Sunday, May 17, 2020

OMG! Did You Really Use That as Your Profile Pic

OMG! Did You Really Use That as Your Profile Pic We all know that first impressions count. In business it is so important and in the world of social media platforms that first impression can cost you dearly if you get it wrong. There are many horror stories of people posting mad things to Facebook etc, but historically most have been more conservative with LinkedIn. Sadly, that trend seems to be changing, and there are more and more posts appearing of things like motivational quotes, cartoons, religious posts, general funnies, and other things not quite right for the platform. If we don’t like what we see on our feed we can easily hide that person’s posts. They  then loses the traction they were hoping for, and us as an audience. Shame for them, and silly really. Be found One of the keys of using LinkedIn successfully, is to be found. Be found for the things we want to be found for, and when someone does find us, let them see the very best impression of us that we can. After all, we want them to contact us don’t we? Of course there is a lot that goes into being found on LinkedIn, but once you are found what impression do you give? One of the most obvious and simple things to get right is your profile photo. I’ve been doing some work for a client recently, helping them to improve their LinkedIn profiles and along the way been updating my resources, including finding example profile pictures to help them understand the right kind of photos to use, and the kind not to. OMG really? Along the way I have seen some great stuff, and I’ve also seen some shockers. I mean seriously, do you really think a photo of you in a very revealing ball dress, taken in a hotel bathroom was a good idea? You pole-dancing? Walking your dog? A wedding shot? Holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa? And amazingly there were worse too. And before you ask, yes these are real and were all from professional people; not escorts, pole dancers, dog walkers, wedding planners and travel reps â€" they are Recruiters, Accountants, Lawyers, Marketeers  and HR Consultants. Studies on the subject show that your profile is 40% more likely to be viewed if you have a photo, and that the right photo helps to humanise you, warm the reader to you personally, and start the know, like and trust process off in the right way. Getting it right The right photo does wonders for you and your reputation. The goal is to help the reader want to find out more and show you how you want to be seen. How you want to be seen is very much about the right business impression, not a photo where you think you look nice! So, here are a few simple dos and don’ts for showing a great LinkedIn profile photo: Do have a close up (a headshot) Don’t show your partner or kids No Facebook type photos It needs to be you (and you recently) No cartoons or avatars No company logos No selfies Worst of all â€" leaving it blank! Please check out your photo again and decide if it shows you in the way you want to be seen. And if you are in any doubt, show a trusted colleague, your mother, father, sister, brother or your boss â€" they will be very honest with you! And, if you are still in any doubt a headshot photographer will do you a great job for you, if your budget stretches to using one (they are not as pricey as you might think). But if not, then a nice close up of you, dressed appropriately against a neutral background can be taken with any smart phone these days and will work very well indeed. About the author:  James Nathan runs the James Nathan experience; the Business Development, Sales and Service Excellence Expert for Professional Recruiters.

Thursday, May 14, 2020

12 Steps to Landing A Government Job CareerMetis.com

12 Steps to Landing A Government Job Certain job markets have more incentive for those looking for employment. If you’re looking for a stable career with fantastic benefits, you may have considered the health care or education industries, but there’s another major sector you should look into. Government is a prominent, promising career choice for people from all fields.Because it’s so expansive, federal employment offers many different career paths. You can work in a local or national government on a variety of issues or grow in a singular role that leans more toward administrative or technical duties.evalWherever you want to take your career, landing a government job is the first step to make that happen. For some people, the application and interview process can be confusing because of how it differs from finding a private-sector job.Read on to learn how to get a government job no matter your experience. With the right preparation, you’ll land the post you’re looking for and enjoy being part of an essential public program.1) Do Your ResearchevalWhen you’re looking for a government position, the first thing you should do is read about the organization, branch or office you want to work with.Start by visiting its main website to read about its mission statement and what the department does. Memorize core points and beliefs to bring them to your interview and show you’re a good fit for the organization.Check the news and any press linked on the website to find out what the office is currently doing and what future projects might be. Read through social media, as well. You’ll either find more information that excites you about the position or discover you might not be such a great fit, after all.2) Emphasize Your SkillsUnemployment is at a significant low of 4.1%, which means that with less competition, it’s the perfect time to get your foot in the door. Still, thousands of people apply for government jobs every day, so you’ll need to stand out more than in a typical job applicat ion.Either on your resume or in a questionnaire, emphasize your strongest skills by relaying situations where you led a team, took on a particular challenge or solved a problem. Talk about how those attributes will benefit the organization if you are hired and describe how they will grow with time.evalEmployers want to know why you should join their team, which means you should bring something to the table after you get hired and continue growing in your time on the job.3) Avoid Job ScamsBecause so many people want to get a government job, sometimes scams are involved. Be on the lookout for anything that asks you to pay to applyto jobs. You should never be told there’s a position waiting for you or a guarantee of employment after purchase. No legitimate job will ask you to pay for anything, give your bank account information or provide your Social Security number.If you happen to fall for a job scam, don’t panic. You can call the FTC hotline and report what you saw. You won’t be penalized for the mistake, so it won’t be counted against you in future applications.4) Read the Occupational QuestionnaireAt the end of some job posts, you may see an occupational questionnaire. Although you might think you answered the questions in your resume or cover letter, you still need to read and answer each question. These narrow down what they’re looking for in a candidate, which gives you another opportunity to pitch yourself. This might also appear under the Who May Apply and Qualifications sections, depending on the job.eval5) Sign up for EmailsevalWhile you’re flipping through job posts, don’t forget to sign up for email alerts. There are always new positions being posted that you might miss because you’re filtering by keywords. Daily or weekly emails will round up new availabilities and provide a fresh perspective on what your opportunities are.After you’ve searched through potential jobs for days or weeks on end, the listings will start to look the sa me. Email notifications direct you to the most recent posts, which you may accidentally skip over otherwise.6) Review Your ResumeOnce you’ve found a few jobs that interest you, wait to send out your application. First, you’ll need to review your resume. The federal application process is very specific because it runs all submitted resumes through computer programs.These look for certain buzzwords, so take the time to make your resume shine no matter what experience you have. Include words such as:DevelopedMaintainedOversawCreatedSupportedConsider the length of your resume, as well. Traditional jobs prefer resumes to fit on one page, but government jobs want one to three pagesper resume to get a better understanding of the applicant. Once you have your buzzwords and length, tailor your resume for each application by putting the most relevant experience at the top and working your way down.7) Check Your StatusAfter you’ve completed an application and clicked the submit button, m ost sites will provide a status that shows you where it is within the hiring process.Check it whenever you need to, instead of calling an HR department for a follow-up. The status will be “reviewed” if someone has considered your application, “referred” if you’ve been passed on to the hiring manager or “not referred” if you’re no longer in the running for that role.8) Ask the Right QuestionsSchedule your first interview and celebrate, but remember to sit down and think about what questions you’ll ask during the interview. It’s not enough to have the best answers. You also have to show you’re inquisitive.The right questions are the ones you can’t get an answer to with a quick internet search. A great example of this is health care. If you ask whether or not the job includes benefits, you’ll look like you didn’t do your research. Government jobs traditionally provide extensive and high-quality health insurancefor full-time employees.evalInstead, ask job-spe cific questions about what they expect from the role, how you can develop it and what your day-to-day responsibilities will look like.9) Understand What’s ExpectedWhile you’re considering a job post, make sure you understand what’s expected of the selected candidate. You might see the terms “competitive” and “excepted” service and skim over them, but they clarify who should apply for the job.Competitive service is much more strict since they look through all applicants but only refer a few. After you apply to a competitive service job, you’ll need to complete a written testand go through separate evaluations that consider your education, experience and any other skills you have.Excepted service is slightly less strict because these jobs are typically only attorney positions. Since attorneys must go through rigorous exams to pass the bar, they prove themselves long before any evaluations need to be done.10) Know the Job RequirementsReviewing the job requirements on ev ery job post should be a habit you develop quickly, but you also must remember them when you move forward in the application process. You’ll need to know what you’ll do in the position and what your weekly schedule will look like. While looking for these requirements, you might find that the job includes a flex-time program, so you’re not locked down to the standard 9-5 workday.evalRequirements may also guide the questions you write down for your interview. You’ll want to know everything you can about what the selected candidate will do in that position and avoid asking questions that were already answered in the job post. This kind of research seems straightforward, but not reading through a listing happens more often than you might assume. Give yourself the best chance of landing the job by learning everything you can about it before walking into an interview.11) Serve in the Peace CorpsIf you’ve struggled through multiple non-referral applications or don’t have the ex perience needed for government job positions, you may want to consider serving in the Peace Corps. You’ll travel the world and help others as an international volunteer.Peace Corps provides you with a monthly living stipend, extensive health and dental insurance, and vacation time.Once you’ve spent three years with the Peace Corps, you’ll earn non-competitive eligibility status, which makes you more likely to find employment with a government agency. This is a great option for those who wish they could travel more and develop their skills at the same time.12) Show Your ConfidenceTaking on a government job is a huge responsibility. When you go in for an interview, project a strong level of confidencefrom the moment you walk through the front door. Dress as though you’ve already won the role, always give a firm handshake and maintain eye contact with every answer you give.Even if you can’t think of a response to a question right away, pausing to think shows you’re consider ate and taking the interview seriously. Sometimes confidence lands you a job faster than someone reviewing your resume.Land That Government JobBy keeping these tips in mind and following the right process as you begin your government job search, you’ll stand a better chance of landing the right post for you.

Sunday, May 10, 2020

Three Secrets From My Skillshare Class

Three Secrets From My Skillshare Class 3 Secrets From My Free Skillshare Class Building your personal brand requires some reflection and I walk you through how to do this (and share examples) in my free Skillshare class! If youve put off defining your personal brand or you havent evaluated your personal brand lately, now it a great time to do it! But first, a confession It took me a long time to fine-tune my personal brand. I thought I knew what made me special or different. But it turned out, it wasnt all that special or different. As I looked at what other career professionals were saying about themselves and their business, I lifted ideas and kept experimenting. (Im still experimenting). You see, your brand isnt once and done and you shouldnt set it and forget it. It evolves over time. I believe the more personal flavor you inject into your brand, the more it will stick with people. Dont be afraid to include your secret or confess something personal. It makes you more real. The Backstory One day, out of the blue, I got an email from Zoë Björnson at about.me asking if I wanted to do a class on personal branding. I was surprised, honored and scared all at the same time. Long ago, about.me  featured me as one of the top  career experts on about.me. (And I was surprised and honored  back then too!) Recruiters and Career Experts: Staff Picks I knew I had to do the class so I said yes! And after working virtually with Zoë Björnson (about.me) and Becca Cloyd (Skillshare), I was on my way to New York City for a fun-filled day of filming! My new best friends at @skillshare Thank you all! pic.twitter.com/MbUjPGYbeU â€" Hannah Morgan (@careersherpa) May 12, 2017 Along the way, I met these other cool people! (Yes, Steve Carter is also from Rochester, NY and we  didnt know each other before. Small world!) The moral of this story is I would NEVER have been featured by about.me or invited to do a class (on anything) had I NOT built a reputation for being knowledgeable about job search and personal branding. I built it and they came! This is proof personal branding CAN work. 3 Secrets From My Free Skillshare Class During the class,  Personal Branding First Impressions: Writing Your Bio for Social Media  , I reveal secrets about personal branding, but let me share several with you now! Here are the top 3: Your personal brand is what people say about you when you arent in the room- thats it! (Ask people you know to describe you) Your first and last name are part of your personal brand. Use them! Use your email signature to highlight your personal brand! See what to include here. And about.me has an embeddable link you can use too! Who Is This Class For? The short answer is anyone. But here are the types of people I think the class will help: If you are unemployed, you need an ego boost. Defining your personal brand will give you one. Plus help you stand out. If you are ready for the next step in your career, youll benefit from having a well-positioned message. If you have a side-hustle (or are thinking about a side-hustle) then you absolutely need to refine your personal brand. If you have your own business, your personal brand is a must! Actionable Help The class includes 30 minutes of videos and worksheets! But your work isnt done in a vacuum.  I encourage you to share your work with the class.  Not only will you get my feedback, but feedback from others in the class, too. What better place to test your personal brand message, but as a class project. Upload your written summary or share a screenshot of your about.me page, or both! So what are you waiting for? The class is free when you sign up using this link:  Personal Branding First Impressions: Writing Your Bio for Social Media     Plus, as a special bonus to my readers, youll get two (2) months of Skillshare Premium access for free. (Check out the amazing classes available on Skillshare.) Ive listed the class on my Upcoming Workshops page and you can read the full class description there. More Articles On Personal Branding Even though Ive written and spoken about personal branding for a long, long time, its still difficult to define and even harder for students to put into practice. Here are articles that may help you as you refine and disseminate your personal brand. Your Summary, Profile, and Pitch   Free Tools For A Better Online Presence How To Build A Better Bio Demonstrate Your Social Prowess (with about.me) How To Create A Cohesive Social Branding Kit

Friday, May 8, 2020

Writing Good Resume Summary

Writing Good Resume SummaryWhat should be the first thing that you put on your resume if you have not thought of it before? It might be hard to believe, but the first thing you put on your resume will be what helps it stand out from the rest. Since so many people start their jobs with a resume, some of the words that they choose to put on it are not exactly accurate or even helpful. Here are some things to remember when making a resume summary.Read through your resume cover to cover and go over each section. Think about what it is that you would like the reader to remember. It might be a list of qualifications, a few accomplishments, a summary of skills, a short story, or even an inspirational quote. Whatever it is, take a minute to think about it and see what it will do for you.Make sure that you remember the first and most important rule of writing: Be concise. Making your resume too long means that you will not get any attention when you apply for a job. You don't want to waste yo ur precious time writing your resume just to find out that it doesn't give you the interview you wanted.So, go to your local library and look at some good examples of resumes examples. Do some research on how to make a resume that stands out from the rest. This can help you get a better understanding of what you need to include on it.It is also important to make a note of what you like and dislike about the person you are applying to. It can help you come up with a job offer that you are more likely to accept. In addition, your resume summary will help you figure out how to respond in the future if you do get a job.When making a resume summary, usea simple sentence or two to define yourself and emphasize the positive. It will allow your potential employer to quickly determine if you have what it takes to be a part of their company.If you can help it, make your resume as long as possible but concise. It can sometimes feel awkward or unnatural when you are making a resume and not bein g able to fit everything you want to say into it.With a bit of research and practice, you can start to make some headway in finding better job opportunities. Make sure that you do your part for those who apply by making your resume a good one.

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Tips For Writing Your CV Or Resume

Tips For Writing Your CV Or ResumeWriting your CV or resume is something that can be a little confusing, and a process that can take some time. The process of preparing for it, is the first thing that you will want to focus on. You are going to want to ensure that you go over what kind of information you would like your prospective employer to have.When you do this, you will want to look at a few simple ways that you can avoid wasting time and effort. Perhaps you will want to make the process easier for yourself by making sure that you know about a few quick tips. No matter what, make sure that you take the time to prepare, even if it is just for the sake of knowing that you are doing the right thing.After all, you want to make sure that you don't make mistakes that could cause you to lose out on your job opportunities. When you have done your homework, you will know exactly what you are doing, and you will also be able to keep better track of everything that you need to do to keep t he attention of your future employer. When you prepare, you will have nothing to worry about.You will find that a couple of things when you are prepared are that you will feel much more confident in the things that you will have to say to potential employers, and you will be ready to be writing your CV or resume. Of course, there are some other tips that you may find helpful in your efforts as well. Remember that you should always have some basic things written down, but you will want to make sure that you keep an open mind about everything that you are reading.Remember that even though you are confident, it is still important to remember that you should stay positive. If you are planning on doing all of the writing, then you should make sure that you spend a lot of time thinking about what you are going to write. When you do this, you will be making the process a little bit easier, and you will also have no worries about taking forever.Ensure that you do not try to force anything. You should also make sure that you are checking out your materials often to make sure that you don't make any mistakes. If you think that you are doing a good job, then you will want to just keep it going.Writing your CV or resume is something that should not be taken lightly. You want to make sure that you are doing it correctly, and that you are doing it properly. There are just a few things that you need to take into consideration in order to ensure that you do just that.

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Top Linkedin Resume Generator Choices

Top Linkedin Resume Generator Choices What You Need to Do About Linkedin Resume Generator Before It Is Too Late You're able to actually download a LinkedIn profile for a PDF file. Also, make certain that your Facebook resume puts you in the very best possible light for a candidate who wishes to work for a certain organization. Your email is probably going to be utilized as your account name helping you to come back to the website to revise your profile. Facebook has ever been a fantastic place to get in touch with family and friends about all things social. LinkedIn offers users quite a few strategies to create an impressive profile. If you'd like to relocate, use your intended location in your LinkedIn Profile to entice employers in that region. Moreover, your LinkedIn profile can improve your visibility online and help you construct your professional brand. When you make an application for work, the employer might also take a look at your LinkedIn profile to find out mo re about you. Computer Skills Most likely your employer employs many different computer systems to keep track of workers, their work and prospective candidates. Engineering Skills As an industrial plumber you're not predicted to design the blueprint for those items which you are installing, but you need to unquestionably be in a position to read it and apply it. Resumes are made to recognize the best side of someone. With the appropriate shipping, employers and hiring managers won't be in a position to quit reading. What employers and hiring managers wish to understand is what specific kinds of equipment you're ready to operate. Work is usually repetitive after you learn the procedures, but there are lots of distinct tasks that have to be done following strict guidelines and creating relevant documents on the way. At times the work required is really necessary and there's nobody there to do it, at times it is a test from management to see whether you fit in the business on the very long term. Ideas, Formulas and Shortcuts for Linkedin Resume Generator Thus, it's far better to adjust your resume to every particular job opening. You only have to find ready a productive cover letter if you want to secure a very good job. Therefore, if you're searching to receive a job ( not just virtually any job, no matter how the job that you want), make sure to do things proper and work out how to make an outstanding resume. Master organizer A grocery store manager is responsible for the shift scheduling of the employees in such a manner that there's enough staff to handle the fluctuation volumes of consumers. Customer service also needs to be a consideration on resumes without a lot of food service experience, so make sure you highlight that experience in resumes which do not have a lengthy job history. You may post your work application on the internet by causing a completely free accounts and a work alert. In case you make your resume personal, companies c annot locate your work application, so they can't get in contact with you if indeed they think you may be ideal for work.

Saturday, April 11, 2020

How To Deal With A Negative Co-Worker - Work It Daily

How To Deal With A Negative Co-Worker - Work It Daily In this week's edition of Well,This Happened, the series that lets you become a career coach, we addressed Michelle's awkward workplace dilemma.Michelle and her co-workers are getting fed up with the negativity coming from another co-worker that everyone has to work closely with. Her boss doesn't seem to have a problem with it but it's affect their team dynamic. She's not sure how to go about addressing this with the negative co-worker.This is an issue that could certainly spiral into a serious problem! One negative co-worker can bring down an entire team. It's a situation that certainly needs to be addressed but it has to be done the right way, Earlier this week we gave four possible options for addressing this situation.Did you guess right? Find out by watching this video below. And The Correct Answer Is... Have an uncomfortable situation at work or in your job search that you aren't sure how to deal with? Let us know by emailing support@workitdaily.com.Also, be sure to check back regularly as we will be posting a new awkward experience weekly. If you guess right by posting a comment on our YouTube Channel, you might WIN A FREE YEAR inside our program. From Your Site Articles How To Deal With A Coworker That Overshares - Work It Daily ... Related Articles Around the Web 3 Types Of Awful Co-Workers And How To Deal With Each Negative Employees: How to Keep One From Spoiling the Whole ... How to Voice Concerns Without Seeming Negative | Inc.com Have you joined our career growth club?Join For Free!