It’s unbelievable to me that everyone continues to watch football when we know that men are getting genuinely, permanently, brain damaged. The game is tantamount to cockfighting, only with people instead of animals. The NFL has finally admitted the problem, to the extent it is poised to be the largest funding source for research about trauma to the brain. But still, the game encourages brain trauma. And people cheer. I can understand if it’s like smoking. You’re addicted, you can’t stop. But what about bringing your kids to the game? What about all the people who make the Superbowl a…
Selected by careersherpa
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Penelope Trunk's Brazen Careerist
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Check-up for self-delusion
7 Feb 2010 | 9:41 pm -
Chat with me tonight, live, via video.
3 Feb 2010 | 7:43 amIs this even a good headline for a blog post? I don't know. Do you want to know what I'm like unedited? Read this blog post. I never post unedited, but my editor has a day job, and he has no time to deal with manufactured emergencies like this one, so I'm just posting this post as is. I'm supposed to be doing a web chat thing tonight. I had this idea that this would be a good format for me. And I had this idea that I could stick to a schedule. But look. It's the day of my video chat and I have not even announced it. Because I'm nervous. I'm nervous about a… -
Frugality is a career tool
1 Feb 2010 | 11:02 amI have earned a lot of money in my life. But I have never had an extravagant life. I don’t own a house. I’ve never bought a new car. I’ve never bought a new piece of living room furniture, and I do not own a single piece of real jewelry. What I have spent money on was always intended to help me with my career. That was so I know that I can always earn money doing something I love. I leased a BMW when it was clear that that mattered when it came to making deals in LA. I hired a stylist when I realized my clothes were holding me back in NYC. In Madison I have tons of household help so my… -
Being an expert takes time, not talent
28 Jan 2010 | 9:39 pmI've been walking around with the July/August 2007 issue of the Harvard Business Review constantly, for close to three years. Sometimes, if I’m getting on a plane, I’ll put it with the other heavy stuff into my luggage, and then get it out later. When my last car broke down in the middle of an intersection, I got the magazine out of the trunk before I abandoned the car. The article that I’m attached to is The Making of an Expert by Anders Ericsson, Michael Prietula and Edward Cokely. I would not normally bother to tell you all three authors for one article in my blog. This is not a… -
Workplace news you cannot use
25 Jan 2010 | 8:23 pmI collect data points constantly, and I index them by topic, and I always hope that they will come together in an interesting, useful way. Lots of times, that doesn’t happen, and I just have to throw ideas away, because I have a rule for myself that I have to be useful in every post. But today I’m trying something new. I’m doing a post that is useless to you. Here are four ideas I was just about to toss out as incurably useless, but instead, I bring them to you: 1. Law firms are making concessions for women. One of the top law firms in the world, Allen Overy, just announced they are…
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What Would Dad Say
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Things We Say in Minn E Soda.
5 Feb 2010 | 4:35 pmI am not from here originally, but I admit that I say “U betcha,” which is very Minnesotan, maybe Norwegian. We are also fond of ending sentences with with. As in “we are going to the bar to watch the Super Bowl, want to go WITH?” (u betcha!) What are the things you say in your state or hometown? As for Brett Favre, I hope he comes back. If he does he will become the ONLY PROFESSIONAL PLAYER EVER IN ANY SPORT to have his jersey retired by two teams. (Packer snd Vikings) The above billboard was put up in Brett’s hometown in Mississippi, Hattiesburg, and… -
LinkUp vs The Government Jobs Report: We Called It. Again.
5 Feb 2010 | 6:49 amWell, we (LINKUP) called it. Again. Two days ago, ahead of the ‘official’ Department of Labor report issued at 7:30 am CST this morning, @TobyDayton released the LinkUp numbers showing a dramatic improvement in the jobs report for January. Most pundits, networks, bloggers and followers were on the other side. Cretins. Never go against LINKUP. January’s jobs report from the Department of Labor is scheduled to be released later this week and based on data released this morning by LinkUp, Friday’s report will show that the job market improved sharply during the… -
Money Mules, JobSeeker Victims and the American Way
29 Jan 2010 | 7:39 amGenerally speaking it is not a good idea to even mention a competitor. Even bad PR is still PR. But it is hard to stand by and watch job seekers get taken to the proverbial cleaners by people in the industry who profess to help them. A few days ago, JT O’Donnell had @TobyDayton and me on a webinar talking about How To Use a Job Board. There were lots of questions, mostly about the bad practices of some of the job boards. It was sad to hear the experiences of these job seekers who are frustrated and angry. After the session I received a call from a CEO in our industry, who runs… -
Luckily, THIS Will NEVER Happen Here in USA
27 Jan 2010 | 1:25 pmFrom today’s Daily Mail, Jan. 27, 2010 -
Jacob Share’s 117 Funny Job Ads
27 Jan 2010 | 6:45 amMy friend Jacob Share just posted 117 job and recruitment ads. Hilarious. There are ten or so here, but please, jump over to his site to browse through them all. It will brighten your day.
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Personal Branding Blog - Dan Schawbel
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Personal Brands: Be Ready to Answer This
9 Feb 2010 | 4:30 amIn Sunday’s New York Times, the least likely person in American business is interviewed in the Corner Office column. She’s Susan Docherty, who “leads” General Motor’s US sales, service and marketing team. In case you don’t get the joke, GM is one of the more famous bankrupt companies in the US, based on its resistance to building cars that Americans want to drive. If it weren’t for their pesky rebuke of its target market, GM’s sales, service and marketing team would be doing just fine. You might expect Ms. Docherty to be keeping a low profile, since GM has reported record… -
3 Reasons Why Personal Branding is Essential For Networking
8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 amWhen I was in college, I was always told that it’s all about who you know. I heard this common saying from teachers, my parents, older friends and managers at my internships. It was very hard to disagree with this phrase because I had spent months interviewing to get a job upon graduation because I wasn’t comfortable networking. There were many opportunities for me to attend events, meet alumni and connect with friends, but I felt introverted and didn’t have the confidence back then to take the “networking leap.” By disregarding networking from my job search, I… -
Personal Branding Interview: J.D. Roth
7 Feb 2010 | 12:02 pmToday, I spoke to J.D. Roth, who is one of the blogospheres most beloved personal finance experts (Get Rich Slowly) and the author of Your Money: The Missing Manual. In this interview, J.D. talks about his new book, how he got the idea of it, how he’s differentiated himself in his niche, how his blog led to his book deal and more. How did you get the idea for writing “Your Money”? It wasn’t actually my idea. I started Get Rich Slowly in 2006, and by the end of 2007, I was being approached by agents and publishers. I explored the book idea a little bit, but never… -
Two Breakthrough Ideas That Changed My Life
7 Feb 2010 | 4:30 amKeeping up with information these days is like sipping through the proverbial fire hydrant. You don’t need to check your Twitter, Facebook, Google Reader, etc…..you already know what’s building up on the other side. An avalanche of knowledge That’s right, when the circle stops spinning or the screen is fully loaded – BAM – the constant avalanche of knowledge, hypothesis, and musings from real experts, pseudo-experts, and everyone in between begins again. Even junkies like me who actually thrive on the continuous info-stream can get a bit numb to the never-ending pitches, articles,… -
Personal Branding Interview: Susan Whitcomb
6 Feb 2010 | 6:03 pmToday, I spoke to Susan Whitcomb, who is the founder and president of The Academies and author of the new book, The Twitter Job Search Guide. In this interview, Susan explains what her own branding model is as a career coach, what you should and shouldn’t include on a resume, and brand consistency for job seekers. If someone is unclear about their own brand, what are a few things he or she can do to establish it? Start by getting clear on these three “A’s”: Authentic Image: This is “the genuine you”—not costumed to play the part of someone else, but cast in the right…
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The CareerXroads Annex
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Let the Good Times Roll
7 Feb 2010 | 11:00 amMark and I have completed our numbers crunching for about 180,000 hires we collected from 40+ firms last month and we will publish our 9th Source Of Hire whitepaper probably by the end of next week- we're writing it now. An early peek at the data will be discussed privately in an "open mike" webinar with survey respondents and CareerXroads colloquium members before the end of the month but an ERE webinar next week (2/17) will be the first public look at the current SOH data. In addition to collecting data about how firm's hire, we also ask each year about how they did versus previous years… -
Diversity of Thought and the Google-China Controversy: Who Walks the Talk?
25 Jan 2010 | 12:58 pmGoogle is thinking about leaving China. Really?(he said very slowly and sarcastically) For years I’ve been listening to companies whining about how they have to cave to various local customs that violate basic human rights standards. The most common rationale is that it is better to give some hope to those who are discriminated against, supressed or otherwise denied basic freedoms by being there than not. Really? B_ _ _S_ _ _ Google’s comments are disturbing and disappointing. Their rationalizations would embarrass me if I were an employee. Do no evil indeed. If Google’s leaders… -
Source of Hire: Slowly we turn...step by step...
21 Jan 2010 | 11:00 amMark Mehler, my business partner in CareerXroads, and I are in the midst of collecting Source of Hire data from this past year. We started two weeks ago and will finish in another week and a half (January 31). Then I'll crunch a few numbers and write another whitepaper. For nearly a decade we've been observing and commenting on the shift of recruiting sources of hire and the context in which the data is collected and analyzed (and then used to invest in the next cycle). The last SOH whitepaper is still quoted several times a week and considered "recent" even though we don't think it is (all… -
Faces in the Crowd
7 Jan 2010 | 6:50 pmToday was Career Day in NJ. Rutgers University hosted their 45th semi-annual career fair for their students, the students from any other college willing to travel to New Brunswick and, actually, anyone else who felt like showing up…student or not. An estimated 3500 did. So did Mark, my business partner, and I (we typically spend a day a month on college campuses or outplacement centers just to get a sense of the playing field.) Janet Jones, one of Rutgers Career Services Directors and a great friend over more than a few years met us at the door. 165 companies had booths. A lot of… -
Heading to India
6 Dec 2009 | 4:29 pmI'm in Newark Airport's continental lounge getting ready to head out to India with SHRM's HR delegation. FutureStep, Recruitnblogs.com and Alliance Q are underwriting my adventure and I'll be blogging on the trip from a link on Recruit ngblogshome page. Traveling to my 20th country as a student and learning how staffing differs culturally around the world is about as good as it gets.
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Career Hub
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Jigsaw Puzzles and Job Seekers
8 Feb 2010 | 8:31 amWho invented the jigsaw puzzle? A. Ben Franklin B. George Washington C. Abraham Lincoln D. John Spilsbury E. Thomas Edison F. Christopher Columbus According to this site, an Englishmen by the name of John Spilsbury invented the jigsaw puzzle in... -
Seeking a How-To Book to Get Your Search Started?
5 Feb 2010 | 1:37 pmOne of the biggest challenges of any career transition is getting started--especially when you are confronted with shifting priorities such as family, financial pressure, or simply the overwhelming feeling that your talents could be better used elsewhere. In the words... -
Transform Your Job Search
5 Feb 2010 | 10:50 amThe other day I attended a transformational leadership program called "Lessons From Gettysburg" delivered by The Lincoln Leadership Institute at Gettysburg. When I attend seminars, I am always interested in how I can take what I have learned and apply... -
Hot Spots for Finding Jobs
3 Feb 2010 | 6:22 pmThere are over 2,000 Hot Spots nationwide for finding jobs, and you might be surprised how many there are where you live now. Hot Spots are industry-location combinations that are adding new jobs and growing faster than the normal workforce... -
5 Steps To Overcoming Your Fears
2 Feb 2010 | 4:01 pmAre you….. Scared of making a vital call? Worried about sending an email to that contact? Fearful about making a big decision? …..do you consequently feel paralysed and powerless? Ok, try following these steps: 1) Write down EXACTLY what you’re...
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Employment Digest
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Example Cover Letter For Resume – Tactics to Make the Recruiter Pick Up the Phone
9 Feb 2010 | 6:09 amYou can pull a cover letter off the web. It will be expedient. But be truthful. It won’t get you the job. A cover letter that really gets attention has something extra. It doesn’t have to... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Dr. Tom Denham – Executive Career Coach
8 Feb 2010 | 7:30 am[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Discover “Guerilla Strategies” to Land Your Dream Job
8 Feb 2010 | 6:07 amIn order to get the perfect job you may have to use revised tactics. It may prove very beneficial to bring out the cunning you and take a slightly different approach to job search. Here are few... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Resumes For Executive Jobs – Tips on Length, Formatting and Style
7 Feb 2010 | 5:59 amJob seekers often ask how long their resume should be. Some people can barely stretch theirs to a single page, while others have difficulty fitting it into four pages. What makes this decision so... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Tough Interview Question – “What Do You Dislike About Your Job?”
6 Feb 2010 | 5:57 amWhat will be your answer if the interviewer suddenly asks you a difficult question about your current job and why you want to leave it? If you spend too long searching for an answer you’ll... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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THE M.A.P. MAKER
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Laughter yoga: Laugh your life better
9 Feb 2010 | 11:00 amHave you ever had one of those rolling-on-the-floor, I-think-I'm-going-to-pee-my-pants fits of laughter and come out the other side feeling much better than before you started? Maybe you felt some stress peel away, or you just felt lighter. If so, you know the power of laughter to change both your perspective and the way your body physically feels. As part of my work is helping people create careers and lives for themselves that energize and inspire them, I'm always on the lookout for ways to improve our experience of the here and now. One of my favorites (though I haven't participated in… -
Visual Self-exploration: Your Life in Pictures #11
8 Feb 2010 | 5:11 pmWelcome to this week's installment in the Your Life in Pictures series. In this series, you will find photos to use as a point of departure for self-exploration.Q: What insights does this picture prompt about your career? Your life? [Click on the image to see it full-sized.]Pictures have great potential for self-exploration, because they provide a point of departure for asking, "how does this apply to my own life?" There is no specific meaning to any of these pictures. They are simply here to give your brain/intuition/creative mind/etc. something to bounce off.Your exploration could be… -
Five Friday Favorites
5 Feb 2010 | 11:09 amIt's been an eon or two since I posted a Five Friday Favorites post, but it feels like it's time to pick up the habit again. So here, in no particular order, are five of my favorite blog posts from this week. Celebrate Your SuccuessPluginID5 Ways to shake hands with yourselfHELLO, my name is Blog!Frugality is a career toolPenelope Trunk's Brazen CareeristWork Happiness Tip - Keep Track of Your MoodWork Happy Now!Follow your spark, not that hollow feeling in your chestAvocationistDo you have a favorite blog post from the past week? Post a link in the comments for all of us to see. Enjoy! Time… -
Change your world: Join the Listen & Learn Revolution
3 Feb 2010 | 1:02 pmWant a deceptively simple, yet powerful way to change your world? Join the Listen & Learn Revolution. When you do, you'll be taking your own personal step towards dissolving a culture of divisiveness and conflict.The Listen & Learn Revolution is about jettisoning the need to be right when you encounter someone whose opinion or point of view differs from yours. Instead of clubbing them over the head with your opinion, take some time to engage them with a sense of curiosity. Explore why they believe what they do, not from a, "How the hell can you think that??" perspective, but from a… -
Get unstuck with a 7-day goal
3 Feb 2010 | 5:55 amDo you ever find yourself feeling stuck? You know you need to move forward, but somehow you've managed to sink your wheels into the mud and all momentum is lost. It can be a frustrating, draining experience. In one of the herd of books I'm currently reading, The Power of Focus, I came across a great, simple idea to blast out of that stuckness. The authors described adventurer John Goddard's response when asked about overcoming roadblocks: "When I get stuck, I restart myself by focusing on one goal I can finish in the next seven days - something simple. I don't think about anything else - that…
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life@work
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Mom's life@work Post #3: How to Reduce Your Stress During the Second Shift
3 Feb 2010 | 12:14 pmThis post is third in the "mom's life@work" series, which is bridging my work here with what I'm doing at Mom In The Balance. The first post was Help for the Working Mom, and the second was Blend or Separate? Last night at home from approximately 6:10 to 6:11 this is what happened: I was preparing chicken for dinner My younger daughter called out to me to log her on to the computer While I was out of the kitchen, Nico the Crazy Cat jumped onto the counter and started licking the butter I came back into the kitchen and yelled at the cat The cat jumped off the counter Caleb the Barking Corgi… -
Kaizen and the Art of Your Job Search
20 Jan 2010 | 11:01 pmThis post is part of the Career Collective's collection of January 21st posts on helping job seekers make the most of the new year. Follow us on Twitter at #careercollective. Have you already broken your resolutions for 2010? We're three weeks into the new year, and many of us are already disappointed with our track record. We aren't living at the gym, we're not eating five veggies every day, and we haven't hit our goal of attending one job interview each week.Well take heart - at least you've made it through January 18 - said by some to be the most depressing day of the year.Regarding your… -
Mom's life@work post #2: Blend or Separate?
4 Jan 2010 | 2:38 pmThis is the second post in the "Mom's life@work"series I'm writing on this blog. Read the first post, Help for the Working Mom, here. Are you a blender or a separator?I'm not talking kitchen appliances or bras here - I'm talking about how you navigate your work and home time, energy, and identities.Blenders are most comfortable weaving family and work together. They like working from home if possible, and don't have set work hours. They can switch gears quickly between tending to their three year-old's meltdown to initiating that week's team conference call. They talk with their partner… -
Mom's life@work Post #1: Help for the Working Mom
16 Dec 2009 | 2:12 pmThis post is the first in the "Mom's life@work" series that I'm writing on this blog. I'll be exploring career topics that are of special interest to mothers, such as transitioning, on-ramping, balancing, blending, and negotiating. If you're not a mom, keep reading! There are tips in these posts that apply to everyone seeking career happiness.Deciding to write this series was inspired by the world I'm immersed in at Mom In The Balance where I help sandwich generation moms (those juggling responsibilities for both their kids and their parents) thrive, even as life feels stressful and extremely… -
Have a Holly Jolly Job Search
8 Dec 2009 | 8:31 amThis month the Career Collective community, a group of career coaches and resume writers, is posting about how to make the most of your job search during the holidays. Follow us on Twitter at #careercollective.December is in full swing, and many of you have put a hold on your job search because: "No one's hiring in December". "I have shopping, baking and other holiday stuff to do". "I just want a break from the job search". Searching for a new job, whether while you're employed or not, does not generally bring about holiday cheer. It doesn't have much in common with relaxing by the fire,…
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Keppie Careers by Miriam Salpeter
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Thinking about making a change for a career in healthcare?
9 Feb 2010 | 7:14 amAs part of my new “Altruistic Tuesdays” series, today, I am pleased to highlight a story from Encore.org: Terry Ramey started working on an assembly line at a Ford plant outside Ann Arbor, Mich., when he was in his 20s. “I’m third-generation auto,” he explains. Like his father and grandfather, he figured he would retire from the same job. But after more than 13 years, the monotony of the line, the physical toll it took on his body, and the auto industry’s uncertain future started Ramey thinking about leaving. “The quality of life, even though I made a good living, was… -
What to tell your job references
5 Feb 2010 | 1:05 pmMy colleague, August Cohen (@resume_writer on Twitter) tweeted about preparing your references to talk about you should a prospective employer call. This is an often overlooked topic. Job seekers are so busy trying to get interviews, often thinking ahead to the next step (references) is an afterthought. Some things to think about… Do you know what your references are saying about you? Many job seekers overlook this important part of the job hunt. Especially if you have often reached the final stages without landing the job, touching base with those who may hold the keys to your next… -
Finding the silver lining in job search – Altruistic Tuesdays!
2 Feb 2010 | 10:53 amIf you look hard enough, you can find a silver lining in this economy for job seekers. Many people have been trudging along in careers that didn’t suit them, but leaving seemed impossible and risky. Taking advantage of a layoff and turning a difficult situation into an opportunity is not always easy, and it may not be the first thing that comes to mind when making plans for the future. Let’s face it, if you have always done a certain type of work, it is easy to think that your “next” thing needs to be that same thing. If your field does not seem to have much of a… -
How to apply for jobs that are a reach
31 Jan 2010 | 9:17 pmKey advice for job seekers – apply for jobs you are clearly qualified to do! However, it’s also clear that there will be times when you need to apply for jobs that may be a bit of a reach. I don’t think that this is contradictory advice. The important thing is to demonstrate that you are qualified to do what it is you want to do. Don’t assume that anyone reading your resume is going to give you “credit” for anything that you don’t clearly show that you can do. Here are some things to think about… Job ads are “best case scenarios,” sometimes… -
How to apply for jobs
27 Jan 2010 | 9:08 pmHave you been applying for jobs and have not been hearing back? I recently read something about the percentage of employers who are not replying back to job applicants…If anyone is familiar with a post along these lines, please share it, as I cannot put my hands on it now. Suffice to say that many, many job seekers never hear a word in reply to their applications. The question is – can you apply for jobs in such a way that you don’t wind up in this predicament? Of course, there is no perfect approach, but I want to suggest something to consider – ONLY APPLY FOR JOBS…
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JibberJobber Blog
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Job Search vs. Organize Your Files
9 Feb 2010 | 7:19 amLinkedIn for Job Seekers for $49.95 $25. Check out all the specials here.Many years ago I worked at the FBI as a clerk. When I first started there we didn’t have an office or cubicles, but eventually someone fought for us to have our own little space. It was really nice and we ended up with our own oversized cubicles. Going from nothing to a full suite was really cool. I look back on that time and remember a distinct activity I did when I was bored (I was frequently bored there). I would organize my files. I could spend a lot of time going through my files, organizing them,… -
Giveaway: 12 Boxes of Golden Grahams cereal
8 Feb 2010 | 12:27 pmLinkedIn for Job Seekers for $49.95 $25. Check out all the specials here.Seriously (or is it, cerealously)…. 12 boxes of Golden Grahams cereal. Not a book, not a DVD. Cereal You know how this is done (if you don’t, read about other Monday Giveaways here)… the question is: What was your funniest or most awkward job experience? Leave your answer in the blog comment, below! Good luck! Dear FTC: this cereal giveaway is possible because of General Mills. I’m not touching the boxes, they’ll ship it directly. I’m just a blogger trying to have fun. Go… -
My daughter cut her own bangs (related to your job loss)
5 Feb 2010 | 8:09 amLinkedIn for Job Seekers (the DVD) for $49.95 $25. Check out all the specials here.My three year old daughter cut her own bangs this week. Actually, the appropriate word is not “cut,” it is “butchered.” Just like every other kid in the world, she found some alone time with a mirror and scissors, and she had just seen my wife trim her bangs. So it was something she wanted to do. At first she was pretty proud of the job she did. But as people started noticing and talking about it (with a snicker here and there) she started to realize that her haircut wasn’t… -
Question: If a job seeker has no money, what can he GIVE?
4 Feb 2010 | 4:04 amWhen I figured “it” out (it = my job search), everything changed. The biggest change was in my happiness and excitement. I was jazzed about life and my job search. Why? Because I had figured out what I could GIVE. I couldn’t give money, or lunches, or anything that would be out-of-pocket. Even $10, like what I blogged about yesterday, was out of the question. How could I give $10 to someone when one of my kids needed food, or shoes, or ____ (there’s always something, right?)? But then I figured “it” out. I could give something to those who needed it… -
Ten Bucks for Keisha
3 Feb 2010 | 4:21 amMy buddy Daniel Johnson changes his status regularly, and this one caught my attention: Dan doesn’t know I’m writing this post right now. He just knows I contributed, that’s all. Dan is… how do I put this… the salt of the earth. Dan is one of those really good, genuine people. We’ve known each other virtually since 2006. I have always had a lot of respect for what Dan does for job seekers (a lot). He’s one of the first bloggers I wanted to get to know, and I can say that having known him has enriched my life. You may have already given at the…
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Punk Rock Human Resources
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Job Do-Overs
9 Feb 2010 | 3:45 amI wish I could have a do-over of an experience in 2007. I worked for a VP of HR who was losing his job in a company-wide reorganization program. I had one foot out the door, too, and there was no love lost between the two of us. I spoke my mind. He spoke his. It was a sad level of dysfunction, and I never missed an opportunity to be a bitch for the sake of keeping myself entertained. When it was confirmed that the VP of HR was scheduled to leave, one of my colleagues asked me to take a professional portrait as a gift to the VP. My picture would be included as part of a larger departmental… -
Rejection
8 Feb 2010 | 6:45 amJess left a comment on my blog that I wanted to share with you. What I’m disgruntled about currently… is the long online application process of many organizations. I’ve spent upwards of 6+ hours for a good job submission… carefully constructing my cover letter, researching the company a bit, tailoring my resume to that position, crafting essays…. taking online personality tests, skills assessments, etc. Only to hear nothing. Or to receive a generic email two months later that the position was not created. I understand why the online submission process is lengthy… but after… -
Monday Morning HR Humor: New E*TRADE Baby Commercials
8 Feb 2010 | 3:45 amLast year, I hailed the arrival of the E*Trade Baby commercials as the savior of the Super Bowl. This year? You tell me. Whaddya think? Do you like these new commercials or is E*TRADE trying too hard? -
Sunday Shout Out: Jennifer Hughes
7 Feb 2010 | 3:45 amHappy Sunday! I want to recognize my friend, Jennifer Hughes, who works in the Public Affairs/Media department at SHRM. Jenny has been a supporter of Punk Rock HR since I first started writing this blog. (I hope that doesn’t get her fired.) She is so helpful when I need information and data from SHRM. Whenever I can’t figure something out, Jenny is there to lend a hand. Some people wonder why an anti-establishment blogger would remain an active member of a large HR association — and it’s because of women like Jenny. She makes that organization great. Jenny, you are… -
Guest Post: UNC Grad Seeks Non-Lameass Job
6 Feb 2010 | 3:45 amToday’s post was sparked when I saw an ad from James Diagle on Facebook. I’d like to thank Laurie for the opportunity to guest post on Punk Rock HR. Laurie clicked on one of my Facebook ads that I use to drive traffic to my job search website, and was kind enough to let me share with you all how my job search has gone so far. I’m a December, 2009 graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in Interpersonal and Organizational Communications, and I’ve been looking for a job for about two months. I started my search about a month before I graduated. Like a lot of people, I posted my…
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CAREEREALISM: Because EVERY Job is Temporary
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T.A.P. Q#434 – How Do I Quit Without Making it Personal?
9 Feb 2010 | 11:18 amDear Experts, I’m about to be formally offered a position I really want. I know this from the basic language and tone of my conversations with the hiring manager. I’m just waiting for her to finish speaking with my references and actually put an offer in front of my face. Exciting, yes. Of course I do not plan to quit my current job until I have accepted an offer and have it in writing, but I figured I’d solicit advice sooner so I can prepare. See, my current job is…unique. I am one of five people who work for the company. I work from a home office with just my boss so… -
Don’t Let a Good Message Get Lost in Poor Delivery
8 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pmBy CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert, Emily Bennington I was in a meeting recently with a young woman who wasn’t getting her way. She was pushing for an idea she strongly believed in…but the others were less convinced. As the meeting wore on, she became increasingly aggressive. As she continued to state her case, her voice got higher and more hostile. When forced to listen to opposing views, she sunk low in her seat with her arms folded until, eventually, the meeting chairman tabled the issue altogether. As I witnessed the exchange, I couldn’t help but think if this woman were aware of… -
T.A.P. Q#433 – How Do I Answer Salary Interview Questions?
8 Feb 2010 | 9:21 amDear Experts, What advice do you have when an interviewer ask what your current salary is? Do you answer? Is it better to discuss that topic later? CLICK HERE to see how experts answered this question on Twitter. Got a career question you’d like answered? Send it to twitter@careerealism.com along with your Twitter account name (you must use Twitter for us to post your question). Want to read more questions from our readers? Check out more T.A.P. questions here. Technorati Tags: career advice, career expert, career question, interview, job search advice, salary, T.A.P. (Twitter Advice… -
Interview ANTICS: What Hiring Managers Are Really Asking
7 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pmBy CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert, Julia Erickson OK, you’ve made it past the initial resume screening and now have an interview. It could be in person or on the phone. (More and more interviews are on the phone now, and I’ve heard of Skype interviews also – better dress up for that one!) The point of an interview is to explore two main things: 1. Do you really know what you’re doing, or “is that stuff on the resume real?” There’s a lot of BS in some resumes and interviewers will ask pointed questions to determine if you actually have the skills and… -
4 Questions About Twitter Job Seeking
6 Feb 2010 | 9:15 pmBy CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert, Joshua Waldman A few weeks ago I interviewed a designer named Hal Thomas who got a job using Twitter. To see the replay, you can visit it here. I had MANY questions about the use of Twitter in the job search we simply didn’t have time to answer. So I’m going to answer them here. If you’re just getting started on Twitter, what’s the best way to find people that will target the people you’re looking for to build your relationships? There are essentially two ways to find people; either through their profile or through their tweets. You can search…
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Secrets of the Job Hunt
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6 Timesaving Social Media Tools for Business
9 Feb 2010 | 9:59 amTime management is something that most of us struggled with long before social media. As we become more involved in the world of social media and the see the importance of building personal business relationships, managing your time both inside the social media space and outside as a business professional and human being becomes ever more important. Once a month I host a free teleseminar where I discuss a topic related to social media. This month, I discussed “How to Manage Your Social Media in 30 Min. a Day.” A very important topic for those of us who have too much to do and not enough… -
What HR managers want
9 Feb 2010 | 6:07 amI just love it when HR people divulge the secrets to getting hired. Check out this interview with Libby Sartain, Chief People @ Yahoo! Most interesting in the post are these two nuggests of advice:Question: What makes a cover email and resume 'pop' for you?Answer: In the cover email, or summary when submitting your applications through an online jobs site like Hot Jobs, we look for your personality to show through. You should be able to come up with a succinct summary of who you are, what you bring to the table, and why we should hire you...but your unique personality should 'pop.'I suggest… -
Do you look for a job like in the 70s?
9 Feb 2010 | 1:04 amwww.laurentbrouat.com Do you still use a Cover letter and a CV (or Resume)? Do you still use the network of your close friends and only the network of your close friends? Guess what, you look for a job like in the 70s! My dad is 60 this year, and just retired from his company after almost 40 years of good work. He started working there in 1971. When he arrived in my city, he only knew my mother and had no contact at all. But at the time, he had a GSCE level which was good. The first job he got was to work for the local newspaper doing some admin stuff. He got this job because my mother’s… -
Who’s Hiring from Forbes Most Trustworthy Companies List – Vol II
9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 amReposted from CareerAlley "Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain." - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets, 1999 Now there is a quote that not only pertains to fantasy, but also makes sense in the real world too, and you know who I'm talking about. But what about in the business world? Can a company actually be trustworthy? I say yes (even if you can't see where it keeps its brain). You've been there, you go to a store to buy a large ticket item and you get the hard sell from the salesman. Is he telling the truth or just… -
What can a jobseeker give?
8 Feb 2010 | 4:45 amI write often about the importance of putting on an attitude of giving (rather than of desperation) for your job search. Well I will make this post short and sweet because I could not say it better than @JasonAlba says in his latest post "QUESTION: If a jobseeker has no money, what can he give?" You must check this out to learn how to help others build their network to their next great job opportunity! What other ways have you given that have accelerated your job search?
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Blue Sky Resumes Blog
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What Posh Spice Knows About Starting a New Gig
13 Jan 2010 | 3:12 pmBefore Tuesday night’s American Idol premiere, I knew precisely 3 things about Victoria Beckham (aka Posh Spice): 1) She used to be the in Spice Girls. 2) She’s married to David Beckham. 3) She’s a clueless and cold-hearted clothes hanger with no personality. I have no idea where I got that last one from because I have never paid the woman one iota of attention, but there it is, in my brain anyway. Or there it was until Tuesday night when she appeared as a guest judge on my favorite guilty pleasure TV show. And then a funny thing happened … I found I kind of liked… -
How to Resign With Class
12 Jan 2010 | 2:23 pmIf you’ve been following the entertainment news over the last few days, you’ll know that NBC plans to deal with the failure of Jay Leno’s new show by giving him his old time slot back and pushing Conan O’ Brien’s Tonight Show back to after midnight. Not surprisingly, Conan isn’t happy with this. He’s been waiting to take over the Tonight Show for years - indeed, he had a contractual agreement with NBC to do that. And he apparently turned down offers over the years in order to inherit the famed Tonight Show. So now to have his show pushed back just to… -
It’s All in a Name … or Is It?
7 Jan 2010 | 2:21 pmI’m happy to be one of CareerRealism’s Twitter career experts. We answer job seeker questions in 140 characters or less, but today’s question seemed to call for a more detailed answer. Here it is: I am in job search mode, and have decided to take the opportunity to transition into another field. It is a role I have performed in the past but not titled. Advised by professionals/experts in the field, that it is feasible. However, although my targeted resume has gotten to the hiring managers, and even some interviews, I do not get offers because I lack experience. How do I find… -
How to Find a Job in Just 18 Minutes a Day
30 Dec 2009 | 5:46 amAccording to the US Department of Labor, the average job seeker spends 18 minutes a day looking for a new job. It would be great if I could fulfill the promise of my title and tell you how to succeed doing the same, but of course I can’t. Because 18 minutes a day IS NOT ENOUGH! Until I replaced my PC a few months ago, it took about that long for it to warm up in the morning! My hobby is drawing and I’m currently working on a still life done in colored pencils. I’ve spent more than 18 minutes on just one of the grapes! My big business project right now, as some of you know,… -
Advice to a Friend on Starting Her Business
22 Dec 2009 | 5:41 amI was emailing back and forth with a friend the other night who is starting up a small business. She was struggling with writing copy for her website and wanted to know what I thought. Seeing her agonize over the process reminded me of something a very wise ex-colleague said to me when I was getting to ready to launch my business. I had gone to him for an opinion on our business plan. He said: There are two things you need to know: 1) Everything will take longer and cost more than you originally think. 2) You will never get it right the first time, so you might as well just get started and…
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Dan Erwin on Brainpower
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Why Winners Become Losers
9 Feb 2010 | 9:14 amRosabeth Kanter, one of the smartest bloggers on the web, grabbed my attention this morning with her blog, Why Winning Streaks End. Her lead, of course, was focused on Toyota, the world’s leading auto company, who’s facing a $2 billion recall as well as an investigation by the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration. Like all good columnists, her big idea is smack dab in the middle of the column (remember my blog on how to save time when reading a column?). All too often, long periods of success are undermined not by the competition but by self-inflicted wounds. . . -
Why Is Defense Secretary Gates So Successful? And What Can You Learn From That?
9 Feb 2010 | 3:00 amRobert Gates has been startlingly successful as Defense Secretary, yet the odds were that Republican Gates would not be successful in a Democratic cabinet. Why has he been so successful? What unique, transferable skills does he have that anyone can develop and use? Gates is an unusual professional in many ways. He has been advising Presidents for 35 years: Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush One, Bush Two and now Obama. Significantly, he is the only member of Bush’s cabinet to be asked to stay on in the Obama cabinet. I’ve encountered many analyses of his… -
Quotation of the Week: Matt Bai
5 Feb 2010 | 3:00 amWatching (Obama’s) party take a pounding is not the worst thing that could befall Obama politically. In fact, you could argue that rather than shudder at the thought of a more balanced Congress, Obama and his aides should embrace it. --Matt Bai, from Tyranny of the Majorities, Sunday New York Times Magazine Matt Bai has never been one to take the pundits too seriously. Furthermore, when he goes against conventional wisdom, he’s always got a great argument and often right on. He’s got a great argument in this article, and I hope he’s right. Bai suggests… -
Why Has Colin Powell Changed His Mind on Gays in the Military?
4 Feb 2010 | 10:02 amJust a week ago, pundits were criticizing Obama for his stance on gays in the military and quoting Colin Powell’s recommendation on "don't ask, don't tell" from 17 years ago. This morning the Washington Post reported that yesterday Powell changed his mind and said that he thinks the “restrictive law” should be repealed. What caused Powell to change his mind? The retired general ticked off three reasons for the change. He commented that along with the generational change, came attitudinal change, and that society is increasingly… -
Initial Jobless Claims Climbed Unexpectedly
4 Feb 2010 | 8:59 amLast week’s figures from the department of labor indicate a slight increase in jobless claims. Claims were up to 480,00 from last week’s 472,000. Business Week suggested that the figure indicates companies lack confidence that the economic recovery can be sustained. Since the unemployment figure is expected to remain at about 10% over the year, that will impact consumer buying as well as organizational hiring. This will be a slooooowwww recovery. As I have indicated previously, initial jobless claims may be the best statistic on the recovery. Again, here’s Mark…
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Career Management Alliance Blog
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Resume Needs to Make Instant Connection with Reader
9 Feb 2010 | 9:45 amWrapping up our series on The Interviewable Resume by Linda Matias of CareerStrides.com: The resume is a vital piece to any job search. As companies scramble to find the ideal candidate, they use the resume to screen candidates. Done right, a resume builds an instant connection with the reader and helps steer the course of the interview in your favor. If you submit a resume that piques the curiosity of the reader, he or she most likely will ask questions based on the information you provided on the resume as opposed to relying solely on a pre-packaged questionnaire. That’s how you know you… -
Job Search vs. Organize Your Files
9 Feb 2010 | 7:19 amMany years ago I worked at the FBI as a clerk. When I first started there we didn’t have an office or cubicles, but eventually someone fought for us to have our own little space. It was really nice and we ended up with our own oversized cubicles. Going from nothing to a full suite was really cool. I look back on that time and remember a distinct activity I did when I was bored (I was frequently bored there). I would organize my files. I could spend a lot of time going through my files, organizing them, labeling the hanging file folders, reorganizing them… I looked very productive. -
Follow the Green Money: 1366 Tech. Gets $5.15 Million, Coulomb Tech. Secures $14 Million, Vulcan Power Receives $108 Million
9 Feb 2010 | 7:14 amBased in Lexington, MA, solar start-up 1366 Technologies has secured $5.15 million in venture capital funding. 1366 Technologies was also the recipient of $4 million in funding from the the Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects. Here are their career openings. Semprius, a maker of concentrator solar photovoltaics, based in Durham, NC, has received $8.16 million in funding. Coulomb Technologies, based in the Silicon Valley area of CA, has secured $14 million in venture capital funding to continue developing its business of charging stations for electric vehicles. Coulomb has… -
CFO Recession Impressions
9 Feb 2010 | 5:14 amThe November 2009 CFO Magazine contained a survey of Senior Finance Executives’ thoughts on the impact the recession was having on their role/career. Very interesting results particularly because responses were categorized by Chief Financial Officers, VPs of Finance, and Controllers. Here are a few that jumped out at me ... --41.7% of CFOs said the recession has enhanced their career opportunities --42.4% of VPs of Finance say it has harmed them because of fewer opportunities both internally and externally --56.6% of CFOs say their role has become more important and respected --86.8%… -
College Major for Two-Year Degree
9 Feb 2010 | 4:00 amKris writes: I am a high school senior ready to graduate and I only have the grades to go to a 2-year community college, and I don’t really know what I could major in that would require me only 2 years! Please help me with some ideas. Thanks a lot! The Career Doctor responds: First of all, let me say that community colleges are great places — I taught at one for a few years while getting my Ph.D. — and you should not feel desperate. Students who attend community colleges usually follow one of two routes — they either go into a career that only requires an associate’s degree or…
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The Career Doctor Blog
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College Major for Two-Year Degree
9 Feb 2010 | 4:00 amKris writes: I am a high school senior ready to graduate and I only have the grades to go to a 2-year community college, and I don’t really know what I could major in that would require me only 2 years! Please help me with some ideas. Thanks a lot! The Career Doctor responds: First of all, let me say that community colleges are great places — I taught at one for a few years while getting my Ph.D. — and you should not feel desperate. Students who attend community colleges usually follow one of two routes — they either go into a career that only requires an… -
Keeping Resume Confidential
8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 amAnonymous writes: I don’t think its smart to have my resume for all to review, how I can I post my resume and keep it confidential? The Career Doctor responds: There certainly is validity to wanting to be discreet about job-hunting when you are currently employed — you wouldn’t want your current employer to do a search for a position and get your resume from one of these job sites. The good news is that many job boards now offer you a confidentiality option — thus your resume is still out there getting viewed, but you control who actually knows it is your resume. There… -
She Wants to Know Interviewing Do's and Don'ts
7 Feb 2010 | 4:00 amJoan writes: I could not find anything specific to interviewing do’s and don’ts on your site. Can you help? The Career Doctor responds: Interviewing is perhaps the most critical point in job-hunting, where the job-seeker has to use persuasive communications skills to show that s/he is the perfect candidate for the position. And we have quite a lot of information and resources on interviewing. But, because you asked, here are just a few of the most critical do’s and don’ts of interviewing: Do your research and know the type of job interview you will be encountering. And… -
Cover Letter for Career Changer
6 Feb 2010 | 4:00 amChristie writes: I’m looking to change my career. Do you know of any links where a person may find help with writing a cover letter? The Career Doctor responds: Every once in a while when I get an email like yours, I wonder if you’re pulling my leg, but because cover letters are my first love — and for the sake of other visitors — let me answer your question. My site, Quintessential Careers, has a plethora of resources on cover letters. My partner and I wrote the book on cover letters — literally — in Dynamic Cover Letters (third edition). For everything… -
Career Choice for High-School Student
5 Feb 2010 | 4:00 amLeah writes: I am a student in high school and I have no clue what I want to do when I get older, if you know of any sites or anything please inform me of them. Thanks a lot; this has really been bothering me lately and I really don’t know what else to do…. The Career Doctor responds: Leah, the good news is that you have many years to figure out exactly what you want to do with your life — and even then, most experts predict that people will change their careers five times over their lifetimes… so, take a deep breath and relax. What you should really do is examine your…
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Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters Tips Blog
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Resume Needs to Make Instant Connection with Reader
9 Feb 2010 | 9:45 amWrapping up our series on The Interviewable Resume by Linda Matias of CareerStrides.com: The resume is a vital piece to any job search. As companies scramble to find the ideal candidate, they use the resume to screen candidates. Done right, a resume builds an instant connection with the reader and helps steer the course of the interview in your favor. If you submit a resume that piques the curiosity of the reader, he or she most likely will ask questions based on the information you provided on the resume as opposed to relying solely on a pre-packaged questionnaire. That’s how you know… -
Cover Letter Distinguishes Job-seeker
8 Feb 2010 | 6:25 amAt a time when social media is becoming an increasingly important part of the job search, some observers are downplaying the role of the cover letter. While it’s true that some hiring decision-makers don’t value cover letters, others find them vitally important. Lynn Franklyn, HR manager for Wegmans Food Markets, was recently quoted in Fortune on cover letters: I usually go right for the cover letter, because resumes are all very similar. I look for a candidate to engage me and to really get a glimpse of who that person is. What do they know about the organization? Can they… -
Resume Should Showcase Your Top Selling Points
7 Feb 2010 | 9:43 amContinuing our series on The Interviewable Resume by Linda Matias of CareerStrides.com: Though you may share the same job title with many other people, your accomplishments and how you carry out your responsibilities are what distinguishes you from other qualified candidates. Focus your resume on not only what you did but also how well you did it. By design, what makes you interviewable are the same strengths you need to market on paper. -
Don't Let Your Letter Ruin Your Chance for an Interview
6 Feb 2010 | 9:11 amWrapping up our series on a survey on cover letters conducted by Robin Ryan, author of Winning Cover Letters. Ryan quotes Human Resource Manager Barbara Baker, who concisely summarizes the best cover-letter strategy to follow: “I’ve hired over 1,200 people. I’ve seen so many mistakes — too long, too short, general, non-specific content, some even state the reasons they were fired. A great cover letter boils down to this — a simple direct letter that mentions how their skills relate to performing the position applied for.” “Many people write such a… -
Resume Needs a Consistent Message
5 Feb 2010 | 9:41 amContinuing our series on The Interviewable Resume by Linda Matias of CareerStrides.com: Don’t try to become all things to all people. If you are a CEO, don’t add a statement that indicates that you are willing to be a Business Manager. If you are a Sales Manager, don’t indicate that you are willing to take on a position as a Customer Service Representative. Get the picture? Determine what you are selling (and looking for) before you put one word to paper.
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Career Success!
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Be a "Connector" This Week -- A Wonderful Way to GIVE to Your Network
9 Feb 2010 | 4:51 amMake it a point to be proactive this week as a resource for connecting people with with other in a meaningful and helpful way. Connecting contacts to each other in your network is a THREE-WAY BENEFIT -- it's a gift to BOTH of your contacts and it's ultimately a gift to yourself -- it feels good, it's intrinsically rewarding and it strengthens the quality of YOUR network. Consider the following ways to connect others in your network to each other this week: Refer a service provider in your network to someone who might be in need of their service. Invite two (or three) people in your… -
3 Masterful Keys for Time Management and Work Life Flexibility
8 Feb 2010 | 7:22 amWeekly Wisdom on the Work/Life Merge with Judy Martin Contributing Expert and Career Success! Partner Faced with a daunting task of completing a new project, spending time with my niece and preparing to meet with a client, I must be in a flexible state of mind. Flexibility in our personal lives and work lives takes planning. It is often our own minds that clutter the playing field with confusion, rather than taking the time to prioritize and get organized. We have to own our personal style of flexible work life practices whether we work for ourselves or a company. And how we… -
What is Your Unique Promise of Value?
7 Feb 2010 | 4:56 amPersonal branding guru, William Aruda, defines "Brand" as "your unique promise of value." Take a look at this very well done 4 minute Video of William's take on the importance of understanding and clearly communicating your personal brand: Dubbed the personal branding guru by the media and clients alike, William Arruda is a sought-after speaker on the topics of branding, career advancement, social media and employee motivation. Combining his twenty years' corporate branding experience with his passion for the people, he founded Reach, the global leader in personal branding. William… -
Overwhelmed by Networking? Focus on Strategy, Not Just Tactics
5 Feb 2010 | 8:36 amWeekly Smart Networking Wisdom of Liz LynchContributing Expert and Career Success! Partner Are you heavy on tactics and light on strategy when it comes to networking for your business? You'll know if you're feeling at all frustrated that the time you've put in is far outweighed by the meager results you've gotten out. Trouble is that when we get into this situation we think we need to do more, and we look for solutions in the form of other tactics that we might not have tried yet. But imagine if you took 5 random ingredients from your refrigerator and threw them into a sauté pan. What… -
"How to Wow" - Tips for Amping Up Your Image and Personal Brand
4 Feb 2010 | 5:02 amCareer Success Radio ShowInterview with Frances Cole Jones, Author of "How to Wow - Proven Strategies for Presenting Your Ideas, Persuading Your Audience, and Perfecting Your Image"Carrie and I interviewed author Frances Cole Jones on the Career Success Radio Show, which was broadcast this past Tuesday, on the subject of "How to Wow" and positively influence your colleagues, employers, potential employers -- even your competitors. Frances talked about her book, "How to Wow" with offers easy-to-follow advice, amusing anecdotes and immediately employable tips and techniques for "Wowing"…
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Career Rocketeer
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Campaign For Success
9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 amThis article was first published on CareerRocketeer in May 2009, then again last week on CareerRealism.com. It’s been popular and is a great introduction to the free webinar today on this very subject. Click here to register for the free webinar that starts at 11am PST / 2pm EST Unstuck 101: How a Career Campaign Can Move You Forward“There is only one thing worse in life than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” (Oscar Wilde)When searching for employment everyone wants to create the “we can’t live without this candidate!” buzz. There is always the fear your… -
Dressing you and your resume for success!
8 Feb 2010 | 8:33 pmKeep those resumes coming my way because I learn as much about improving my craft from critiquing your resume for free, as you can learn from me about how to improve your resume’s presentation and apply/interview ratio. perry@perrynewman.com.Also before I delve into today’s topic I’d like to offer congratulations to the Nawlins Saints on winning the Super Bowl; and my condolences to the Colts who lost a heart breaker of a game. Now for all of you job seekers (football fans or not) there is a lesson to be learned here. The goal of a football team is not to get to the Super Bowl - it is… -
TOXIC Workplace? The 4 Goals of Misbehavior: revenge, power, attention, helplessness.
8 Feb 2010 | 12:09 pmIs your workplace TOXIC?Problems with the boss?Problems with coworkers?Just don't understand, why they do what they do?Learn about Alfred Adlers' theory about the 4 Goals of Misbehavior! Psychology can help you improve communication, increase cooperation and survive the modern workplace.According to National Surveys, the #1 reason why people quit jobs or are fired is unresolved conflict with a boss or coworkers! This theory can also be applied for all interpersonal relationships at home or at work. Learn how you also use inappropriate behavior, to try and get what you want. Read on…Contrary… -
5 Resume Basics We Bet You’ve Overlooked!
8 Feb 2010 | 3:02 amFive basic résumé rules and the mistakes you make that break them. Thousands of job seekers make these mistakes. Are you making them too?FORGETTING TO INCLUDE A COVER LETTERNot attaching a cover letter to a résumé is like shooting in the dark. Hiring managers receive hundreds of unsolicited résumés every week. Tell them specifically what opening you are applying to or the position you’re inquiring about. Do not presume they will figure it out from your résumé.USING AN OBJECTIVEPoint blank, objectives are bad form, self-serving and will get you nowhere in this job market. Instead of… -
The Job Search After Illness
5 Feb 2010 | 3:12 amNearly every job seeker out there has a host of reasons they won’t get the job. Overqualified. Underqualified. Have the skills, but don’t know the industry. Have experience, but not the education. Have the degree, but no experience. Been out of the workforce for too long. If you’re looking to relaunch your career after an extended illness, you may feel you’re in the worst situation. Not only have you been out of the workforce for a while but you probably didn’t have a way to keep up with current technology and industry trends. Will employers take a chance on someone who’s been…
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Mashable!
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Google Buzz: The Official Demo [VIDEO]
9 Feb 2010 | 11:08 amGoogle has just unveiled its latest attempt to become more relevant in the social media space: Google Buzz. The product is integrated within Gmail and will be rolled out gradually to all of the webmail service’s users over the next few days.We’re still digesting all of the implications of Buzz (and will have more coverage throughout the day), but in the meantime, here’s the two-minute demo of the product in action both on the Web and via mobile that Google showed off during today’s press conference:What are your initial reactions? Another soon-to-be-forgotten Google social product? A… -
BREAKING: Google Goes Social with Google Buzz
9 Feb 2010 | 10:21 amIt’s official: Google has just announced Google Buzz, its newest push into the social media foray. This confirms earlier reports of Gmail integrating a social status feature.On stage revealing the new product was Bradley Horowitz, Google’s vice president for product management. While introducing the product, Mr. Horowitz focused on the human penchant for sharing experiences and the social media phenomenon of wanting to share it in real time. These two key themes were core philosophies behind Google Buzz.“It’s becoming harder and harder to find signal in the… -
Facebook Kills Lexicon, Focuses on Analytics for Page Admins
9 Feb 2010 | 10:20 amFacebook has removed its Lexicon analytics app, blogger Steve Rubel noticed last night.Don’t know what Lexicon was? That’s OK, a lot of people didn’t; it was announced very quietly, but it was a neat tool. You could use Lexicon to see how frequently, and when, certain terms were trending in status updates, just like you can use Google Trends to do the same with search terms.For example, our own Stan Schroeder was a bit perplexed a couple years back when the word “sex” had a massive spike in usage on May 30, 2008. It was the launch day of the Sex and the City… -
7 Ways to Promote Your Offline Event Using Social Media
9 Feb 2010 | 10:10 amSusan Payton is the President of Egg Marketing & Public Relations, an internet marketing firm. She blogs at The Marketing Eggspert Blog, and teaches marketing courses at Marketing EggSchool. Follow her on Twitter @eggmarketing.We all know about Tweetups and online events, but what about events that you didn’t specifically invite the Twitterati to attend? Conferences, meetings and parties are all events that might not have started online, but which can definitely benefit from online promotion and mention.Leverage your offline event with some smart social media marketing. Here are… -
WordPress To Posterous Users: Graduate to a Full Blog
9 Feb 2010 | 9:57 amIn an effort to remind you that WordPress can be just as flexible and e-mail-friendly as Posterous, the company has released a Posterous importer for users who want to “graduate” from the mini-blogging site to “a full blog with the features, flexibility and reliability of WordPress.com.”The new WordPress.com utility can be found via the Tools section within the Dashboard. All that’s required to run the import is your Posterous host name, user name and password, and it can import all of the following: posts, tags, comments and images.On the flip side, Posterous…
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SmartBrief on Social Media
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What can Twitter lists do for your company?
8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pmYou need to be able to draw the right people to your Twitter account if you want to get the most out of the service, writes C -More- -
Your turn: What does the future hold for e-mail?
8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm-More- -
How to turn social buzz into sales
8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pmAs social marketing matures, it's time to stop thinking solely in terms of buzz, and start figuring out how to use social too -More- -
The Oscars aim for a social revamp
8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pmHollywood's biggest award ceremony is hoping to harness the power of social media, with the Academy launching a Facebook page -More- -
Google fights back against Facebook
8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pmGoogle is preparing to announce the addition of social-networking tools, possibly including a status stream, to its Gmail ser -More-
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chrisbrogan.com
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Earn Your GED- Find Success Tomorrow
9 Feb 2010 | 1:30 amNo, not your General Equivalent Degree. The GED to which I refer is “guest experience design.” What the heck am I talking about? I’ll tell you. Old words: customer service. New words: guest experience. Disney, where I am this week, has a concept called a Moment of Truth. A moment of truth is “any time a guest comes into contact with any aspect of a business, however remote, is an opportunity to form an impression.” Note that it’s “an impression.” It can be good; it can be bad. Why “guest?” Because guest is much more hospitable than… -
Pursue the Goal Not the Method
8 Feb 2010 | 1:30 amIn the back of a town car hired to take me to the Kansas City International airport, talking to Jeff, a driver with two kids, self-proclaimed ADD, and a history of quitting rote sales jobs every few months, I realized something of importance to the story of what’s brought me to this place: I am a seeker of the goal, not the method. Now, to unpack. The Method Is What We’re Taught to Pursue We learn our times tables. We learn the 50 states (in the US, at least). We are taught all these rules, these patterns, these systems, these methods. Musicians learn their scales. Painters copy… -
Your Blog From the Prospect’s Point of View
7 Feb 2010 | 7:34 amWhen you use your blog to complain or report sideways about the industry at large, what message is that sending to your potential new clients? If you’re spending your time analyzing what other people in your space are doing, citing why they’re wrong, and providing your commentary about all the things they’re doing, what does your next potential customer come away thinking? Is your negative commentary helping them make a buying decision? I’ve rarely seen the tactic work in traditional advertising. You can graze them a little bit. For instance, I’m a bit fond of… -
Just Lucky I Guess – Kitchen Table Talks
6 Feb 2010 | 1:46 pmIn this Kitchen Table Talks video, I just want to address all the nice folks who call me lucky, or who think I’m just sitting around being handed my lot in life. Can’t see the video? Click here. Direct link to the video “Lucky” is absolutely what I am. Here’s what I do to earn my luck: Write a blog post or two a day. Write a newsletter every week. Comment and connect with others daily. Answer and send hundreds of emails daily. Read voraciously. Work with the best clients I can find. Reach into new markets weekly. Travel extensively. Seems lucky to me. People… -
Some Of The Third Tribe Conversations
6 Feb 2010 | 1:02 pmI’m really enjoying participating in the forums at the Third Tribe site. I was just adding my two cents to a handful of forum postings, and thought that I’d show you what some of the topics we’re talking about are, so you’d have a sense of what’s going on. We don’t really share the contents, because the people participating there like having the chance to speak openly/candidly about their marketing challenges, but I don’t see the harm in sharing a few of the topic titles. Here they are: Favorite copywriting and marketing books? Third Tribe Blogroll? 2…
