Birthday Networking

Birthday Networking I remember when I finally understood I was supposed to followup with people on a regular basis networking is about nurturing relationships, right? What about the person you havent communicated with for years?   What do you followup with them about?   You might sound to pushy, with an agenda (btw, please help me find a job!) or you might sound to empty (just writing to say hi, even though its been five years.   Okay, bye now!). Thats why I LOVE birthdays its a great opportunity to reach out with no strong agenda, but also without being empty. I have birthday reminders set up in JibberJobber and get an email on the day someone is having a birthday.   It brings me a bit of festive joy when I know someone is having their special day, and I hope that sending them a happy birthday email (cuz Im an email-kinda-guy :)). Aside from the birthdays I have for my contacts in JibberJobber, I also get notices on Facebook and from Plaxo.   In addition, when I look at my Twitter stream I sometimes catch a happy birthday to ______!   I usually take the info from Facebook, Plaxo or Twitter and put that into JibberJobber, so Im sure to get a birthday reminder email next year. Consider birthday networking as part of your relationship nurturing strategy just a simple but genuine message can help you maintain those relationships! More on birthday networking with JibberJobber at these two posts: Why Grandma Should Use JibberJobber Adjusting your Birthday Reminders Birthday Networking I remember when I finally understood I was supposed to followup with people on a regular basis networking is about nurturing relationships, right? What about the person you havent communicated with for years?   What do you followup with them about?   You might sound to pushy, with an agenda (btw, please help me find a job!) or you might sound to empty (just writing to say hi, even though its been five years.   Okay, bye now!). Thats why I LOVE birthdays its a great opportunity to reach out with no strong agenda, but also without being empty. I have birthday reminders set up in JibberJobber and get an email on the day someone is having a birthday.   It brings me a bit of festive joy when I know someone is having their special day, and I hope that sending them a happy birthday email (cuz Im an email-kinda-guy :)). Aside from the birthdays I have for my contacts in JibberJobber, I also get notices on Facebook and from Plaxo.   In addition, when I look at my Twitter stream I sometimes catch a happy birthday to ______!   I usually take the info from Facebook, Plaxo or Twitter and put that into JibberJobber, so Im sure to get a birthday reminder email next year. Consider birthday networking as part of your relationship nurturing strategy just a simple but genuine message can help you maintain those relationships! More on birthday networking with JibberJobber at these two posts: Why Grandma Should Use JibberJobber Adjusting your Birthday Reminders Birthday Networking I remember when I finally understood I was supposed to followup with people on a regular basis networking is about nurturing relationships, right? What about the person you havent communicated with for years?   What do you followup with them about?   You might sound to pushy, with an agenda (btw, please help me find a job!) or you might sound to empty (just writing to say hi, even though its been five years.   Okay, bye now!). Thats why I LOVE birthdays its a great opportunity to reach out with no strong agenda, but also without being empty. I have birthday reminders set up in JibberJobber and get an email on the day someone is having a birthday.   It brings me a bit of festive joy when I know someone is having their special day, and I hope that sending them a happy birthday email (cuz Im an email-kinda-guy :)). Aside from the birthdays I have for my contacts in JibberJobber, I also get notices on Facebook and from Plaxo.   In addition, when I look at my Twitter stream I sometimes catch a happy birthday to ______!   I usually take the info from Facebook, Plaxo or Twitter and put that into JibberJobber, so Im sure to get a birthday reminder email next year. Consider birthday networking as part of your relationship nurturing strategy just a simple but genuine message can help you maintain those relationships! More on birthday networking with JibberJobber at these two posts: Why Grandma Should Use JibberJobber Adjusting your Birthday Reminders

Guidelines For Writing Good Resume

Guidelines For Writing Good ResumeThere are many ways to create a resume that will make your search for a new job a little easier. You can start by following these guidelines for writing good resume. When you follow these guidelines, you will not only land a job but you will get the job.One of the most important guidelines for writing good resume is to always have a business card. A personal or business card is a symbol of your professionalism, which is necessary for those who want to have their own careers. Having a formal address is also important to establish a place of business.Another guideline for writing good resume is to include the contact information of your employer. Having this information should be the first thing you put in your resume. It does not necessarily have to be in the specific position of your employer. You can put the name of the company and the state you work in, if you are currently working in that state.However, you should still include your address, phone number, fax number, and email address, if you have one. The address will be the easiest way for your prospective employer to contact you. In this way, your potential employer can see you.The other key in your resume is the use of your business card. It may seem like overkill, but using a business card is a good idea because it will help establish your professionalism. A business card will show that you care about how people see you.It is also important to note that you will not be able to fully highlight your skills if you do not put them on paper. On paper, you can explain your capabilities and credentials. This will help create more credibility with your prospective employer.A good resume is an excellent tool for getting the interview. It is all well and good to say that you wrote a great academic paper, but if you don't show what your academic background has been, your employer will wonder what your previous education consisted of. When they call you for an interview, it is up t o you to fill them in. A good resume can help show your abilities and give you the opportunity to get that interview.Writing a resume does not have to be difficult. You can follow these guidelines for writing good resume to help make the process a little easier. You can even include your contact information to your resume, if you feel it is necessary. Remember, the majority of people, who will be looking at your resume, will be not only reading the information, but looking for an opportunity.

Are You Employed but Looking [Infographic] - Career Geek

Are You Employed but Looking [Infographic] - Career Geek Jobseekers are out in full force with an impressive majority actively looking or open to finding new employment. Unfortunately, not all of them feel good about their odds. And even more think 2012 has proven an increasingly difficult year to be on the job hunt. In its third annual Social Job Seeker Survey, Jobvite brings you some eye opening statistics about the real mindset of candidates in todays job market. Infographic developed by Jobvite. 0

Get your next mentor by being slightly annoying

Get your next mentor by being slightly annoying Brian Wiegand is a very low-profile guy who has sold three companies, most recently to Microsoft. He is big enough that TechCrunch writes about him as a good bet for anyone betting. But the bane of Brians existence is that his exits have all been for under $50 million. This is enough for him to have a private jet and be King of Madison (Wisconsin), but not enough for him to get a lot of respect in Silicon Valley. A quote from my advisory board member who lives in Silicon Valley: For big VCs, $50 million is a rounding error. So Brian is not looking for people to mentor or boards to sit on because he is consumed with running his fourth company, Alice.com, which will compete with Wal-Mart and Target. I do not tell Brian that I will have a hard time ever missing a trip to Target to shop at Alice because Target has such great clothes that are so cheap they are almost free. Well, actually I did tell him that. And I told him a bunch of other stuff, because I decided that I need him as a mentor. Eventually, I got him to agree to be on the board of my company. Heres the process I took to convince him to help me. And these are good steps for anytime you have someone youd like to ask to be your mentor: 1. Dont be discouraged by lack of response. The way Brian operates is that he doesnt talk to anyone in Madison and I had to send him fifteen emails before hed have lunch with me. Later her told me that he gets so many invitations for lunch that he doesnt even respond until someone sends him two emails. They have to show a little tenacity, he says. 2. Find the persons weakness, so you know where you can help him. When we had lunch I opened by regaling him with stories of my dating life, to make him feel a little unstable and vulnerable. And then I launched into how he needs to help more entrepreneurs and he is helping no one in Madison and its not enough to be great at building companies. You need to be great at building communities of people building companies, I told him. He looked at me with an incredulous stare. Its more fun that way, I said. Were doing this for fun, right? I mean, you do not need more money. So there is no rational reason for you to be working insane hours for another company. And I do need a lot more money. And it would be much safer for me to go to a Fortune 500 company and draw a big salary than take a risk on a startup. So were both doing this for fun, right? And its more fun if you help more people. Brian pointed out to me his companies made several people in Madison millionaires. Immediately I wish I had met him earlier. Like, when I was scooping ice cream at 31 Flavors and I could have been getting him coffee in exchange for stock options. We come to an agreement that he will help me because he wants to be a good and giving person and I promise him that I will be fun. 3. Be real. No one wants to mentor someone who is perfect. I then proceeded to be totally not fun by running out of money, being moody and difficult, and totally pissing off my lead investor who is also one of his investors. To the point where Brian told me that he couldnt be associated with my company. Because we were in too much trouble. He would not agree that he said that. I am summarizing. But this is really the crux of the whole problem: He is the paragon of diplomacy and I am not. And I need to be. Because we live in a small town. And all angel funding is local. But while I was melting down, he was paying attention. For the first time, I didnt have to chase him he was genuinely interested in how I was getting out of my mess. 4. Remember that good advice is harder to find than money. Speaking of melting down over money, youd think it would be totally annoying to me that hes not putting money into my company. Because money is local. And he is local. And he is money. We talk about this over lunch. And he is paying for lunch. Thats a good start. Its our third lunch. I pace myself for topics to cover. I try not to think about the fact that he gets a little antsy at the end. Like, he just sort of gets up when hes done. Other people kind of wind down the conversation. Or do something like fold their napkin. He just stands up. Sometimes Im mid-thought. I am one of the most socially awkward people I hang out with, so it takes a lot for me to be making remarks about someone elses social retardation. But the truth is, though, that entrepreneurs are often described as quirky, and Brians weirdness makes me trust his advice more. Brian gives great advice about the nuts and bolts of running a company. After all, once youve done three, you have to have sort of a system for going the distance, right? He is great for keeping me focused. I am always thinking about the future where is human resources going? Where is generation Y going? Where is blogging going? I am asking the huge questions instead of Did anyone call Deloitte to find out what they are posting on Brazen Careerist next month? Brian says something like, What are you doing to make sure that everyone in the company is focused on the same vision? 5. In the end, you want the mentor to care about you as a person. I knew things were going well when we were talking about how to make payroll and Brian said, Wait. One more thing. You have to get rid of that farmer. (And Im thinking, Brian, when you are walking through the parking lot for your private jet, why dont you look around for someone better for me to date?) The great thing about Brian is that hes exited enough startups that he can afford to be light. For isolated moments. Most entrepreneurs are anxious during the early phase of a startup. Obsessively focused. Tweaking models often. Praying something sticks. Brian is steady though he knows hell figure it out. When it comes to building a company, Brian has the perfect combination of calm and excitement. And in the end, I think he might be my mentor for being lighthearted and calm. Or faking it. You should try to get a mentor like Brian. But since you probably wont get one right away after all, you need at least fifteen emails you should subscribe to his Twitter feed. Which I love. Its a peek into how a startup unfolds in an entrepreneurs brain.

Best Price to Value For Resume Writing

Best Price to Value For Resume WritingThe best price to value for resume writing is not the price at which a resume is bought. It is important to remember that resumes are a unique document, as they are designed to persuade the employer to consider you for an open position. Your resume should be designed to persuade the recruiter to call you back for an interview. As such, it must be attractive, as well as convincing and make you stand out among the rest of the competition.The best price to value for resume writing is to look at your previous work. You will want to consider anything that you have done that might be considered part of your personality. Examples of this would be any freelance work you have done, or any time spent in volunteer work for various causes. Anything that is measurable can make you more appealing and worth taking serious consideration for the opening.If you have not done any free work, do so. You may be surprised at how your resume can look with no work to it. After all, these are sales pitches. It is to your advantage to think like the employer.Second, focus on what you are able to bring to the table as compared to other applicants. In resume writing, the value of your abilities comes from how much the prospective employer is willing to pay for them. This makes your best price to value for resume writing to be the price you will get in an interview for the job. If it's low, don't worry, because you are competing with many other candidates who are only average.For people with post-graduates, make sure you know what you are doing before you spend your precious time going over it. Spend some time in a school or internship, and see what your strengths are. Look at a resume written by someone else and understand what you would be providing for the job. Again, this applies to freelancers and interns. If you understand what you have to offer, then you are better off with that perspective.Third, while it is true that you want to avoid redundanc y, you also want to be able to provide it. If you really need to add something, then it should be clear to the reader that the information is an addition to the resume. Even if you cannot add something new, add something to your resume.Fourth, do not feel bad about your prices. Remember that this is a case study, and it is something that the employer is paying attention to. If you are trying to determine if you are worth the prices you charge, just ask yourself what you have to offer, and how much. This will help you make a decision.If you apply these strategies to creating a resume, you should be able to understand the issues that go into determining what the best price to value for resume writing is. This information is critical to making your resume successful. Since so many people pay attention to the pricing of resumes, these guidelines can be used to get the best results possible. So the next time you are at a job interview, you will be armed with this information to be certai n you do not become the person who gets the lowest price to value for resume writing.

5 Tips To Get Noticed Online

5 Tips To Get Noticed Online Recruiters are turning to the Internet to look for talent with exactly the right set of skills. This means that in order youll need to proactively manage what you put online in order to show up on a recruiters radar, . You already know your LinkedIn profile is important, but thats not the only place you should have a digital presence. According to CareerBuilders 2015 Social Media Recruitment Survey: 35% of employers unlikely to interview candidates not online 51% of hiring managers research candidates using search engines 52% report using social networking sites to research candidates. If you work within certain industries, these research methods are more common. Information technology, financial services, sales and professional and business services professionals should expect recruiters to look at them online. Here are five ways you can create better online visibility  and lure your next employer: 1. Show Tenure and Experience Without a doubt, hiring managers want to know you have the experience to do the job. LinkedIn is the obvious place to share your previous work experience, but dont stop there. Own your digital presence by listing your work history online, preferably on your personal website, and provide a downloadable version as well. Want to take it a step further? Convert your LinkedIn profile into an infographic resume, or create a slideshow of your career progression. FYI: Creativity is another quality many employers look for. 2. Show Proof of Work Prove you can do the job by showing samples of your work. Your online portfolio could include samples of code youve created, analyses and summaries of data you developed, your sales awards or a list of clients youve served. You can include links to your work samples in your LinkedIn profile, but again, dont limit the ability for recruiters to find you online. Expand your proof among code-sharing sites, and add samples to your personal website. You could also create slide decks to showcase your successes and upload them to a site like SlideShare. Posting your content on other sites can help increase the likelihood youll show up in search results and improve your visibility. 3. Show Your Personality Dont overlook the power of personality. Youre more likely to land an interview and ultimately a job if you look like youll fit on the team. Hiring managers also look for someone who will be easy to manage. Your personality comes through in everything you say and write, so be purposeful. Your LinkedIn summary is the perfect place to express yourself. Include why youve chosen your field and what motivates you to do your best work. When you add status updates to your social networks, inject some of your own thoughts when sharing an article. Video is another opportunity to show people the best of your professional self. Add a one-minute video to your online portfolio, and upload it to YouTube as well. 4. Share Reviews and Positive Recommendations Social proof has increasingly become an important factor for decision-making among consumers and hiring managers. It is often said that your personal brand is what other people say about you when youre not in the room. An overlooked LinkedIn feature is Recommendations, which allows you to host written recommendations from colleagues and managers on your profile. You can also capture testimonials from customers or clients and embed this information on LinkedIn and your personal website. 5. Show Communication Skills Many employers say that communication skills are the most important and yet hardest to find skills. Prove you have strong written communication skills by developing a strong LinkedIn profile. Also include samples of your written work. You can prove your solid oral communication skills by highlighting presentations you have delivered. Reference your speaking engagements on your LinkedIn profile, as status updates on social networks and on your online portfolio. If you have a video link or photo, include that as well. Validate your claim by including links to other websites referencing your work, such as professional associations, publications or event pages. The Bottom Line: You have to know what employers want so you can deliver the goods. In order to attract the right opportunities, youll need to zero in on what employers say they want. Review requirements for jobs that interest you. Look for reoccurring technical skills, competencies and work styles listed in job postings. Use these skills and keywords in the content you build online. This includes your social media profiles, as well as all content you publish online. This post originally appeared on US News World Report On Careers

If Pigs Could Fly - CareerAlley

If Pigs Could Fly - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. If we knew what we were doing, it wouldnt be called research. AlbertEinstein The megamillions jackpot was over 100 million dollars a few weeks ago. Of course I bought my ticket and immediately started thinking about all of the things I would do with the money (including retiring or starting my own business). And its a great thought. It keep you going until the drawing because, until they pick someone else, you still have a shot at it. Having a job opportunity or two in the works is much the same. Whether it was a head hunter who called you, a series of interviews or some other lead, as long as the opportunity is still open you are in the running. And although finding a job should be a lot easier than winning the megamillions jackpot, it sometimes feels like the odds for finding a job are just as bad. Using Facebook in a Job Search 4 Ways to Increase Your Chance of Finding a Job This article, from ezinearticles.com, provides some tips for using an unlikely website for finding a job (Facebook). The four tips cover topics such as searching a target company name, searching a key decision maker and more. Definitely worth a read. 10 Tips To Increase Your Chances Of Getting A Job This article is split into two parts, with part one covering topics such as attitude, appearance, skills, experience and personality. The tips, provided by ejobapply.com, are basic but good tips. Give it a read to see where you can increase your chances. Jobcoach: five steps to help you get back to work Another great list of tips (these are provided by Backtowork.direct.uk.gov), these are specific steps you should take in your job search. Planning, ensuring your search is broad and learning to sell yourself are just some of the steps provided in this article. Also take a look at some of the related links on the left hand side of the page. Increase your chances of gettingthatjobinterview You wont get a job unless you get an interview and this article, from the LinkedIn Blog, tells you how you can increase your chances. There are a few related embedded links. The comments are good as well. Increase Your Chances of Finding a Job, Heres How One more article on this topic, this one from dmcny.org. Ten action points here, from interview aggressively to be a realist, these ten short tips are worth a read. How Not to Find a Job Lots on how to increase your chances of finding a job. What about what not to do? This article, from Alison Doyle of About.com covers the mistakes you dont want to make. From typos on your most important documents to not limiting your search, this article covers some interesting topics (like maybe you dont want your tattoos to show!). Dont forget to look at the related links at the bottom of the page. Good luck in your search.Visit me on Facebook