Yesterday I got an e-mail from a fellow Cornell grad named Danny Wen. He graduated a couple years before I landed on campus, but he and another Cornellian named Shawn Liu are also entrepreneurs. After graduation they started working at Internet consultancies, but eventually they decided to go into business for themselves in New York City. Just like me, they decided to solve a problem that they were facing. Unlike me (the guy who couldn't find a job), their problem was tracking all of the money that they were making. Their response was Harvest, a web-based solution for freelancers and small business to track time and invoice clients. I know that keeping a small business organized is really hard, so it makes sense that a dead simple tool like Harvest would be in high demand.

Read the full article

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on May 28, 2009 at 11:57 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Does appearance really matter when interviewing for a new job? The answer is definitely, "YES"! Your interview attire could be the reason you receive an offer letter, or on the flip side, a rejection letter. It is always important to dress professionally to an interview because this will be your chance to make the best possible first impression on your potential employer. You will be visually assessed before you even answer the first interview question. Here are a few tips on what to wear, to make a great first impression:

* Plan ahead. Do not wait until the day of the interview to decide on an outfit. It is best to set aside your clothes a couple of days in advance to avoid undue stress and anxiety. You do not want last minute indecisiveness to impair your ability to arrive to work on time.
* Know the industry and review company website. Appropriate attire can differ between industries and companies. A job in a creative environment, an advertising agency for instance, may be more lax in dress code requirements versus a position at an investment banking firm. If you do not know the industry standard, it is best to dress more conservatively. In these cases, it is better to be overdressed than to be underdressed.

* Dress comfortably. It is important to be comfortable when interviewing. Do not wear shoes that are hard to walk in or a shirt that is too tight. It will interfere with your ability to concentrate and your agitation will surely get the attention of the interviewer. You want your skills and assets to stand out, not the fact your pants are too tight for you to sit comfortably.
* Do not forget your skill set is most important and the interview is not a fashion show. Avoid bright colors and patterns that may distract the interviewer. The goal is to look presentable and classy.

Here is a quick list of basic items that can be worn:

* Solid color, conservative suit (a dark pinstripe is also acceptable) and for women, a skirt or pants is acceptable.
* Coordinated shirt - for men this should be a collared shirt with a conservative tie and women should avoid excessive cleavage.
* Limited jewelry - not too flashy or large
* Professional hairstyle
* Clean, neat nails
* Moderate, polished shoes - women should avoid very high heels that are uncomfortable or difficult to walk in
* Light (or no) perfume or cologne - your interviewer may have an allergy or a general dislike for strong fragrances.

Be sure to make an excellent first impression during your interview. Whether you are a recent college graduate or a seasoned professional, your interview attire could be the first step in gaining that career you have always dreamed of.

Article by, Lakeshore

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 May 28, 2009 at 10:04 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

John Challenger, CEO of global outplacement consulting firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas stresses that job searchers "need to get a fast start. You cannot wait in this job market. Get at it. Be open to changing industries. We see about 40 percent of people say (they will) leave automotive or banking and go into some healthy industries. Look for industries that are healthy and get at that search."

Recessions are not all bad news for all industries. There are some sectors which typically feel relatively less pain and might even perform well during a recession. Below, we at Sandbox Advisors, have put together a list of some of these industries.

Education
Poor career prospects, or a job loss, make people consider new careers. This leads to increased interest in degree programs, certifications and other training.

Health services
People often do not have a choice when it comes to medical spending. Also, in countries with aging populations, there is a greater demand for health services. "The healthcare industry continues to be the healthiest sector in the U.S. job market," says Diana Fitting, vice president for staffing company Adecco. "The Baby Boomer generation is aging and it's helping to keep healthcare growing."

Accounting
People have to file taxes and when they do so, they need accountants. Accounting can be a good field during a recession, as companies lay more importance on financial control in an effort to cut costs. In addition, with financial firms under intense scrutiny and regulation in high demand, there will likely be an increase in auditing firms going forward, says Lee Pinkonitz, associate professor at Georgetown University.

Recruitment and other HR relates services
With more people looking for jobs and making career changes, there is greater demand for the services of search firms, networking sites, job boards, outplacement consultants, HR consultants and so on.

Selected consumer goods
According to a recent study by McKinsey, recessions have affected spending on different categories of consumer goods in different ways. An analysis of consumer spending during the 1990-91 and 2001-02 downturns shows that consumers changed their priorities instead of making across-the-board cuts. Eating out, personal-care products and services, and apparel--tended to suffer. But categories such as groceries and reading materials, which substituted for more expensive options, actually benefitted from higher spending, as did less discretionary items, like insurance and health care.

Defense
With all that is going on in geo-politics today, countries cannot afford to cut back (significantly) on defense spending, Security is always a concern.

Financial advisory
The turmoil in the global markets and the resultant uncertainty, leads to more people looking for advice on how to manage their wealth/finances. Demand for experienced managers usually sees an uptick.

Insurance
Insurance is not an entirely discretionary purchase. People always need coverage in case of natural disasters, health-care expenses and auto accidents, for example.

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 Talent Egg

Posted by Candice Arnold on May 28, 2009 at 9:45 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

This is the final post of four in which we examine providing feedback to young employees using the famed American Idol judging panel as a metaphor to examine various management critiquing styles. If you haven't been following the series, it is suggested that you begin with the first post and make your way through the first three.

We're going to turn our attention to the style of the newest judge on the AI stage, but before we do, it's important to separate your feelings for this show, the contestants, whether of not you feel they should have added a 4th judge, or even for the judges themselves, and focus on the real goal here which is to improve how we provide feedback to young employees using the styles of the AI judges for illustrative purposes.

When it comes to writing hit songs, Kara DioGuardi is a superstar. She burst on to Idol's Season 8 with the street cred of a Kobe Bryant in a pick-up game and quickly impacted the way the game was played. Although many Idolmaniacs didn't like the addition of a 4th judge, Kara's fair and balanced style of providing feedback has improved the show, and arguably, improved those that dare to compete on this stage.

Kara doesn't allow her opinions and remarks to be influenced by the comments of other judges, or the roars of the crowd. She is a free-thinker and frequently offers advice and coaching for a contestant that, if taken to heart, will make them better.

Although Kara's criticism of a performance can be stern and direct, she is careful to separate the performance from the performer and leave the contestant with their dignity intact and their head up. When she is truly wow'ed by a performance, her enthusiasm spills over, (i.e to Adam Lambert, "You are a Rock god!") However, rather than simply gushing praise like Paula, she provides the specific reasons why the performance was a winner so that the contestant can repeat those behaviors and get even better.

If you polled the contestants from Season 8 and asked them to 'judge the judges', I believe the end result would reveal that Randy is too obscure, Paula is too soft, and Simon is too harsh. But because she always lets each contestant know what they did well and what they need to do to get better-and she does so with class and conviction-the contestants would tell you that when it comes to providing feedback, Kara's style is just right.

This is the way I see it anyway, and I welcome your feedback.

By Eric Chester and courtesy of Generation Why? Whysblog

Posted by Candice Arnold on May 28, 2009 at 9:11 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Sometimes we make career development harder and more complicated than it needs to be. If you're one of those people, like me, who is prone to overthinking and overanalyzing their lives, you can wallow in indecision and inaction for too long. Like procrastination, inaction breeds stress. So make a career development plan and start implementing it today.

I bring up career indecision and career development because they are a couple of the top reasons people come to The Career Key and this blog. We have many professional career advice articles on career development topics.

I'm not suggesting shortcut your process of choosing a career or evaluating your career options. But at some point you need to make a plan; and it may surprise you that you have short and long term goals - ones that take planning to achieve.

I recommend taking these steps proven to be effective:

1. Choose a career that matches your personality. You'll see from our article "Getting Started" there are 3 steps: Know yourself, know your options, make a good decision.
2. If you're in school or choosing an educational program, choose a major or program that matches your personality. A recent study in the Journal of Vocational Behavior shows making a choice this way leads to better grades and graduation rates.
3. Do the ongoing career maintenance to be successful. Do you work out or color your hair on regular basis? Are you taking care of your career development with the same enthusiasm?

Adopt the principles of the Free Agent Worker. You don't need to fixate on career development every day - but incorporate these principles into your life and success and control over your career will flow.

My blog has many articles with practical steps you can take today to jumpstart your career, from researching career options to doing informational interviews via social networking. Just search the blog or look at the labels (like Career Tips) for what you need. As always, I love getting your feedback!

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 May 28, 2009 at 8:56 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

If the answer to these is yes, then entrepreneurship can be for you:

1. You are brimming with numerous innovative (or at least a couple) ideas and you can visualize how to translate your dreams into practical ideas and above all you are passionate and persistent to work towards making your dreams see the daylight.
2. You can take control of managing your time and do not need anyone else to monitor your tasks and goals. You are self-directed and motivated when working solo.
3. You understand and are hands on the basic financial management - preferably mid-level if not expert. You understand what cash-flow and marketing plans mean to the survival of a business.
4. You may be an introvert or an extrovert but will not shy away from self-promotion and learning cutting edge marketing and sales pitch.
5. Are not easily discouraged by failures and know how to bounce back from set-backs.

If you scored a yes on all 5, then go ahead and plan more on how to be an entrepreneur.

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on May 28, 2009 at 8:44 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Where do you see yourself in your present job say 6 years from now? If not where you are at present, what would you rather do -
Join another company in similar field but with different responsibilities - either to earn more than you do at present or for power position opportunity?
Or
Just do what inspires you and was a cherished dream somewhere back down the lane when making a dough pile was not the incentive to work?

What did you want to be when you were young and what do you want to be when you grow up?

Layoffs are forcing many of us in entrepreneurship and personal ventures for which we never had time before. A recent AARP study provides new evidence that suggests career changes work out well for the overwhelming majority of older workers because of reduced stress and flexible work schedules.

According to an article titled "Older workers embrace career change, less stress" in USAToday:

Mal Krinn made the switch when he had the chance to turn a hobby into a second profession.

Not many people would willingly leave the security of an established doctor's practice for a job in a kitchen.

Krinn did that at age 62, going to work for his son, a chef and restaurateur. Seven years later, he has no regrets about having given up doctor's dough to create and knead bread dough, which he does at Jonathan's chic restaurant Inox in Tysons Corner, Va.

"One day I was in the office and the next day I was a full-time breadmaker," he said.
Krinn had enjoyed cooking and baking bread for his family for decades. If his son hadn't gone into business, he figures he'd still be doing that, along with practicing ophthalmology.
But like the study subjects, a change for a new occupation presented itself and he embraced it. Now his transition may serve to inspire older workers who are looking for a new career with different challenges.

"If you pursue things that interest you when you're younger, who knows where it can lead to?" he said. "You find out that you could actually go into what you got a kick out of all those years."

David Perry of BalanceQuest describes himself as someone who at midlife has decided to get out of the corporate life style and use his accumulated knowledge, wisdom and friendships to build a better life for themselves. It's time to nourish your Body, Mind and Spirit.

And of course there are many others who are quitting the rat-race to breathe in what they believe in even if the money they make is much lesser than their previous jobs.
Often we have to give some to get some and it is also the other way round, to get more we give away of something precious as well - to earn more money we have to (usually) spend more time at work and that results in less time for personal interests pursuits and less family time. When you are ready to give up on the larger dough you make; there is a higher probability that you might get time to enjoy more - the time you have with your loved ones and also perhaps just watching time pass by instead of always in a rush to catch the handful of time you get every day that seems to always slip between the fingers like a handful of sand.

Now what do you want to be when you grow up?

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on May 28, 2009 at 8:37 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

"A clear vision, backed by definite plans, gives you a tremendous feeling of confidence and personal power." Brian Tracy

If you don't know who Brian Tracy is, you owe it to yourself to find out. I am a huge fan of sales and motivational speakers and Brian Tracy is one of the best.

The Role of Confidence

Last week I posted thoughts on Self-Assessment. Continuous self-assessment helps you constantly improve. In this fast moving world, authenticity and truth is essential in branding - whether a product, a service, or a personal brand.

Today, let's consider the role confidence plays in personal branding. Confidence. Not ego. Not shameless self-promotion. I'm referring to an inner confidence in knowing who you are, what your true value is, and how that helps both you and others succeed.

True confidence is the faith in one's innate abilities and talents and deep convictions. Do you have confidence in yourself, your work, and your brand?

I'm sure you've looked around your workplace occasionally and wondered why some people advance to highly paid positions while others, who have equal or better training, are not promoted.

There many be many reasons for this but one thing is certain: Those who advance really believe in themselves and in their abilities. They sincerely do have those deep convictions.

Here's a quick exercise for you to help practice self confidence:

• Starting tomorrow morning, begin paying attention to your "inner dialog" as you go about your day - you know, that voice that constantly comments on how you're doing.

Hopefully, your inner talk is strong and positive. But as with most humans, it's most like up and down and sometimes not very favorable to you.

Here's a way to begin changing that:

• Write your own inner dialog
• Fill your thoughts with words that release your self confidence.
• I CAN do this. I am well prepared and ready. This situation is going to go well for all concerned.
• Square your shoulders, take a deep breath, and make positive statements about yourself and your situation.

This is not to suggest that confidence is built by positive self-talk alone but it sure helps.

Remember, "Nothing succeeds like success."

People will try to discourage you. That's a given. When that happens, it's time to prove to yourself and others that you have what it take to follow through on your convictions. As you do, the tide turns, and your confidence is multiplied. In turn, the confidence of others in you also multiplies.

In the various ways mentioned, your thoughts are lifted up, and your self-confidence becomes a habitual state of mind. Someone has said that it is the man "who thinks he can" succeeds.

Remember the power of putting your best foot forward as a confidence builder, also. With that, and a clear vision, you gain the tremendous feeling of confidence Mr. Tracy is speaking of.

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 May 27, 2009 at 2:35 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Today, I spoke to Allen P. Adamson, who is the author of BrandDigital: Simple Ways Top Brands Succeed in the Digital World and the managing director of Landor Associates. In this interview Allen shares his wisdom of years of experience in the branding world, including a thorough explaination of the difference between advertising and public relations, the three most important branding rules, mistakes he's seen brands make, and much more.

Does advertising or public relations have the leading edge in the online arena?

Before answering this question, let me clarify the major difference between advertising and public relations.

• Advertising: While both are meant to build awareness of a product, a service, or even a person, marketers pay a fee for advertising in a specific media channel and have direct control of the ad content they're paying for.
• Public Relations: Public relations, on the other hand, is the skillful practice of getting the public or the media, or both, to pick up news about a product, service, or person, as a way of having it spread organically - and, for free - to others who might find the topic of interest. Obviously, the key to PR success is to have the news passed along as intended, without negative spin.

Given that digital technology has turbo-charged the ways and means that information can be shared - spread organically - I'd have to say that public relations has an edge over advertising in the online marketing arena. Because of sites like Twitter and Facebook, as a result of blogs and industry review sites, the ability for the public to spread the word has accelerated dramatically. Good marketers understand this and are using digital technology to their benefit and for the benefit of their customers.

For example, the Ford Motor Company has been using a PR initiative with great success as part of the U. S. launch strategy for its 2010 Ford Fiesta. It has taken 100 of its award-winning Euro-spec Fiestas and made them available to 100 key digital influencers from a variety of places across the web. These folks are sending their feedback to Ford and also posting their thoughts on a number of social media sites. Ford will use the input to create a car that meets the needs of the American driver, and they'll get this input while the car is still in production. The initiative is driving efficiencies in operating costs and marketing costs.

While PR content is susceptible to negative spin, as can be easily witnessed in YouTube videos or on review sites for products, smart marketers use this transparency as a way to see what needs fixing - and they can address it more quickly than in the past. Having said this, while PR is currently ahead in the online race, I think that advertising will catch up as channels of technology evolve and online tracking and analysis of ads becomes more actionable; more so as devices like the Amazon Kindle become more popular than traditional print media.

What are the 3 most important rules for building a successful brand?

The three most important rules for building a successful brand sound easy in concept, but they're pretty challenging when it comes to actual execution. The ability to abide by these rules is what separates the winners from the losers.

1. Every successful brand is built on a promise to do something meaningfully different from its competition which it communicates in a way that's simple to understand and easy to remember; it's a "sticky" idea. For example, Southwest's brand is built on giving people the freedom to "move about the country" because its fares are low and its policies as hassle-free as an airlines' can be. Relevantly different from what its competitors promise; simple to understand and remember.
2. Everyone responsible for delivering the brand experience (which means everyone in the company) must understand what their brand's promise represents in the minds of consumers; they must internalize it and be able to act on it intuitively (another reason a brand idea must be simple and sticky). The ability for every company employee to "be the brand" is paramount to success.
3. The consumer's experience with the brand must be consistent and convincingly proprietary across all points of touch, be it product functionality, customer service, packaging, web presence or advertising. In other words, all expressions of the brand idea must be harmonious and eloquent in effect to make a positive and lasting impression with consumers.

Will a brand be able to survive the next decade without an online presence (company, product or individual)?

"Forget the next decade. Brands can't survive today without an online presence."

The Internet has become the most important point of touch a brand has with a consumer, and it's generally the first point. Tell me about a new product, and I'll Google it. Tell me you paid less for a ticket on one airline versus another and I'll compare and contrast next time I fly. Tell me you saw a great review of a movie and I'll read it. Tell me about a YouTube video spoofing a company's CEO and I'll watch it.

More often than not, when consumers form an association with a brand, it starts with the online experience. And this online starting point is only going to continue to grow as a factor. As more and more people go mobile with their digital devices, as more and more technology becomes mobile, the importance of the online brand presence will become even more critical. Ensure it's a good one.

Even if you know all about social media. How can you use it to get ahead in your current marketing job?

Even if you know all about social media, how can you use it to hone your marketing? Easy. The strongest marketers I know use social media as highly sensitive eyes and ears; to magnify what consumers are doing, and to amplify what they're talking about to each other. Looking and listening are among the most important things a company can do to ensure its brand offers something consumers want and need.

Social media sites are rife with what's happening now and how people are reacting to it. Tuning in gives marketers the opportunity to be totally in touch with what's going on and to become immediately aware of opportunities for their brands. With so much talk out there, marketers who use social media to become astute listeners are using it to its greatest advantage. Author, Thomas Friedman, told me that because of digital technology, "we're all developing dogs' eyes and ears." The best marketers know it, and use their highly developed senses to sniff out what matters most to their brands, and to the people who use them.

You deal with a lot of brands on a regular basis. What common mistakes do you see again and again when it comes to their current branding routines?

The most common mistakes I see companies make relative to branding are, more or less, aligned with the three most important rules of branding.

• First, a company's promise might be wishy-washy, offer up nothing substantially different than its competitions', or nothing that is relevant to me, or that it can articulate simply and clearly. For example, it's hard to determine any good reason I should fly most airlines. Southwest, on the other hand, makes its promise clear, as does the Virgin brand, which leads me to believe it will be a cool experience (which it is).
• Second, many companies don't ensure that its employees understand the promise being made to consumers. They don't take the time, or make the appropriate effort, to instill the meaning of the brand experience in those who will be delivering it, from the engineers or product developers to the customer service reps, or the store personnel. They don't get that a brand is a collection of voices and points of touch that must hang together as one. This, of course, leads to the third mistake.
• Third, the brand promise isn't delivered consistently and eloquently from point to point. Consumers may have a wonderful brand experience online, but when they get to the store, or interact with someone on the phone, the brand promise falls apart. The best-in-class class brands ensure that every interaction is part of a whole, that every interaction dependably reinforces what the company wants people to think about its brand.

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 May 27, 2009 at 2:24 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

I was interviewed recently for an article on whether or not we should be "dumbing down" our resumes. The thesis was -- if we're trying for an entry level job or a job at a lower level than our last position, will we be passed over if the recruiter feels we're over qualified?

Well, the answer to that question may be "yes," but I can't think of any good reason to modify our past experiences to the point of leaving out pertinent facts on your resume. My thesis is -- you'll get found out.

No matter how many qualified candidates apply for a position, any reputable employer will be checking references. So if I've under-reported my title or job responsibilities, those facts will come to light in the reference check.

So pick one:

Take the risk of seeming over-qualified for a job?
Or take the risk of being caught in a lie?
I know which one I'd pick.

P.S. I wasn't quoted in the article. I don't think I said what the reporter wanted to hear!

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 May 27, 2009 at 1:50 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Don't get freaked out, but imagine an earthquake. Part of the building that you're in collapses and you're injured. There's no way for you to get out, and there's no safe way in for a rescue team. It's too dangerous to send people in to get you out, but your injuries are life threatening. You need medical attention ASAP. Luckily, there's a BEAR. No, not a trained wild animal (although that's almost a good idea), but a "versatile, humanoid robot capable of lifting and carrying humans and other items over 600 lbs." This isn't some fantasy. It's a reality because of Vecna Technologies, a high-tech startup whose corporate mandate is "Better Technology, Better World." They're based in Greenbelt, MD, but they also have offices in Skyline, VA; Cambridge, MA; and Silicon Valley, CA. Robotics like those found in the BEAR is just one sliver of the things they're doing to put technology to amazing uses.

Read the full article

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on May 27, 2009 at 10:53 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

I never liked talking on the phone much. I'm not sure why, but as a kid I never felt comfortable calling people. I eventually got over that, but I'm certainly glad that running my business doesn't require a ton of phone time - I can do a lot of stuff online. However, if I was running a more phone intensive business, I'd definitely consider using Ifbyphone, a "hosted voice application and platform" run by a Skokie, IL (near Chicago) based company with the same name. Most phone systems require a huge hardware investment, but Ifbyphone's can do all of the following through their software solution: Hosted IVR, Voice Broadcasting, Toll-Free Numbers, Local Phone Numbers, Call Routing, Virtual Receptionist, Store Locator, Google® Integration, Call Tracking, Dynamic Numbers, Find, Me Call Forwarding, Lead Distributor, Click-to-Call, and Conference Calling. I don't know what all of those things are, but they sure sound important. Anyway, Ifbyphone focuses on offering their platform to small and medium sized business, and they have $4.6 million in venture capital funding to do it.

Read the full article

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on May 27, 2009 at 10:50 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Back when I was trudging the digital superhighway applying for jobs, I really got tired of having to put in my information at every single site. I have no idea how many hours I spent looking for a suitable job, but I'm willing to bet that it was more than 20 hours. Now I find out I could have saved myself a lot of trouble with JobSerf.

JobSerf is an online service that, for a relatively low sum of money, applies to jobs on your behalf. The pricing schedule is below. There are two tiers of service, and according to the site, mid-level executives and those looking in multiple cities would probably fare better with the "Optimal" level, because of the number of variables involved in the search process. Us little guys could settle for the "Targeted" option. Continue reading ...

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on May 27, 2009 at 8:24 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Last week in San Francisco I visited the offices of a company that had proudly launched their blog the previous day. They asked for feedback and as a Community Manager my first impulse is: 'How can I help you?'. Here is my advice for them & all of you bravely venturing into this world.

First, I am not an expert on SEO but I have been successful. I invested a considerable amount of time reading up on it when I started blogging. And I never do anything part way! So how good is the search engine optimization on my blog? Google 'community manager' and see what you get:

What does this mean (ie: why should you care?):

1. Today I rank #1 for searching in Google for 'community manager'. (I finally rank higher than my friend, Jeremiah Owyang, who rightfully deserves high regard for his Four Tenets article.) Yes, this is a competitive sport.

2. The organizer of Community 2.0 reached out to me to speak because she Googled 'Community Manager'

3. My present client Googled 'social media community manager Minnesota' and found me. Yes, I also live in Minnesota (And yes, I do consult on special projects)

Be forewarned that SEO (search engine optimization) is addictive.

But the payback is that a blog can greatly increase a site's presence in the eyes of search engines. What does this mean?

1. People who are looking for your topic can find you.

2. You don't need to buy Google Ad's for your site or advertise it.

3. It gives you presence as a leader in the niche and increases your brand presence.

Let's translate that into business goals:

1. Customers seeking your product/resource will find you

2. Little or no $$'s need to be spent on marketing and advertising

3. Establishes your brand as an industry leader providing information and increases your brand visibility

Most importantly, it's gratifying to give back to the community that supports you (whether as an individual or as a company)

My sister is my webmaster and she's done a great job with mine. You can find her at SolutionsByHeidi

Here are her 3 suggestions in terms of what she feels are important:

1. Sitemap - submit to Google & Yahoo so that it's crawled immediately
2. AllinOne SEO - this is a very popular WordPress plugin (esential is probably more like it)
3. Metatags - choose ones that people search for and don't have too many

Content -This takes time but writing about related topics on a consistent basis builds SEO quickly. For example, I put up my blog in Sept 2007 and focused on Community Management in Dec 2007.

There is no need to worry about keyword density. (If you don't know what I mean by that - don't worry about it, be happy!)

Note: If someone hands you a list of corporate keywords & tells you to use them... you need to have a talk with them. Here are my suggestions:

1. Review the keywords. Are they words that your customers use in their daily conversations? (If not, it's no use to use them).
2. Use a monitoring tool like Techrigy SM2 to analyze conversations around your brand & industry to analyze the author tags to identify the best keywords to use. Here's an example of a tag cloud for my niche of Community Manager from SM2. (Do the corporate SEO keywords need tweaking? oh my! See what I mean?)
3. Writing around corporate keywords comes off stilted. Just write naturally & the organic SEO will happen. I always appreciated that @ShashiB got that when I worked with him at Network Solutions.

More importantly, make sure that your titles have keywords related to your topic in them. For example I used to put up a weekly post called Community Strategist Links to reinforce my SEO for that phrase. I also have a redirect from http://communitystrategist.com so the URL helps with my SEO. (ie: purchase a URL related to your keywords if possible).

And search engines also see the first paragraph, so getting your terms in there is also useful. (Make your point as soon as possible). If you scroll back up I slid in 'Community Manager' in the first paragraph. For awhile I was on a bent of disliking 'community manager' so I was using community building & community strategist but I realized that I was doing myself a disservice in terms of SEO.

Utilize internal links within your site. If you wrote about a related topic then link back to it. Search engines like seeing the interrelationship within your site. In number 2 just above I linked to a previous post that shows an Author Tag Cloud that I was referring to.

Search Engines love back links

Link love - Link to other blogs in your niche. As bloggers we all like to have backlinks. That builds our own SEO. And when you link to us, then we'll come over, read your post, comment and then in the future link to you. This will increase your SEO and it creates a lot of happiness in the community at large. Not sure where to find related bloggers? Use Technorati Search and search by those with High Authority. (It will introduce you to new friends in your topic area too!)

Blog Roll - These are another type of backlinks but they aren't viewed as highly by search engines as backlinks in the content. Link to the blogs that you read and as time goes on others will link back to you. If you get to know a blogger, you can ask if you could mutually link to each other's blogs but please develop a relationship before asking (otherwise it's tacky - I delete so many emails about this... If you don't know me, don't spam me!).

Commenting on other people's blogs - This is really important if you're going to be a blogger. It's as much about participation as it is about writing. So go forth and read other people's blogs in your niche and comment. Leave meaningful comments. If you have written a post that adds value to your comment then add the link. I call these legacy links or breadcrumbs because they create a path back to your blog for readers in the future. It also contributes to your SEO because it's another type of backlink. People love getting comments and if you expect them then give first and ye shall receive.

Measuring your progress

Google Analytics is the best place to watch your blog presence grow. You can see what keywords are helping people find your blog with. You can also see where your traffic is coming from (both physical source as well as blog url's). Google has set up a self paced course at Conversion University.

Claim your blog on Technorati - this shows your Rank, Authority & the number of backlinks. You can track your progress. Some bloggers feel that Technorati no longer has as much relevance.

Finally, Google your topic area. Once you start getting on the top one to three pages it will serve as additional motivation.

For more reading: Darren Rowse has tons of resources (that's where I learned much from!)

What are your suggestions for improving blog SEO?

Article by Connie Bensen, Community Strategist, and courtesy of ConnieBensen.com

Posted by Candice Arnold on May 26, 2009 at 3:33 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

I love simplicity. I also appreciate singularity. You know... One Day, One Job. There's so much clutter these days that it can become really hard to focus. I'm sure that you're seeing it in your job search, and you're probably wondering why companies just keep layering on more complexity to what they do. If so, then you're in good company. Mono is a Minneapolis, MN based branding, advertising, and design agency that is all about simplicity. They think that putting smart, innovative people on client projects is the key to great branding. That's it. I like it. And so do their clients (it's an impressive list).

Read the full article

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on May 26, 2009 at 2:45 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Last May I told you about Street Squash and all the good they're doing for inner-city youth in New York, and today I'm going to tell you about Surf City Squash, a squash related non-profit with some West Coast flare. They're based out of San Diego, and they're also a part of the National Urban Squash and Education Association (NUSEA) which includes Squash Busters (Boston, MA), City Squash (Bronx, NY), Squash Smarts (Philadelphia, PA), and MetroSquash (Chicago, IL). Surf City Squash was founded in 2006 because they "felt the time was right to bring a quality urban squash program to the west coast."

Read the full article

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on May 26, 2009 at 2:41 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

The other night I went to a great event called Out of Work Chicago to watch Jason Seiden speak and to get familiar with job seekers who aren't fresh out of college. It was a great event, and I definitely enjoyed it. I didn't need a ticket because I came with one of the featured speakers, but the thought of registering hundreds of people for an event seems pretty intimidating to me. I don't know if the guys at Out of Work Chicago use Eventbrite, but it looks like the perfect solution for registering and ticketing people at any size event. If your event is free, Eventbrite is free. If you're charging, they take a 2.5% cut. That sounds like a pretty decent deal to me, considering it eliminates most of the headaches of event registration.

Read the full article

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on May 26, 2009 at 2:36 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Article provided by Brand-Yourself.com

Well sure they're all successful, visible, rich and famous, but there is one immense underlying factor that supersedes all of those things: each of them has found, embraced, and capitalized on their own personal brand. This has given them the ability to achieve the ultimate dream: doing what they love day and after day, and getting paid a whole lot while doing it. We would like to pay tribute to these well branded individuals and highlight the common thread running through all of them. These individuals are true examples of the underlying potential all of us can tap into by recognizing our own unique personal brand.

Oprah Winfrey: The Undeniable Queen of Personal Branding?

Oprah is undoubtedly one of the most strongly branded individuals alive. She is constantly building equity in the Oprah brand which has an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion, according to Forbes' 2008 list of the richest people in the world. Oprah's many accomplishments lie in sticking to her core competency: challenging millions of viewers to live the best lives possible by understanding their own potential.

Always Keep it REAL

Opera won the enduring trust of her fans by simply being Oprah, by being real. Although she was shunned at first for not fitting into the cookie cutter TV host mold, that very resistance to conformity and her dedication to authenticity is what allowed her to flourish. This authenticity, honesty and genuineness are testament to the fact that staying true to yourself can pay off in spades. This is one of the most important parts of personal branding, NEVER TRY TO BE SOMETHING YOUR NOT because true genuineness is utterly transparent, and someone trying to fake it sticks out like a blistering, sore thumb.

Richard Branson:

Richard Branson is undeniably one of the most visible, successful, and well-known men alive. Branson sure didn't reach his current superstar status through following conventions. Much like Oprah Winfrey, Branson has purposefully stayed true to his core values, including adventure, excitement and risk-taking. By sticking to what makes him happy, he would often times do exactly what other business leaders cautioned against, including wild publicity stunts like driving down Fifth Avenue in a tank for Virgin Cola. However unconventional, his unorthodox style and commitment to his own passions won in the end.

Throw Conventions to the WIND!

As business author and journalist Glenn Rifkin describes, "Branson has parlayed a lifelong disdain for conventional business wisdom into a $3.5 billion international conglomerate and one of the world's most powerful and recognizable brands. Under the ubiquitous Virgin banner, Mr. Branson has ventured into a panoply of businesses - from condoms to wedding gowns, from airlines to financial services - and in the process has taken on entrenched giants and wrested market share from them."

Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods is another massively powerful personal brand, in fact, Tiger's personal brand is so strong that corporate brands like Nike and Buick literally pay him millions of dollars just to appear in public with their merchandise.

As Forbes columnist Lisa DiCarlo explains, "It's no secret that Tiger Woods is a marketer's dream. No company has capitalized on the appeal of the good looking, clean-cut, articulate, scandal-free golf whiz more than Nike. In 2000, Nike agreed to a multi-year deal with Woods worth a reported $105 million, extending an earlier multi-million dollar deal which originated in 1996, the year the then 21-year-old Woods went pro. For its money, Nike has purchased almost every aspect of the Tiger Woods brand, and a piece of almost every marketing appearance of the golf star."

Just like Oprah, Tiger's brand awareness is astonishing. Everybody knows who he is and just about everyone loves him as well.

Tiger's personal brand is so powerful that he no longer manages it alone. His manager calls himself, "CEO of a corporation charged with enhancing and protecting the Woods brand."

If you think developing your own personal brand is hard, try strengthening one that is under constant media attention and the scrutiny of the public eye.

So how well branded are you? How can you even measure your personal brand? If you are curious, check out our post How Well Branded Are You? for some helpful ways to find out where you stand now with your brand and how to keep tabs on that brand as it grows.

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 May 25, 2009 at 1:12 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

Article provided by JIST Publishing

Recent law school graduates have their work cut out for them as they try to secure employment in a field that's been slammed with layoffs in this recession. Not only are jobs in the legal field harder to come by than in years past, recent grads are now up against more experienced, better connected candidates.

"There's no question that the current economy means new lawyers may have to work extra hard to get that first job," says Ursula Furi-Perry, JD, author of the recently released book Law School Revealed. "It's essential that young lawyers go back to basics: networking, developing valuable professional relationships, being proactive about their job search, using career resources available to them, and seeking out traditional and nontraditional sources of employment."

New lawyers looking to score their first post-graduation job will want to consider the following tips provided in Furi-Perry's book. They outline how recent grads can put themselves on the fast-track to their first job and begin to establish themselves as up-and-comers in the legal community.

1. If your law school participates in the OCI process, take advantage of on-campus interviews and any other formal job searching activities in which your school engages.
2. Take advantage of the services offered by your law school's career services office: attend career workshops, seminars, and networking events; seek out help with your job search, resume, and career plans; ask for potential leads; and ask your career counselors to help you put together a formal plan for finding that first job.
3. Join mentoring programs and professional organizations to meet others in the field and develop your network. Many organizations include a section or committee specifically for young lawyers, which can help you navigate the transition from student to lawyer.
4. Gather feedback on your resume and your professional image from trusted sources who can offer you an additional opinion and valuable input.
5. Maintain professionalism and courtesy in person, in writing and online.
6. Get practical experience. You're more likely to stand out among other candidates if you have had a summer associate position, internship or history as a volunteer to prove you possess some practical experience.
7. Take a lawyer to lunch or ask for an informational interview--pick his or her brain about working in the legal field and ask the lawyer about his or her career journey, typical job responsibilities, greatest challenges, and any other tips and advice.
8. Seek out mentors and develop valuable professional relationships.
9. Treat job hunting as a job: set aside ample time; stay productive in your job search, follow up on leads and interviews, and dress and act professionally whether you're going to your externship or just out to grab a cup of coffee--you never know when you'll meet that potential employer. Also put together a formal job search plan in writing--for example, decide that you'll spend an hour polishing your resume or that you'll follow up with three potential contacts today--and stick to it!
10. If you're interviewing with or interested in a particular firm, familiarize yourself with the firm and its lawyers. Start by looking at the firm's Web site and reading articles about some of the recent cases and events at the firm.
11. Read articles and blogs and subscribe to newsletters and news feeds about law firms and the legal field to stay up-to-date on legal employment trends. Also attend continuing legal education events, both for professional development and for networking opportunities.
12. Keep an open mind and consider employers outside the legal field. The JD is a very versatile degree, and the skill set law graduates possess--including analytical thinking and communication skills--is attractive to a whole host of potential employers.
13. Don't be afraid to accept a position that isn't exactly what you thought you would get. Most recent law grads don't end up with their dream jobs right out of law school--having a "starter job" is perfectly okay; what's essential is that you continue learning and take something important with you from each position.

Furi-Perry adds that many of these tips remain relevant even after a new JD has accepted a job offer. "Young lawyers can use these tips to develop their career momentum and continue their professional development, even when they may be content in their new position," she says.

Law School Revealed is now available at all major bookstores and from the publisher (www.jist.com or 1.800.648.JIST).

Article by, Selena Dehne and courtesy of JIST Publishing

Posted by Candice Arnold on May 25, 2009 at 1:04 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Management Consulting is still growing, even in the depths of our current recession. Marketing Consulting is also growing, as are others. In fact, some consulting industries appear to be recession-proof, including Process and Logistics Consulting.

For unemployed job-seekers, consulting (or project work) can help them get through the current recession while still looking for a full-time job.

If you'd like to try consulting, don't look for a "job," look for "work." This gives employers a choice of bringing you on board as a temporary, part-time or regular full-time employee - or as a consultant or contract employee. Since many employers are hesitant to add full-time staff during a recession, this can make you more attractive and give you more opportunities.

If you line up two or three part-time consulting gigs (say one day a week each), and bill properly, you can make more money than a full time job. Then, if one of your consulting gigs stops, you have not lost your entire revenue stream, and can regroup to find another one-day-a-week consulting gig to fill your plate. To see the current trends for eight different consulting industries, go to http://jobbait.com/a/solo.html.

Article by, Mark Hovind 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 May 22, 2009 at 1:23 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Article provided by JIST Publishing

When it comes to the job search, some people overanalyze every step they take. Others don't think at all, taking one risk after another and hoping for positive results. In short, everyone has a particular style when it comes to how they participate in the job search process. Knowing what that style is can help job seekers utilize their strengths and improve their weaknesses to find good jobs more quickly.

John Liptak, author of Career Quizzes, divides job seekers into four categories: Doers, Preparers, Energizers, and Thinkers. In his book, he points among these types of job seekers and emphasizes that none of the styles is any better than the other. "The best job search strategy is the one that incorporates the best parts of your strongest style along with strategies you can learn to implement from weaker styles," says Liptak.

To discover which style best describes you and learn how to improve your performance in the job hunt, check out the descriptions and tips below, as outlined in Liptak's book.

The Doer

Do you thrive on competition? Operate on a high-stress level? Continue pursuing something even though you've already been told "no?" If so, you may be a Doer, says John Liptak. "People with a 'doer' job search style tend to be action oriented, assertive and stick with a task until it's finished."

Doers and the Job Hunt

• Excel at selling themselves, following through on job search activities, building their network, and trumpeting their skills and experiences.
• Prefer aggressive job search strategies, such as directly calling an employer.
• Tend to lose patience with the job search.
• Sometimes come across as pushy or forget to listen during a job search interview.

How Doers Can Improve Their Job Search Strategy

• Learn to know when assertiveness is detrimental to job search efforts.
• Think before acting to avoid alienating employers.
• Strive to relax and be patient.
• Develop a portfolio of accomplishments to show employers.
• Create a great resume and cover letter to show prospective employers.

The Preparer

Preparers are generally well-organized, adept planners who find comfort in routine and prefer to keep a low profile, says Liptak. "They carry out their well-designed plans in a thorough and persistent manner, although often without any outward show of enthusiasm. Their fear of change can become debilitating, but in a stable and predictable environment, they are friendly and warm and have a tremendous desire to succeed."

Preparers and the Job Hunt

• Remain calm in the job search and take rejection in stride.
• Tend to be responsive listeners with an easygoing nature and affable personality that makes for a comfortable interview environment.
• Sometimes struggle to sell themselves because they lack assertiveness.
• Inclined to rely too heavily on the visible job market, prompting them to underutilize more aggressive techniques like phoning employers or building a job search network.

How Preparers Can Improve Their Job Search Strategy

• Become more assertive in self-marketing.
• Learn to never take "no" for an answer.
• Build a network of potential employers.
• Strive to enjoy talking with prospective employers.
• Take action after thorough preparations.

The Energizer

Liptak describes Energizers as the "free spirits" of the job hunt, because they tend to be adventurous risk-takers. "Unlike Preparers, Energizers have a high energy level and a great deal of enthusiasm, although they often need help channeling their energy in constructive ways. Energizers get along well with almost anyone, enjoy a variety of tasks, and are open to change," says Liptak.

Energizers and the Job Hunt

• Generally willing to use all job search methods and will even discover their own innovative strategies.
• Often viewed as charismatic and enthusiastic during interviews, provided they aren't seen as hyper or chaotic.
• Have difficulty organizing job search campaigns, because they can sometimes be impulsive and careless.
• Excellent networkers, but tend to have difficulty translating their energy and enthusiasm to paper. Thus, they tend to excel in interviews, provided they haven't been screened out by a sloppy resume or lack of attention to detail.

How Energizers Can Improve Their Job Search Strategy

• Learn to curb impulsiveness.
• Appreciate the value of tools such as resumes, cover letters, and employment applications (and working to make them professional).
• Learn not to be sensitive to criticism and rejections.
• Use creativity to find ways to impress employers.
• Mind the small details of an effective job search campaign (such as keeping track of resumes sent out, replies from prospective employers, interview dates, and follow-up activities).

The Thinker

"Thinkers are logical in all that they do--the Mr. Spocks of the job search style universe," says Liptak. He goes on to describe them as perfectionists who are generally willing to spend a great deal of energy to complete projects and get them right. Liptak adds that Thinkers often get bogged down in details and fail to "see the forest for the trees."

Thinkers and the Job Hunt

• Tend to prefer traditional job search methods, such as mailing out a resume rather than directly calling an employer.
• Highly skilled at resume and cover letter writing and preparing for interviews.
• Tend to become overwhelmed by the insignificant aspects of the job search and lose sight of the big picture.
• Sometimes come off as reserved and unenthusiastic during job interviews.

How Thinkers Can Improve Their Job Search Strategy

• Rely less on logic and more on gut feelings.
• Be less critical.
• Be more flexible.
• Be more aggressive with employers.
• Develop a network of prospective employers.
• Don't overanalyze the minor details of a job search campaign.

Career Quizzes is available at all major bookstores and from the publisher (www.jist.com or 1.800.648.JIST).

Article by, Selena Dehne and courtesy of JIST Publishing

Posted by Candice Arnold on May 22, 2009 at 12:56 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Make no mistake about it. These are turbulent times. The winds of change are sweeping through the workplace. Managers and their troops alike are expected to learn new skills and to accomplish more with fewer resources. Pressures are ramping up on employers to improve their return on investments.

In order to survive in this environment employers are slashing their overhead costs by cutting back on operating expenses and eliminating jobs.

Strangely enough, there are still career opportunities because many blueribbon employers are looking to recruit and to reward employees who havekept their skills current with market needs and are willing to work hard toapply them.

For example, The Wall Street Journal reports: "Boeing plans to cut roughly 10,000 jobs in 2009... At the same time, the company has more than 1,500 current and anticipated job openings--in various stages of recruitment for different skills and different types of workers."

Meanwhile, recruiters continue to be amazed by the number of employees who are more interested in fringe benefits and office hours than in their opportunities to work and grow. Commitment to the idea that hard work translates to career rewards takes a back seat to a sense of entitlement to job security and steadily increases in compensation.

How long has it been since you have heard people talking about dedication,allegiance and fidelity to their employers? Two-thirds of those who earn master's degrees in business leave their first employers on their career paths within five years; one in five has switched twice in that period.

A recent survey among "middle managers" found that one-third of this group felt "less loyalty" to their employer now than they did three years ago.Nearly one out of five say they care less about what happens to their company.

Career Advice: Old Fashion Values Pay Off

Employee attitudes have changed--some would say eroded-- toward their employers and the yardstick of values by which rewards are dispensed. It is easy to lose sight of the fact in the short term, but organizations still recognize and reward loyalty, commitment and hard work.

"Frankly, I get discouraged at times interviewing candidates for jobs with our firm," one experienced recruiter declares. "A lot of people I talk with just don't seem to believe in what I call the 'old fashion' values that my own experience tells me are still valued highly. Hard work does pay off; it takes a lot more than talking and wishing to get anywhere, you have to make the dedicated effort; everybody has to learn to live with a boss. What does all of this mean in terms of career advancement, satisfaction and money in the bank?

The message is clear: employers across the board are placing renewedemphasis on workers' skills and commitments to the success of their employers. This also means that opportunities are emerging for ambitious careerists who are able to keep their heads screwed on and apply themselves to producing a return a profit on every dollar their employers invest in them. In other words, they subscribe to the old fashion ethic that hard work earns rewards.

Therefore, it just makes common sense to remember that the law of supply and demand, which always sets the value of any commodity, is in full force on the career path. There are fewer people ready and able to deliver on the traditional kinds of Horatio Alger values than there are buyers ready to pay for them. This creates a great-unfulfilled opportunity gap. Those relatively few people who see and understand this niche in the market and move aggressively to fill it will be the winners. And they will be richly rewarded.

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 May 22, 2009 at 12:40 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

If we're really gonna be honest about it, we-and that means all of us, men as well as women-make a fashion statement every day that we trudge into our cubes. True, what we opt to wear (or, in this case, carry) is dictated either by necessity, personal preference, or a combination of both. And the choices we make may indeed be as much subliminal as conscious.

Take what we carry, for example. True, the leather briefcase is now probably relegated to memories of your eighth grade science teacher, and the totally passe attache case is only seen as a prop for 'businessmen' in circa 1960s movies. Yet, the fact remains that almost all of us actually feel compelled to carry some form of hand luggage (for want of a better word) to work every day. So, and whether you carry a portfolio, or wear either a messenger bag or back pack, the fact is that you do lug (no pun intended) your 'stuff' to the office. Maybe it's just a security blanket, but we all seem to need one.

Maybe I'm just a voyeur at heart, but I can't help wondering what-in-the-hell people carry every day. Sometimes I think that, so long as I'm wearing heavy rubber gloves, I'd like to randomly search through people's bags, just to see what they contain. Like a customs inspector, or Homeland Security. Hmm, let's see-that grad. school type with a beard over there, what's in his back pack? Continue reading ...

href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/andrew%20gr.jpg">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 May 20, 2009 at 11:17 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Today, I spoke with Karen Post, who is a fellow branding expert, author, social media entrepreneur, speaker and businesswoman. Karen talks about how she's established her personal brand, while building the brands of other companies and gives some insight into how she's created a community around her brand, while explaining the importance of brand symbols and what we can learn from leading brands like Coca Cola.

What does branding mean to you and how has it helped shape your life as well as your clients?

"Branding to me is the sum of what any entity, a company, service or person does."

It's what the market thinks, feels and expects. Branding has shaped my life in a profound way. My personal/professional brand The Branding Diva has brought tremendous opportunities into my world, being a published author, a highly compensated speaker, a business expert who have been featured on hundreds of International media venues and the ability to raise money and grow my social media start up, Oddpodz.

For my clients, whether it be from a speech I delivered that inspired some on-brand action, or empowering organizations to think in a more distinct way, by embracing branding principles and practices, I have contributed to many successes because of stronger brands.

What role does a profile picture play in branding a person? Can you explain the strategy you've used (email/website, etc)?

A profile picture is a surrogate brand symbol when you can't have a live connection. One's photo or image should communicate who they are. Mine that I post in SM profiles is cropped to symbolize my creative spirit, my big smile further projects my high energy and direct style. On my website, I've chosen fun, again energy-driven shot of me on a bike, moving, going places and not your typical speaker head shot. All strategic. When I send email out, I use a graphic icon, my logo which is a stylized treatment of a photo, kind of Any Warhol-ish. I'm consistent with my colors, use my real signature and include a phrase that again supports my style, a bit in your face and bold.

How does one build a community behind their brand?

For over 25 years I've been a branding professional, focused on helping people, entrepreneurs and businesses grow and prosper. In 2000, when I started speaking on an international stage, writing for Fast Company and selling my authored works, my fan club started to blossom. In 2006, I founded Oddpodz.com a social community for creative-minded business people and professionals.

The site is a compliment to my work and preaching. It was designed to be a place where my supporters and new folks could feed off each other, share ideas and experiences around marketing, branding, creative thinking and other biz stuff. We are still a work in progress, but today have over 10,000 people in our community. Our goal is to be an alternative to the mega social platforms by keeping our content and community focused on growing businesses and careers. While my brand has certainly helped Oddpodz take off, some day soon, it will have it's own place in social media brand world.

What can we learn from big brand name companies like Coca Cola?

Funny that you mention Coca Cola. One of my key angel investors in Oddpodz is the part of Coca Cola family. I admire the Coke brand a lot. From the beginning they have protected their brand assets, graphic marks, slogans, packaging etc. They have also leveraged all touch points in their brand communications, been consistent with messaging and voice and continue to evolve as the world does.

How have you built your personal brand to what it is today?

In 2000, when decided to become a professional speaker and author, I wrote a biz plan for me, just like I suggest companies do. Almost ten years later, I update my plan quarterly and work it with strategic, thoughtful decisions. I've also invested about 6-10% of my income in developing me and my brand. I've hired coaches, professional photographers, engaged web designers, attended expensive conferences and read great business books (like Me 2.0). You can't ever let up on the peddle, great brands evolve, grow and sometimes stumble, but should always keep them fresh and moving forward.

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 May 19, 2009 at 2:42 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

When I first read about personal branding, I immediately understood how I could benefit from creating my own unique personal brand. Just like myself, most people have the "a ha" moment quite quickly after being exposed to personal branding. It's pretty hard to make an argument against personal branding when its benefits are so positive and potentially life changing.

Then why is it that so many people don't get started creating their personal brand?
It's an interesting question and there are many answers (I mean excuses) that get tossed around when you ask somebody this question.

I've come to find that the majority of the answers to the, why haven't you started creating your personal brand question, are rooted in a lack of knowledge or perceived expertise in the technology used in personal branding.

The technology just overwhelms many people. They tell themselves their not good at it and before they even get started they've created enough negative mental attitude to crush any chance of success.

Don't let this happen to you.

I urge you to take a different approach when starting to create your personal brand and throughout your personal brand's evolution.

Make this your mantra: If there is something I don't understand, I will seek out the answer.

That's it.

I guarantee if you take this approach and use this mantra you will find yourself attacking the things you don't understand and finding the solutions instead of the excuses. Find enough solutions and you will create momentum and momentum is tough to stop.

I recently attended a presentation given by Dan Schawbel and was blown away by the types of questions that were asked. All the questions could be classified into the "technology bucket" or "how-to" type questions.

"How do I use social networks to create more demand for my business?"

"I'm not good with coding, so how do I create my own blog?"

"I'm unemployed. How do I use personal branding to get a new job?"

All I could think of was the mantra that I've shared with you in this post and how it could benefit everyone sitting in the audience, "If there is something I don't understand, I will seek out the answer."

I remember the days when everything about personal branding was new to me, including the technology. If this is true for you, use Google and Google blog search as your personal resources to find the answers to your questions. All I did was seek out the answers through using Google and reading some great blogs like this one and before I knew it I had created my own personal brand that has led me to some great opportunities.

I wish the same for each and every one of you!

And remember the mantra -- "If there is something I don't understand, I will seek out the answer."

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.