What Online Communities are Best for Your Job Search

What Online Communities are Best for Your Job Search Networking is a major part of job search success. And with all of the online tools available today, there’s really no excuse for failing to connect with people who could help you. The real question is what online communities are the  most  beneficial for job seekers? If you’re hoping to land a new job, you may want to focus your efforts on the following opportunities: Seek Out Niche Job Communities To Land A New Job Job seekers should embrace niche job boards to amp up their job search. By seeking out postings on niche job boards specific to an industry, applicants have access to job postings that are more specialized to their field, as well as smaller applicant pools as their competition. Amit De,  Careerleaf Turn to Social Media To Land The Perfect Position Social media is a great tool for connecting with employers and top companies looking to recruit talent. Using social media, you can connect with employers and thought leaders in a way you never could have before. Your social media profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter can also work as an advertisement for your skills and abilities. So you should make sure to link your resume, video resume, and any relevant work samples to these online social profiles. Josh Tolan,  Spark Hire Use Glassdoor and Other Relevant Blogs to Think Outside the Box Glassdoor can help job seekers find major issues in companies and get an inside view in companies you want to work for. Understanding the pain points of the company makes you more valuable to a company, because it allows you to identify a problem and provide an educated solution. Blogging4Jobs by Jessica Merrell, Brazen Careerist, Simply Hired, Come Recommended, Careerbright and The Grindstone are also great online communities that cover very relevant and insightful topics for those looking for new opportunities. Joanna Riley Weidenmiller,  1-Page Proposal Leverage LinkedIn For Networking I prefer using LinkedIn to network and source jobs. It is a professional network with the expectation that people use it to network (e.g., build relationships, create relationships, and research people and roles). Stacey Hawley,  Credo Twitter For Finding Job Postings and Connecting Employers will post jobs and updates on Twitter, so it’s useful to follow to companies you are interested in joining. You can also follow the HR/hiring managers and engage with their tweets to help you build a relationship. You will generate the right attention if you publish interesting and relevant tweets, and if you re-tweet on a regular basis. Stephanie Jones,  Cuff Jones

Book excerpt Methods for controlling the hours you work

Book excerpt Methods for controlling the hours you work My book, Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success, is available now! Here is tip #37 from the book: A Long List of Ways to Dodge Long Hours Its hard to leave the office at a reasonable time of day when your workplace culture centers on long hours. But the cost of not leaving work is high: a half-built life and career burnout. Of course, if you never work long hours, you will never appear committed enough to get to the top ranks. So your job is to work enough hours to look committed but not so many hours that you risk your personal life and your ability to succeed over the long haul. People cannot work full-speed until they die. Pace yourself so you dont burn out before you reach your potential. But dont blame your long hours on your boss, your CEO, or your underlings. Someone who does not make a conscious, organized effort to take responsibility for the number of hours they work can be thrown off course by anyone. But the person who systematically follows the steps below will not be thrown off course, even by a workaholic boss in a workaholic industry: Concentrate on quality of work over quantity. The person who builds a career on doing the most work commits to living on a treadmill. The work will never be done, and you will become known among your co-workers as someone who never turns down an assignment. Read: dumping ground. Quality is what matters. People dont lose a job for not working unpaid overtime, they lose a job for not performing well at the most important times; and a resume is not a list of hours worked, it is a list of big accomplishments. Know the goals of your job. You need to know the equivalent of a home run in your job. Get a list of goals from your boss, and understand how they fit into the big picture. Judge if your work is high quality by what people need from you and how they measure success. Be sure to get goals that are quality oriented and not hours oriented. Suggest replacing, Devote eight hours a week to cold-calling to Find six qualified leads in three months. Find the back door. Figure out what criteria people use for promotion. It is never only how many hours you work. In many professions you need to work a lot of hours, but there is always a way to be impressive enough to cut back on hours. In the realm of superstars, achievement is based on quality over quantity. Figure out how to turn out extremely impressive work so that you can get away with fewer hours. For example, if youre a lawyer, you could pick up one, very important client for the firm, and then cut back a little on your hours. Refuse bad assignments. Figure out what matters, and spend your time on that. Once you have clear short-term and long-term goals, its easy to spot the person you dont need to impress, the project that will never hit your resume, or the hours worked that no one will notice. Say no. Constantly. The best way to say no is to tell people what is most important on your plate so they see that, for you, they are a low priority. Prioritizing is a way to help your company, your boss, and yourself. No one can fault your for that. Go public. Tell people about your schedule ahead of time. For example, I have Portuguese lessons on Thursdays at 7 p.m. The class is important to me. When you plan a vacation, announce it early and talk about it a lot. The more people know about how much you have been preparing and anticipating your trip the less likely people will be to ask you to cancel it. Find a silent mentor. Look for someone who is respected but does not work insane hours. This will take careful hunting because this person is not likely to be obvious about it. Watch him from afar and figure out how he operates. Few people will want to mentor you in the art of dodging work its bad for ones image. But you could enlist the person to help you in other areas and hope he decides to help you in the workload area as well. Know your bosss goals. Your best tool for saying no to a project is reminding your boss what her goals are. If she cannot keep track of her own goals, help her. Because if you worm your way out of work that doesnt matter to her, so that you can do work that does matter to her, she is more likely to back you up. Also your boss will protect you from assignments from other people if you show her how the other peoples work affects your bosss goals. Take control of what you can. Even small efforts at control add up to a lot, and best of all, they usually go unnoticed by others. For example, refuse to make meetings on Monday and you are less likely to have to prepare for meetings on the weekend. Refuse meetings after 4:30 p.m. and you are less likely to miss dinner at home. Ignore your phone while you write your weekly report and youre less likely to stay late to finish it. You dont need to tell people: My policy is no meetings at x time. Just say youre already booked and suggest another time. You cant do this every meeting, but you can do it enough to make a difference in your life. Know your own boundaries. Wanting to work fewer hours is too vague a goal because you wont know which hours to protect. Try getting home by 7 p.m., not working weekends, or leaving for two hours in the middle of the day to lift weights. These are concrete goals for cutting back hours. Create something important outside of work. If you dont create a life outside of work that is joyful and engaging then you wont feel a huge need to leave work. And if you dont project a passion for life outside of work then no one will think twice about asking you to live at work. So get some passion in your personal life. If you cant think of anything, start trying stuff: Snowboarding, pottery, speed dating. The only way to discover new aspects of yourself is to give them new opportunities to come out. Be brave. Brave people can say no when someone is pushing hard, and brave people can go home when other people are working late. The bravery comes from trusting yourself to find the most important work and to do it better than anyone else. But sometimes, the bravest thing to do is leave. Some industries, for example coding video games, or being a low-level analyst at an investment bank, are so entrenched in the idea that workers have no lives that you will find yourself battling constantly to get respect for your personal life. In some cases, you are better off changing industries, or at least changing companies.

5 Steps to Making the Best Connections - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

5 Steps to Making the Best Connections - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Most job seekers know connections are important. Especially when about 70 percent of job postings arent advertised, its all about who you know when trying to find a job. According to a recent survey, 92 percent of recruiters said they made a hiring decision because the candidate was a personal connection or they heard about the candidate from a trusted source. If youve been struggling with your job search, think about how youve used your network to find jobs. If you havent reached out to any of your friends, mentors, or colleagues about your job search, it could be hurting your odds at finding an opportunity. For job seekers who are struggling to network and land jobs, here are some tips for making the best connections: 1. Do your research. The first step in any networking process is to research employers and professionals. As a job seeker, you need to find out where professionals are in your field and the best way to reach them. When you search for professionals, reach out to people who work for organizations youd like to work for or are very involved in your industry. You can connect with a lot of these professionals through LinkedIn, professional organizations in your community, and even doing a simple Google search. 2. Be where your employers are. After youve created a list of professionals and employers youd like to network with, make your initial connection online. First, follow the professional or employer on their social media accounts. Once youve made a connection and have learned more about the company, you’re ready to spark meaningful conversations. 3. Make real connections. Although online networking is a great opportunity, nothing beats the value of face-to-face connections. As you start meeting professionals online and have even exchanged a few emails, invite these new connections out for coffee. Sure, while you could probably get many of your questions answered through an email or tweet, meeting someone for coffee is much more meaningful. When you meet with professionals in your field, treat these meetings as the beginning of a new relationship. Even if you dont plan on trying to find a job with their employer, any new contact you make will improve your job search. Remember, anyone could have a connection you can benefit from; you just have to put in the effort to build real relationships. 4. Be genuine. Whether youre looking for a job or not, networking should be an honest effort. Dont seek out new connections strictly to advance your career. Keep in mind that, when people meet with you, they also want to gain something valuable from the relationship. Just like any relationship, you must deposit ideas and thoughts into the other person. This will help you create a much stronger and long-lasting relationship. 5. Dont neglect the relationship. After youve made some connections and have met up with your new contacts, its time to nurture those relationships. This aspect of networking is probably the most challenging part of the entire networking process. Maintaining your relationships doesnt have to be time consuming, but you should put in some effort. There are a variety of things you can do to maintain your relationship and it will depend on the connection you made. Whether its exchanging banter over Twitter or sending a friendly email once every month or two, dont forget to keep in touch. This is the most valuable step in making a great connection. Finding the best connections during your job search is easy if you know where to look. As long as you are approachable, sincere, and put in the effort needed, your connections could lead to a new job. What networking tips do you have for finding the best connections?

If You Want To Choose The Right Diamond Ring, Read This

If You Want To Choose The Right Diamond Ring, Read This Buying the right diamond ring requires time, thought and planning. Here’s some help you can use: Read up on diamonds While diamonds are the most popular gemstone you can think of, purchasing one is not super tough. It comes with its own guide the 4 Cs cut, carat, color, clarity. Do your research on each one of these so you can frame an idea in your mind about what your requirements are. You don’t need to go in for a natural diamond. There’s a reason why man-made diamonds are all the rage today. They undergo the same process extreme heat and pressure to become a diamond. Thus, chemically you will see no difference between a lab created diamond and one found in the wild. What’s more, you can provide the material that goes into making the diamond. This makes the diamond even more personal. Once you’ve decided on what kind of diamond, do the crucial thing have a figure in mind. Don’t look at what needs to be the right amount to be spent. The important thing is what you can afford and how much you want to spend, because you need to keep in mind that there will be other expenses too. The stone, the metal, the making charges etc. Think about the metal you want to use The ring is gorgeous when the metal choice is an intelligent one as well. Yellow gold is a popular choice, as is white and rose gold. Platinum is a great choice too. Yellow gold wears out in time and may need replacing. Platinum lasts longer, but loses its shine as time passes. Do you want the ring engraved? Hand engraved designs cost more than machine made. Think about the metal and design elements that would go best with the stone. The metal choice depends on the diamond, its design and shape. The most popular choice for shape is the brilliant cut, a round shape. There is a large amount of wastage in this design, given the kind of shape it has. Next to this is the princess cut, which is a square or rectangle there’s little wastage in this design which keeps prices low too. The marquise cut is tapered at both ends and broad in the middle. It’s a good choice but needs protection on all sides too because it can get caught in material and break or crack. You need to think about whether you want it to be a standalone diamond or if you’d like other stones with it. Should there be other diamonds or would you prefer stones of a different nature? Maybe rubies or emeralds?  These are decisions you need to think about. Choosing The Diamond Size There’s a lot of buzz about getting a 1 carat or 2, 3 or a higher carat diamond. There are two points here. 1) it’s less expensive to get a stone that’s a shade under the full number so look for a .8 or .9 instead of 1. Same for the higher number. This can bring your expenses down. A single carat can set you back by up to 20,000 dollars. So any savings is good! 2) 1 carat does not have to be from one single stone. A collection of small diamonds can add up to 1 carat and not burn a hole in your pocket. What’s more, it makes for fiery, brilliant glory and looks absolutely beautiful. Find a jeweler who is reputed. While you might be tempted to try one of the online jewellery site deals, it may not always be what you want. A reputed store is a better bet. You have a place to resell the stone, you know its origin and provenance, including whether it’s conflict-free stone or not. You can also get sound advice from the jeweller something that may be essential in making crucial decisions. Trust someone who’s been around for a while and knows how to help you. Make sure your diamond ring comes with certification. It should be from GIA and this is the way to attest the authenticity of the stone. While you’re at it, consider insurance for the diamond ring too. Yes, it is an added expense, but wouldn’t you pay a bit more for peace of mind? Tying all these questions together is the important idea what is the wearer of the stone like? Do they like the classical design or do they have a more modern sensibility? Are they outdoors oriented or are they engaged in quiet work? Lifestyle determines the end result of the ring. So, choose your ring after taking all this into consideration.

12 Ways To Build Personal Brand Evangelism - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

12 Ways To Build Personal Brand Evangelism How to get people to spread the word about your unique value in the executive job market.

4 Time Your Customers Want Real-Time Emails

4 Time Your Customers Want Real-Time Emails The average person receives up to 90 emails in a day, ranging from social media notifications, newsletters, and spams. When was the last time you opened your mailbox to find something truly unexpected in there? Don’t worry if you can’t remember. Your customers feel just the same. Email is the least preferred form of communication outside of the B2B world. As a result, very few people write emails to each other. But, it doesn’t mean they don’t read emails. Automated emails have a bad reputation as they can lack personality and humanity. However, they are crucial to share real-time information with your B2C customers. Ecommerce and other online retailers need to set 4 real-time notifications to keep their customers engaged throughout the transaction process. Credit: www.quotecatalog.com When they’ve just purchased When a user has just bought from your site, you need to male sure they can receive immediate confirmation of the transaction via email. Ther confirmation template needs to include essential information, not only regarding their order â€" you should also add a summary of all articles along with images whenever possible â€" but also the delivery address, the payment method chosen and the expected delivery date. You should mention how they can get in touch to correct mistakes in the order or their confidential data. No customer wants to wait between checking out on the site and receiving an email, so make sure you set your automated transaction notification in real-time. When their order has been dispatched The reason why everybody loves Amazon is that it takes only a click to buy and receive an immediate shipping notification for Prime members. While customers are aware that not every online retailer may have the same speedy services like Amazon, they do hold your company to the same high standards. As a result, delays in sharing tracking information can be held against your business. Customers want to know in real-time when their parcel is on the way. It’s good practice to automate a shipping email when the package leaves your warehouse. When their order is on the way For long-distance orders, parcels can be transported via 18 wheeler trucks to the courier depot ahead of delivery days. However, when customers are used to same-day delivery with companies like Amazon, they may not understand the delay. You want to implement an email function that keeps them informed of their parcel journey and let them know about any downtime in real-time. From truck accidents to poor weather conditions, let them know what is happening to avoid frustration. When you refund their money Lastly, even though most sites have a clear refund policy, your customers are likely to purchase without consulting it. Your customer service team needs to be there to help them go through the process. But, more importantly, the refund process can take several days. You want to keep customers in the loop by letting them know when their refund has been made to prevent confusion. An automated refund email that is linked to your accounting team can save you a lot of time. We live in a world of click-to-buy behaviors. Your customers want everything immediately. If you can’t deliver the parcel as quickly as Amazon, you should at least make sure information reaches your customer in real-time. Informed customers are less likely to hold a grudge for delays or order problems.

Keys to Successful Resume Writing

Keys to Successful Resume WritingFirst, let's look at the keys to successful resume writing. Resume writing is not as simple as it sounds. It takes knowledge and skill in resume writing. The first step in how to write a resume is research on the topic.Find out as much as you can about the career field. You must do research about the industry, the company, and the key personnel involved. This will give you an idea of what type of person you are targeting in applying for a job.Start by writing down what interests you. List the areas of interest. For example, if you love to read books, go into that area when you are writing your resume. Always be realistic in your expectations of a job. Although you may have high hopes, you have to accept that there will be a lot of applicants and that you may not get the job.Then, write down what you can write about in your resume. These can be highlights, skills, or accomplishments. Always make sure that your resume shows only what you can do. If you list too many things that you cannot do, this will definitely make the interviewers think that you are a scammer.A key thing is to give a brief description of yourself. Never give any information that is irrelevant to the job or the company you are applying for. By giving too much information, you will make it look like you are trying to overstate yourself.Another key information to have includes your credentials. As a professional, this is very important. Make sure you write them in the appropriate format.Remember, the most important thing is the first impression. You want the employer to see you as the professional they are looking for. So, always be yourself in your resume.Also, never rewrite your resume. Always be honest. By being honest, the interviewer will see through the fibs in your resume. Never lie on your resume.