3 More Ways to Invest in Your Career (Pt.2) Building Your Future Now

3 More Ways to Invest in Your Career (Pt.2) Building Your Future Now There are so many great ways to invest in your career! Take some time and research ways that you can learn more while expanding your professional network. Here are three more ways you can invest in your career: Attend Industry related events Getting out and connecting with profesisonals in your field and/or industry is a great way to further your career development. There is so much upside to creating connections via these events. The possibilities are endless who you will meet! Join Associations National, local and global-based associations are great ways to stretch out and meet professionals outside your immediate area. Some associations require a fee to join or certain requirements be met. However, these associations can offer many benefits to members which includes special training sesssions, meet-ups, being part of social media groups, and other career enchanting opportunities. Read alot / Building Your Personal Library Creating both a physical and digital book library is a great way to expand your professional knowledge and grow your career development. Its all about learning and acquiring knowledge and this is one the most important and simplest ways of investing in your career. Image: Raw Pixel

Writing a Follow Up Email After Sending Resume

Writing a Follow Up Email After Sending ResumeWriting a follow up email after sending resume is a complicated task. But there are some tips that you can follow in order to make it easy. Follow these tips and you will not have to wait for months to receive the resume.The first thing that you should do is to open a message on your email account. By doing this, you will get a heads up about the follow up email. This is the best thing that you can do. This will help you know when your follow up email is going to be sent.When you get the email that you want to follow up on, be sure to keep your timing to yourself. Sometimes, they might get the opportunity to ignore the message. The best thing that you can do is to let them see that you are sincere and you have not made any mistake. This will help them feel reassured that you are sincere about your intention to hire them.In order to know how long you should keep your follow up message, you can simply do some online research. You can search for it and you will be able to find out how long you should keep it. It would be better if you do this research after you receive the follow up email.After the follow up message is sent, you have to follow it up properly. Do not forget to add a little information about yourself to your reply. You should also make it clear that you are looking for job opportunities and not just resumes. You should also consider mentioning your skills and qualifications.If you find the post an open position, be sure to check for a good timing. You can use the following tips. The first time is usually the most important because it is the only time where you will be able to apply the communication skills that you have. So make it a point to send your follow up letter even when you receive the message from them.Do not forget to send the messages by email so that they will not take the trouble to respond back. You can also consider placing the request for an interview on the websites. This is another way to check for a good timing for a follow up letter.There are some things that you need to remember when you are writing a follow up letter after sending resume. By following these tips, you will be able to save your time and the time of your applicants. So be sure to follow these tips and you will not have to wait for months to get a response from your new job.

Wrong job or wrong career Heres how to tell.

Wrong job or wrong career Heres how to tell. I took my eleven-year-old son to Colorado for a paleontology adventure. Digging up shards of tibia bone with a toothbrush is so not what I want to do with my time, but I want to support my son in finding his passion, and he is enthralled with paleontology. Theres a great program at the Museum of Western Colorado. We drove there. Omaha is a mid point between our house and the dinosaur dig, so we stayed there for a day at a hotel where Warren Buffet, who is known for being a reasonable, down-to-earth guy, drew the line at drinking  a Pepsi (hes on the board of Coke), so the hotel guy had to walk five blocks to get two Cokes. On our first day of our dig, we go to the edge of a cliff in the  badlands  near the museum. We look down and the guide says, That rock down there is about 150 million years old, but we dont have enough money to know for sure. My son cant look. He already has altitude sickness. At the point where the paleontologist shows us the cliff we will dig on, my son, who has read too many earthquake books, announces that we might die, receives unimpressive reassurance, and then throws up. This is either a photo of my son doing his perfect dream job, or my son right before he throws up in all over the pleistocene period. We go back to our hotel. He told me he could never do a dig. He said next time we should just go to Omaha. They have such a good zoo, he said. He was scared hed never be a paleontologist. I wanted to tell him that he was doing the dig because it cost $1500. But instead I told him that maybe this was a good job for him at the wrong place. This is a common problem with our work. 1. Its the skills you use in your job that matters, not the industry youre in. My son learned so much from the trip. He learned theres a high demand for fish experts. We are in the age of fish, said the paleontologist who was nice enough to leave the tour and drive us back to our car. There are more fish right now than any other type of animal, and only fish people study fish. My son is fascinated by the idea that because fish skeletons are so varied and so different from mammals, you have to specialize in that to understand it. My son is also fascinated by the idea that someone needs to organize the excavation trips. He likes managing. Of course: hes an INTJ. If you know your personality type, and you know your strengths and weaknesses, then all you need is a job that leverages your strengths. An INTJ is great at solving complex problems and managing teams to solve problems. He could do that in technology, in education, or in paleontology. So I told him he should keep reading those paleontology books he loves. And we are still planning to go on more paleontology trips just no treacherous digs. Because hes a lot like a career changer in that hes invested so many years in reading about environmental science that it seems a shame to focus on a job in another field when he doesnt necessarily need to. 2. Trends in an industry matter more than whether you like the industry now. Before you decide if youre in the right career or not, look at trends. Most of you will need to continue working for at least a decade or two. The jobs that will be around in the next decade are nothing like what we have now. The types of  careers that will open up in the near futurevertical farmer, weather modification policeforeshadow huge shifts in the workplace. The shifts also underline how important it is to position yourself in a growing industry rather than one that is dying. So instead of focusing on how much you like the career you are in since that is largely a function of the skills you are using anyway focus on whether the field youre in is growing or dying. I recently read that the trend in fossil digging is that it is becoming privatized, because professors dont want to put in the insanely long amounts of searching time, and universities dont want to pay the insanely high prices that private collectors will pay for fossils.   So private companies are excavating private land. Its controversial, sure, but Im impressed that someone dreamed up the idea of putting fish fossils in kitchens. Its a great way to change the fish fossil market from lemonade-stand-budget, ten-year-old boys to renovation-budget interior designers. 3. We dont need a perfect job in order to be happy. We just need to be growing. So many of us have an unguarded obsession with wanting things to fit perfectly. I look at this page of photos of random things fitting perfectly  and I want the page to go on foreverits inherently satisfying just to know its a good fit. Yet wanting a perfect fit gets us into so much trouble. The quarterlife crisis is a new coming-of-age event that describes the emotional turmoil resulting from the gap between baby boomer parents telling kids their job should be a perfect fit for their passions and talents, and Gen Y kids realizing that the work world does not offer that type of job. Looking for a perfect fit in a relationship also gets us into trouble. We do not get perfect harmony in a relationship. Psychology Today describes the best romantic relationship as not necessarily with the partner who has the best traits, but rather the partner who allows you to grow into your best self. Daniel Jones edits the Modern Love column in the New York Times. He says that after reading 50,000 submissions over the course of a decade, he realizes that the best way to be fulfilled in a relationship is to settle for imperfection and focus on being your best self. The connection between a job and happiness is overrated. And the connection between our romantic life and happiness is overrated. A full 70% of our happiness is determined genetically. But personal growth is something we have total control over. So get yourself into a job that allows you to do that but recognize that it rarely requires a change in industry. Usually a change in your job but within your industry will get you where you need to go.

Hiring in the Digital Age 3 Things to Focus on in 2018 and Beyond

Hiring in the Digital Age 3 Things to Focus on in 2018 and Beyond Over the past decade there has been a rapid, drastic shift in the way people in American society view work. Many of these changes can be attributed to the late millennial generation entering the workforce. Employers are quickly realizing that working with the late millennial generation poses unique challenges. Late millennials are demanding very different treatment than their parents and as a result, the culture of work in the United States will never be the same. Although it can be challenging to adapt to the needs of the late millennial generation, these tips for employers should make the process easier. 1. Ensure your company stands out in a sea of technology-driven employers The days of driving around town and searching for “help wanted” signs in the windows of businesses are long gone. Newspaper job ads are on their way out as well. Recruitment and hiring strategies have shifted drastically with late millennials in mind. The late millennial generation prefers a technology-driven approach to job searching, and as a result of this, companies that don’t keep up with modern techniques may be overlooked. Many late millennials are conducting their job searches entirely online. In recent years, job board sites have exploded in popularity and have become the preferred method for job seeking with younger generations. As a result of this shift in hiring preferences, it’s important for companies to keep up with what job seekers are looking for. Many successful companies are choosing to ditch older methods of hiring such as putting ads in the newspaper entirely out of fear of looking old-fashioned. This shows how the company’s image has become more important than ever. Employer branding has to be the core of this digital age recruitment. Job boards and job search apps are proving to still be the perfect ways to find candidates who are knowledgeable about current technology and trends. Therefore it’s important for businesses to appeal to this new generation of job seekers. As modern companies, one of the most important part of employer branding includes having a website with frequent updates. Social media is a useful tool for appealing to late millennials as well. 2. Aim to recruit passive but strong candidates In recent years, many recruiters have aimed to hire passive candidates. Passive candidates are people who are currently working and not actively seeking a new job. These people have not shown any particular interest in a new company and have not reached out for a job opportunity. However they may be swayed by an enticing offer from a new company if the new job is appealing enough. From a recruiting perspective, the appeal of passive candidates is that they won’t receive other offers from competitors during the interview process since they aren’t actively seeking a new job. Therefore companies can take their time with the hiring process and make careful, calculated decisions. Recruiting passive candidates allows companies to carefully “comb through” prospective employees and pick out the best fits for their workplace. Instead of relying on the traditional method of allowing employees to send in a resume and cover letter, companies can take a more proactive approach and choose the candidates themselves. This allows employers to make careful, well-informed choices about exactly what type of candidate they want for their business. By relying on the traditional method of recruiting, many employers are essentially expecting strong candidates to walk into their hands. Sometimes it’s easier for companies to take matters into their own hands and seek out strong candidates themselves. If employers have a particular set of traits in mind it can be much more sensible to seek them out proactively. The downside to seeking out passive candidates is that they may truly be happy at their current job and have no interest in leaving. This means that time may potentially be wasted by contacting people who have no intention of switching companies. However if you find the perfect candidate through this recruiting technique, it will be worth the extra effort. 3. Re-analyze your approach to candidate care The widespread use of the internet as a job searching tool has completely changed the way companies are handling candidate care. In the past it was easier to take a lighter approach to candidate care and focus on other parts of the hiring process. Many companies focused on whether or not the candidate fit their own specific needs and never wondered how they looked in the eyes of the candidate. It’s important for human resources teams to be completely willing to answer questions. Because of the internet, the late millennial generation has a lot more options for work than past generations. Many millennials are perfectly willing to relocate across the country for the right job, so if a company doesn’t appeal to them, it’s no loss on their part. They’ll simply seek a different company that seems to be more accommodating and has a lot more communication going on. Now more than ever, companies are focusing on candidate care in recruitment and making the hiring process easier for candidates. There are many steps companies can take to make the process easier for potential new hires. Sometimes, a simple gesture like inserting an “Applicant FAQ” on the company website can be very helpful and appealing. Let’s take the Emirates Group’s Careers page as an example of a good info FAQ section. However, many companies are choosing to take it a step further than just FAQ page and are putting a lot of effort into caring for job candidates. There are many fundamentals of the candidate care which cannot be ignored. But the golden rule to good candidate care is to treat people how you would like to be treated. As quoted by Sir Richard Branson, “respect is how you treat everyone, not just those you want to impress.” Therefore, a simple “we will (only) get back to successful candidates” is not good practice. It is not wise to leave your candidates waiting. Make sure they know you’re perfectly happy to let them know the interview results within the given time frame can make a big difference to your corporate image. It’s important to come across as approachable and caring when hiring late millennials, or they may turn their back on your company and seek a more comfortable atmosphere. Final words By taking a modern look at employee recruitment strategies and abandoning some of the older, less effective methods, employers can find successful candidates. With proper research and consideration for the late millennial generation, employers are successfully adapting to the changing job market. Hiring processes are evolving all the time and successful employers are taking on the challenge and shaping the future of recruitment. About the author: Alicia Hill is a creative content writer with her background in business management. She enjoys writing in the area of business growth and management.

A Step by Step Guide to Writing Your Resume

A Step by Step Guide to Writing Your ResumeStep by step resume writing is a useful guide to writing your resume. Here are some suggestions to follow. You can find these suggestions in a book that tells you how to write a resume, but if you know what you are doing and have a bit of technical knowledge, you can write the information yourself.The first thing to do is look over all of your work on a daily basis. Even if you are not sure if it is too much, you still need to be able to see what you are doing. Take a pen and write down everything you have written today. This is a good time to look at each item and make sure that you are staying on task.After each day, come back and look for things that may have slipped your mind. If you notice anything, take note of it. While you are making your list, give yourself a deadline. For example, if you wrote down the date you will be done for the day, write that down today, and then make a plan to tackle the remaining items the next day.You can u se your list as a guideline for completing other tasks, such as editing, making sure that you have included the right contact information, or setting a final project. You can also use the list to determine if the job is still on line and ready for you to take it. Having a good list will help you focus on your goals and take your resume writing seriously.A final step to take before you write the resume is to create a cover letter. You want to be careful not to use your resume for this cover letter. The main purpose of a cover letter is to show that you have put some effort into preparing your resume, and if you use the same job title, your resume will not do you much good.Another thing to look at is the format of your resume. If you are using Microsoft Word, you may want to use bullet points to format your resume. On the other hand, if you are using a word processor such as Adobe Acrobat, you may not be able to use bullets. There are free and paid products that will help you format y our resume in this manner.Step by step resume writing is important, but don't forget to schedule your work times. You will be putting a lot of work into your resume, so you should set aside some time each day to do the actual writing. You will want to do this no more than two times a week. You can do this one day, a few days, or even once a week.If you have kids at home, you may want to schedule your work time during the day. When you are working, you can help them with their homework, read the newspaper, or cook dinner. This will help you get some quality work done, and it will ensure that you get the most out of your resume writing.

7 Tools You Need to Bring Your Freelance Career into the 21st-Century - CareerMetis.com

7 Tools You Need to Bring Your Freelance Career into the 21st-Century Source â€" Pexels.comA 2017 studypredicted that within ten yearsâ€"or soonerâ€"the majority of the US workforce will perform freelance work. The pool of freelancers is steadily increasing as perceptions of freelance work become more positive and as it becomes easier to find work online.Undoubtedly the rise of the internet as well as other technologies and tools have helped to remove obstacles that previously kept workers from taking the leap into the freelance world.In fact, this digital era has turned out to be somewhat of a golden age for freelancers, who now have many tools at their fingertips to streamline once tedious or difficult processes.evalBut if you have already been freelancing for many years, you might not be aware of some of these newer tools.And on the other hand, new freelancers who are just diving into their freelance career could be unaware of the possibilities that exist.Whichever group you fall into, take a look at this list of tools you should try out to bring yo ur freelance career into the modern digital era:1) Reliable internetevalThis may seem like a given to younger or more tech-savvy freelancers, but just like any other job, freelance work used to be accomplished offline, the analog way.Now, between finding gigs online, emailing clients, and performing other tasks, it is absolutely critical that you have access to a reliable connection.Some freelancers may choose to rent part of a co-working space or camp out in a neighborhood cafe, but the safest way to ensure consistent internet access is to pay for a good connection at home.You can find a provider that meets all your most important needs by using a comparison siteto check how each option stacks up.2) A job board websiteevalThe same studymentioned earlier found that 71% of freelancers experienced an uptick in the amount of work they found online between 2016 and 2017. This is likely due in large part to the number of websites offering virtual job boards.No longer do you have to resor t to Craigslist and other classifieds to advertise your servicesâ€"now websites like Thumbtackand Fiverrprovide a mediated place for job seekers to quickly connect with new clients.3) A contract creation or signing toolFreelance work can feel risky, especially when you are just getting to know a new client and you may be unsure of their trustworthiness. Will they try to change your project scope days before the deadline? Will you have to hunt them down for payment?Whereas you may have struggled in the past to scrape together a respectable contract, or you might have even had to consult with a legal professional to put one together, now you can do all of that online.evalYou can also share contracts with clients a thousand miles away and get their signature minutes after sending them the documentâ€"without having to mail or fax anything.4) A project management systemFreelancers can struggle with motivation and productivity: when you are your own boss, or you’re not reporting directl y to a manager every day, you might feel less pressure to hit important deadlines.Instead of floundering aimlessly, turn to a resource like Trellothat will help you establish and maintain an intuitive workflow. Even just using Google Calendar to track your schedule and block off important dates can boost your productivity.eval5) Time trackersDifferent kinds of time trackers can serve different purposes. If you charge clients by the hour, you can use a time tracking appthat helps you log actual hours spent on one specific project, even when you switch frequently between projects.You no longer need to manually record when you started and stopped work for one client because that information will be automatically logged.Yet even freelancers who charge an overall project fee And for freelancers who frequently meet clients face-to-face and would like to accept card payments, nowadays there are a number of mobile card readersavailable.7) Collaboration platformFreelance writers may opt for Google Docs as a free word processor that allows multiple users to edit and comment on a document. Yet designers and other freelance professionals will need another way to share their working projects with clients and ask for feedback in a convenient, easy-to-use platform, and also review oursuggestions for collaboration software that will provide you with a transparent place to communicate with and update your clients.Of course, a tool is worth very little unless it’s being wielded by a skilled craftsman.You cannot become a successful freelancer based solely on your use of some handy software or apps, but with all these essential tools in your arsenal, you will be better equipped to streamline your freelance process and to optimize your timeâ€"making room for even more clients, projects, and, ultimately, income.

Its Here! Cut the Crap, Get a Job! A Game-Changing New Book From a Veteran Hiring Manager

It’s Here! Cut the Crap, Get a Job! A Game-Changing New Book From a Veteran Hiring Manager It’s Here! Cut the Crap, Get a Job! A Game-Changing New Book From a Veteran Hiring Manager ANNOUNCEMENT: Cut the Crap, Get a Job! A New Job Search Process for a New Era just-released â€"is a game-changing job search book that will help everyone from college graduates to senior executives make their next career moves in the 21st century. I have coached, interviewed, and hired thousands of job seekers. From those years of experience, I developed a proprietary job search and networking process. Read Cut the Crap, Get a Job! and you’ll learn the most effective job search tips, new approaches to the latest employment practices and brand new, proprietary techniques for career development. Landing the perfect job is more competitive than ever, stressful, tough and sometimes frightening. Ive spent 30 years as a hiring manager as well as a job seeker and I want to help you WIN a job fast. I’m here to help you manage your career the right way with lots of advice, traps to avoid and downloadable tools that are free with your purchase of my book. There are two types of “Crap.” One, the mistakes that candidates inadvertently make that sabotage their chances of winning a desired position. Two, the excuses that most job seekers make to themselves or to their family and friends for why they aren’t doing everything possible to secure that next job quicker. This book is NOT just for the unemployed. If you are employed but contemplating your next career move within your current company, you need to apply the same skills you would for an external job search. Are you affiliated with the military and re-entering the private sector? Or stay-home parents re-entering the workforce? I’ve got good advice for you! What is unique and powerful about Cut the Crap, Get a Job? It’s simple, it breaks the end-to-end job search into bite-sized pieces, including solutions and homework assignments to coach you through every step. It’s written from the perspective of a veteran hiring manager with experience in Fortune 500 corporations as well as fast growing start-ups. It provides all the technology-based tools you need to go from starting your search to winning the job. It challenges tired, old practices and teaches innovative techniques that will show you what it takes to stand out as the best candidate being interviewed. If you’re ready to get serious and make your next career move, get your copy today! Available on Amazon NOW. For more advice, strategies and next steps, read my blog, watch the videos, sign up for my newsletter and check out the special resources Ive gathered for you, all on DanaManciagli.com.

Tips to Make Sure Social Media is Better for Job Search

Tips to Make Sure Social Media is Better for Job Search Even before you walk in for an interview, you can assume that the recruiter has seen your face. There are pictures of you online â€"  and we’re not just talking about the professional one on your LinkedIn profile. The beauty of social media is that it allows us to connect with family members and friends. We can share countless funny stories and silly pictures, which our loved ones are sure to give a virtual thumbs-up. But what will employers think of them? Without an explanation, does some of your social media activity seem a little…unprofessional? If you think the answer to the last question is “yes,” then listen closely â€"  these are our best tips for sprucing up your social media presence before a big interview. They might even help you get that interview in the first place! In General A few tips apply across all social media: Rewrite your bio: When’s the last time you’ve updated your bio on your Facebook? Twitter? LinkedIn? A lot could have changed since the last time you wrote your elevator pitch, so start by having a look at what’s there now. If it’s no longer representative of your skills, goals and accomplishments, take time to rewrite that summary. Swap out your profile picture: Brush the dust off of an old headshot too. Before your interview, upload a new, professional pic that shows what you look like now. Not only will a classy photo increase the chances that you’ll get a face-to-face, but it’ll help the interviewer recognize who you are when you arrive for your appointment. Pick a better banner: Finally, evaluate the banner image on your social media site(s) to round out your very general refresh. You can add a rectangular, decorative picture on LinkedIn that shows off something you’ve accomplished or speaks to your expertise in your field. As for Facebook and Twitter, make sure the image you have doesn’t say too much about you outside of work â€"  keep in mind that potential employers will undoubtedly look at your profile and evaluate these images as well. On Facebook Facebook is a huge one, and you need to keep the following in mind: Recheck your privacy settings: If you haven’t heard, Facebook had to publicly apologize for a data breach â€"  your profile may have been affected. So it’d be good practice to evaluate your page’s privacy settings to see just what you’re sharing with apps as well as with strangers who happen upon your profile. The more personal information you keep private, the better. That way, you can let your in-person impression be the first one you make on employers who might check out your Facebook page before they meet you. Delete unnecessary apps, pages and pictures: Let’s face it â€"  we all used Facebook differently in college. We used silly apps like Farmville to pass the time, and we “liked” funny pages and groups. Even if these types of things no longer entertain us or manage to catch our attention, they’ll undoubtedly give pause to a recruiter, who might see them as potential holes in your professionalism. The same goes for over-the-top pictures of you or images that show you engaging in unsavory extracurriculars. Always err on the side of caution by either deleting unprofessional pics or hiding them so that they’re visible only to you. On Twitter When it comes to your