta L. Khare, founder and president of Careerbright and Speakbright and courtesy of Careerbright blogspot

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 15, 2009 at 1:13 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

What noun is a four-syllable word with nine letters, starts with "i" and ends in "y"? While there might be other words to answer that question, the specific word I have in mind is integrity. The dictionary defines integrity as:

1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character;
2. the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished...

What does integrity mean to you? And more specifically, what does it mean to you as it relates to you and your job search? A client was discussing what was important to him in a job and he said that first and foremost, he looked for integrity in individuals and in the organization. When I think of conducting a job search with integrity, many thoughts come to mind:

Integrity in representing yourself to others, be it employers (past, present, or potential), colleagues, clients and/or your network connections.

No lies; no lying; and not getting known as a name-dropper. Do you want to be remembered as the candidate who dropped names or the candidate with the best requisite skills to do the job?

Truth and honesty in your employment communications, interactions, and exchanges via e-mail, resumes, cover letters, applications, interviews, telephone calls, social media communications and face-to-face networking. I like Mark Twain's words:

if you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.

Ethical behavior and consistently high standards of professionalism in your actions, words, and deeds, both online and offline.

Giving because it's a good thing, not because you may get something in return.

Respect for others, for self, and for playing by the rules.

Invested in helping organizations and individuals succeed in multiple ways by solving problems, cutting costs, increasing profits, improving efficiencies and productivity, gaining market share, expanding brand awareness, delivering desired results, and/or outperforming the competition.

Trusted; you can be counted on without condition, restriction, or financial gain, no matter what, day-in-day-out, 24/7.

You either have it, or you don't. You get one shot to make good on your word; you make a promise and you keep it -- it's that simple.

What does integrity mean to you? How do you integrate integrity into your job search?

Article by, Billie Sucher and courtesy of CareerHub.com. The Career Hub blog connects job seekers with experts in career counseling, resume writing, personal branding and recruiting.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 15, 2009 at 12:57 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

As you already know, I launched my first book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success, last Tuesday. Aside from this major book launch that was over two years in the making, even before I knew I was going to write the book, there were a lot of others things going on. I only took Tuesday off from my full-time job at EMC Corporation. I was still on my local book tour and I had a lot of pending media requests to complete. I also had a dying grandfather, who passed away on Friday night (the book is dedicated to him if you've read it).

There were a lot of variables for this book launch, yet it still became a bestselling career/business book, reaching #227 overall on Amazon the day of launch and still holding the #1 stop for job hunting. My goal was to hit #1 on Amazon on Tuesday, but I soon realized exactly how difficult that goal is, especially because I'm competing with Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight Saga" book series, which owns spots 2-6.

In this post, I'll go over five things I've learned from making Me 2.0 a bestseller on Amazon. If you have other book tips, leave them in the comments.

1. Initiate your marketing plan early

The second I established my blog in March of 2007, I began marketing a book I had not even conceived. By starting to talk about personal branding for Gen-Y early, I had already been able to attract interest to a future book. On this blog, as well as on the Personal Branding Magazine mailing list, I had qualified a group of buyers for the book. My thoughts were "if you're interested in my blog and the magazine, you're probably interested in a book on this topic." I believe that every social network and blog is a mailing list that you can market to, I had built up these lists over two years, which I was able to tap for this book launch. Last Tuesday, I sent a note to all of my networks, including this blog, announcing that Me 2.0 was available for purchase and requesting promotional support.

2. Long term relationships over short term ones

When you're launching a book, just like any product, you want to get as much press as you possibly can, especially on the launch day. The relationships you create over time with journalists, bloggers and anyone with a marketing list, will help you with promotion. I've spent the last few years forming relationships by helping other people in anyway that I can and as a result, over 120 websites mentioned Me 2.0 last week (including Fast Company, Inc. & The Huffington Post). I expected twice this amount, but since I didn't have enough time to strengthen all of my relationships, and because a lot of people are losing jobs and have other commitments, many of those promotional opportunities fell through. Becoming friends with the media a year or two before you launch a book or another product, will be the key for you to become successful.

3. Timing is everything

I won't deny for a second that the poor economy helped Me 2.0 book sales. A lot of people, aside from Gen-Y'ers, are looking for innovative advice to make them stand out right now and obtain the few jobs that may exist. If Me 2.0 came out when the economy was booming, it wouldn't have spread as much as it did, so far and with this amount of demand (book stores running out of copies). Aside from the unemployment rate reaching 10% in some US states, more people have advanced degrees now and recruiters are using social networks as background checks. The rise of social media as a free branding channel, combined with a very competitive job market and a lot of uncertainly, Me 2.0 was able to take off.

4. Branding helps sell books

As a millennial, it's really challenging to get enough credibility to get a publishing deal. In order to leap across this obstacle, I had to build the brand of the book by association, which means that I had to attach successful brands to it for people to take it seriously. The first thing I did was acquire quotes from successful people, such as Don Tapscott, Penelope Trunk, David Kirkpatrick of Fortune Magazine, Steve Rubel, Guy Kawasaki, and more. The second thing I did was to try and get media attention early by filling in a few contacts at BusinessWeek and Entrepreneur about Me 2.0 to start the buzz. Finally, I spoke with a lot of my bestselling book author friends and asked them for a book endorsement to include on the back and inside cover. Not only did all of this convince the publisher that it was a serious book, but it attracted more attention from the media and helped market the book better. Without this brand association, it would have been very hard to be successful at my age.

5. Prepare to lose money but gain credibility for life

What no one talks about is the expense of writing and marketing a book. Since you can't rely on your publisher to market your book, you have to assume the role of chief book marketing officer. Anyone can write a book, but very few authors can actually generate enough awareness to make it a bestseller. The expenses I incurred from marketing this book were about $12,000 for a PR person, about $1,400 for a national press release from PR Newswire and miscellaneous expenses, to bring it up to around $15,000 total. Some of you might not think this is a lot, especially since 35% of my readers are making over $100,000 a year. I think this is a substantial amount though, when you only make a small percentage royalty for each book sold.

The good news is that being a published author gives you credibility for life. This means that you can charge a premium price for consulting and speaking engagements. Also, if your book does well, you can get a larger advance on your next book. If you're a media junkie like me, then you'll notice a lot more media mentions when you're a published author because you become a credible source for stories. If you have a company, then the book will help generate awareness for your company as well.

Article by, Dan Schawbel, the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y. He authors the Personal Branding Blog and publishes Personal Branding Magazine and authored the upcoming book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success (Kaplan, Spring 2009). Dan has been called a "personal branding force of nature" by Fast Company and his work has been published in BrandWeek Magazine, Advertising Age and countless other publications.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 15, 2009 at 9:48 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Today, I spoke with Martin Lindstrom, who is the New York Times bestselling author of Buyology and an international branding expert. The last time I had a conversation with Martin, he was getting ready for his book launch and today, he's taken that book to bestseller status, so it's great to have him back on this blog. In this interview, 100% of the focus is on personal branding. Martin will explain his own distinct personal branding theories and ideas, as well as give you a glimpse at the future of personal branding and much more.

How important is having a personal brand during a recession?

More important than ever. During a recession companies (or rather people) buy trusted solutions - and brands are all about trust. So the stronger your personal brand is the more likely it is that you'll secure a job first, be kicked out last and in general noticed in the public.

What do the most powerful personal brands have in common?

There are two categories of personal brands - those who rise to fame due to their provocative nature (think Madonna, Richard Branson or O'Riley) - I call them for the provocative personal brands. Then there's the softer category of personal brands - the type of personalities who rise to fame due to their ability to mirror the problems of their audience (think Oprah, Dr Oz or Suzy Orman) - we call this category for reflective brands.

All those brands have three things in common: They're first of all stay on message - never deviate away from their core values (like Oprah is the listener - always taking the weak persons side), they keep reinventing the way they get the same message across (Madonna reinvents her character - Branson consistently provokes established values) and last but not least they have a main platform for reaching their audience (Suzy Orman Show, Madonna's concert tours, O'Rilley Factor).

What are the first most important steps in order to build a strong personal brand?

There are three steps - each essential in order to create a powerful brand:

"The three steps are: Attention, Bridging and Re-Invention."

The most obvious step is to generate attention - some people call it the 2 minutes of fame - however this has absolutely no value unless a rigorous plan has been put in place bridging the short fame to a permanent brand. One of the best - and most classic examples of this was when the European pop group ABBA - won the European song contest - the key reason why they raised to fame. Their manager had prepared a detailed program for what to do if they would win - one of these activities was local language versions of the winner-song: Waterloo. The song was sent by currier to all TV stations across Europe the day after they won. Those days' music videos didn't exist - so ABBA's approach to reaching all TV stations without being there were a worlds first. The strategy help elevate ABBA from just a winner of a song contest to become a permanent star on heaven.

The last step is to re-invent the message. All successful artists have found new and innovative ways to convey their message - yet they all still stay on message. This is a never ongoing evolution - explaining why authors keep publishing new books and why provocative musicians keep provoking the media. This is their way of attracting and keeping the spotlight on them.

How do you identify an area of competence?

"Creativity is defined as combining two ordinary components in a totally new way - funny enough this is the way you'll find your area of competence as well."

Let's pick my own life as an example - I've always focused on branding - however I've always combined branding with something new. 14 years ago I focused on Internet Branding, 10 years ago on Kids Branding, 5 years ago on Sensory branding and today on NeuroScience and branding. The way for me to stay new and keep attracting attention around the world of branding is to consistently identify new trends within the world of branding - often things which has been around for a long time - yet combine these with the world of branding and thus create a totally new discipline.

So in short - identify an area you feel very comfortable within - then identify an area which in combination with your core expertise would create an amazing constellation - and go for it.

What's the future of personal brands going to evolve over the next 10 years?

Let me first of stress one thing - we're all brands. It may be that some people are an unpolished brand, others are weak brand or a less concise brand - but we're all brands. Over the next decade we'll see an increase in awareness of personal branding. People will not only become more aware of their looks (I think we're well on our way on this point) - people will begin to go to speech training, attend sessions in breathing techniques and NLP.

Finally we're likely to see that almost every person will begin to "merchandise" themselves; Applications like Facebook is likely to fuel this trend - offering easy and cheap ways to convert favorite pictures into customized t-shirts, mugs and mouse pads, selling screensavers (with the face of you on) or friends trees (a tree outlining the hierarchy of all your friends - printed on a t-shirt).

Article by, Dan Schawbel, the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y. He authors the Personal Branding Blog and publishes Personal Branding Magazine and authored the upcoming book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success (Kaplan, Spring 2009). Dan has been called a "personal branding force of nature" by Fast Company and his work has been published in BrandWeek Magazine, Advertising Age and countless other publications.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 15, 2009 at 9:34 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

With so many laid-off people looking for work--not to mention the college seniors and students finishing grad school who flood the job market each spring--everyone is buzzing about the importance of networking when it comes to finding a job.

Yet an effective networking campaign hinges on two words that, surprisingly, even many seasoned professionals fail miserably at:

FOLLOW-UP!

"If you aren't committed to following up with new contacts and referrals, it doesn't matter how much you network," says executive coach Peggy Klaus, author of BRAG! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It.

While her advice may seem like "the no-brainer of the century," Klaus says the dirty little secret of networking is that most people make feeble attempts, if any at all, when it comes to following up on the contacts they are given and the people they meet.

So what's holding them back? According to Klaus, all sorts of things like never being taught how to follow-up, a fear of rejection, laziness, feeling like they are being a pest, discomfort with asking for help, and even concern about appearing disingenuous.

For example, one of Klaus's clients justified her reluctance to follow up with an important contact she met at her son's soccer tournament by saying, "He'll think I faked listening so intently to his long-winded story about his own child's many athletic talents, just so I could call and bug him later."

Overall, Klaus describes the downturn as a real "levelizer" that has left many people unprepared for the rigors of a job search. "There are a lot of professionals now on the flip side who never imagined that they'd be scrambling for a job."

Whether you've met someone in an impromptu situation or at a more formal networking event, been referred to a contact or just been interviewed for a job, Klaus offers this advice when it comes to follow-up:

1. Get over it! Leave your reluctance and the "follow-up buts" behind. Remember: if you don't ask, you don't get. Plus, most of the time, people truly love to help out others, especially when someone is in a pinch or comes highly recommended by a friend or colleague. Avoid these common follow-up buts:

• "But...he's or she's so important in the business world, and I'm so insignificant."
• "But...I'll look desperate or like I'm a stalker."
• "But...he or she will never remember me."
• "But...they're so busy. I don't want to bother them. They have more important things to do than give me advice."

2. Take immediate action. Do your follow-up immediately by asking yourself, "How best can I break through and get noticed?" Send an e-mail or handwritten note. Make a phone call. Mail an item of interest reflecting something you spoke about. If you try to schedule a meeting, indicate that you are completely flexible and bend over backwards to find a time that's most convenient for the other person. In all cases, be certain to express your appreciation. As they say, a little gratitude goes a long way.

3. Persevere. First of all, if the person doesn't respond, don't take it personally. Then realize that there are no black and white rules for how many times to follow-up before giving up. Use your intuition and judgment to determine an appropriate number of attempts based on the circumstances and your connection with the other person. Generally speaking, Klaus recommends following the "three strikes and your out" rule. If someone doesn't respond after two tries, she suggests taking a light-hearted approach. For example, send an e-mail saying, "At the risk of having you think I'm stalking you..." Or, "I don't want to pester you so I'll wait until I hear from you." Or, "This doesn't seem like a good time, so I'll try again in a month or so."

4. Employ a contact management system. Plan right from the get go how often you intend to follow-up with each person, be it weekly, monthly, or quarterly. It pays to track your progress with the contacts you've made, from check-ins to responses. Even a simple tracking system for following up will help you stay on top of your outreach efforts.

Guest post by Peggy Klaus. You may have seen Peggy Klaus on Nightline, The Today Show, 20/20, and The Early Show or read her advice in the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Newsweek, The New York Times, BusinessWeek, and O magazine. Author of BRAG! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It and The Hard Truth About Soft Skills: Workplace Lessons Smart People Wish They'd Learned Sooner, Klaus reaches thousands each year with her communication and leadership training programs. For more than a decade, Klaus has provided workshops, keynote speeches, and executive coaching at leading corporations and organizations worldwide, including the Fortune 500 firms of JP Morgan Chase, Visa USA, Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Mattel, The National Football League, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Computer Associates, among others.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 15, 2009 at 7:55 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

How many times have you sat at your desk and thought how nice it would be to be your own boss? Probably every time your boss criticized you or took credit for your ideas. It's a nice thought, being in business for yourself, but it's also a lot of hard work. I learned just how demanding owning a business can be, regardless of how large or small, when I read Sramana Mitra's new book, Entrepreneur Journeys.

Entrepreneur Journeys is comprised of a series of interviews conducted by Mitra, who prefaces each with a brief introduction. She interviews both established successes and up-and-comers

Jerry Rawls of Finisar,
Sridhar Vembu of AdventNet,
Steve Hafner of Kayak,
Gautam Godhwani of SimplyHired,
Russ Fradin of Adify,
Philippe Courtot of Qualys,
Steve Singh of Concur,
Marcos Galperin of Mercado Libre,
Edward Fields of HotChalk,
Hans Peter Michelet of Energy Recovery Incorporated (ERI),
Carol Realini of Obopay and
Harish Hande of SELCO (Solar Electric Light Company).

Mitra's book is not really written for the layman. Packed with jargon, it's a bit esoteric for someone who has never owned or operated a business before. But that doesn't mean that there's nothing you can learn from it. On the contrary, one message that comes through each interview is the fact that it's not easy to become a successful entrepreneur without persistence, patience, flexibility and creativity. Naturally, hard work, passion and dedication are also needed.

Some of the entrepreneurs Mitra interviewed financed their businesses through bootstrapping (paying for it with private monies from friends, families or their own savings) and others were financed by venture capitalists. There are plusses and minuses to each. For some, like Hans Peter Michelet of ERI, their ideas never would have seen the light of day if the decision to move forward had been left up to venture capitalists. Others, like Steve Singh of Concur, couldn't have succeeded without them.

Whether bootstrapped or funded by venture capitalists, each entrepreneur in Entrepreneur Journeys, tells a tale of recognizing a need, then pulling out all the stops in an effort to satisfy that need. Basically, that's what being an entrepreneur is all about.

For those of you who are interested in becoming entrepreneurs or in enhancing your own entrepreneur journeys, Sramana Mitra conducts regular Strategy Roundtables to help others achieve success. The next Strategy Roundtable is scheduled for April 15, 2009 from 8-9 a.m. PST (11 a.m. - 12 p.m. EST).

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 14, 2009 at 11:17 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

It's that time of year again. Spring is in the air and the wedding invites are in the mailbox. And, I don't know about you, but my friends are dropping like flies.

All this wedding mania has made me think though: how does getting married affect your personal brand.

Right now, there are a lot of young women out there who are building blogs, forging relationships worldwide, establishing ourselves as experts and getting name recognition. We're putting hundreds of hours of effort to make sure that people all over the internet know who we are. We're personal-branding like crazy!

So, I want to know, what happens when we get married?

For hundreds of years, women have taken the last names of our husbands. It's originally how we were "branded" as a part of the family. It's only in the last decades that women have strayed away from this tradition... and it's usually seen as a more radical feminist statement.

When I was younger, I was definitely not one of those women who wanted to make a statement by keeping my maiden name! I 'may' even have practiced my signature with my current crush's last name... just in case I ever needed to use it. (Which, if anyone ever confronts me about, I will deny to my dying breath.) I was convinced it would be utterly romantic to have the same last name as my husband.

Now, I'm not so sure. Not because I want to defy outdated marriage traditions, burn my bra, or prove my independence. Those factors are all irrelevant to me.

I'm very seriously thinking that I will keep my maiden name throughout life for one reason: it's my personal brand!

The issues with "I do"

There are tons of issues that we personal-branding women have to be aware of when we're considering taking the last name of our future husband.

First of all, how much effort have we already put into our maiden name? I've already spent 4 years getting my name out there and I don't want to throw that away. (That's a lot of lost sleep!)

If I changed my name, how much recognition would I lose? Would people get confused when they follow a link from one of my articles and come across a "different" person?

How many social media sites would I have to go to in order to change my old name to my new one? (It's a LOT more difficult today than just the driver's license, bank account and passport.)

And, I know many of you personal branding aficionados will be horrified at this thought too: What if the vanity url and essential screennames were already taken?????

With this name I thee wed?

This is a big deal, because one of the first steps of personal branding is securing your vanity url. If you own yourname.com, you get a head start on being THE most visible person with your name. (Which could be big if you have a common name.)

So, for women hoping to take their future husband's last name, it would be smart to snatch that url up as soon as possible. But what's the protocol for that? Do you wait until you get the ring? But what if someone else snatches it up before you?

On the other hand, if you're the proactive sort, there could be opposite problems. The relationship could go sour and you could be left owning a vanity url that you'll never need - and worse yet, one that reminds you of your heartbreak. (You could even end up with more than one!)

And, what if you buy the url early in the relationship and your significant other finds out? Many guys are skittish enough about settling down. How do you think they'd react to learning that you're trying to assure your future personal brand-ability by buying yourmarriedname.com after a great first date?

There are other issues too: what if your future husband has such a common name that 400 other women ended up having the same name as you do? (Due to Murphy's Law, at least one of them is guaranteed to be a swimsuit model or porn star, by the way.) You could struggle for years to get your name close to the top of the search engines - and still fail.

What if your husband's name is something complicated like Csíkszentmihályi? No one will EVER be able to find you online! (Or introduce you properly at a conference.) As compensation though, you'll probably have no trouble getting the vanity url.

If you're doing personal branding, taking your husband's last name is no longer the simple decision it used to be. And keeping your name is no longer a feminist statement. It's now about your personal brand - how much you've already invested, how much you're willing to redo, and where you want to go in the future.

Katie Konrath writes about "ideas so fresh... they should be slapped" at getFreshMinds.com, a top innovation blog.

Article courtesy of Dan Schawbel, the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y. He authors the Personal Branding Blog and publishes Personal Branding Magazine and authored the upcoming book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success (Kaplan, Spring 2009). Dan has been called a "personal branding force of nature" by Fast Company and his work has been published in BrandWeek Magazine, Advertising Age and countless other publications.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 14, 2009 at 9:24 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

My post last Saturday explored how you can begin creating your personal brand through having a few great brainstorm sessions and then organizing your thoughts by creating a web. This week's post will show you how to take the first steps into spreading your personal brand online through creating your own blog.

Get out of the kiddie pool & create something of your own

Many believe that having an online presence through creating profiles on Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter is having a personal brand. They're mistaken. While claiming your name on these sites can help spread your personal brand, they don't differentiate you. While your profile may list your interests and accomplishments, it doesn't showcase all that you are and have to offer the world. It doesn't highlight what makes you unique or allow you to lead a tribe.

You can only do these things by creating something of your own. Let's take a look at how you can get started building a powerful personal brand through creating your own self-hosted blog.

Do not fear, some awesome how-to video tutorials are here

One of the great things about living in a Web 2.0 world is that you can figure out how to do anything. When I was creating my blog, I stumbled across some incredible videos by Gideon Shalwick and Yaro Starak, from becomeablogger.com that show you step by step how to create your own self-hosted blog. Quite simply, these videos we're all I used to launch my very own blog - they're a fantastic resource.

The entire becomeablogger.com how-to video series is 10 short video clips that when finished will have you, as the proud owner of your very own self-hosted blog. Instead of reinventing the wheel and writing out a long elaborate post, I thought I would just share these videos with you all.

When you're finished creating your self-hosted blog, you can begin to spread your ideas and personal brand on the web. You can begin to form a community around you and become the leader of a tribe. You can tie your social networks into your blogging efforts to help build and promote your personal brand. You will be in the personal branding game and in the position to receive incredible, unsolicited opportunities that can change your life and help you reach your goals quicker.

What are you waiting for? Go get started!

Have an awesome weekend!

Chad Levitt is the author of the New Sales Economy blog, which focuses on how Sales 2.0 & Social Media can help you connect, create more opportunities and increase your business. Chad is also the featured Sales 2.0 blogger at SalesGravy.com, the number one web portal for sales pros, the professional athletes of the business world. Make sure to connect with him on Twitter @chadalevitt.

Article courtesy of Dan Schawbel, the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y. He authors the Personal Branding Blog and publishes Personal Branding Magazine and authored the upcoming book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success (Kaplan, Spring 2009). Dan has been called a "personal branding force of nature" by Fast Company and his work has been published in BrandWeek Magazine, Advertising Age and countless other publications.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 14, 2009 at 9:16 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Below is an example of what someone interested in applying for a job as a sales supervisor might see in a job posting

I/ Job information of sales supervisor

1. Job tile:
2. Job Code:
3. Department:
4. Report to:
5. Job purpose:

II/ Key job tasks of sales supervisor

1. To assist the Sales Manager in leading, directing and motivating the sales team in order to achieve the overall corporate sales objectives.
2. To assist the Sales Manager in revising and implementing the sales strategies plans.
3. To assist the Sales Manager in generating sales opportunities by identifying appropriate business targets.
4. To assist the Sales Manager in providing a professional and excellent level of customer service with existing and new customers.
5. Supervise the shift that you are scheduled.
6. Assist Sales Manager by completing all assigned duties.
7. Clean up stations and facilities throughout shift and ensure bathroom products are adequately stocked. Continue reading ...

Sample job description courtesy of hrvinet.com