Competition in the Job Search

Competition in the Job Search Today I was on Lisa Rangels webinar about how to write executive resumes that get interviews. You can probably find her next webinar here. Lisa is one of a few hundred resume writers that I know.  Resume writers are good people.  They are nice, service oriented, and are thrilled when you get an interview, or better, a job. Resume writers are usually masters of their craft, which includes manipulating a Word document, converting to pdf (and still having it look good), and producing a marketing document in a way that many people cant do very well. Resume writers are also creative, and because of their expertise (or how many good/bad resumes theyve seen), they can be blunt, telling you exactly what you need to hear.  This isnt always what you want to hear I was thinking about how different Lisa is from her peers (and the strengths and weaknesses of some of her peers), and it made me think of YOU (the job seeker). I was wondering, if you were in a room of your peers and colleagues, all unemployed, how would you compete. I use compete loosely because its not all about competition. I like coopetition, and working together, and win-win, etc. But at the end of the day, some people are going to pick one.  And then the top 10 will be picked, and eventually the bottom 50% will be left there.  Still very talented, and competent perhaps more than the first 10 that were picked so why werent they picked? Lisa is very purposeful and strategic about her marketing.  She has a right-hand-man (Frank hi Frank!) who helps her, and has contracted with other resume writers and ex-recruiters to help her deliver services.  She uses current tools (webinars) and reaches out to channel partners to help her get in front of her prospects. From where Im sitting, she appears to be crushing it.  And Im happy for her.  There is plenty of room for others in this space, and I like to see people succeed theres really nothing stopping her competitors. Lets switch back to YOU.  How purposeful are you? How strategic are you?  Are you incorporating current tools, techniques and strategies in your own personal career management, or job search?  Or are you kind of sitting back, watching others, and waiting? My suggestion is that you are more purposeful and more strategic.  My suggestion is that you figure out who your partners are, and who your Frank is.  My suggestion is that you dont let your boss, or HR, or your professors tell you everything is okay, and youll be just fine.  I remember asking my boss should I be getting my resume ready right now?  The answer was well, no, of course not!  Within weeks I was getting my resume ready. And that began my journey to becoming much more intentional and purposeful about my own career management. Great things can happen to people who patiently sit and wait for them.  But there are plenty of great things just waiting for you to get up and move towards them.  Just read up on Lewis Howes if you need some inspiration on literally going from the couch to grabbing opportunities. You are not out to crush your competition, but you dont have to wait for their lead on how purposeful and strategic you should be. GO FOR IT! Competition in the Job Search Today I was on Lisa Rangels webinar about how to write executive resumes that get interviews. You can probably find her next webinar here. Lisa is one of a few hundred resume writers that I know.  Resume writers are good people.  They are nice, service oriented, and are thrilled when you get an interview, or better, a job. Resume writers are usually masters of their craft, which includes manipulating a Word document, converting to pdf (and still having it look good), and producing a marketing document in a way that many people cant do very well. Resume writers are also creative, and because of their expertise (or how many good/bad resumes theyve seen), they can be blunt, telling you exactly what you need to hear.  This isnt always what you want to hear I was thinking about how different Lisa is from her peers (and the strengths and weaknesses of some of her peers), and it made me think of YOU (the job seeker). I was wondering, if you were in a room of your peers and colleagues, all unemployed, how would you compete. I use compete loosely because its not all about competition. I like coopetition, and working together, and win-win, etc. But at the end of the day, some people are going to pick one.  And then the top 10 will be picked, and eventually the bottom 50% will be left there.  Still very talented, and competent perhaps more than the first 10 that were picked so why werent they picked? Lisa is very purposeful and strategic about her marketing.  She has a right-hand-man (Frank hi Frank!) who helps her, and has contracted with other resume writers and ex-recruiters to help her deliver services.  She uses current tools (webinars) and reaches out to channel partners to help her get in front of her prospects. From where Im sitting, she appears to be crushing it.  And Im happy for her.  There is plenty of room for others in this space, and I like to see people succeed theres really nothing stopping her competitors. Lets switch back to YOU.  How purposeful are you? How strategic are you?  Are you incorporating current tools, techniques and strategies in your own personal career management, or job search?  Or are you kind of sitting back, watching others, and waiting? My suggestion is that you are more purposeful and more strategic.  My suggestion is that you figure out who your partners are, and who your Frank is.  My suggestion is that you dont let your boss, or HR, or your professors tell you everything is okay, and youll be just fine.  I remember asking my boss should I be getting my resume ready right now?  The answer was well, no, of course not!  Within weeks I was getting my resume ready. And that began my journey to becoming much more intentional and purposeful about my own career management. Great things can happen to people who patiently sit and wait for them.  But there are plenty of great things just waiting for you to get up and move towards them.  Just read up on Lewis Howes if you need some inspiration on literally going from the couch to grabbing opportunities. You are not out to crush your competition, but you dont have to wait for their lead on how purposeful and strategic you should be. GO FOR IT! Competition in the Job Search Today I was on Lisa Rangels webinar about how to write executive resumes that get interviews. You can probably find her next webinar here. Lisa is one of a few hundred resume writers that I know.  Resume writers are good people.  They are nice, service oriented, and are thrilled when you get an interview, or better, a job. Resume writers are usually masters of their craft, which includes manipulating a Word document, converting to pdf (and still having it look good), and producing a marketing document in a way that many people cant do very well. Resume writers are also creative, and because of their expertise (or how many good/bad resumes theyve seen), they can be blunt, telling you exactly what you need to hear.  This isnt always what you want to hear I was thinking about how different Lisa is from her peers (and the strengths and weaknesses of some of her peers), and it made me think of YOU (the job seeker). I was wondering, if you were in a room of your peers and colleagues, all unemployed, how would you compete. I use compete loosely because its not all about competition. I like coopetition, and working together, and win-win, etc. But at the end of the day, some people are going to pick one.  And then the top 10 will be picked, and eventually the bottom 50% will be left there.  Still very talented, and competent perhaps more than the first 10 that were picked so why werent they picked? Lisa is very purposeful and strategic about her marketing.  She has a right-hand-man (Frank hi Frank!) who helps her, and has contracted with other resume writers and ex-recruiters to help her deliver services.  She uses current tools (webinars) and reaches out to channel partners to help her get in front of her prospects. From where Im sitting, she appears to be crushing it.  And Im happy for her.  There is plenty of room for others in this space, and I like to see people succeed theres really nothing stopping her competitors. Lets switch back to YOU.  How purposeful are you? How strategic are you?  Are you incorporating current tools, techniques and strategies in your own personal career management, or job search?  Or are you kind of sitting back, watching others, and waiting? My suggestion is that you are more purposeful and more strategic.  My suggestion is that you figure out who your partners are, and who your Frank is.  My suggestion is that you dont let your boss, or HR, or your professors tell you everything is okay, and youll be just fine.  I remember asking my boss should I be getting my resume ready right now?  The answer was well, no, of course not!  Within weeks I was getting my resume ready. And that began my journey to becoming much more intentional and purposeful about my own career management. Great things can happen to people who patiently sit and wait for them.  But there are plenty of great things just waiting for you to get up and move towards them.  Just read up on Lewis Howes if you need some inspiration on literally going from the couch to grabbing opportunities. You are not out to crush your competition, but you dont have to wait for their lead on how purposeful and strategic you should be. GO FOR IT!

The Customer Service Vocabulary What Businesses Need to Know

The Customer Service Vocabulary What Businesses Need to KnowIf you are an employer, how often do you have the opportunity to see or read a resume? Most people can't give you any more than that in a week or two. A person who has written a great resume is well worth their time, and will always have a place in the resumes of employers. However, if you don't, then how do you go about creating a resume for a client that is sure to get them a job?In the world of good resume writing, we must not forget the customer. You might as well forget yourself for a moment and just focus on the client. Now, I am not saying that you have to be a psychic, but you need to know what they are looking for. You can use the past clients' feedback on your skills to help you with this process.So, in the area of customer service, one of the most common customer service verbs is the customer satisfaction verbs. I am sure you know them by heart. The part where you leave a new client with a smile. They like their p hone to ring so they know they are getting a call. And they like to have a representative who is able to connect with them.Number one is to call a customer when they call. It doesn't have to be a large order for you to try this. Even when you are unsure if the order you place will be a large order, this will still work. Try to reach as many people as possible, and build up the order to a large size so you are confident the customer will order it.Number two is to connect with a customer. Be polite. Tell the customer that you are proud of the product or service you have offered and ask them if they would like to give you feedback on your service. They love that, because they know that someone is listening, and now you are thinking about their needs and wants.Number three is to refer a customer to another company that can help them with their needs. Do this by offering suggestions and information on how to find a vendor that will help you with your needs. For example, if you are offeri ng a web site for free, offer them a link that will take them to a free quote from a company they can trust. In this way, you are helping the customer out.Now, let's talk about the customer service verbs in a slightly different light. One of the customers who might have given you a bad rating is not a client, but an old complaint that you've been working on for years. This means you won't be able to use some of these customer service words. So, how do you do this? Find a few complaints and use them for humor in the resume, or write them down and use them as a summary.In summary, one of the biggest secrets of writing a great resume is to find a person and build a relationship with them. If you do this, and you are honest, then your resume is bound to stand out from the rest. Remember, it's the customer that you are writing for.

Your Brand Is Being Built For You - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Your Brand Is Being Built For You - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career I think its time for a reality check: If youre on the internet today, you are building your brand. Whether you like it or not, you are building your brand. It is time to think about and take control of your most valuable asset, you. Do you use Facebook? You are building your brand. What you post, what you share, what you make public, all of this is building your brand. Do you use Twitter? You are building your brand. What you retweet, content you share, what you post about, all of this is building your brand. To our younger audience who thinks that Facebook is for old people do you use Tumblr? You are building your brand. Think twice about how what you share today will affect your job prospects in the future, you are building your brand. Things arent ever deleted on the internet, once its there, its there. You can try to hide it, you can try to remove it, but it will remain forever. Whether you like it or not, you are building your brand. Take control.

Shifting the balance of power. (Mainstream media stinks.)

Shifting the balance of power. (Mainstream media stinks.) I wake up Wednesday at 4am to a phone call: The Guardian, in London, asking for an interview about my miscarriage twitter. Then a half-hour later, an Irish radio station. And then the phone kept ringing. I tell Now Magazine (I think its basically People magazine for the UK audience) to call back after I got the kids off to school. I ask my housemanager to come early because I cant handle the sleep deprivation and the early-morning interviews and school lunches all in one morning. I block out the morning to write a thousand-word essay for the Guardian to justify tweeting about my miscarriage. Which the Guardian wants done in the next 20 hours. Now magazine wants to know if they can send a photographer to take a photo of my kids. No. Or the Farmer? No. What about if their faces are blurred? No. (But this at least makes the Farmer laugh.) The Today show called Tuesday to see if I could be on the show on Thursday. I said yes. They call in between the Guardian and Now magazine to ask if I can fly there. The first thing I think is that my kids were so sad that I was not taking them to school as usual that I promised to pick them up after school, and I dont want to break the promise. The only reasonable flight to NYC is at 3:08. I decide that the only thing to do is take my kids with me. I cant bear to simply be gone when they come home from school. I did that so much last year. I dont want to do that anymore. So I tell the Today Show that I can make it only if they will fly my kids and the nanny with me. And pay for two hotel rooms. The Today Show says yes. They start booking tickets. I finish interviews and the nanny starts packing. She calls the school to get the kids ready to leave early. She cancels violin lessons and cello lessons and a reading tutor. I call the Farmer to offer him one last chance to go with us. He doesnt answer. He doesnt take the offer seriously because it is so far from anything hed ever do. He says he cant believe Im taking the kids on a trip again when the last business trip I took them on turned out so bad that the police came. He has a point, but I tell him that Im taking the nanny along this time. Then the new CEO of Brazen Careerist calls. Hes concerned. I have given a one-hour interview with a tabloid that was not recorded and its being taken out of context all over the UK. So we have a two-hour phone call about the Brazen Careerist brand. Should it be tied to me? Is miscarriage a workplace issue? What drives people to sign up at Brazen Careerist anyway? Wait. Can you just go sign up at the site right now so the CEO can see that a post like this does not hurt the brand and I should just write what I want on my blog? Okay. So the nanny is decked-out in black, with blown-out blond hair, and she almost looks a little New-York-y for her first-ever visit there, when the Today show calls to say they need to move me to Saturday. Really? This is what I thought: Is there enough time for me to get really drunk on junk wine in the fridge before I have to go pick up the kids? I say no to Saturday. Later, I get a death threat. This is not new. I have been getting death threats all month but todays death threats are different. They are from the UK, and then from the Australian Christian Coalition. No kidding. Three calls in a row. This all might be the end of me catering to mainstream media. But. Wait. Im so happy to be in Inc magazine this month where Max Chafkin wrote a great list of top bloggers. And Max was so easy to deal with. He scheduled a call. We had a nice conversation. And he wrote an intelligent article. Hes so good, and considerate that hes almost like a blogger. But for now, Im exhausted. And I am thinking that dealing with mainstream media just isnt worth it. I get my own story out, the way I want it, on my blog. I have a smart, engaged audience that is fun to talk to and, when theres something really good, they tell their smart, thoughtful friends. I dont think I need mainstream media. And I know I dont need the ridiculous way theyve been talking with me. (Hi, Penelope Trunk? This is Steve from the early show What? What early show? Its the morning show on CBS. Oh. Can you tell me how you justify your tweet? What? Just quickly. Im going into our 4pm meeting and I need a summary of your position.) So, mainstream media, heres my position. More than feeling compelled to justify myself to your audience, I feel compelled to protect my schedule and my family from your intrusive calls and seemingly random deadlines. I feel an urgent need to separate a sane online conversation about women at work from an insane media that is doing exactly what destroys women at work: Making it extremely difficult for me to have a manageable schedule for parenting.

How to Find a Resume Writing Service

How to Find a Resume Writing ServiceWhere exactly should you start when deciding which resume writing services to hire? Well, it is important to start by making sure you have chosen the right person to do the work.You should do some proper research about the company or individual that you wish to get a resume from. If you want to hire a resume writing service for one person then you can simply choose a company with an adequate amount of experience in this field. However, if you require a different resume for each different employee then you will need to find a company with different people who would be more than capable of coming up with your ideal resume.Make sure that you choose a company that takes proper care of their customers. It does not matter if you are hiring a resume writing service to compile a list of samples for you to choose from, or you are seeking someone who will come up with your idea for your perfect resume. Regardless of what you are looking for, it is essential that you know the company and the people who will be working on your project. Some of the companies may claim that they offer top-notch services but unless you find out the truth about their company and the people they employ, then you may be in for trouble.Make sure that the person doing the job has had at least some experience writing resumes. They must have some type of experience before they will be able to help you with your needs. You should also ask whether they have other clients that may be using their services as well as a summary of how long they have been in business.Have a look at the testimonials that they have on their website. You will also want to ask them for references that they may be able to give you. This is a great way to make sure that you will not be stuck in the middle trying to negotiate the prices with a company that offers mediocre services.Another good thing to do is find out what kind of experience they have writing resumes for high profile individuals . Since you are dealing with an industry that deals with millions of people everyday, you should not be hiring the first person you run into with an extra job. You can always find someplace else to turn to.One of the most important things to remember when choosing resume writing services is that you should find out about any kind of previous problems that you may have encountered. You should never deal with a company that has a history of lying to its customers. This is another way that you can check for experience and whether or not they are truthful about their work.Make sure that they go over the details of your particular business to see what kind of focus they have when writing resumes. The process of writing a resume is an important one and you should not let your business be put off because of this aspect.

Making Sure That Your Design Resume Looks Professional

Making Sure That Your Design Resume Looks ProfessionalThe job search is no longer a matter of sitting in front of the computer with a blank resume. Now, a designer resume is a vital document that should be well-designed and able to grab the attention of the hiring manager or human resource specialist.There are various types of UX resumes. These vary from simple but concise one-page documents to a fully comprehensive 3-page design. With this level of complexity comes a higher level of skill and expertise that is required in this field.In order to make a designer resume that will meet the hiring standards, it is important to understand the content that you are planning to include. The structure of the resume itself is going to be very important in not only determining how well the design can speak for itself, but also whether or not the design is tailor made to fit the specifications of the company.When choosing the design, it is important to decide on what type of layout and fonts tha t you prefer. Fonts do have a large impact on the design and the wording that appears on the document. It is also important to consider the type of content that you want to have included in the design. Having a solid foundation for your resume is essential so that you can focus more on the design and less on the content.If you have done a good job of research and are able to come up with a strong outline for the content, you might want to think about having all of the content formatted within the body of the document rather than spread across the page. This will allow you to include the best content and then organize the rest of the content to go with the design.To help make your resume stand out from the rest, you may want to include graphics, bolded text, or a lot of information that goes beyond what the reader is expecting. Some companies like to use handouts that show examples of previous work that they have provided, and they might prefer this in the case of the designer resume .Some people are concerned that a designer resume will not look professional if they use notepad paper for the writing. This might make a designer resume look untidy, but it is necessary in this situation. Remember that the company wants to have a more professional look to their hiring process, and you should be able to get past the hand writing.Whether you are planning on a short term or long term career, it is important to ensure that your design resume will be appealing to the company. By knowing the basics of design, you will be in a better position to make sure that your design has the right balance of professionalism and appeal.

The State of Global Professional Networking [2014] - CareerEnlightenment.com

Taking a look at the global interest, if you are looking to cover all your bases, LinkedIn is clearly the best choice for overall traffic volume spread out among the widest net of countries. Area specific networks are great if those are the countries you want to work for, but probably wont help you outside those geographic areas.Heres the data: Interest in Professional Networks over time. WorldwideInterest in LinkedIn over time by countryLinkedIn Versus Viadeo in FranceLinkedIn Versus Xing in GermanyLinkedIn Versus vkontakte in RussiaInterest in LinkedIn by Location WorldwideInterest in Xing by Location WorldwideInterest in vkontakte by Location WorldwideInterest in Viadeo by Location Worldwide

How important is a college degree for your job prospects -

How important is a college degree for your job prospects - Last month, 20/20 ran several career oriented items. Interestingly, one segment, which questioned the value of a college degree, was perfectly timed for me. Ive been hearing from more and more clients and potential clients who have worked their way up to positions that now require a college degree as a basic qualification. Unfortunately, these professionals are now finding themselves laid off and in the unenviable position of being unqualified to apply for the jobs they have been doing for years! How frustrating to have this extra barrier to winning a new job! Is it impossible to overcome? I dont think so. With strong networking and the right connections to less traditional organizations, I think these job seekers can still succeed. So, when job seekers wonder about the value of their undergraduate degrees, I always come out on the side of earning the degree, even though college doesnt typically prepare you to actually find a job! The skills you do learn in formal education should serve you well as a job seeker, and those letters after your name will not hurt. Of course, there are iconic figures who never earned a college degree (such as Steve Jobs), but historically, workers with college degrees have been shielded much more from the ups and downs in the market. The national unemployment rate in January 2009 was 7.6 percent. Recently, for those with college degrees, unemployment was 3.7 percent â€" a reduction of nearly 50 percent. Lawrence Mishel of the Economic Policy Institute in Washington predicts that the unemployment rate for college graduates will reach a record 4 or 5 percent in 2009. His comment to the AP: College-educated workers are going to experience the kind of pain that has been common for people with less education. The New York Times suggests that the typical gap in unemployment favoring college graduates is narrowing a bit. Certainly, having a college degree, including those from online colleges and universities, is no guarantee against unemployment. What all of this points to is that todays economy doesnt offer anyone a free pass to employment. No matter how highly qualified you are, knowing how to market your qualifications is much more crucial. Your ability to connect your skills and accomplishments to an organizations needs will be just as important as actually having the basic qualifications. Its up to you to convey what you have to offer that is above and beyond your competition. When you do that well, youll be on your way to landing the job of your dreams! Need a little help marketing yourself in todays tough market? I can help! Contact me to discuss how I can help you succeed! photo by adobemac