Ok, so you know you're not the only one looking for a job. There are millions of people either out of work entirely or looking for something different, and their resumes are in the same pile as yours.

So how do you make sure your resume stands out in the crowd? The key is this: sure, there are many other people looking for your position - and they might have a similar background and qualifications. But, you have something they don't have: your personality. This isn't to say you can use your resume as a place to wax poetic about your basket-weaving hobby or tell a bunch of jokes; but despite what many job-hunting websites tell you, a touch of personality can go a long way to reach your desired audience.

Loosen Up... Just a Little.

If you are a people-person, particularly if you are seeking a position in marketing or sales, you want to sound friendly. You can still sound professional while loosening up the language a bit and allowing your personality to shine through. Here is an example:

Bad: Improved customer retention through quality service. 15 years customer support experience. Enjoy working with people. - Somehow, I'm not convinced this person loves working with people.

Bad: I LOVE working with PEOPLE. I am incredibly enthusiastic and consider myself a total people person. I am also really good at helping people, because I like working with them so much. - Yes, this person is definitely outgoing, but not necessarily professional.

Good: I have 15 years of customer support experience, and take great pride in ensuring customer loyalty and retention through quality service. - This person sounds professional and pleasant.

The key here is to offer a concise, professional, and accurate presentation of yourself while allowing a bit of your uniqueness to shine through. Don't simply focus on the nuts and bolts; talk about what excites you about your career and what you enjoy. Your resume isn't being read by robots, it is being read by living, breathing people who are not only looking for the Right Candidate, they are looking for someone they'll enjoy working with. Keep it professional, but don't be afraid to be yourself.

Article by Robin Galante and courtesy of WorkBloom, an employment blog incorporating a comprehensive career resources section, including the largest database of professionally written resume and cover letter samples on the Web.

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 29, 2010 at 11:06 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

As companies and professionals are using Twitter for far more than lunch updates, Twitter has turned into a great place to get real time information.

Job seekers can use Twitter information to research companies and hiring managers prior to interviews.

Is your hiring manager on Linkedin? There's a good chance the hiring manager, the HR representative, and the especially the recruiter are also on Twitter.

Now that over 50 million people use Twitter (close to surpassing Linkedin's user base) you will find people from your target company on Twitter. With that large of a user base Twitter can help you with your Guerrilla Job Search Tactics - it's especially helpful to help you prepare for a job interview.

How can Twitter help you prepare for an interview?

1. Find target company contacts - beyond the hiring manager, HR Representative, and recruiter, find out who else from your Target company is on Twitter.

There are three major ways to accomplish this:

• Search Twitter - Many people will put their company or company's website on their Twitter profile or in tweets
• Search Linkedin - Now that Linkedin has connected its status updates to Twitter, many Linkedin users list their Twitter information on their Linkedin profile. For those contacts on Linkedin that have not listed their Twitter information, just make a list of contacts. Then search for each name on that list on Twitter to expand your Twitter contacts at a target company. If the company is large, just search Linked for a specific location, function or department.
• Search Facebook - You probably won't find as many contacts through Facebook, and you probably won't see as much information about the contact on Facebook (because of Facebook's privacy controls), but you'll probably find additional contacts on Facebook.
• Again, search for them on Twitter

2. Choose who to follow on Twitter - I don't recommend that you follow everybody at a target company, so choose wisely. Choose people in the department and location you are targeting, but not necessarily all the top people. Follow the CEO & C level people - some CEOs use Twitter as ways to communicate company goals and marketing to both employees and customers. Follow a few management level people as you might get wind of what problems people are working on (A Tweet as simple as "Burning the midnight oil" can give you some insight into questions you might ask (such as... why?). Administrative assistants and staff level people can be the best people to follow as they are often the most talkative and open.

3. Follow conversations - What are people at the your target talking about? Look beyond just tweets relating to work. Look for interests that you can use as conversation starters. If you find that the hiring manager is tweeting about her kids or her dog, plan on working that into the beginning of your interview to build rapport. If another contact at your target company could have information that is valuable to you, learn what you can about him from his tweets. If he's involved in a charity find out how you can help. By helping him achieve his goals, especially if done in person, you'll be much more likely to gain information about th company, its problems, and the hiring manager's personality.

4. Start conversations - If you find that a contact is involved in a charity, find out how you can help. By helping him achieve his goals, especially if done in person, you'll be much more likely to gain information about the company, its problems, and the hiring manager's personality.

5. Ask - Why not just ask questions directly to contacts, or to the Twittersphere? You might be surprised how willing people are to help you.

All of this takes time and you're not going to be able to get much useful information in just the night before the interview. It will take you a while to get the really useful stuff.

Prepare ahead of time. To do this the right way, you'll want to start your research as soon as a company comes up on your radar screen.

But consider the payoff - how effective will you be in an interview if you know what you have in common with the hiring manager, you know what her department's problems and goals are, and you already have a pretty good idea of her personality style? Could that give you an unfair advantage?

Article by Phil Rosenberg, President, reCareered & Rainmakers Global and courtesy of reCareered blog.

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 29, 2010 at 10:41 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Like the classic phone book, being listed in the most popular directories is a surefire way to be found more on Twitter.

Directory listing tips

• Popular directories became popular because they are generally easy to use, and specifically so for listing yourself. Take advantage of all the options to give yourself exposure is as many relevant categories as possible.
• When a directory limits the number of categories (or tags) where you can list yourself (such as 5 for WeFollow, 10 for Twellow), browse all the categories that are relevant to your personal brand and then choose the best trade-off among the categories that you 'must' be in and the categories where you can rank highly e.g. on the first page of listings for that category.

User directories

WeFollow - to add yourself, click here. Then, enter your city and choose your 5 'interests' which will determine in which categories you appear in WeFollow (elsewhere on the site, they're called tags). One annoyance- be careful of the fine print at the bottom of the page, in particular where WeFollow 'offers' to have your Twitter profile page link to your WeFollow profile page. Otherwise, I like WeFollow for the simple reason that it works- it has definitely brought some people to me and vice-versa.

Twellow - Click the 'Register for FREE' link in the upper right-hand side of the homepage to begin. Annoyingly, Twellow then requires giving your Twitter username and password (even though other sites only require that you be logged in to your Twitter account). Once you do that - which you should, because it's worth the risk - you'll also give your email address and sign up. Twellow will analyze your Twitter profile page and pull in as much information as possible to create your Twellow profile page and make suggestions for which categories you should be in. Important: You'll need to validate those suggestions and/or add other categories before you actually appear in the directory's listings.

While WeFollow's profile pages are very simple and attract new followers solely based on your public Twitter statistics such as follower count, Twellow's profile pages are much useful, with the options to add links to your other social media profiles and letting you include an 'extended bio', handy for giving visitors more reasons to follow you.

Just Tweet It - this 3rd Twitter directory is the most complicated to join. Register here by giving a username and email address, to which you'll be sent a password and a link to a Profile editor page (WordPress bloggers will recognize it) where you can fill in some more personal information and choose a new password if you like. Once that's done, head on back to the homepage to add yourself to a category from the dropdown menu at the top. For each category, you need to enter a short bio (and it doesn't need to be the same text each category, important for the multi-niche personal brand), then click 'send'. You can add yourself to a maximum of 5 categories.

List directories

While WeFollow, Twellow and Just Tweet It are directories of Twitter users, the following are directories of Twitter Lists.

There are 2 ways to get into List directories- either by getting your Lists added (by you or someone else) and/or by being on Lists that were added.

Listorious - add a List to the directory by clicking Add List. Listorious will then connect to your Twitter account, using it to generate a simple profile page for you like this, and display a form asking for a List's url, one-line description and descriptive tags. A nice touch is the check to see if the List actually exists when you submit it, catching any typos. Once your List is added, a dedicated List page is created, and the List automatically enters Listorious's rankings, which are calculated by number of followers.

TweetDeck Directory - this directory was relaunched in December 2009 to focus on Twitter Lists. To make an entry, "just create your List and once it starts getting followers, it will be discovered automagically and included in the directory". Perhaps, but using TweetDeck's search I couldn't find any of my Lists in the directory, and I suspect the reason is that I created them directly on Twitter.com. In other words, it seems that the TweetDeck Directory only discovers Twitter Lists that were created or updated using TweetDeck. Category rankings, such as Jobs & Careers, are by List follower count.

Bonus

Geofollow - calling itself the 'Location Based Twitter Directory', Geofollow's main draw is just that: instead of being organized by category, listed users are organized by location. Don't worry- you can still use up to 3 tags to differentiate yourself among the locals or be found by your personal brand.

Other directories worth considering

• Tweetfind
• TwitDir
• TwitR

Jacob Share, a job search expert, is the creator of JobMob, one of the biggest blogs in the world about finding jobs. Follow him on Twitter for job search tips and humor.

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 January 29, 2010 at 9:15 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Employers are being extraordinarily picky about whom they offer a job to. Recent US Labor Dept reports show that the number of people looking longer than 27 weeks has continued to grow each month during the last year. In this tough market, one slip-up on your resume, or goof at the interview, and you're dead in the water. Many common mistakes can be avoided. I divide my time between talking to hiring executives, HR folks and working with job search clients. This gives me a very broad view of what people do that works, and what trips them up - often without realizing it.

To shorten your search length to re-employment, here are the top reasons job hunters fail.

1. Failure to quickly sell your accomplishments and results. Resumes get glanced at and rejected in 15 seconds or less. Generic job descriptions, vague, and unfocused resumes don't work. Employers now complain that most applicants simply don't have the skills to DO the job. The Internet's ease of use and the job hunter's 'click and send' mentality has added to this problem-increasing by the thousands the number of resumes received. This has made it very hard to get noticed.

Robin's Success Tip: Take the Resume assessment quiz to determine if your resume will standout. Your resume needs to scream actions = results. Be specific and show where you saved money, made money, saved time or increased productivity. Use action verbs like streamlined, created, implemented -- to show you're a take-charge, get-the-job-done kind of person. Limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. When applying online always follow up by mailing a 'hard copy' resume - it doubles the chance of getting noticed.

2. Not writing a cover letter. Human resources managers state that cover letter writing is becoming a lost art since job hunters think they can skip this step especially when they apply electronically.

Robin's Success Tip: A well-written cover letter has great power with employers and should always precede any resume sent. Simply make one document including both cover letter and resume. Open the letter with a powerful first paragraph that sums up your related experience, key strengths, skills and accomplishments you have to offer. Hiring managers continue to state that your cover letter demonstrates your communication skills and a well written one can capture the interview. Read more about improving your cover letters in Robin's recent blog post.

3. Not knowing how to control the interview. Dressing inappropriately, wasting time on lengthy discussions of your life story, not appearing confident, not being well-informed about the company, and nervousness, gets you off to a bad start -- a start from which you may never recover. Employers often make snap decisions and many confess that they often mentally dismiss a candidate during the first five minutes after meeting them.

Robin's Success Tip: Immediately address the top strengths you have to offer, display enthusiasm for the job, show you have the potential to learn, grow and produce on the job. Start the interview in the best possible way: when the interviewer asks the, 'Tell me about yourself' question, forget an autobiography. Use the 60 Second Sell (outlined in Robin's book+ audios 60 Seconds and You're Hired). This technique has you analyze the job duties the employer wants accomplished, then select your top five selling points. Link these together into a few sentences and you've created your 'verbal business card'.

4. Flustered or stumped by tough interview questions. Today's job hunters seem quite unprepared when they finally get to meet an employer face to face. They haven't thought out the some of the tougher typical questions, such as: why should we hire you or tell us about your worse boss or why did the company let you go and keep someone else? Hiring managers say candidates seem to lack self-confidence and fail to convince the interviewer they can do the job.

Robin's Success Tip: Be ready for tough situational questions. This style of interviewing is prevalent. The interviewer probes to determine how you have performed in the past. Specific examples of past performance are required. These questions include: "Tell me about your worst boss." "Describe a recent work mistake." "What is your greatest weakness?" Do not torpedo your chances saying the first thing that comes to mind. Write out your answers to these kinds of questions before the interview. Try to put a positive spin on the experience. Say nothing degrading or negative about your former boss or company. Practice your answers making good eye contact to more effectively display confidence during the interview.

5. Not asking intelligent questions. Hiring managers complain that all the candidate cares about is how much we'll pay them, do we offer medical, and often insist they want more vacation - all in the first interview. Other candidates often search for something to ask - seeming spacey or uninterested - this comes across poorly.

Robin's Success Tip: Most employers listen intently to the questions you ask as a sign of how you'd think, and act, on the job. Impress the employer with good probing questions about job duties and management styles. That's the best way for you to determine if you really want to work for the company. Avoid asking questions about salary or benefits. There's plenty of time to secure a higher salary after you've been chosen for the job. Good questions to ask include: "Could you describe to me your management style?" "Where are your major concerns that need to be immediately addressed in this job?" "How have or do any budget cuts effect the department?"

Robin Ryan has appeared on Oprah and Dr. Phil is considered America's top career coach. Robin has a busy career counseling practice providing individual career coaching, resume writing services, interview preparation, salary negotiations, and outplacement, to clients nationwide. She is the best-selling author of:60 Seconds & You're Hired!; Soaring On Your Strengths; What to Do with the Rest of Your Life; Winning Resumes ; and Winning Cover Letters . A dynamic national speaker, Robin has spoken to over 1200 audiences sharing her insights on how to improve their lives and obtain greater success. Contact Robin at: 425.226.0414, or email: RobinRyan@aol.com, or visit her website: www.robinryan.com

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 29, 2010 at 7:20 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Things are tough all over. Even recent law school graduates are struggling to find entry level jobs. Employers have reduced law school recruitment, leaving recent law grads with fewer options, according to a press release from JIST Publishing. So, like everyone else, law school graduates have to do all they can to make themselves stand out from all the other law school graduates who are most likely competing for the same few jobs.

Attorney and legal writer, Ursula Furi-Perry, has written a book, Your First Year as a Lawyer Revealed, in which she gives aspiring lawyers advice about how to step up their job searches. Below are some of the helpful hints Furi-Perry included in her book:

• Consider nontraditional legal employers. Interested in practicing criminal law, for example? Don't just send your resume to criminal defense firms; check out career options in prosecution, public defense or other social justice employers.
• Align yourself with a trusted partner who can help you pinpoint potential leads that may be a good fit for your skill set. A career coach, counselor or recruiter who specializes in the legal field may be able to offer you valuable insights and advice and introduce you to potential employers who are hiring.
• Project a professional and polished image--in person, in writing and online. Clients, supervisors and potential employers alike are impressed by confidence, diligence and professionalism.
• Be proactive about your job search. Don't expect your first job to fall into your lap: network, highlight your marketable skills and treat job-hunting as you would treat a job itself.

The competition for entry level jobs seems to have increased across all career fields. All candidates must be able to demonstrate, through their resumes and during interviews, that they are the most skilled and the best cultural fits for the employers and recruiters they're trying to impress.

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 28, 2010 at 12:33 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

One of the most important tools used in a job search is the resume - to include the accompanying cover letter. Louise Kursmark and Wendy Enelow have revamped their book, Cover Letter Magic, for the fourth time, in an effort to help recent college graduates looking for entry level jobs to put their better feet forward "when communicating with employers and recruiters." But Kursmark's and Enelow's advice isn't solely for the young or recently graduated job seeker.

Kursmark and Enelow recommend that all job seekers write cover letters that do more than re-iterate what appears on their resumes. Instead, they should write cover letters that clearly demonstrate what they can do for employers.

To help inexperienced job seekers, Kursmark and Enelow offer the advice:

1. Highlight "professional" skills that you have developed through both professional and nonprofessional experiences. For example, if you have worked on important team projects while at school, communicate that you know how to get results in a team environment.
2. If technology skills are important in your chosen field, be sure to emphasize your skills in this area.
3. Mine your academic experiences for evidence of leadership skills. These are important in a work environment and are evidence of your potential.
4. Highlight your academic achievements. They indicate your intelligence and competitiveness.
5. Relate your skills, experience and interests to the employer's needs. Show that you understand business priorities and are ready to make a contribution; don't simply state, "I've graduated! Now I need a job!"

Writing a winning cover letter is far from easy, so Louise Kursmark and Wendy Enelow have updated Cover Letter Magic to help job seekers of every age and career level to write cover letters that are sure to get them noticed by employers and recruiters.

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 28, 2010 at 12:17 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Article provided by JIST Publishing

Choosing an academic major can be tough--particularly if your education and career plans clash with your personality. For example, imagine a free-spirited student full of creativity. Now imagine this student trying to complete--let alone excel--in classes that require him to crunch numbers and input data all semester.

For students with an artistic personality, this scenario is a nightmare. More conventional-types of students, however, would thrive in classes that allow them to work with details and numbers. Simply put, one major isn't right for everybody. Continue reading ...

Article by Selena Dehne and courtesy of JIST Publishing

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 28, 2010 at 12:07 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

These days when job security is not necessarily a given, many workers are taking advantage of mentoring, a valuable -- and free -- training tool. And no wonder: According to Randi Bussin, a career coach in Belmont, Mass., "it's a no-brainer for lifetime career development."

Wherever you are in your career, a mentor can be an invaluable guide. Here are some tips for finding one and making the relationship work.

1. Take the initiative

It's usually easiest to find a mentor in a formal corporate program, but not all companies offer one. The same workplace stresses that make people wish for mentoring also make it hard for companies to offer it. Not to worry: Some of the most successful mentoring is the result of individual initiative. Continue reading ...

Article by Ruth Walker and courtesy of Salary.com®

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 28, 2010 at 11:43 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

I can't keep up anymore.

One day the economy is up, the next day it is down. One month job losses are steady, the next they're higher than expected.

We hear the economy has turned the corner, only to be warned that it might be a temporary thing. For the past 18 months, it has been a wild roller coaster ride, and I think most everyone would agree that the ride isn't over yet.

For human resources departments, it's been trying times as they work to balance organizational and business pressures with the needs of a stressed and fragile workforce. I think the next few months are going to push HR folks even more, as an increasing number of their employees express discontent over their pay.

Many employees will be asking for a pay increase simply because they didn't get one last year. After sticking it out through the bad times, they'll feel entitled to a raise and maybe even last year's increase too.

Other employees will bring up their pay during their annual performance review discussion. It's often inevitable at this time, especially if employees don't feel there are other opportunities for serious employment discussions.

A lot of other employees are unhappy in their jobs. Just take a look at the numbers on employee engagement and job satisfaction - they're pretty scary. Compensation is the leading reason for job dissatisfaction, and HR can always expect to hear from these people. Some won't be happy no matter what they're paid, but others will have compelling arguments for how they've proven themselves and deserve more money.

Other people are simply looking for new opportunities. After all, January is historically one of the busiest months for job searches - hello New Year's resolutions! HR will undoubtedly see some of these people leave, but they'll also see some come in with shiny new job offers, hoping their current company will provide a large-enough increase to persuade them to stay on board.

As a nod to the busy job search season that's underway, Salary.com is offering employees a Personal Salary Report specially priced at $10. A Personal Salary Report puts market data in the hands of employees. HR departments should expect that some of their workforce will have quality market data at their fingertips, and they should be ready for the opportunity to have meaningful conversations about total rewards.

For all the reason above and probably more, HR and compensation pros should get their ducks in a row. Prepare for the discussions you'll be having with your workforce. Make sure your organization has determined its pay programs for the year. Get your hands on quality market data. Review your pay structures. Set your policies. Look for ways to be creative with total rewards. And keep pushing on. Things can only go up from here, right?

Article by Jocelyn Tuttle and courtesy of Salary.com®

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 28, 2010 at 11:36 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

A dirty little secret about the current economic downturn is that it provides companies with an opportunity to make changes that otherwise would have been difficult.

Promoting employees without giving them a salary increase is one example.

Can't do that, you say? Employees would never stand for it?

"That's not the way we handle things around here?"

The fact of the matter is, for the majority of companies competing in today's challenging environment, a number of rewards are offered to full-time, regular members of the workforce, including eligibility for both a regular bonus and an equity grant.

And, upon being promoted, an employee is typically awarded:

- An increased bonus target
- An increased stock grant guideline
- The good feeling that comes with knowing you earned a promotion

So why add a fourth component, a salary increase, and dilute its effect by lumping it together with everything else? Rather, wait for the employee to deliver on the additional scope and responsibilities of the new role, and then deliver an increase in salary.

See how the compensation package plays in one scenario:

A promoted employee whose bonus target increased from 10 to 15 percent and whose equity-grant value rose from $20,000 to $30,000 would not only obtain the wonderful feedback regarding a job well done, but also enjoy a $15,000 compensation increase. That's nearly 12 percent more than the employee previously received.

Most people would feel good about these new rewards. I know I would.

Six to nine months later, when your employee has achieved a measure of success in the new role, a salary increase will serve as additional positive reinforcement. This touch point provides an opportunity to reinvigorate the employee and reinforce the pay-for-performance concept long after the joy of the initial promotion has dissipated. The company will also welcome the process change, as the additional salary dollars were deferred until the wage increase was warranted.

Article by Athar Siddiqee and courtesy of Salary.com®

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 28, 2010 at 10:51 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

My friend and colleague Anita Bruzzese wrote a great piece for her Gannett News Service column and her blog, 45 Things. She was kind enough to feature my thoughts on turning a temp job into a permanent one, as well as terrific advice from Martha Finney, president of Engagement Journeys. Here's what Anita had to say:

"Employers, still nervous about the health of the economy, have kept their permanent staff numbers lean, but have boosted their number of temporary workers. So, the question is: if you're a temporary employee, how to you get an employer to hire you on a permanent basis when companies seem in no rush to do so?

"Ask," says Alexandra Levit, a career expert. "Some people may be hesitant to do so, but you've got to ask if there are fulltime opportunities. Otherwise, you'll never know." Levit, author of "New Job, New You" cautions that before such an inquiry you should make sure you've been doing a great job at the position you were hired to fill as a temp.

Martha Finney, president and CEO of Engagement Journeys LLC, agrees. "You've got to demonstrate that even as a temp, you're a great fit for the company. Smile, be friendly and treat the job like it's permanent and you own it. Treating it with respect sends out the right signal."

The latest unemployment figures for December found that an additional 46,500 temporary workers were added by employers. This continues a trend for the previous month, when more than 50,000 temp workers were added. For companies, hiring temps can cost about 30 percent less than regular workers, mostly because they don't have to pay for health benefits and unemployment. And while many workers seek permanent jobs specifically to get benefits, Finney says some temp agencies offer benefits, "so that's not necessarily the only reason you should want to work for an employer fulltime."

Finney, co-author of "Unlock the Hidden Job Market," points out that working as a temp can give someone a unique chance to see if a company and its culture would be "a good fit." "Lots of companies turn down job candidates because they say they're just 'not a good fit.' Well, the same can be true of an employer. Being a temp gives you a chance to see if you appreciate their style," she says.

Levit and Finney say that anyone wanting to try and move from a temporary job into a permanent position with an employer should:

• Make connections. "Even if you're only there for a day, make sure you send the supervisor a hand-written thank you note, and follow it up with an e-mail. Ask if she might be willing to brainstorm some ideas with you later about how to get your foot in the door," Finney says.
• Fix what is broken. "Look around and try and see what you can do to make yourself indispensable. How can you help them?" Levit says.
• Watch the schmooze. "Organizations understand that temps are more than their day job, but don't reach beyond your job if it doesn't feel comfortable. The most important thing is to first do your job really well, then you can network," Levit says.

Article by Alexandra Levit and courtesy of Water Cooler Wisdom blog.

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 28, 2010 at 9:58 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

The following post by Erica Pinsky was also featured in the Respectful Workplace newsletter. ca

In November 2008, my book Road to Respect: Path to Profit was in the final design stages. I had chosen five Employers of Choice to illustrate the main theme of the book - that a strategically built values-based culture with respect as a core value was simply a business imperative for success in today's marketplace.

It never occurred to me, as Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, to start looking for my heart's desire, in this case those Employers of Choice, in my own backyard. However, when I heard about the 2008 B(ritish)C(Columbia) Business Best Companies survey, I thought I would attend the awards banquet to learn how local companies compared to those I had chosen to feature in Road to Respect. Not surprisingly, much of what I heard that evening from the winning companies reflected what I know to be true - treat your employees with respect, let them know they are valued, support them to be successful and they will produce the superior business results you are after.

I was fortunate that evening to be seated at a table with the team from Nurse Next Door, one of the Best Companies nominees, including co-founders Ken Sim and John DeHart. Nurse Next Door came in 8th in 2008. 2009 they moved up to number 1 and were named the top employer in BC for firms with over 100 employees.

Nurse Next Door offers elderly home health care services across Canada. Their business has been growing rapidly, and expansion plans include opening US franchises in the near future. You may not have long to wait to experience precisely what is making Nurse Next Door so successful up here north of the 49th parallel.

I had the opportunity last month to sit down with John DeHart and learn more about what propelled Nurse Next Door to the number one spot as BC's Top Employer. No doubt this is a company that is getting a lot of things right, and when I say right, I mean creating a respectful workplace culture where employees simply love to work. While the average turnover among field workers in their industry is 70%, at Nurse Next Door it is a mere 7%. At their corporate "heart quarters", employee turnover is a minimal 1%.

When I asked Ellen DuBellay, VP learning and development at Four Seasons hotels and resorts about hiring practices within their Golden Rule culture, her answer was short and succinct. "We hire for attitude and train for skill. We are always looking for someone who is nice." Not surprisingly, I heard a similar theme expressed when I asked that question of Nurse Next Door's John DeHart. "You can train someone for skill. You can't train someone to be aligned with your core values. Our entire hiring process is structured around our core values. For us, it is the golden rule. When you have your core values alive in your company, they attract the right people, and they repel the wrong people. Values are like honey to bees."

Nurse Next Door, like the Employers of Choice I feature in Road to Respect is truly a values driven company. The values form the basis for every business decision and every business practice. One critical distinction however, is that at Nurse Next Door, like Zappos, another very successful values driven company I featured in this blog last year, respect is not explicitly included in their core values. And yet the culture I heard described embraces and models respectful practices.

I asked John DeHart to help me understand how ethical values like respect and integrity fit within Nurse Next Door's overall culture. His answer was short and to the point. "I look at integrity and respect as get in the game core values. As a company, if you are hiring someone that does not have integrity, you should be giving them a pink slip. No one should be hiring anyone without integrity or who does not want to demonstrate respect. Really it doesn't matter what your core values are. If you are living your core values, that is integrity, that is respect."

I couldn't agree more. How about you?

Erica Pinsky, B.A., M.Sc, CHRP, is an engaging and inspirational speaker, author and consultant working with organizations to build respectful and inclusive workplace cultures that attract and retain quality employees. Creative, dynamic and results oriented, Erica is passionate about promoting workplace cultures where employees feel engaged, comfortable and focused on their jobs in an environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying and destructive conflict. Erica's new book, Road to Respect, Path to Profit gives companies a road map to success in today's challenging business climate.

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 28, 2010 at 8:18 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Something about that question just makes me sigh, and I wonder if you can relate. It's not that I don't want to excel, I do. It's not that I don't want to work hard, or put in the work-life equivalent of long, hard grueling training. I actually love to sweat.

It's the elbowing other people out of the way part that I can't stand.

But maybe that's not what being competitive is really about. Maybe I'm confusing being competitive with cheating, which wouldn't be so bad if it were just my problem, but I think it's pretty widespread.

Let's consider the concept of a competitive athlete, which is pretty straightforward if you forget about steroids and things like that for the moment.

Athletes who are "in it to win it" have to be well aware of their strengths and weaknesses. They make the most of their strengths and try to work on their weaknesses.

I can handle that. But too often in the world of work, people who think they're really going for it try to hide their failings and exaggerate their accomplishments.

Successful athletes need to be aware of who their opponents are. They need to know the other team's moves, or how they usually run races.

Again, I have no problem with knowing what you're up against, and mapping out a strategy accordingly. But I don't know how that translates into insider trading, bad mouthing a colleague, sabotaging someone else's work or sucking up to the boss.

Somehow I think we've confused success with winning, and they're not the same thing. To me, success means working very hard and doing something really well, and you can't get it any other way. But you can get a win in a number of ways, and I don't respect all of them.

In fact, I think large segments of society have adopted the "Winning at any cost" mantra, with terrible results. These include fudging numbers, cutting corners, lying on resumes and, taking the approach to its logically illogical extreme, Bernie Madoff and Enron.

I have a couple of ideas about how we return to fighting the good fight, and fighting fair. First of all, I think we need to call people out who claim they're being competitive when they're just being obnoxious.

Secondly, we can adhere to another principle of competition. We can make a point of standing tall, and not folding under pressure.

What do you think?

Article by Danielle Dresden and courtesy of WorkBloom, an employment blog incorporating a comprehensive career resources section, including the largest database of professionally written resume and cover letter samples on the Web.

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 27, 2010 at 3:59 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

"If Columbus had an advisory committee he would probably still be at the dock." - Arthur Goldberg

What does Columbus day teach us? Well for one, you don't need to be the first one to get somewhere to to have a day named after you and, he wasn't actually looking for America when he found it. So what does this have to do with job search? Actually, quite a lot. You may be looking for a specific job, but you need to be open minded since the job you want may not be the one you get. And, you don't necessarily need to be the first one on the job scene to actually get the job. One strategy in your job search is to leverage technology to do some of the work for you. In this case I'm talking about registering on company career sites. The advantage is that your resume and application continues to work for you even when you are not looking on the site. The automated job agents will send emails when a job matches your criteria (leaving time for you to be looking at other sites). Additionally, the HR department will look at resumes submitted before going to recruiters or search sites. The downside is that you will need to de-register from these sites once you find a job so that you don't continue to get emails (but I'm sure that's a problem you can deal with). Lists:

Large Job Banks & Recruiting Sites - This list, provided by The Riley Guide, lists an amazing number of job banks, recruiters and other links that will get you one step closer to finding your job. Sites are listed alphabetically and there is a brief description
Top 100 job board niches - 2008 - Don't worry that this list is from 2008, it is still valid and provides a list that you can use to tap into some sites you may not know about.
The Quintessential Directory of Company Career Centers -- Pharmaceutical Companies- A very long title and a very long list. This resource, provided (once again) by Quintcareers, provides a very long list of companies (each of which has a list that you can tap into).

Company Career Sites:

Thompson Reuters - This site allows you to add a profile, including a resume upload feature. You can add specific job searches which will send an email to you when there is a match. The site also covers company background, provides career resources and has a section dedicated to students.
Zurich Financial Services - Zurich's site is segregated by experienced professionals and recent grads. They offer information on campus recruiting, company background and "top tips". They have a job search engine, but it is not available until you are interested in applying for a job that you can fill out a profile.
Bank of America - BoA's site offers job search, campus recruiting, staffing events as well as background on the company. Similar to Zurich, when you apply for a job you can add your profile to their website. I recommend doing this for all company career sites as it will increase the chance that your name will come up if a job matches your skill set.
D.E. Shaw - The career section covers recruiting, culture, employee profiles, job opportunities and applying online. Clicking on "applying online" will allow you to enter your profile and submit your resume.
Accenture - Accenture, which is best known for consulting, also has technology and outsourcing divisions. You can search for jobs, find out where you fit in the company, visit them on Facebook (yes, they are on Facebook) and look at "life at Accenture". They have a section for students and recent Grads as well as an "experienced hire" section. Once you are registered, you can save jobs you would like to review and see jobs where you've submitted an application. There is also an option to review jobs which match your profile.
Alston & Bird - This company is listed on Quintcareers.com's "Best Companies to work for" as well as Fortune's "Best Companies to work for", they are a law firm with locations in several different cities. Their career page is divided by sections: Lawyers, Law Students, Foreign Internships, Paralegals and professional staff. You can search for jobs and add a profile.
Edward Jones - Headquartered in St. Louis MO, Edward Jones is a brokerage firm and is also on both of the lists mentioned above. The main section tabs are: Financial Advisor Opportunities, Branch Support Opportunities and Headquarters Opportunities. There is also a tab for students. There is an "apply now" link at the bottom of the page which allows you to explore opportunities across the tabs mentioned above. Once you click on one of these sections, you can add your profile and apply for jobs.
Verizon Communications - Their career site includes the following categories: Verizon Headquarters (NY), Verizon Business, Verizon Telecom, Verizon Wireless and VSO (which appears to provide all of the infrastructure support to the organization). You can watch a video on the company, go to the student site, or click through to the Career Opportunities section and do a search.

Good luck in your search.

Article by Career Alley

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, and posted on I-CareerSearch.

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 27, 2010 at 3:27 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

With unemployment at its highest rate in decades, there are now six candidates for every opening. As a result, it has become more difficult just to get potential employers to give you or your resume a second look, because the volume of applicants for each opening simply overwhelms a company's recruiting staff and the technology that supports them.

We've talked before about the importance of a well-written resume and how it must be tweaked each time based on a particular job's duties and skill / knowledge requirements.

We've also discussed at great length the topic of interview preparation. Role-playing, refining your answers, and a robust understanding of what a company does (and how you might fit in) are absolutely essential.

So let's assume you have done all the right things and your excellent resume has garnered you a coveted prize: AN INTERVIEW.

Again, you're ready. You've researched the company and learned everything there is to know about how your skills and knowledge will be an asset. You've role-played, chosen a top-notch outfit to wear, and you're good to go...right??

Well...almost.

Let's pretend you're about to interview for a sales position. It goes without saying that the hiring manager will be asking about things like your sales goals, actual sales, pipeline, etc. Easy-peasy, you simply give them numbers and they either like them or not. Most likely, you'll also talk about how you develop and maintain business/sales relationships and other sales-related stuff. If they like your answers--and like you--chances are good you'll get hired.

But what if you're not in sales? How do you "show" a hiring manager what you can do? It's once thing to "say" you're a great writer, a top-notch recruiter, or the best widget maker, but how do you show them what you've done and how you will benefit a new employer? For sales people, it comes down to revenue: how much business can you bring in? Will you add to our bottom line?

For other job seekers, it may not be so easy. While writers bring writing samples and recruiters bring staffing goals and time-to-hire numbers, it may not be enough. While samples are nice, hiring managers are thinking: "How else can I figure out what this person is all about?"

If they don't know how to figure you out, you need to show them. Keep in mind that many interviewers really don't know how to properly conduct interviews, so you must lead them by "managing" the conversation. This is done, in part, through what I call the "I Am Great" folder, which you bring with you on the interview and go to when you respond to a question by saying, "In fact, let me show you what I mean."

What I'm saying is that for nearly every anticipated question that may come up during an interview, you have a sample that SHOWS the interviewer what you've done.

Let's say the hiring manager asks this question: "How do you feel about writing about brain surgery instead of spontaneous combustion?"

(Now, with a question like this, it is inferred that you may not have the exact skills they're looking for.)

You respond in this manner: "While I've written about spontaneous combustion for a few years now, I like the idea of transitioning to a new topic. IN FACT, here (envision yourself handing the hiring manager a page from your I Am Great File) is a thank-you email I received from a manager I helped out in another division. They needed someone to quickly jump in to write about xxxx, and I was able to complete it in half the time, even though I had not previously done this type of work before."

Ok, a bit long-winded, but my point is this: it's one thing to SAY you are flexible and can quickly learn new things. It's quite another to SHOW an interviewer what you've done to back up your claims.

Give some thought to what you'll place in your I Am Great file. Mine always included writing samples, but I also made sure to include copies of performance appraisals (to show what my previous managers thought of me), any proof of going above and beyond my position, or emails attesting to my absolute greatness.

While lots of folks talk a good game, it's imperative that, as a job seeker, you learn to how brag a bit (and feel comfortable doing it). You need to find ways to convince employers to hire you by showing them what you've done for past employers and how you can do the same for them.

So what will YOU put in your I Am Great folder???

Article by Lorraine Russo of the Underground Job Network

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, and posted on Gradversity.

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 27, 2010 at 3:12 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Whether you get to a hiring manager by referral, through a recruiter or a job board, today's candidate needs to make a distinctive impression quickly. The traditional resume form does a poor job of quickly, clearly, and succinctly telling the reader why they should spend more time on this resume.

Since the average time spent reviewing a resume is 15 seconds or less, a job seeker needs to quickly convince the reader to stick around. A well crafted personal branding statement tells the hiring manager 3 extremely important things in a well crafted, concise single line:

• What job does the candidate want?
• What single problem can the candidate solve better than anyone else?
• How can you deliver value for the organization?
• What does the candidate want?

In a Fishing resume (http://recareered.blogspot.com/2009/09/differentiate-your-resume-with-winning.html) the candidate has to give a generic title, but can make it specific for a response resume. It should be a single title, rather than a range, or something so broad as just Executive, or manager. Listing an industry specialization can help make it more specific.

What single problem can the candidate solve better than anyone else?

Many candidates struggle answering this. Some will start listing everything they can do, not understanding that it's primarily one problem that they will be hired to solve (don't worry, plenty of problems solving will happen on a day to day basis, but hiring decisions are usually made to solve major problems). Make this problem solving statement very specific (stay away from broad terms like "strategy", "leadership" and "people skills") to differentiate yourself from the thousands of others applying for the same position (See: http://recareered.blogspot.com/2009/12/3-things-your-next-employer-will-search.html).

It also can be challenging to making a Personal Branding Statement this into a very succinct statement - a single line incorporating the position and the problem solving skill. Many candidates, especially technology, engineering, and finance people have a difficult time making this short and to the point, as their minds work in a wonderfully detailed way - great for their jobs, not so great for a resume. Left brainers - you'll have to work to make this specific, yet succinct.

How can the candidate deliver value?

Frame your specific problem solving skill around the business results you achieve...rather than the technical issues you deal with to deliver results. By focusing on the results over the method, you focus the reader on the value you've delivered to the organization.

Here are some examples of Personal Branding Statements:

• Rocket Scientist - Expert in propulsion control, delivering project results on time and under budget
• Administrative Assistant - Organizes office details while implementing efficiency recommendations
• CFO - Fundraising expert who lowers costs by driving productivity improvement programs
• .net Developer - Programmer who delivers innovative and efficient solutions with ASP.net, C#, & SQL

How about Homer Simpson's Personal Branding Statement?

Nuclear Engineer - Expert in controlling power plants, maximizing safe & low cost power capacity

Traditional resume styles don't work well today:

The traditional resume style of Objective and Summary are seldom clear and describe everything the candidate can do...rather than the one thing that is the most important to the decision maker. Even executive level roles are typically hired because they can solve a specific problem better than anyone else.

The objective statement by its very nature is candidate focused and describes What's In It For Me (WIFM), not What's In It For Them (WIFT - the hiring manager). Most objective statements are so broad that they can't differentiate the candidate well, because the job seeker often chooses a broad statement to attempt to appeal to a wide variety of positions and management levels. It's what we were all trained to do in the days of paper resumes, but it doesn't work well with an audience that today rewards personalization.

The summary section has numerous problems - It paints the candidate as a jack of all trades - master of none, while deeply discounting the candidate's most important and most relevant skills to the company. Summary sections effectively hide WIFT (http://recareered.blogspot.com/2010/01/why-candidates-should-avoid-ambush.html), by burying them in paragraphs of other skills. Summary sections are often written as paragraphs - the human eye doesn't pick up detail well within paragraphs.

A summary section doesn't include skill recency - when you're competing against thousands of candidates, hiring managers gauge how recently a candidate's used the skills listed as important. When the competitive field is so large, employers favor recent skill use over what a candidate did 20 years ago.

Finally, a summary is best at the end to summarize, not the beginning ... hence, its name. Would an author put the summary at the beginning of a book?

Here's my summary (notice ... at the end): Personal Branding Statements can draw your reader in, quickly differentiate a candidate, and encourage extended evaluation times for positions where the candidate truly is a good fit. Increasing specificity as a resume title will attract hiring managers looking for an employee to solve their major problem, it will also cause quick elimination from positions a candidate isn't as well qualified for (based on what's on the resume compared to competitors). In today's hyper-competitive world, candidates get interviews based on what they do best, but seldom based just on what they can do.

Article by Phil Rosenberg, President, reCareered & Rainmakers Global and courtesy of reCareered blog.

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 27, 2010 at 3:06 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

If you haven't heard about the napping transit worker who was caught on TwitPic and the firestorm of controversy that ensued, there's a lesson to be learned: it only takes one tweet to capture you a moment that kills your personal brand. Which got me thinking about another medium that quickly spreads: email.

Take 5 to positively reflect your personal brandAll of your emails, messages and written communications become permanent touchpoints for your personal brand. You don't know who will end up reading it: someone may invisibly bcc a colleague, forward on your message or even accidentally read over it over the intended recipient's shoulder. No matter the case, follow the five rules below to demand respect and ensure your emails positively reflect your personal brand.

1. Simple is better. Have you ever written a sentence and then said, "What I am really trying to say is: 'xyz?'" Forget the complicated wording and just say xyz. Strive for clarity. Avoid complexity. Always look back to see what you can cut out before hitting send.

2. Anticipate questions and provide answers. People are busy. Save everyone's time by anticipating and preemptively answering questions that might arise. The less Jennifer Co-Worker has to come back for clarifications, the more time she has to do her job. Help her by providing more than enough information in case she needs it.

For example: "Jen, I just finishing taking notes on the guerrilla marketing tactics PDF (www.guerrilla.com/pg2.htm) you showed me on Tuesday. The notes I took outline some new tactics we might be able to use. You can find the notes, called 'New Guerrila Tactics.doc' here: http://companyx.com/internaldocs"

Notice what I provided Jen:

• The day Jen showed me the PDF, to jog her memory in case she forget what article I was talking about
• The URL of the PDF, in case she wants to take a look at it again
• The content of the notes I took
• The name of the document containing my notes
• The location where I uploaded the notes

I have just saved Jen and myself a lot of time by providing that information up front. I answered any potential questions she could have before they popped up: what article are you talking about? Where did you upload the notes? I eliminated potential back-and-forth emails that would waste both of our time.

3. Avoid common mistakes that make you look dumb. You've heard this one before, but a surprising number of people still don't do it. Spell check! Don't just scan the document and call it a day. Let your computer's spell-checker do the initial dirty work. After confirming the changes, re-read for mistakes such as using "too" instead of "to," "effect" instead of "affect," or "you're" instead of "your." See CopyBlogger's 5 Common Mistakes That Make You Look Dumb.

4. Take a moment before responding to angry emails. One of the virtues of a professional is the ability to remain calm under pressure. If you receive a nasty email, stop for a minute. Imagine yourself one year in the future, looking back at how you responded. Did you remain poised? Or did you weaken your personal brand by lashing out? Responding to an email in hotheaded haste will make people think you are disrespectful - a label that's nearly impossible to remove after it's been given. Also keep in mind how easy it is to misinterpret the emotions of an email. Text can only convey words, not feelings. The person at the other end might not have been angry at all, even if it appeared that way on paper.

5. Communicate frequently. Send thank you emails immediately after meeting new people. Ask your superior questions. Provide articles your co-workers will find useful (but don't spam them with pictures of cats). Use frequent and strong communication to progress within your company.

Communication skills are essential to your personal brand. What's your philosophy on writing emails? Business is about people talking to people. Make sure when others talk about you, they're mentioning the aspects of your personal brand you want to be remembered for, like clarity, simplicity, level-headedness and professionalism.

Pete Kistler is a leading Online Reputation Management expert for Generation Y, a top 5 finalist for Entrepreneur Magazine's College Entrepreneur of 2009, one of the Top 30 Definitive Personal Branding Experts on Twitter, a widely read career development blogger, and a Judge for the 2009 Personal Brand Awards. Pete manages strategic vision for Brand‐Yourself.com, the first online reputation management platform for job applicants, named one of the Top 100 Most Innovative College Startups in the U.S.

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 January 27, 2010 at 1:55 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

It feels a little weird for me to be writing about keeping your day job on a blog about small business and entrepreneurship. But I do think there are some scenarios where you can build a business that you own without putting all your chips in the middle so to speak. I care about business owners structuring their business in a way that works for them and the question of when should you keep your day job is important.

Everyone has heard or seen the romanticized version of the entrepreneur, the rugged individualist who overcomes all of the odds to build a successful business and becomes a millionaire. He/she puts in long hours and years of hard work and has built something that he/she owns. Great story.

Or there is the other story that people like to tell about entrepreneurs. The story of the fortunate entrepreneur who just happens to be at the right place at the right time. His/her success more a product of luck and a series of fortunate circumstances vs actual work. A lot of us for some reason hope this is true and that success will just fall into our lap one day.

The truth is that running a business probably falls somewhere between the two opposing visions that people have about successful entrepreneurs. It is hard work but that hard work puts you in a position to get some breaks.

Before I get into why you may consider keeping your day job while building or running a business, I do want to say that I am not talking about doing some work from home or some online get rich quick scheme. Those opportunities don't exist. People who are successful building online businesses work their ass off to make them work just like everyone else. Even if they have a success formula, chances are it's not going to equate into the kind of success that the individual who is teaching the formula had. This is nothing against that type of business but I think that unless you feel your Soul Purpose revolves around online commerce, you should not waste your time.

I read Hugh Macleod's book, Ignore Everybody and 39 Other Keys to Creativity a few weeks ago and the concept of keeping your day job did resonate with me as I did see the wisdom in this advice. Like any piece advice, there is not a one size easy fit for every single individual. I worked in sales for a number of years and I can say that if you are a commission sales person, you practically have a business even though you don't have any input of the companies' decisions, you do control your earnings to a certain extent and it requires a lot of work physically, emotionally and mentally. It would be hard to be a salesperson and be able to run a business on the side.

With that being said, I do think there are a number of industries that would work nicely with running a business on the side. Any kind of creative business is a no brainer. If you write, design, build websites, code websites, paint etc all of these types of businesses are easier to run on the side as you can do this on project to project freelance basis.

It's also easier to run a business on the side if you have the kind of job that when you leave, your done for the day and you don't have to be responsible for your work outside of your work time. Also, it may make sense to keep your day job if you really enjoy it and it gives you some freedom to do projects on the side.

These are just a couple of scenarios that I thought that really make sense when it comes to keeping your day job. Obviously there are financial considerations that come into play here as well.

What are some other scenarios where you think this makes sense? Does this even make sense to do this? I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

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 January 27, 2010 at 1:48 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Sometimes Snail Mail is the Way to Go

I just received a nice, potential opportunity which resulted from networking - my friend recommended me to a CEO for a job. The CEO told the friend to have me email my info to her directly. Nice! But I said to my husband, "I should probably first ask her if she is OK with attachments." He thought she wouldn't have given out her email address if she wasn't comfortable with me sending the requested documents. So I sent an email with attachments. Turned out that she would have preferred I send the resume text in the email, so I obliged. But it felt like a misstep.

It made me long for the good, old snail mail days. No overthinking, just simply insert resume and cover letter in envelope and send. I realize I sound like a dinosaur, but some biz protocols were just no-brainers then.

I also noticed as I look back that there was a high interview-to-hire ratio when I followed up an interview with a handwritten thank you note - on tasteful, but not-too-expensive Crane stationery, of course. It demonstrated that not only was I perfect for the job, I had exquisite taste. Continue reading ...

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 27, 2010 at 12:34 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

I have always been more than slightly intrigued by retail merchandising. How do store managers know where to put the batteries so that, even though not on my list and sometimes without much meditation, they make their way into my shopping cart? Why do I select Betty Crocker cake mix over Duncan Hines? And why, when I stop at the mall to get an inexpensive cloth jacket, do I walk out with a $450 black lambskin coat with a cheetah collar and cuffs? Therein lies the secret to your getting job offers. In each case, admittedly some more practical than others, I was given a reason to buy. Kudos to the retailer! I went home from each shopping trip with my money in their cash registers! Many times I just went to the store to look around and had no intention of parting with my hard-earned dollars. I had been given a reason to buy.......and I did!

Being a relatively savvy consumer, I tend to over-analyze my spending habits and attempt to apply them to my job search coaching practice. After all, isn't a candidate a prospective product for purchase? And isn't the hiring authority likely to decide on a specific candidate if given a reason to buy? Finally, doesn't the hiring authority have more "products" than ever from which to select?

Yes, consistently, I compare the "whys" of my buying habits to determine why an employer selects any given candidate and I have determined two factors critical in giving the employer a reason to buy......Logic and Emotion

Logic - Without question, employers select the candidate who is most direct in demonstrating how he/she can meet the needs and solve the problems of a company. Please understand that illustrating your knowledge of what a company specifically needs and demonstrating yourself as the ultimate solution with strong examples from your past experience is the potent secret of giving the employer a reason to buy. What school you attended, what degree you secured, where you worked and what position you held is not nearly as important. And your desire for stability and opportunity for advancement will never bring a job offer. By now it becomes obvious that you will have to conduct in-depth research before the interview date. If necessary, speak to company employees in addition to conducting historical and financial research about a company.

Emotion - We all know that we sometimes make compulsive buying decisions. We don't always go for the most practical or cost effective purchase. Employers, being human, will make amazing exceptions in qualifications for the endearing candidate. Believing a candidate will be popular with one's customers and thus increase sales, or encountering a candidate that demonstrates a sincere caring for good service or the welfare of the company-at-large (hard to find isn't it?) is a real show-stopper! If you have a heart don't hide it!

Remember what a tremendous advantage you have over the merchandise I buy from the store. Consider the coat, cake mix and the batteries. They can't persuade you to select them for entry into your shopping cart. You, however have the powers of persuasion as you present yourself before an employer... if you chose to use them.

Article by, Janice Worthington 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 January 27, 2010 at 9:22 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

More often than not when meeting with a new client I am asked questions surrounding Social Media ROI or Return on Investment. Potential clients who are unfamiliar with social media as a form of lead generation, brand awareness, networking, research, or customer service platform are extremely skeptical and quick to ask the ROI question. While I understand that numbers are used to determine business success, social media is extremely hard to measure mainly because social media is in its infancy and has recently became a recognized form of business marketing within the last year. Much like in business, there are qualitative or soft benefits to social media like loyalty, trust, passion, interaction, and brand awareness among the clients, colleagues, and customers you interact and engage. Business owners understand that you can't put a price on things like the smile on a customer's face and social media is no different.
These qualitative factors, in addition to the fact that social media is extremely fragmented, make it difficult to provide tangible and measurable results.

Measuring quantitative success starts with business leaders having a clear and specific strategy with measurables in mind and that starts with business leaders having an understanding of social media. When determining these measurables, I recommend that business professionals consider the following:

• Define your metrics and what success looks like with many stair-stepped goals along the way.
• Ignore metrics like number of followers.
• Focus on relationship building with influencers and buzz marketing.
• Keep detailed records of touches and brand mentions.
• Record web traffic, retweets, and number of mentions or links.

Keep in mind that driving web traffic on social media is only half the challenge in selling a product or service. How you determine your social media success largely depends on your organization's culture, industry, and ultimate goal within the space. Creating value and differentiating your product or service using online marketing and social media can help.

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is an author, new mother, and human resources professional with a passion for recruiting and all things social media. Her company, Xceptional HR provides businesses with social media, recruitment, and human resources strategy and consulting. Jessica's upcoming book, Tweet This! Twitter for Business will be released in February 2010. Follow Jessica on Twitter, LinkedIn, & FaceBook.

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 27, 2010 at 9:17 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

When I was in 6th or 7th grade, I played a trading card game called Magic the Gathering. Being a baseball card collector, I was more interested in what the cards were worth than actually playing the game. I occasionally played with my friends, but when they lost interest, I went back to baseball cards. Many trading card games came after (I didn't play any of them), but apparently Magic the Gathering was the first. I had long forgotten about Wizards of the Coast, the company that was behind Magic cards, when I came across their name again. I took a look, and was surprised to see that the Renton, WA based company has grown quite a bit over the past decade and was eventually purchased by Hasbro. Wizards of the Coast is still a gaming company--the world leader in hobby games--and their brands include Dungeons & Dragons, Duel Masters, Heroscape, Axis & Allies, and Star Wars in addition to Magic the Gathering.

Read the full article

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 26, 2010 at 2:57 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

by Willy Franzen on January 18, 2010

Happy MLK Day! For last year's holiday we featured jobs at The King Center, so check those out. Today's company has nothing to do with MLK, so instead of trying to make a tenuous connection, I'm going to jump right in. Datran Media is a New York City based digital marketing technology company. They help "advertisers, publishers and agencies manage their branding, acquisition, retention and monetization campaigns across multiple channels." They started as an e-mail marketing company back in 2001, and since then they've expanded into a number of different business areas. Datran Media has worked with huge names like NASCAR, eHarmony, The Ad Council, and Microsoft. To get a better feel for what Datran Media does, you may want to check out these case studies of award winning campaigns that they've done for the PGA Tour and Sony.

Read the full article

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 26, 2010 at 2:54 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

I'm laying here injured. The worst of it isn't the aches and pains. The real crime is that I did it myself.

Zach, a friend of mine, did it times three. After a late night drink with the guys, he did the right thing: he got his friend, who was sober, to drive him home. Unfortunately, Zach held on to the roof of the car as he was getting in and his friend slammed his hand hard enough to break Zach's hand. After three days of getting used to the big purple bat that was the cast covering his hand, Zach felt strong enough to go out for a run. He ran along the railroad tracks near his house in Whittier and, in one innocent, heart healthy move, hit a spike and broke his foot. Finally taking off some time to recover, Zach was bit by a spider that blew up his uncasted arm. And so, that night, Zach sat for seven hours in the emergency room trying to find out if the bite was deadly. Though he went unseen by a doctor, after seven hours he figured that he'd live.

Zach's injuries and mine are the worst kind because they are a result of our choices. Of course it's easy to see what we've done when we are limping and achy because of it. They call these things "accidents."

Accident or purposeful?
What have you done lately with your personal brand? Where have you made some unfortunate mistakes and really crummy first impressions? When were you introduced to someone, perhaps at an event, and didn't have a business card with you? And when, online, have you asked someone to buy you a donkey or help you raise your imaginary barn?

Personal brands beware: our tendency as humans is to lay the blame for the loss of a job, a failed project, or a "personality conflict" on another person. But that doesn't make sense. Your personal brand, your reputation, your output, your input, your trajectory - even the people you go for a drink with - are all your own choice.

It's going to take me another week before I can stand up and move around easily, but the end of this minor back injury is certain. Zach is already back to his new workout regime now that his hand and foot have healed, and he lived through the spider bite.

What you and I say, do, miss, forget, and engender negative regard for, is almost always, wholly, in our own minds, hearts, words, and deeds.

Think about where you're going to take Your Next Step!

Nance Rosen is the author of Speak Up! & Succeed. She speaks to business audiences around the world and is a resource for press, including print, broadcast and online journalists and bloggers covering social media and careers. Read more at NanceRosenBlog. Twitter name: nancerosen.

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 January 26, 2010 at 12:16 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

There was a good piece on Good Morning America yesterday morning -- about where the jobs are. In Finding a Job: Target Areas That Are Hiring, a good case is made for registering with a temporary help service. A few other areas where hiring is taking place were also covered.

If you follow my blog, you'll begin to think I sound like a broken record. And while I am biased, I believe the facts support the suggestion that registering with a temporary help service is a great way to get work. The temporary help industry created 200,000 jobs last month and according to experts, half of the jobs created during the recovery will start out as temporary. I say started out, because nearly 40% of our temporary employees are hired permanently. What a way to go!

No matter your skill set -- up to and including high-level professionals -- please consider my suggestion.

What are you waiting for?

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 January 26, 2010 at 12:10 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

One of the things I discuss in my book Road to Respect is how bad behavior is often tolerated within workplaces. Excuses are made. "Oh that is just (whomever). That is just how she/he is". When nothing is done to deal with workplace disrespect, everyone soon accepts it as "just the way it is around here."

As a result, bad behavior, disrespect becomes the norm. We hardly even notice it. It is like Muzak on an elevator. We tune it out.

This is a real problem. If we are tolerating disrespect, if we are tuning it out, then we are in fact contributing to it. We are supporting and condoning it.

Now, I understand how hard it is to stand up, to speak up to someone that is disrespectful, particularly when that person has power. But just because something is hard does not give us an excuse to avoid it. Courage is not the absence of fear. It is the willingness to take action even though you are afraid.

Ideally, none of us should have to put up with bad behavior at work. Reality is, however, that disrespect is becoming a fact of working life for increasing numbers of us. The flip side is that we all have a choice as to how we react to it.

Sure we can tune it out. We can make excuses. We can tolerate it.

Or we can make a different choice - an empowering choice that flows from a foundation of self-respect. We can take action. We can say something. We can choose to give others respectful feedback on their bad behavior. We can stand with those that are targeted. We can speak up about our right to work in a respectful and safe environment.

No one benefits when we choose to tolerate disrespect at work. It is time to stop tuning out. I think it is time to start speaking out.

What do you think?

Erica Pinsky, B.A., M.Sc, CHRP, is an engaging and inspirational speaker, author and consultant working with organizations to build respectful and inclusive workplace cultures that attract and retain quality employees. Creative, dynamic and results oriented, Erica is passionate about promoting workplace cultures where employees feel engaged, comfortable and focused on their jobs in an environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying and destructive conflict. Erica's new book, Road to Respect, Path to Profit gives companies a road map to success in today's challenging business climate.

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 26, 2010 at 12:04 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Your job search needs to be much more than just a fruitless exercise in submitting your resume for hundreds, if not thousands, of job postings you find online. That generates desperation and the tendency to apply to anything and everything. With the slow-torture, wait-to-get-a-response results of mass email applications online, you will begin to doubt yourself and what you have to offer.

Instead, take personal accountability for the course and speed of your job search. Understand that you are marketing yourself and your value to a potential employer as the branded entity "You, Inc."

Marylene Delbourg-Delphis states in her article "Look at Your Company as a 'Small Business'" at OpenForum.com, "So see yourself as who you really are: a small business 'owner'". While she is addressing budding entrepreneurs, her mention of the need for a "continuous sense of personal accountability" and quotes about what that means are easily transferable to job seekers:

• "Never create excuses for yourself". For job seekers, the buck does stop with you. If you are using outmoded techniques and self-marketing documents, no one is forcing you to do that except yourself. If you have no time to network for job leads, who is in charge of your daily calendar?
• "Don't feel entitled to anything". If you lack a strong network, do you expect a well-connected network to just appear automatically? It takes work to make meaningful connections. Smart job holders start building relationships before they need their next gig.

So, what are you waiting for? Shake the dust off the start-up known as "You, Inc." This is a new year with a new beginning. Take responsibility to conduct a savvy, up-to-date job search with the same degree of personal accountability that a small business owner would have. Here are some tips to try:

1.Get clear about your personal brand, unique value proposition, goals, and the target employers and industries to pursue.
2.Establish and maintain relationships with industry insiders and company employees where you want to work to build credibility and obtain employee referrals, sage advice, and up-to-the minute information.
3.Get creative about uncovering job leads before they are posted online as job ads for the world to see.
4.Craft customized self-marketing documents (branded resumes, bios, cover letters, thank you letters, and online profiles for a start) that clearly and convincingly connect your value to the employer's needs, and company culture, mission, goals, and brand.
5.Improve your written and verbal communication skills. It will serve you well in all stages of your job search, but particularly in the interview and seal-the-deal stages. Persuasive communications is an art form. Is there a good reason why YOU do not need to learn it?
6.Eliminate negative thoughts and stay away from negative people. They will only drag you down. Your positive energy is too precious to waste!
7.Be on the lookout for your next paying customer (the employer), even after you become employed. You never know when your current job may end. Shift to the new paradigm of continuous career management.

Your personal brand, along with your proven skills, strengths, aptitudes, passions and interests, values, work ethic, personal behavioral style, education and training, credentials, work experience (including volunteer work and military service), and drive are all unique to "You, Inc."

Utilize those career and personal assets to propel your job search and differentiate you from the mass of job seekers out there. With nothing to lose and a lot to gain, why not start today?

Article by, Susan Guarneri 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 January 26, 2010 at 11:47 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Welcome back to CollegeSurfing.com Insider's series, From Laid Off to Learning series. This week, we focus on how to handle money matters and health insurance questions in the wake of a layoff.

Be sure to check in each Monday for some additional expert tips and inspiring stories of layoff survivors heading back to the classroom. Even easier, subscribe now.

Money Matters >>

The most frightening aspect of being laid off for many people, especially those supporting families, is losing your financial stability. Start taking measures right away to curb spending, generate income, and protect your investments.

* Your rainy day has arrived. If you haven't thought about how to reduce expenses before, now is the time to start implementing some frugal living. Start by talking with your family about cutting expenses; call companies like your utilities and credit card companies to negotiate better rates; etc., says Susan Steinbrecher, an executive coach who specializes in leadership, operations, human resources and training. "Try conserving gas, do less driving, lower your thermostat, cut coupons, cancel unnecessary services like cable, housecleaning, and more," she adds.

* Contact your financial advisor. Wondering what will happen to your 401K? Chances are your former company isn't going to offer you any advice in that regard. Your best bet is to call your financial advisor, or the company that maintains your portfolio, to discuss your options. These can include rolling it over into an IRA, or simply leaving it be. Unless you're in severe dire straights, you'll want to try to avoid cashing it out since you'll be assessed a hefty tax penalty, and may never get around to replenishing it.

* File for unemployment - don't hesitate! "The process could take an extended period of time and that lag could mean not having any revenue coming in," warns Linda Amaro, co-founder of NextWork Services. Important to note: You qualify for unemployment even if you are receiving severance pay. If you're in a high unemployment state, the recent economic stimulus package has added up to 20 additional weeks of unemployment benefits. Click here for a directory of state umemployment offices - many of which allow you to apply right online.

Health Insurance >>

Second to not having your steady income is losing your health benefits. How can you ensure that you'll be covered -- and be able to afford that coverage?

* Get a COBRA clue. Here are the facts: If you had health insurance with your employer, you will be offered the option to continue those benefits up to 18 months through COBRA. The good news is that with last year's stimulus package, you may be eligible for government subsidized COBRA rates. Check it out, and review the costs of COBRA versus obtaining an independent plan through a local HMO or PPO provider.

* Get some spousal support. If your spouse is still employed and the employer offers insurance, the loss of your job is a triggering event which would enable you to enroll in your spouse's insurance plan as long as you do so within 30 days of the date your job ended, notes Q. VanBenschoten, director of human resources at North America for Intertek. "If you chose to enroll in your spouse's plan, your benefits should be retroactive to the date you lost coverage."

* Check up time. One of the first things you should ask about if you're laid off is if your health coverage will extend via your severance package. That way, you'll know just how long you have to play catch up on all of the doctor appointments and checkups you've been putting off. If you're due for your yearly physical or have prescriptions to fill, get going before your coverage expires.

Article by Dawn Papandrea and courtesy of CollegeSurfing Insider.

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 25, 2010 at 4:04 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

I finally saw "Avatar," which is unlike any other movie I've ever seen because of its stunning special digital effects, even more amazing when viewed in 3D.

James Cameron's record-setting film is only boosting the careers of its stars, who spend part or all of the movie as blue-skinned aliens but it is inspiring in many ways, including some of which have nothing to do with the plot. Watching the film, you may leave wondering what it takes to put such eye-popping and can't-bear-to-blink details into a movie. Not to mention how all of the top-notch technology came into play, and that it took an estimated $400 million production and marketing budget to create the film's success.

If your dream is to land a job behind-the-scenes creating the next movie that generates as much buzz as "Avatar," you'll need to start looking into courses in special effects, animation, sound editing and other fields taught in film school. Animation and special effects careers will require courses and/or degree focuses in subjects such as 3D and technology-driven courses (which is part of the reason why "Avatar" has made so much at the box office). In fact, USA Today reports that the movie uses more than 2,500 digital effects, and 60 percent is computer-generated.
Think you've got what it takes to enter this world? First, start with these smart questions to ask as recommended by The CollegeBoard, when considering a school offering a major in animation and special effects:

• Are labs and classrooms equipped with state-of-the-art technology?
• Do professors have plenty of real-world experience?
• Will the program help you find work after graduation?

In addition, you'll want to think about if you're willing to relocate. Many animation companies tend to be in the California area. That's not to say you can't work elsewhere, but it's something to keep in mind should your career take off.

Article by, Lori Johnston and courtesy of CollegeSurfing Insider.

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 25, 2010 at 3:52 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

How Does "Your Serene Highness" Sound?

Many articles have appeared recently about making your employees feel valued and retaining the good ones who might be tempted move on when the recession ends. Sarah E. Needleman's Wall Street Journal article, "Business Owners Try to Motivate Employees" takes a look at these issues. One of the business owners interviewed recognized that after layoffs, increased workloads, no raises, etc. her employees "are stressed out and in need of extra attention."Nice of her to notice; many bosses don't get it. Another boss gave her employees shiny new titles.

Often companies will dole out titles in lieu of raises. But why would that appease us? From a psych perspective, my thought is that we are hot-wired to give too much weight and status to a job title. We are also programmed to look at co-workers in a hierarchical system. The VP is always more important than the admin. assistant. (My personal opinion is that an excellent admin. is worth about six VPs.) Continue reading ...

This is a post by Nancy LaFever. You can read more from her at the Centre for Emotional Wellbeing blog.

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 25, 2010 at 3:35 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

"Come my little friends, As we all sing a happy little working song" - Amy Adams

Imagine you (finally) have an interview for your dream job. You've been out of work for awhile, but have been working 8+ hours a day in your job hunt. You've had other interviews and leads, but none have led to a job.

Today is the day, you are ready for your interview, and off you go. You arrive at Big Company for your interview and are led into the interview room. The first 15 minutes of the interview are great. You are giving the right answers and asking the right questions.

Then, Mr. Interviewer asks a strange question:

"I see Mr. Unemployed, that you've been out of work for several months now, what have you been doing?"

You think to yourself: What have I been doing? I've been spending every waking hour looking for a job, what do you think I've been doing? This is not funny, nor is it meant to be. This has happened to many people I've spoken with. Typically, it is when you hit that magic "3 months unemployed" mark, but not always.

Today is Laborless Day in the US (well, not technically "Laborless" Day, but it feels like it for some), Labor Day would be the politically correct name. For many (9.7% to be exact for the US), today is laborless day (and not just in the US). Even if you are out of work, there are other things you can and should do while you are looking for work.

The longer you are out of work, the more difficult it is to explain what you've been doing. Of course, "looking for a job" is the right answer, but there is an expectation that you've done more than that. Sounds crazy, but it's true. So what else can you do while looking for a job? Staying "current" and staying productively busy are a few of the things you should be doing.

So how do you stay current and productive while you are looking for a job (as if looking for a job is not productive)? I've listed a few ideas below, which are supported by my usual list of links.

Consulting - Even if you've never consulted before, there are many consulting firms that are looking for individuals who can leverage their subject matter expertise ("SME" is the industry acronym). This can be done on many levels. There are "pure" consultants, where you give specific advice or provide a specialized service and there are those who provide professional short-term services (like accounting or engineering). Following are a few links:

• Have you thought about consulting? - This is an older post that provides some background on consulting, links to a few consulting firms as well as links to sites that help you with consulting on your own (versus through another firm)


• Consulting Career, Job and Training Information - This is an in depth article by Careeroverview.com that provides quite a bit of information on consulting. The article leads with a great overview, followed by skills required and how to approach consulting. There is also background on the industry. This is a good place to start.


• Jobs in Consulting - This is an great link that provides interesting background information and some leads. Provided by Fisher College of Business at Ohio State University, this article provides skills required, key job areas, salaries trends and a full list of consulting firms (towards the bottom of the article). Some of the links are old, but many work and this article is worth a read.

Contract work - So what is contract work? Contract work is where you agree to work for someone (or a company) on a limited basis (usually based on a time period). Sometimes you are hired through a contractor and sub-contracted and many times you contract directly with the company. There are many pros and cons to this type of work, but it does keep you current and does provide some needed cash. Additionally, these roles sometimes lead to permanent employment. Following are some links to companies.

• Contract Jobs - This article, from About.com, includes all the links to information you need for contract jobs. The links include salary guides, background information, a large list of companies that hire contract help as well as guides and specific industry information. Definitely worth a read.


• How to get contract work in three easy steps - Another article on contract work (this one a "how to"), this one is from Sitepoint.com. This article provides key information as to the How, Where and What. While the article is more Tech focused, the techniques should work for all industries.

Temporary Employment - Not much of an explanation is needed here, it is basically a job that will give you both a "current" status as well as a few $ in the bank. Similar to consulting and contracting, some temp jobs do lead to full time employment. Not as much background information is needed here, other than where to look. I've listed a few temporary help firms as a kick-start.

• Kelly Services - Kelly Services is a global company that a wide range of temporary help. From professional to staffing solutions, Kelly is a recognized name in many countries. Their main site has several tabs at the top, but you will be interested in the Careers tab (top left hand side) or Find a Job (bottom left hand side). Click on Careers, enter your country on the next page followed by the additional filters that fit your needs and you are on your way.


• Robert Half International - RHI is another global temporary help (professionals) company. Their careers page has links on the left hand side for Job Search (with additional categories to narrow your search). Click through the various options to see what interests you.

This should get you started with staying active while you actively look for a job.

Good luck in your search.

Article From CareerAlley

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, and posted on The Underground Jobs Network.

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 25, 2010 at 3:10 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

As someone who has just tweeted his 5,000th tweet, I have to say that I'm getting a little sick of all the buzz about social media. It's not that I don't think tools like Twitter, Facebook, and blogs are valuable--if that was the case I wouldn't be writing this right now--it's just that too many people are forgetting that results, not tools, are most important. That's why it's cool to see a company like WeTheCitizens that is putting social media to work in a results-driven way. They've developed a platform to help "you recruit, mobilize, and track the effectiveness of your supporters." Ok, YOU may not need something like that, but politicians, non-profit founders, and movie producers do. WeTheCitizens is an Atlanta based startup (with an office in DC) , and they're going through a bit of an identity crisis right now (it's not all that uncommon for startups). They're very confident in their product--Wildfire Platform--but they're apparently in the process of changing their name from WeTheCitizens to Mobilization Labs. To make it more confusing, a lot of the branding that they're doing is for Wildfire Platform. If you can look past all of that, you'll see a really cool company in its formative stages.

Read the full article

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 25, 2010 at 2:52 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Some people never need to hire a professional. Whether it's a plumber, personal trainer, or eco-consultant that they need, they'd rather teach themselves how to solve the given problem. Other people would rather spend their time and effort most efficiently, so they hire a professional when they get in over their heads. If you're the latter type, and you want to "green" your home or office, then you'll want to get familiar with Green Irene. They are a New York City based company, founded in 2007, that provides eco-consulting services and sells green products. If you're worried about the negative impact that you're having on the environment, you can have one of their consultants visit your home and office to make recommendations on how you can do better. The Wall Street Journal did a nice feature on the eco-consulting industry (it includes Green Irene), so check that out to get a better sense of the overall market.

Read the full article

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 25, 2010 at 2:49 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Job Search Question Of The Week
On Fridays, I'm posting a job search question from one of our readers. This was a question one of the readers of my Linkedin group, Career Change Central sent in.

Question: After reading all the comments on Career Change Central on your topic "Is Your Cover Letter an Ineffective and Obsolete Tradition?" I am convinced that I won't use cover letters anymore. I would like your advice regarding my resume since currently I am searching for a full time job. I would also like to know:

"Should I show more than 15-20 years job history? "

- PF, Ventura CA

PF,

There's no rule saying you can't, but why would you want to? Is the detail of what you did in your work 15+ years ago relevant to your next job? I guess if you are in a job function and industry that hasn't changed much in the past 15 years, and your next targeted job is exactly what you've been doing for the last 15 years, than including that is ok.
But few job seekers look for the same position, the same level, or same job as 15 years ago ... and few job functions haven't changed in 15 years.

Your resume isn't an autobiography - it shouldn't be about what's important to you, but rather, what's important to your reader, the hiring manager (See: http://recareered.blogspot.com/2008/02/your-resumes-audience-cheers-or-silence.html).
Will your reader really care what you did 15 + years ago? Sure, if you were a dishwasher 15 years ago, and you're a dishwasher today then your employer might care if they want the world's most experienced dishwasher.

There is an advantage to showing historical employment, however. It demonstrates continuous employment and a list of past employers.

I usually recommend to my clients that they just include a single line with the employer, title, and date. In a sense, it's a place marker to demonstrate employment ... and that you weren't in jail during that time period (yes, I'm being serious).

But this isn't what I typically see from candidates.
Most candidates submit an Egocentric Resume (see: http://recareered.blogspot.com/2008/05/do-you-recognize-these-early-warning.html) jam-packed full of examples of what the employee is most proud of, rather than what the employer cares about.

Do you think your next employer is really interested in the fantastic job you did 20 years ago?

Even if you're Superman and saved the world from certain destruction 20 years ago, your next employer won't care because it's not solving their problems. Plus, if it's been 20 years since you bailed out the planet, you're no no longer a SME at saving the earth anymore (Exception: If you're the only one remaining from that epic battle, and no one else has rescued the planet in the last 20 years, then I guess you're the only SME - maybe not so likely in your own circumstances, but you get the point, right?)

Therefore, for most circumstances, I recommend listing older full time jobs as a single line.

As your experience becomes less recent it's also less relevant. I would devote less space positions farther back than the past three and older than 10-15 years.

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 25, 2010 at 1:40 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Today, I spoke to Joe Balestrino, who is an SEO expert and writer for blogs such as Search Engine Journal. In this interview, Joe explains how companies can be successful without internet marketing, what we could know about with Google real-time search, lists some SEO strategies, mistakes people make when optimizing their sites, and argues that social media is not the new SEO.

Do you believe a company can be successful without internet marketing?

Certainly, and in fact, many business models aren't well suited to online sales or lead generation. Sectors involving overseas trade, as an example, have established channels for business that have been around since well before the internet. On the whole, however, most businesses can benefit to a greater or lesser degree from some form of online presence. As society moves toward further acceptance of the internet as an evolving replacement for older methods of obtaining goods and services, such as the Yellow Pages, the importance of establishing and maintaining a solid presence gains more significance.

What is your opinion on the integration between search engines and social networks? What issues does this raise?

The integration between the SERPs and social networking, led by Google, has a surface level value proposition that rewards the interests of the public. That may seem like a positive step toward more relevant search results, but it has quickly become another factor to be manipulated by the online marketing community at large.

Twitter is a great example. It's filled with accounts and tweets that serve as a marketing platform and provide no real value to the general public. Digg has become a "good old boy's club" where marketers reward each others participation irrespective of the value of the content. Danny Sullivan's "Sphinn" is a repository for manufactured blog posts designed to gain links and PR rather than promote genuine discussion. Marketers are flooding the net with "top five this" and "top ten that" articles and posts to the point where the formula is beyond contrived.

Ultimately, the blame falls on Google, whose adherence toward Web 2.0, or social networking, was a calculated move to decimate link building and further devalue the organic rankings, on which they make no revenue.

The reason social networking is ineffective for promoting business and has led to the manipulation described above is that most businesses aren't sexy and don't have a sexy product. Specifically, you can't expect to succeed with viral promotion of a mundane product or service, and Google was well aware of that when they devalued directories, article submission sites and other formerly valid forms of link building. If a company established a good online presence before the advent of Web 2.0, they have organic currency. If not, and I'm specifically referring to new businesses here, it forces them to rely more heavily on paid search, for which Google does generate revenue. A lot of revenue.

Some marketers have the naivety to believe social networking is simply the natural progression of the internet, but I assure you, it's not. It's just another stab wound in the dying value of organic listings, aided by above the fold placement for Google maps, Google local business results, Google Base (which may won't always be free) and anything else Google can think of to push organic down while promoting more of their own agenda, which is the necessity of paid search.

Can you name your top three strategies for SEO/SEM?

Branding, branding and branding. Business branding transcends fads like social media. If you have a well established brand, you have a well established customer base. As for the "nuts and bolts" SEO/SEM strategies that are useful, the following three are integral to a well conceived online marketing effort:

1.Keyword Research - This is the foundation for your online marketing efforts for both SEO and PPC. The terms people are using to search out products and services is the connection between potential buyers and sellers. Where most marketers fail is in the depth and breadth of research they are willing to perform and implement.
2.Landing Pages - To the degree that on-site SEO is still valid, which depends greatly on off-site SEO, you need to find the proper balance between pleasing the SERPs and converting inbound traffic. Toward the latter end of that goal, appearance is everything. Give consumers confidence through the construction of good landing pages and you'll experience high conversion rates. The same applies to paid marketing efforts.
3.Inbound, Targeted Links - Without links, even the best optimized site will fail. Find a feasible, repeatable method for generating quality links and you'll never be without business.

What common mistakes do people make when choosing keywords for SEO?

From an SEO standpoint, marketers tend to throw all their eggs in one basket, specifically the basket of broad, highly competitive terms with well entrenched competition in the top 10 search results. If you measure the validity of ranking for a competitive term in short order and the prognosis is failure, why waste your effort or your client's marketing budget? Clients want you to make money for them, and most aren't particular about how you go about doing it within the parameters of white hat SEO and SEM. Is a high ranking for one term that produces 100K in traffic and 200 conversions a month worth more than ten terms that produce 10K in traffic and 20 conversions a month apiece? To the bottom line, the answer is no.

A lot of people used to say that social media is the new SEO. What is your opinion on this?

Social media will never be SEO. It's simply another tool to be manipulated by search engine marketers. The SERPs, and particularly Google, set and change the rules on a regular basis, and social media is a byproduct of that change. Our industry is served by finding ways to work within those rules, and in some cases, circumvent them.

The reason some marketing professionals put so much stock into social media is that it's a very effective marketing tool for their own interests. The problem is that it's rarely an effective tool for their clients, especially considering the time it takes to properly cultivate and maintain a following on most platforms. They also put a lot of stock into it because it seems to have been embraced by the public at large.

The reality, however, is that the public will embrace anything that's new or popular until it becomes a chore to maintain, after which it will slowly yield to the next great thing. A few years ago, we might have been discussing Friendster, and a few years from now, we'll be looking back on Twitter with the same goofy puzzlement. How many personal, professional or business related blogs were updated regularly for years on end and then suddenly ceased to provide new content? How many Facebook and Linkedin profiles haven't had an "add" since shortly after their creation? We'd like to believe that we all have something to say, an unlimited amount of time to say it and a caring audience waiting with baited breath to hear it, but that's not reality. Social media is dependent on social networking, and constant networking - both from a creation and audience participation standpoint - isn't representative of how human beings change their behavior, needs, wants and lifestyles over time.

SEO, like the human condition, is all about change. The engines change and we change our strategies with them in order to meet new challenges. I'll stop short of saying that social media isn't here to stay, but I will say that it's just another challenge to be met, with many more looming on the horizon.

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 January 25, 2010 at 1:33 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

"Every adversity carries within it the seed of equal or greater benefit"
- Napolean Hill

In 2005, when I ran a half marathon for the first time, I tore my calf 8 weeks before the race and was advised to pull out of it. But I kept telling myself that it was a hurdle to overcome and not a brick wall. So I found an amazing physiotherapist who I visited twice a week, radically changed my diet and started visualising daily so that I was mentally prepared to complete the race.

8 weeks later I completed the London Half Marathon without injury in 2 hours 27 minutes. Not exactly an Olympic winning time, but it was (freakily) the exact time I had planned and visualised when preparing for the race. The injury, rather than stopping me running, was a catalyst to help me develop an unwavering self belief that I was going to run the race in my target time.

In 2006, when I gave my first ever interview with the media on a live BBC radio show, I had a power cut on the morning of the call. So no heating, no lights, no phone. As I had to make a mad dash to my sister's house to take the call I told myself "it's a hurdle, not a brick wall." I did little or no preparation - but because of that, I actually came across much more relaxed and spontaneous when taking live calls from radio listeners. 3 years on, I now have a regular careers advice slot on the same radio station where I answer career related calls from listeners on air.

In 2008, when I delivered my first ever teleseminar for job searchers at the start of the recession, my laptop crashed on the morning of the call, so I lost much of my preparation. But I quickly prepared the key areas to cover and delivered a far more natural presentation.

As regular readers will know, as a hobby, I do some comedy improvisation (ie making up stories live on stage without a script), so the improvised teleclass actually gave me a buzz, whilst giving the audience a much more creative and engaging talk. I've since gone on to deliver the very same content in seminars, talks and the like. So the power cut actually helped me (and many others I've spoken to) rather than hinder me.

In 2009, I agreed to collaborate with Colin Hiles from 'Finding Your Smile' (a community for mid-lifers going through change) to support him with his mission to raise £550k (approx US $750k) for charity by the time he reaches his 50th birthday in 2014. The intention was for me to offer career advice and resources for Colin's readers and workshops as they transitioned through mid-life.

To kick off things, Colin planned to post an audio interview with me on his blog on how to reinvent your career without changing jobs or careers. But busy schedules, IT failures, diary mix-ups and illnesses conspired to create road blocks every time we arranged to speak.

But we persevered and last week finally completed the interview. At which point we laughed and reflected on the journey we'd had to record a simple 30-minute call on how to reinvent your career.

But we then reflected on how the journey we went through to record the call was similar to reinventing your career - or in fact achieving any other worthwhile goal - big or small. And how there were in fact many career lessons buried within our stumbling attempts to complete the interview:

The lessons:

1. Expect brick walls (and then climb over them)

Whenever you attempt anything worthwhile in life, you will have brick walls and set-backs come your way. It's life's way of testing you. Of seeing how badly you really want to do something. So if you're hitting (what seems like) brick walls in your search for a new job or career, don't give up. Just get climbing so that you can keep working towards your goal.

2. Choose goals which you are passionate about

In each of the above situations, I was pursuing something I wanted to achieve with a passion. So when I faced what seemed like a brick wall, the passion gave me the fire in my belly to scale the wall and treat it as a hurdle rather than something that would defeat me.

So pursue career and lifestyle goals which you're passionate about. That energize you. Goals which you're totally committed to. Because when the going gets tough (and it will), you'll need that passion and energy to rise to the challenge.

3. Have faith

Whether you come at this from a religious, spiritual or intellectual angle comes down to personal choice. But when you develop an unwavering faith and belief that things will work out, you often find that they do. Sometimes not always in the way you thought or intended, but in the long run you'll see that they turn out for the best.

So the next time a brick wall comes your way, keep reminding yourself that it's not a brick wall, but just a hurdle to overcome. If you're pursuing a career, job or lifestyle which you're intrinsically motivated to do, something that comes from you're gut (and not your head), something you're passionate about - then DON'T GIVE UP.

Be flexible, be open to different paths and routes which may open up - just don't give up.

Just keep telling yourself "It's just a hurdle, not a brick wall."

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 January 25, 2010 at 1:17 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

In Part 1 of "It's a Dry Powder Market," I introduced the dry powder theory. The dry powder theory is an investment term used to describe tactics investors employ during an economic recession where they maintain a very liquid amount of assets that are quickly available to adjust to the turbulent market. Companies keep cash (the most liquid of assets) in their bank accounts and reserves to account for the volatile market. And because talent is the most expensive form of capital, companies forgo hiring permanent employees and opt for other strategies like work redistribution and the hiring of interns and contract and temporary employees.

Temporary and contract employees are extremely liquid. Here today and gone tomorrow. Companies opt to pay larger contract or hourly rates of pay rewarding these type of employees for the risk associated with a temporary position. Companies can quickly eliminate this type of overhead without costly severance plans, benefit payments, and guilt associated with layoffs and corporate restructures.

A large number of companies are employing this type of hiring in 2010 just in case. A candidate can compete in a Dry Powder Job Market not just against other candidates but also the economy by considering the following:

• Demonstrate Value. It's no secret the job market is extremely competitive. A job seeker must be on their game and demonstrate during every opportunity that they are the best investment a company can make. This starts with your online presence and LinkedIn profile. Companies want to see how your experience and success can translate into revenues for their company. Focus on quantitative figures and numbers when describing your responsibilities and projects.
• Be Aggressive. Bring your A Game at every opportunity. Companies have access to hundreds of high quality candidates. Use testimonials and references to get your foot in the door. Don't wait for your interview. Connect with company representatives from the moment you know there is an opening but with great care. Consider your strategy and competition in everything you do.
• Be Creative. A simple resume and cover letter is no longer enough. Consider coming with a marketing pitch, an idea to promote their product, and presentation to lower their expenses and increase efficiency. Give them an idea or solution they can't live without. Look to your professional network to seek ideas and recommendations outside of your market or industry. Creativity matters.

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is an author, new mother, and human resources professional with a passion for recruiting and all things social media. Her company, Xceptional HR provides businesses with social media, recruitment, and human resources strategy and consulting. Jessica's upcoming book, Tweet This! Twitter for Business will be released in February 2010. Follow Jessica on Twitter, LinkedIn, & FaceBook.

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 25, 2010 at 1:12 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

It happens to the best of us. You hit a bump in the rocky road of your career and find yourself out of work for longer than you'd like.

Beng out of work for an extended period of time does more damage than just a gap in your resume. It affects your self esteem, how you view yourself, and what you believe you can bring to the table.

If you are planning to write a story about how to bounce back after being out of work for over a year, here some ideas:

1. Remind Yourself That This Is A Moment In Time.

Your career runs for multiple decades. That's a long period of time. What this means is sooner or later a setback will happen in your career. It's just the way things happen. All cycles have up's and down's and this is your down. The good news is it's all up from here. Remind yourself that a job will be there, and is waiting for you, right around the corner.

2. Reacquaint Yourself With Your Accomplishments.

When was the last time you looked at your resume? And when you do, does it seem like your accomplishments were achieved by someone else? Just because you have not performed a function in a while doesn't mean you can't perform it anymore. It's like riding a bicycle; you never forget how. Spend quality time with your resume. Read the bullets slowly. Remember the projects you worked on and the people you worked with to obtain these results. Remind yourself that these are your accomplishments, which are something to be proud of. Just because it's been a while, doesn't mean it didn't happen.

3. Create In Your Mind What You Want To Happen Next.

I believe that people get stuck in the day-to-day doldrums of life when they don't have something to look forward to. You may not know when your next job is coming, but you can get ready for it. Ask yourself what you want next. Where do you want to work? What location? What type of people? How much do you want to be making? When you can see what you want, clearly and powerfully, you can get it. I find that when people are out of work for a while, they can't see themselves in their jobs anymore. The amount of time that has passed only matters to you. Visualize what you want so you can get back to work again quickly.

4. Don't Give Up.

Most people don't take discouragement well. When they first lost their jobs, they had vigor and excitement. They got up everyday and had people to call and job search related activities to work on. Over time, the momentum and activities diminished. That caused them to stop or slow down. Don't let this happen to you. You only need one job and one person to give it to you. The work you put in now will bring results; you just haven't seen them yet. A job search is not an instant gratification pursuit. It's a process that brings results over time, on its timetable and not yours. So, you have to keep going.

5. Believe In Yourself.

Most of the time, we are our own worst enemy. We tell ourselves why something cannot be done before someone tells it to us first. This approach keeps you safe from rejection and failure, but it also holds you back. This economy may be forcing you to get out of your comfort zone and into new territory, all great for your personal growth. (Even though it does not feel so great most of the time.) Many people who come to me want to be challenged in their career. It's what's missing in their jobs and their lives. Well, this is your challenge. Will you rise to the occasion or let it get the best of you? You already have a track record of achieving great things. This will be another one to add to your list.

Article by Deborah Brown-Volkman, a top professional Certified Coach (PCC), sought-out career coach & expert, best-selling author, and the President of , Surpass Your Dreams, a successful career coaching, life coaching, and mentor coaching company that has been delivering a message of motivation, success, and personal fulfillment since 1998.

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 25, 2010 at 10:39 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Interested in wine and travel? Then Wagstaff Worldwide might be the public relations agency for you! Located in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and New York City, Wagstaff specializes in media relations but does offer other services such as creating customized public relations plans, setting up and executing social media strategies, event planning, tourism marketing, and editorial and copywriting expertise. Their clients include restaurants, hotels, international travel organizations, design agencies, wine and spirits, lounges and spas--and their client list is huge!

Read the full article

This is a guest post by Heather R. Huhman. Heather is the media relations manager at a national health care professional association and entry-level careers columnist for Examiner.com.

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 22, 2010 at 2:45 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Last night I was driving home and heard a radio commercial for an 89 cent burrito. It made me realize how cheap calories are these days. Cheap calories used to be a good thing. It meant that fewer people would go hungry, but unfortunately cheap calories are often low-quality calories. As hunger becomes less of a problem, nutrition continues to be a major problem. The Food Trust is a Philadelphia based non-profit that "works to improve the health of children and adults, promote good nutrition, increase access to nutritious foods, and advocate for better public policy." They work with "neighborhoods, schools, grocers, farmers and policymakers" to educate people about making the right food choices while also making access to good food easier and more affordable.

Read the full article

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 22, 2010 at 2:42 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Have you ever had a day when you felt like nothing was falling in place? A day when the energies are low and there is no motivation to get to work? A day when the mind and body are tired and say "no" to the workplace?

The reasons might vary from physical or mental tensions or pressures, exhaustion, illness or simply an inexplicable "lowday". What do you do that day?

All days are not the same, some days we surprise ourselves by achieving beyond our expectations and some days even the average task seems like the highest unconquerable mountain. The tips here might guide you to make the best of your lowday?

Are you feeling low today?

Prioritize

Well some things just need to be done, whether you like it or not. You must prioritize those at least. Do you have a meeting which you must absolutely attend? Do you have any deadlines for the day? Do you need to run an errand which must be done within the day? You got it; identify the "musts" first. What is urgent must move up on your priority list. Once you know what has to be done, identify the steps that you need to get that task off your plate. Ask yourself such questions:

Would it help if I get it done right away, no matter how I feel?

Would it be better to move this task a couple of hours from now so that I can give myself time to revive and feel more energized before I begin on the task?

You could choose any of these or what you find the best option, it all depends on the situation. The task might be time bound; in that case the second option might not be an option at all. Or you might not get that work done efficiently or provide quality so it would be better to choose the second option. You must evaluate first.

Inspiration Motivation

You might also need some inspiration or motivation to enliven the day and work towards some planned goals or plan some goals. You may read some tips on the above linked article and also would be a great idea to read the writings of those who inspire you. Just reading or viewing something that makes you feel happier or inspired brings satisfaction. You may not "get" something done as such but these activities help you elevate to a happier and satisfied self.

Physical Rejuvenation

At times when the mind is dull and lousy; it is time to rejuvenate the mind with physical activity or even meditation. Physical activity and meditation brings more oxygen to your brain, boosts your adrenaline levels that gives you some instant energy and you start feeling good.

Even eating and drinking the "right things" brings our energy levels up and revs us up. Although coffee and sweetened drinks might also get you on a "high" for some time, the long term rush would be better if it comes from some good workout and healthy eating. "Moderate intensity aerobic exercise improves mood immediately and those improvements can last up to 12 hours," concludes study lead researcher Jeremy Sibold, Ed.D., at the University of Vermont, Burlington.

Count your Blessings

Oh yes, you did not expect this to be on your list, but believe me it works. There could be days when you feel depressed for no reason whatsoever but many of such days do have some reason, don't run away from the analysis; confront them. Why are you feeling low today? List all possible reasons - any incident that happened the day before, or any physical reasons? The point is once you know the cause it is easy to find a remedy; diagnosis is key to improvement of the situation. And there may be many different reasons. Now if you have fallen in the depths of low self-esteem and self-worth then just count your blessings. Think about the many people who do not have even a fourth of what you have, think about the people who love you - call them talk to them. Think about the people who need you, who respect you. Just don't put down yourself, you are special and have a lot to do to help make this world or someone else's world a better place. Contributing to a charity or a random act of kindness might be something you can consider doing today - it will make you feel better for sure.

Have Fun

If this is something that happens very rarely to you and the reasons are close to physical exhaustion or possible illness, then a very good option today would be to take the day off from work (If it is possible at all). Do what makes you feel happier, shopping, meeting friends, playing with your kids, watching your favorite movie, reading a great book, meditation or what-else-pleases-you-the-most. Just do it and make the best of the day. Put your expectations on the back seat and don't whine over what did not get done, enjoy and live the moment, you'll get that done another day.

Tip: It is also a good idea to have a document on your computer or at the back of your calendar where you note down such tips on what to do what you do not feel like doing anything. Such days bring depressing feelings and often it is not easy to collect your thoughts and plan any action items, but if you have the tips ready, it is easy to choose from the list what appeals you the most that day.

What would you do or what have you done on a "lowdown day"?

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 22, 2010 at 2:01 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

When most candidates establish a contact at one of their target companies, their first goal tends to be coffee. The goal is to get the person out of their office, away from their phone, so that you have 100% of their attention.

This is a great goal, and can lead a job seeker towards gaining some important inroads into a target company.

It's just that most candidates don't pull this off often, and when they do they usually ask for the wrong things, minimizing the effectiveness of the meeting. Most of us just weren't taught to network very well for a job.

There are 5 problems with most informational interviews: Getting the appointment, determining a goal, determining what to ask for, how to ask, and avoiding the ambush.

Problem #1 - Getting the appointment: Chances are your new contact is a busy person who doesn't have much spare time on their hands. You as a job seeker have a very real reason you want to have coffee - you want their help in finding a job at their company (What's in it for me - WIFM). But what reason do you give your contact? What's in it for them (WIFT)? See http://recareered.blogspot.com/2008/05/achieve-enlightenment-through.html for more details.

When you ask to set up a coffee meeting, do you say something similar to "I want to learn more about your company"? (Translation: I want a job, or I want to sell your company something - WIFM). What's in it for your contact? What value proposition are you offering them, in order for them to give their time to you?

In your contact's busy world, where those still working in corporate America are doing the job or 2 or 3 people, you'd better offering something of value if you want someone's time today.

What can you offer (WIFT)? Information - What information would be valuable to your target? Would your target find information about their industry to be valuable? About their job function? How about their competitors?

As a job seeker, you are researching all of this information. Why not use it as currency? To get past WIFT, start forwarding articles to your contact before asking for a meeting. The type of information that gets a response (industry, function, or competitor) is likely your contact's hot-button. Once you learn the hot-button, offer to meet over coffee to give more of this type of information. If you do this correctly, and make it about the contact (WIFT), not you, you'll earn coffee meetings return calls, and fans wanting to help you.

Problem #2 - Determine an achievable goal: A candidate's goal is to get a job.

It's probably not achievable over a cup of coffee, especially if your contact is not the hiring manager.

How many of you set your goal as finding out what job opportunities there are at a company for your informational interview? How many of you want to get your resume into your contact's hands so they can pass it to the hiring manager? Come on admit it...these are goals of most candidates. But neither one is usually achievable, and both waste a great opportunity.

Most companies, other than really small ones, have Employee Referral Bonus policies (http://recareered.blogspot.com/2010/01/introduction-to-target-company-contact.html) that assure your resume goes to HR, just as it would if you applied online. In addition, if you set up a meeting to give information, and ambush the contact by asking for a job, you've blown your credibility for something the contact can't even give you.

Instead, make information your goal. You're giving information to get a meeting. What do you want in return? Don't you want to learn more about your target company? Use your meeting to understand your target's problems, challenges, goals, roadblocks. Find out how these issues affect your target department. Don't waste your contact's time to ask for names - you can get names from Linkedin, ZoomInfo, or Jigsaw.

Problem #3 - Determine what to ask for: Most candidates lead the discussion over the phone or in person by talking about their interest in the company, looking for a job, yadda, yadda, yadda - WIFM.

Don't fool yourself, unless it's a close friend, your contact isn't meeting with you because they can't wait to help you. They are meeting with you because you have something they need - information.

The answer to problem #3 is simple - Don't. Don't ask for a job.

Again, a counterintuitive strategy, but if you ask for a job you're using your newly built goodwill to ask for something your contact probably can't give you.

Your contact can give you information, and will if they trust you. By giving information without asking for anything in return, you build trust.

Problem #4 - How to ask: You've heard the answer to problem #4 before - Don't. Don't ask your contact for information.

Instead, give information first - almost any person who has received a favor will want to return it and will likely ask what they can do for you? Have your contact ask you, rather than you asking them. You'll have a higher success rate in getting information, and you'll get better information from your contact, if you make the discussion WIFT.

Problem #5 - Avoid the Ambush: I advise my clients to resist the urge to bring a resume to an informational meeting. Again, this sounds counterintuitive, but it's not to a candidate's advantage to have this be an informational interview - interview means job, resumes for jobs get passed to HR at most companies. Make this a meeting, and make it WIFT.

How can you use information to generate WIFT informational meetings? Can you avoid the ambush and resist the urge to bring a resume?

Article by Phil Rosenberg, President, reCareered & Rainmakers Global and courtesy of reCareered blog.

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 22, 2010 at 1:37 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

This week DICE.com came to visit me for a video interview on job search for technical talent in today's market. A big take away for the interviewer was that job seekers needed to break out of comfort zones and "get out there; be found on the Internet." Recruiters operate on-line today. If they can't find you on-line, you are at a competitive disadvantage. And the disadvantage is GROWING by the day.

Check out this just-issued chart by JCSI. They state that more than 50% of recruiters will use social media to find candidates, get referrals and post open positions in 2010. If there was a chart that showed what recruiters were doing in the tech space alone, I'd guarantee the numbers would even be HIGHER!

I was at a cocktail party over the holiday and happened into a group of engineers. One of them had been looking for a job for some time. We got to talking, and I saw some classic brainy-engineer patterns start to emerge. To him, being "excellent" at what he did was the way to get a job. Doing anything that might look like he put an ego-centric spotlight on himself was fully distasteful. Never would he get on "LinkedIn," or other such network.

That way of thinking is dated, and in my book, dumb. That is, if you want to get a great job, as fast as possible.

It can be very cool to be found and engage with other engineers and thought leaders in your field today. Check out the string on Twitter dedicated to just about any subject of substance, and you will see substance in the discussion. There will be hyper-links to the freshest content and research on that subject. There will be opinions, debates, and cult-like passion too.

What is a modern approach for a Smart Job Seeker?

1.Be found on-line. Being on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter will elevate your name (SEO) in a Google search by simply just being signed up on those networks. You don't have to play the stupid games or tell everyone when you opened the refrigerator. Just get on these networks with a name that is close to your exact name as possible. On LinkedIn, have an up-to-date profile ... this is your modern resume. (Advanced job seekers should also get recommendations up there and be "connected" to past colleagues and anyone else who may know of a job opening perfect for you!)

2.Don't go it alone. Enlist an army. Tell everyone you know what type of position you're looking for. If they don't know, they can't help.

3.After you master knowing with confidence what your value proposition is, and being able to tell others what it is (A quick definition of "value proposition" is "Benefit exceeds the cost." What is the benefit you would bring to a company or a position?) SPEND EVERY MINUTE RESEARCHING AND THINKING ABOUT THE COMPANY(IES) YOU WANT TO WORK AT. When interviewing, make it about THEM. Show that you understand, passionately, what business they are in, who are their competitors, what are their opportunities and challenges, and what it takes to be successful there. The social networks make that type of research today fun and easy. Turn the tables and be the master of the networks. Put them to work for you. Use them to find people who work at the company you are interested in. Watch, and engage with what they are saying -- start a dialog with them on-line. Use these networks to "eavesdrop" (ie Twitter Search Column) on the conversations your ideal company's customers, competitors and employees are having about the company.

By using social networks to your favor, you should be able to be found, and found faster. You should also be able to blow the interviewer away with what you know about their company. Recruiters consistently report that top mistakes job seekers make is 1) not researching the company enough and 2) not being passionate enough.

For added points, read the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People." I know, the title makes me want to barf as well. But especially for the soft-skill/interpersonally challenged set, it is a SUPERB guide to making connections with people and selling (in this case, you will be selling yourself.) It tells you tricks that can help you greatly, like being sure to remember people's names, and to say their names when talking to them. (The sound of one's name is music to people's ears.)

Get Smart.

Article by, Polly Pearson, an employment branding leader passionate about Web 2.0 engagement tools with nearly twenty years of FORTUNE 500-level experience spanning human resources, marketing, branding, investor relations, public relations, advertising, and professional speaking. Her employment branding work has recently been featured in media outlets such as CBS News, National Public Radio, Financial Times, Boston Herald, Dice.com and in the new Penguin Press business book, "Closing the Engagement Gap: How Great Companies Unlock Employee Potential For Superior Results." Polly writes a popular blog dedicated to careers, culture and cool at, http://www.pollypearson.com.

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 22, 2010 at 1:30 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Today, I spoke to Lisa Hoover, who is a freelance writer and professional blogger. Her work includes being a contributing editor for Lifehacker and other major blogs. In this interview, Lisa talks about how to she become a professional blogger, who she admires, how she balances her time with multiple children, and some lessons learned.

How did you get started as a professional blogger?

What obstacles did you face in the beginning?I was working full-time for a technology Web site and blogging part-time for a couple of Web sites on the side. Eventually I was faced with the decision of whether to continue where I was or focus more on blogging. My gut told me blogging was the right decision so I dove in full-time. Now the site I was working for is defunct and I support my family through blogging so I guess I made the right decision.

The biggest obstacle was, and continues to be, people taking professional blogging seriously. It is a very real job with its own pitfalls and peaks. Interestingly, it's often other writers who show the most disdain for the professional blogging industry even though most of us hold ourselves to the same standards of professionalism expected of any writer. As with any profession, there are people who cast a pall on the industry but, overall, the bloggers I know and work with are wonderful and amazingly professional.

Who do you admire online and what have you learned from them?

I admire Brian Clark so much for his ability to be consistently fresh, insightful, and informative. He manages to engage his audience in a way that makes readers feel like they've known him forever.

Matt Haughey of MetaFilter fame has built an amazing site where smart, articulate people gather to seek advice and learn from each other. I'm constantly amazed at what a tight, kind, and thoughtful community MetaFilter is, and that kind of thing doesn't happen by accident. Matt has obviously spent a lot of time grooming and cultivating MetaFilter to make it what it is today.

How do you balance your time between your three children and your work?

Very, very carefully. Since I'm a single mother and I homeschool my kids, it means getting up extra early in the morning to get work done before they need me during the day. I try to structure schoolwork, homeschooling group activities, and field trips during late morning and middle of the day. While they have neighborhood friends over, I work on my laptop amid the chaos, then I use the time after they go to bed to pick up the slack on anything I missed during the day.

Every now and then we need a break from it all so I get my work done early, then toss them in the car and go somewhere to play hooky all day. It's a lot to balance, but it's worth it all to me in the end.

You write about a variety of different topics, from parenting to linux. Do you ever have trouble with switching between them?

Actually, I don't have trouble adapting thanks to the old adage, "write about what you love" - I love technology, love being a parent, and thoroughly enjoy most of the other topics I cover. In fact, I really enjoy learning new things so I'm always looking for new things to write about. If I had to only cover the same two or three things day in and day out, I'd get bored pretty quickly.

What three lessons learned would you give to new bloggers or freelance writers right now?

1.Check your ego at the door. Bloggers and freelancers can best serve themselves by listening to their editors, readers, and colleagues. Editors can help you become a stronger writer and often what you learn from one will help you in other assignments down the road. Readers are an excellent source of guidance and ideas, as are your colleagues and peers. When you encounter rude commenters, just let it roll off your back and don't take it personally (easier said than done, I know) -- it goes with the territory.

2.Never, ever, ever, give your work away for free. There are too many Web sites that will take advantage of a writer's willingness to work for nothing just to get name recognition, but you must put a value on your work or no one else will. Writers who are just starting out may not be able to command as much money as those with a long work history, but there's no reason to simply give work away. If you're trying to build a portfolio, pick one or two charity organizations and volunteer to write for them in exchange for using them as writing samples to land work.

3.Make your editor's life easier and you'll have a gig for life. Hit your deadlines, follow their style guide, and be consistent, and editors will welcome you back time and time again. Freelance writing and blogging is a crowded field and there are a lot of talented people out there. Everything else being equal, editors will assign work to freelancers who get their work done on time or early, and turn in clean work. Being a reliable writer who's easier to work with will get you invited back, and a good reference for future work.

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 January 22, 2010 at 1:22 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Those looking for a career in medicine will find that Milwaukee healthcare jobs have plenty to offer.

Throughout most of the nation, including Milwaukee, the healthcare industry has remained stable during the economic recession. Although the Milwaukee area's healthcare industry has lost some workers on a monthly basis as of late, the industry has continued to add workers when compared to the previous year.

The Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis area's education and health services industry employed 146,100 workers during December 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 146,600 workers during November, but a .7 percent decrease from December 2008.

Healthcare workers in Milwaukee can expect to be paid well. According to Salary.com, the average pay for a staff registered nurse is between $60,286 per year and $73,732 per year, while the average pay for a family practice physician is between $153,113 per year and $199,451 per year.

According to Wikipedia, the healthcare industry in Milwaukee includes several health systems, one of the most notable of which is the Milwaukee Regional Medical Complex.

The complex is home to the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, which was been ranked among the top three children's hospitals in the nation during 2006, and the Medical College of Wisconsin, which is one of two medical schools in Wisconsin and the only one in Milwaukee.

Other facilities in the complex include: Froedtert Hospital, BloodCenter of Wisconsin, Ronald McDonald House and Curative Rehabilitation.

Aurora Health Care, another system in Milwaukee, includes: St. Luke's Medical Center, Aurora Sinai Medical Center, West Allis Memorial and St. Luke's South Shore. The Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare system includes St. Joseph's Hospital and Elmbrook Memorial, among others.

Check out this recruiting video from Aurora Health Care:
Video By Jobing

Milwaukee is home to Columbia St. Mary's Hospital, which has affiliations with Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin. The national headquarters of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, as well as the Endometriosis Association, also are located in Milwaukee.

Posted by Joel Cheesman on January 22, 2010 at 10:03 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Way back when I was in second grade, our class learned how to recycle paper. What we produced wasn't anything like what's sold in office supply stores, but we could write on it, draw pictures on it, or fold it. Recycling is far more common now than it was when I was in second grade, but the fact of the matter is, going green isn't a novel concept. There are just more people onboard with it now because of the threat of global warming and increasing oil prices.

Green energy is also growing in popularity and with it, the need for people to produce solar panels, wind mills and other green energy products. Hybrid cars and fabrics made with organic, sustainable materials like hemp, bamboo, cotton and soy silk clearly indicate that going green has extended beyond recycling and energy conservation.

A recent interview with green career expert and author of Green Careers for Dummies, Carol McClelland, shed a little light on the subject. Here's what she had to say:

"Green jobs, those that have a positive impact on the planet, are available in a wide array of industries and sectors, [like car manufacturing]. In researching Green Careers For Dummies, I found over 50 industries that are making significant efforts to rethink how they were doing business. Whether the companies are paying attention to their impact on the planet or taking a more socially responsible approach to their business, efforts are being made to get beyond business as usual in these industries.

"I can say that green jobs are varied. Some green jobs are scientific and technical in nature while others rely on communication, management, and consulting skills. Green jobs are available for every level of education from specialty trades to Chief Sustainability Officer and everything in between."

"Jobs are found within industries with a specific environmental focus such as environmental sciences and natural resource management, as well as those associated with greening our infrastructure from rebuilding the grid to generating renewable energy, from greener buildings to alternative transportation. Manufacturing green products and equipment and reworking how we manufacture all products creates an array of positions as well," McClelland continued.

"And finally, there's a collection of jobs that don't get much press. These jobs are those that are shaping the green economy through policy, finance, regulation, planning, environmental education, media, marketing, and sales. Although these positions sometimes seem to be far removed from the green industries making the news, people in these jobs play a critical role in creating and stimulating demand for greener, more sustainable actions."

Specialized training will be needed for many new green jobs that are being created but there are also "green-related" jobs in more traditional fields like finance, media and sales.

"I believe, as do other experts, that we are entering a new economic era," concluded McClelland. "This happens at certain points in history when new inventions and circumstances create opportunities for innovation. A few decades ago we were in the early stages of the technology revolution. Now we are finding cleaner, greener ways to do business for the planet, for national security, and for economic growth.

"Venture capitalists, the government, and large multi-national companies are investing in this new economic era because they see the potential for making a sizable return on investment. Investments are happening in a wide range of industries and sectors throughout the world.

"The path into this new economy era is not likely to be straight. Instead it will have its twists and turns as some industries fade and others take off. To excel in this economy you must stay alert and aware of how the green economy is developing so that you can make educated, strategic decisions about your career."

Going green is more than just a fad, it's becoming a new way of life. Fortunately, that new way of life comes with the creation of many new jobs in many industries. According to a 2009 article on TheDailyGreen.com, some well known companies that have already started going green - and where candidates might be able to find green jobs - are Kimberly-Clark, Starbucks, Timberland and Staples.

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 21, 2010 at 3:04 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Self doubt has been something I've struggled with all my life, from debating whether I could get into a top tier university to believing I could succeed as a writer. It's a very human emotion, and it's made worse for some people because of life experiences or temperament.

Self doubt also makes you feel alone. Sometimes you think you're the only person in the universe who suffers from a crisis of confidence, and you wish that you could be more like your successful, self-assured neighbor. Well, I guarantee that your neighbor doubts himself every now and then too.

You won't ever be able to rid yourself of doubt entirely - believe me, I've tried. But I hope that these suggestions will lessen your pain when dark thoughts are all around you.

Go back in time: The first step to overcoming self doubt is to recognize that it's there in the first place. Think about the circumstances that are leading you to feel insecure, and see if you notice any patterns. Are there particular situations (for example, dealing with a new boss, speaking in public) that prompt you to feel this way? Make a note of times in the past when you doubted yourself but ended up coming through with flying colors. Knowledge and recognition of your past successes will bolster your courage regarding what you can achieve in the future.

Defeat the doubtful thoughts: In one column, write a doubtful thought, and in the opposite column, write facts that dispute that doubtful thought. For instance, suppose you are afraid to invite a new colleague to lunch because you're afraid you won't have anything to talk about and she won't like me. Statements that refute that thought might be: "We can spend at least an hour talking about the office culture here and what she did before this" and "She will like me because I've made a sincere overture to get to know her better."

Keep an event journal: If you are a person who experiences a lot of self doubt, then it's time for a test. In the course of a single day, write down all of the things - simple and complex - that you accomplished without a hitch. These can be things like "ran productive staff meeting" or "had great talk with Brandon over coffee." Then, write down the things that didn't go so well. You will inevitably notice that the list of things that went well far outweighs the list of things that didn't, and this will hopefully allow you to see your doubt in a different light.

Call on your cheerleaders: Often, our loved ones can see our lives much more objectively than we can. Being a natural introvert, I sometimes doubt my interpersonal skills, and when someone doesn't respond to me in the way that I expect, I occasionally get paranoid. It always helps to call one of my best friends so that she can assure me that I do in fact have a lot of wonderful relationships in my life.

Celebrate your successes: When a situation in which you doubted yourself turns out better than you expected, don't just nod and smile and move immediately on to the next thing. Take a moment and reward yourself for a positive outcome. Do something you enjoy like going to your favorite restaurant or eating a delectable dessert. Taking the time to cement positive emotions in your mind will hopefully make the doubt disappear more quickly next time.

Article by Alexandra Levit and courtesy of Water Cooler Wisdom blog.

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 21, 2010 at 11:52 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Ouch. I keep reading about personal branding being a tool that sets you up to be tomorrow's leaders. Why do old people always say this to young people? And, why do young people repeat it?

Does anyone wake up in the morning and say, "I hope I'll be tomorrow's leader." When they wake up the next day, they a) discover that hope is not a strategy, and b) that tomorrow is yet another day away.

Only fools...Don't be fooled by anyone who says you can't lead today. Truth is: if you're not leading something today, someone else is. And, they aren't waiting for you to wake up and say, "Thanks for keeping my spot warm, move over, I'm leading now."

They will look down at you from their perch of leadership (no matter how minor) and kick you back down among the crowd of followers. (They probably won't actually kick you. What they will do is more covert: steal your ideas, not pass along a great concept you offered up or just talk you down to their leader.)

Here today in the precious present

Personal brands of earth: wake up. It's today. Lead today. Whenever it turns out to be tomorrow, you just keep on leading. Don't be fooled by that "tomorrow's leader" ambition killer Kool Aid, even if it they say it's good for you. It's not. It's good for them.

Seth Godin famously says that you belong to a tribe (maybe several) and within that tribe you can step up and lead it. Maybe you'll lead a particular sub-group or lead on a particular project.

I'm sure you can think of something in every segment of your life, where you can initiate a plan, project or program and lead. Consider your work, social life, community, worship group, family, sports club, hobby... the places where you can exercise leadership is almost infinite.

When leaders above you and around you see you leading by virtue of your own initiative, you'll be promoted as a leader of greater and greater authority. Your sphere of influence and control will widen. You'll meet other leaders. You'll recommend each other for choice assignments. You'll invent. Become CEO of your life and probably others.

Study leadership, and make that part of your personal brand. Remember you take on responsibility for the people you lead, just as much as the outcome from their actions.

The sooner you take leadership roles, the better.

Right now would be good.

Nance Rosen is the author of Speak Up! & Succeed. She speaks to business audiences around the world and is a resource for press, including print, broadcast and online journalists and bloggers covering social media and careers. Read more at NanceRosenBlog. Twitter name: nancerosen.

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 January 21, 2010 at 11:32 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Today, I spoke to Jordan McAuley, who is the "King of Celebrity Contacts" and the author of Celebrity Leverage. In this interview, Jordan tells out the ways to get celebrity endorsements, how he got involved in this niche, his impressions of personal branding and a few success stories.

What are your top 3 ways to get celebrity endorsements?

1.Having your photo taken with celebrities holding your product
2.Getting verbal endorsements by having your product included at gift suites
3.Paying for them

How did you get involved in the celebrity branding area?

I've been helping entrepreneurs and small businesses get their products to celebrities since 1996 with my Contact Any Celebrity service. I put together my new book, Celebrity Leverage to give examples and answer questions I'm always asked about how business owners can get their products to celebrities.

What is your opinion of personal branding? How have you built your brand?

Branding yourself is very important, but I think it's more important to brand your business or product. Look what happened to Martha Stewart when she went to prison -- she was the brand and her company suffered for it. There has to be a balance between the brand of the owner and the brand as a whole. Too much focused on the owner is mistake. I've built my brand by being consistent over the years, getting involved with various groups (the Independent Book Publisher Association, Association of Fundraising Professionals, Public Relations Society of America), and writing lots of books!

What success stories have you seen with people using celebrity endorsements to boost their careers?

There are many examples in my book. One is of a company called Wear You Manners, a child's t-shirt line. They send their t-shirts to celebrities with children like Doug Savant (Desperate Housewives) and Laura Leighton (Melrose Place). Then when they get a thank you note, they ask the celebrity if they can use it and put it up on their Website. Another story is Amy Peters of Amy Peters Studio. She sends her jewelry samples to the wardrobe department on prime-time television shows, thus getting her jewelry worn by major TV stars!

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 January 21, 2010 at 11:27 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

In this article, I wanted to touch upon some important points, which can help your entire performance review process go much smoother.

1) Start the process properly - Be clear on your objectives

When you join a new job, or at the start of the review cycle, it is essential to have a very clear understanding of what your job objectives/goals are. The main idea is to leave as little ambiguity as possible. Have a look at the official document which has your objectives and talk with your manger to make sure both of you are on the same page. As far as possible, keep the objectives specific, achievable and measurable - request to make changes to the document accordingly. In addition to knowing what is needed to meet expectation/objectives, it is also a good idea to ask your manager what you would need to do, in order to exceed the expectations and receive an outstanding review at the end of the year

2) Take stock often

Don't wait till the end of the year to find out how you have done. Meet with your manger every 3 months or so, ask how you are doing and whether you are on track to getting the outstanding review you aim for. This way you can make corrections and change course along the way and ensure that your manager is on-board. In a way you are also preparing your manager for giving you a good review

3) Ask for what you deserve

At the end of the year, assuming you have met/exceeded the performance criteria, make sure that you get what you deserve in terms of final performance rating, promotion, salary increase, more responsibility and so on.

Article by Amit Puri of Sandbox Advisors

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, and posted on Gradversity.

Posted by Candice Arnold on January 21, 2010 at 11:24 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Today, I spoke to Patricia Hunt Sinacole, an HR expert who runs First Beacon Group LLC and is also columnist for The Boston Globe. In this interview, Patricia talks about how job seekers can become more employable, what retail marketing strategies work in a job hunt, why companies should limit social media use at work and more.

What are some ways that a job seeker can work on their employability?

There are many ways a job seeker can improve their chances of landing a new job. Job seekers should evaluate their current educational level. In 2009, the unemployment rate for college grads has been about half of the national average. Job seekers should think about growth industries. There are some industries that have demonstrated resilience during this economic downturn. Recent reports released in the fall of 2009 suggest that the following sectors added jobs from October, 2009 to November, 2009: Professional, Scientific and Business Services. Administrative, Support and Waste Management Services also added jobs as did employers in the Temporary Help.

Employers representing Education and Health Services also saw modest increases in job growth. Keeping an active network is also important for all of us but especially important for those looking for a new opportunity. Having a healthy professional network of contacts is key. Connect with colleagues, friends and neighbors. Be respectful of their time but pick their brain on ideas, contacts and their "grapevine." Join LinkedIn. Re-connect with alumni associations. A strong and supportive network is important for mental health too.

What would you tell a job seeker that has been out of work for more than eight months?

This is a very difficult economy. There are signs that the job market is improving. Hold yourself accountable. Set specific networking goals. Never say no to an introduction. Understand (in advance) that rejection is often part of the search process in this employment market. Tell everyone you know that you are looking for a job. Word of mouth and referrals are still the best source of job leads and job offers.

What retail marketing strategies can job seekers adopt to help sell themselves?

1.First, advertising -- a job seeker's resume is a sort of advertisement. A resume should be concise, crisp and error-free. A good resume does not need to outline every detail about a job seeker's professional work history - much like an advertisement. It should provide a compelling overview. The resume's "job" is to land the job seeker an interview, not provide every detail.
2.Like a strong retailer, word-of-mouth is essential to a successful job search. Referrals are critically important for both a retailer and a job seeker. Think about how many times we all have shared information about a retailer - good or bad.
3.Lastly, retailers often are successful because they have a competitive edge. They might offer an extra benefit - a drive-through in a particular location, wide and well-light aisles or an amazing level of personalized service. This is similar for job seekers as well.

How can a job seeker differentiate themselves from their competitors?

Maybe it is a specialized knowledge or industry experience? Or a former manager who provides a glowing reference and recommendation? Or an advanced degree, that may not be required but is preferred? Job seekers should give thought to highlighting their competitive edge.

Should companies limit the use of social networking in the workplace?

Yes, most companies should limit the use of social networking sites in the workplace. An employee is paid to add value to the company, not check out new photos online of their best friend's cat. Unless the use of social networking tools is an integral part of an employee's role, the sites should only be used on a very limited basis. We are receiving more inquiries from clients on how to address and limit the use of social networking in the workplace.

Can you name your biggest accomplishment in 2009 and what your goals are for 2010?

Our greatest accomplishment in 2009 has been how we solidified our relationships with our both our long-term and new clients. We have had a very strong year in a very difficult economic client. Our solid relationships with clients, our strong work ethic and our fair and authentic approach to providing best in class HR service have been our competitive edge.

Our goals for 2010 are the following:

1.Continue to offer best in class HR services on an as-needed basis.
2.Partner with a top-notch benefits brokerage firm to offer additional services to our clients. Many of our clients are overwhelmed with the complexity around healthcare, benefits plan design and the costs associated with such offerings. Having a strong and experience benefits broker is important to many of our clients.
3.Balancing it all.

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 January 21, 2010 at 11:22 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Tis' the season for predictions into 2010. After researching data from various sources, and talking with many colleagues over the past year and into 2010, I've put my finger on a handful of things that popped out at me. None of these predictions are groundbreaking, they're fairly common sense. But, I think they're important to keep an eye on, and with the media and government telling us that the recession is over, we shouldn't become complacent in preparing for the upcoming year.

• There WILL be continued higher than average unemployment numbers through the end of 2010. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but things aren't going to get immediately better this year. After talking with colleagues in the consulting business, the general attitude towards 2009 was dismal. The silver lining was a busier than normal December. I always say the consulting business is a good barometer of the general employment market, but full-time hiring is about 6 months behind contingent hiring. So, if December was the start of something positive, we're still not going to see the unemployment numbers dropping much until Q3-Q4.
• Increased contract/contingent workforce. IT has stabilized in general, but companies are still a little skeptical of making a large investment in hiring employees right now. I think we're going to see a gradual increase in the number of full-time vacant positions in the upcoming months, but I'm certain we're not going to notice a huge difference in non-contingent vacancies until the end of 2010 and into 2011. Companies need IT workers, so we'll see more contract labor this year than in years past.
• High turnover. When things do officially get better, we're going to see employees turning over like crazy. I talk to and know a lot of people who are getting handed more and more work and hours, for less money, and for no appreciation. However, most people are smart and aren't complaining about having a job, and willfully accept the additional tasks and responsibilities. But beware, those people are looking, and when they find something they'll be gone faster than donuts at a fat camp. Now is the time to invest in pumping up employee morale, the turnover that's bound to happen will cripple some organizations.
• An increased investment in technology. Companies have been taking the wait and see approach now for well over a year. Projects have to be done, companies can't take 2 years off of investing in technology. Besides, don't you invest in technology to gain efficiency and a competitive edge? Gartner estimates that we'll see a 3.3% increase in IT spending in 2010. I predict Application Development, IT Security, and SAP as growth areas specific to IT.
• An increased amount of "off-shore" / "on-shore" outsourcing/development. This is never going away, but I think the bargain shopping CIO/CEOs, IT leaders, etc. are going to look for ways to still invest in IT, but dramatically reduce their cost. Hate me if you want, but I think this is a fairly big misnomer. If managed correctly and heavily, off-shore development can reduce costs, but managing that relationship and model is extremely challenging. More times than not, the cost savings diminishes very quickly because of the quality of the work and the increased amount of time it takes to complete the assigned tasks. If anything, we'll see a bigger increase in contract labor to clean up the mess that was made. I think the larger outsourcing arrangements will continue to fade, and smaller niche consulting companies will start to see an increased interest in their outsourcing capabilities.
• A small increase in start-ups, particularly healthcare. There's more money flowing through the economy right now, the stock market is up, and more investors are looking for ways to make a buck. With government healthcare reform, we're going to see companies popping up left and right to take advantage of the new policies and programs (when they're all ironed out). The entrepreneurial spirit will kick in and people with smart ideas will get the funding they need to launch their ideas into solutions.
• Older workforce, and baby-boomers delaying retirement. 401k and retirement accounts were destroyed over the past 2 years. While some of that has come back, it's going to be 2-5 years of additional work to recover what was lost (at least). Companies may offer buy-outs and incentives to get some employees into retirement, but I don't think many will take the offers. Companies will continue to find ways to leverage the knowledge and experience of that workforce, and they will be a key demographic in assisting companies with their part-time openings, particularly retail.

It's fun to throw out predictions, but let's hope 2010 is better than anticipated. Dust of the cynical negative cobwebs and start thinking positive about the possibility of growth and stability in the employment sector. The economy is recovering, things are looking better and brighter, but it's going to take some time for everything to shake out.

Article by Ehren Seim, Director of Recruiting & Marketing @ Object Partners, Inc.