Unemployed 7 Resolutions You Need to Make for 2012 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Unemployed 7 ‘Resolutions’ You Need to Make for 2012 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Part II of II Editor’s Note: In Part I of this two-part series, international best-selling job hunting book author and professional “headhunter” Skip Freeman suggested the 7 New Year’s “resolutions” employed people should seriously consider making to land their “dream job” in the new year. In Part II, Skip offers 7 highly recommended New Year’s “resolutions” specifically designed for those who currently are unemployed and who also want to land their “dream job” in the new year. If you entered the New Year without a job I know how you’re feeling: Discouraged, depressed, dispirited. And that’s entirely understandable given present circumstances because this year’s job market, while expected to improve at least somewhat, still is going to be mighty challenging. Why? Because not only will the unemployed be vying for the finite number of available jobs, it is estimated that anywhere from 45% to 60% of the currently employed, who say they are ready to make a career move, will also be vying for these same jobs. That’s the bad news. The good news is that, despite the constant barrage of negative job news emanating from the media, which tend to focus nearly exclusively on the number of new jobs created in the economy, there still are jobs availableâ€"for those who can brand themselves as exceptional candidates! As a matter of fact, four million jobs were filled each and every month in 2011, with approximately three million jobs remaining unfilled at year’s end. That means that, each and every month in 2011, there were seven million opportunities to land a new job! This trend is expected to continue into the New Year. Now, in fairness, not every available job in 2011 could be filled by everyone who was unemployed. Likewise, not every available job this year will be able to be filled by every job seeker, either. Nonetheless, there still wasâ€"and is expected to be in 2012â€"enough variety in the available job mix to give many job seekers, both employed and unemployed, at least a fighting chance at a new job. In Part I of this two-part series, I offered seven strongly recommended New Year’s “resolutions” for the currently employed who want to explore new career opportunities in 2012. And, of course, all seven of those resolutions apply to the unemployed as well. In this, the second part of the series, I offer an additional seven highly recommended resolutions designed especially for the unemployed job seeker. So, if are unemployed and would like to have a realistic chance at landing one of the millions of jobs expected to be filled each and every month this year, here is what I recommend (with applicable “hot” links to appropriate references): 1.    Apply to posted positions both online and offline. It is important to keep in mind that, depending upon the level of position, only 50-70% of all positions are ever posted. As an unemployed person you definitely want to use the job boards (and we recommend an job aggregator such as indeed.com or simplyhired.com) and apply to the position online. Recognize, however, that, more often than not, you will go into the proverbial black hole. However, people still do get hired this way. But don’t stop there! In parallel, also apply offline. Use the “headhunter” hiring secrets laid out both in “‘Headhunter’ Hiring Secrets: The Rules of the Hiring Game Have Changed . . . Forever!” and in my previous blogs (http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/?s=Skip+Freeman) to learn how to identify hiring managers, craft your direct mail message and go after the position directly. 2.    Trash your current résumé and create a NEW one . . .   Unless you have key words in it that match the job you are applying for. Unless you have quantifiable accomplishments and achievements documented in it. If you list nothing but duties and responsibilities. If you have used unusual fonts, colors or anything “weird” that a computer can’t scan and read. If you use paragraphs instead of bullet points. If it is more than two pages in length. 3.    Launch an aggressive, targeted direct mail campaign. (http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/frustrated-by-%e2%80%98post-and-hope%e2%80%99-job-hunting-try-this/) 4.    Develop Internal company sponsors. They can significantly increase your odds of becoming visible and getting hired. (http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/still-job-hunting-online-never-hearing-back-try-this) 5.    Keep in mind that job winners today are increasingly creative in their approach. Make sure you are too! (http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/how-hanna-landed-her-new-dream-job/) 6.    Win the job you want by learning how to “lead the witness” during an interview. (http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/winning-face-to-face-interview-by-leading-the-witness/) 7.    Make sure you know, understand and can adequately address the “ONE” question you must get RIGHT in an interview. (http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/the-question-you-must-get-right-in-the-interview/) Now, if you makeâ€"and then keep!â€"all seven of these recommended New Year’s resolutions, am I guaranteeing that you will land a new job in 2012? Of course not. No one can make such a guarantee. I think you will have to agree, however, that, if you have been unemployed for any length of time, it’s got to be pretty obvious by now that the approaches you currently are employing to try and find a new job clearly aren’t working. That sort of begs the question, then, of what do you have to lose by adopting approaches that are working more often than not in today’s job market?! How do I know these approaches I am recommending work in today’s job market? Because I am in the job market each and every business day, dealing with both candidates and those who hire them. I therefore know what does work, and equally importantly, what does not work. Make no mistake about it, there will continue to be plenty of stiff competition in the 2012 job market, but there are glimmers of hope on the horizon. Based upon my executive recruiting firm’s conversations with hiring managers in our client companies, the first quarter of 2012 is looking very promising. Companies, though still cautious, are critically short-handed and are finding that the dollars they had been saving by not filling vacant positions are quickly being eroded by the dollars they are losing as the result of reduced business. But that doesn’t mean companies will be quick to hire. They are still only going to make the decision to invest in a new employee if, and only if, that potential employee can clearly and unequivocally brand herself/himself as someone who can either make the company money, save the company money, or ideally, accomplish both of these things! And, finally, if you have a few minutes, grab a cup of coffee (or your favorite beverage) and then click on the link below to learn how you can go about making your dream job a reality in 2012. http://portal.sliderocket.com/BFDSG/Find-Your-Dream-Job Author: Skip Freeman is the author of “Headhunter” Hiring Secrets: The Rules of the Hiring Game Have Changed . . . Forever! and is the President and Chief Executive Officer of The HTW Group (Hire to Win), an Atlanta, GA, Metropolitan Area Executive Search Firm. Specializing in the placement of sales, engineering, manufacturing and RD professionals, he has developed powerful techniques that help companies hire the best and help the best get hired.

What is Resume Writing For A Scholarship?

What is Resume Writing For A Scholarship?What is resume writing for a scholarship? It's to help out an individual who needs some extra money. You may be one of those who are looking for some type of extra money to support yourself or your family and do something worthwhile. You may be a stay at home mom, a stay at home dad, or the single parent, and if you are looking for additional income to get through the month.So many people need extra income, and sometimes that extra income is a need. If you need some extra cash, you may think that you can go out and get some extra cash right now, but the reality is that you are probably going to need to wait a little bit longer to get that extra money. After all, when you start to apply for grants or loans, you need to show how you are going to use it, so you need to have a plan of action.One thing that you can do to help yourself with extra money is to apply for a scholarship. The most common type of scholarship is not the physical one, like a scholarship for the blind, but rather the type of scholarship that are more intellectual. Those types of scholarships tend to be in areas such as music, literature, and education. The reason for this is because these areas tend to have a lot of writing talent, but usually, the other individuals cannot write as well as they should.What is resume writing for a scholarship? To get started on resume writing for a scholarship, you will want to know what is the right way to write for an academic award. Most scholarship writers want you to write about your goals and how you can achieve them. If you want to use a software program to help you, or if you can not get the software to work properly, then you can use the following outline for a scholarship writing.What is resume writing for a scholarship? The first part of your resume writing is going to be the summary. You will want to summarize the reasons that you need the scholarship, and why you deserve the scholarship. This is the first th ing that your reader will see, and it should give them an idea of your skills and what they can expect from you when you are applying for the scholarship.Your summary is going to be going to tell the readers a little bit about yourself. You want to tell them a little bit about your interests, and what type of academic pursuits you have had. This is going to help the readers get an idea of what they are going to read next. The next thing that you are going to want to do is focus on the exact skills that you are going to need to help you in completing the required academic requirements for the scholarship.For example, if you are in the College of Nursing, then you are going to want to include that in your academic requirements. What is resume writing for a scholarship? Next, you will want to include the specific type of curriculum that you will need to have complete and to be eligible for the scholarship. What is resume writing for a scholarship?What is resume writing for a scholarshi p? Knowing what you need, and then including it in your resume will get you the scholarship. Once you have done this, you will be one step closer to getting your scholarship.

Global Greatness Does Your Company Have What It Takes to Sell Worldwide

Global Greatness Does Your Company Have What It Takes to Sell Worldwide Your company might be doing well and turning a profit, but that doesn’t mean you can rest on your laurels. Business is cut- throat, and to survive and thrive you constantly need to be thinking of how you can improve and expand. One way to take that next step would be to start selling globally, that way you can tap into foreign markets and it’s just another way you can get ahead of your competitors. Here’s how you can go about it. A Wonderful Workforce In order to succeed, you absolutely need to have the right people on board. Your employees need to be hardworking, driven and experienced in their role to ensure all work is done to the highest of standards and no silly mistakes are being made. If your business is already running well then chances are you have the right people in your team, but to go global you might need to expand. Extra departments and extra jobs will need to be filled if you want to get your brand message and your products or services out there across the globe. Choose carefully, the recruiting, interviewing and training process should all be done in the right way to select the best candidates. When you’re expanding your business and making big changes, the last thing you want is to be worrying about employees not pulling their weight or making mistakes. Use Efficient Software As well as having the right people working in your company, you also need to ensure you’re providing them with everything they need to do their job efficiently. Customer relationship management, HR, legal, accounting and presentation software can be useful in any business. But if you’re going global, you might want to consider softwares that can be utilised during the shipping process. Air cargo software for example allows carriers to streamline freight management and improve their operational efficiencies. When you have the right programs and software, you will be more efficient and will usually need to hire less staff members too. This is because software can easily tackle jobs in seconds, which might take a human worker a number of hours to do. You’ll never be able to fully automate using just computers (not at this point in time, anyway!) but the right computer programs can make things faster and save you time, hassle and money. Consider Packing and Shipping If you sell products, one of the biggest considerations when going global is physically getting your products to their destination. You will need to ensure that you’re not using any materials or ingredients that are banned in the country you’re sending to. You will need to look into packaging methods to make sure things arrive in one piece. If you outsource your packaging to a third party company, they will have the experience and equipment needed for this. Will you send by air or boat? There are lots of things to think about. Going global is a huge step for your business, and the increased workload will be significant. However it can be a massive improvement to your business so something to think about if things are going well.

The #JobHuntChat Anniversary Show is Coming!

The #JobHuntChat Anniversary Show is Coming! 13 Flares 13 Flares I cant believe that #JobHuntChat has reached the one year mark already.  It has been one hell of a year and I just want to thank all of the #JobHuntChat supporters for their participation.  Jessica and I simply provide you the forum to make it all happen, but your conversations, engagement, and helpful information is what makes #JobHuntChat the most successful Job Search Chat on Twitter. NO #JOBHUNTCHAT ON VALENINTES DAY Yes, its true.  Weve decided to cancel #JobHuntChat on 2/14/11, but well be back on 2/21/11 for the anniversary show.  Enjoy your night off, and well see you on the 21st. #JobHuntChat Anniversary Show Details As I just mentioned, our special anniversary show will be on 2/21/11 at 10-11PM EST.  We are happy to announce that well be giving away an iPod Shuffle, along with another prize or two.  We arent sure yet how well determine winners, but show up at 10PM ET on 2/21 to find out. Well also be announcing other cool surprises and news that night.  We are so excited to share what Jessica and I have been building. See you there!

Your Complete Post-Interview Checklist - Career Advice Blog for Millennials

Your Complete Post-Interview Checklist - Career Advice Blog for Millennials You wore your favorite interview outfit, answered their questions with humor and grace and shined the whole way through the process. You step out the doors of your future employer with a big smile and nearly leap for joy at how well you aced the whole thing, but the receptionist is still watching you. So, you save the excitement for the ride home and the drinks after with friends to celebrate. You know you havent got the job yet, but it feels like it. Use that feeling to motivate you as you complete this 12-point post-interview checklist. 1. Scream Heck Yes! in the Car Go ahead and let it out. You deserve it. Job well done! Now, put on your seatbelt. 2. Eat Your Favorite Meal The day was a whirlwind. Did you eat anything? Take time to reward yourself with nourishment, and eat your favorite meal. Cook yourself a dinner or call up friends to celebrate at your favorite restaurant. At least get a snack or stop for a slice of cheesecake. Splurge on your favorite artisan cheese and crackers. 3. Make Notes of the Interview How did the flow of the day go? Did you or the interviewer make a reference or recommendation you should write down? Did you find any mutual interests or goals? Aside from the interview itself, makes notes about the work culture, resources, coffee supplies, office layout and other items of your interest. You still need to weigh the pros and cons and let the whole day sink in, so the notes will help. The details you write down will also help you write your thank you notes and make follow-ups. 4. Reflect on Why Youre Excited While you still have your pen, write about why youre excited about this opportunity. What are you thinking? Does this role give you a chance to grow your career or travel? Do you get to help people on the front lines instead of hiding away in a basement? Do you feel like youll actually be valued instead of seen as a cog in a machine? Find your reason, and use that to guide the tone of your thank you notes. 5. Send Your Thank You Notes You released all that extra energy and wrote down details about your interview experience, reflecting on why youre excited. Your thank you notes will keep you on the radar and make you stand out. Only 20 percent of interviewers mail a thank you card, but if you do, you will get their attention. Send an email and a thank you card to quickly reach the decisionmakers if the turnaround time is swift. Write out a draft or two without putting in the full details of the recipients before you hit send or seal the envelope. Mention the name of the position. Thank them for the interview in the first paragraph, noting anything special. In the second paragraph, get specific and highlight your favorite and best moments. If you connected on a topic, address that. Keep your note short, sweet and specific. 6. Follow Up Do you want to spend the next few weeks waiting and waiting and waiting some more? If a weeks passed, take a more proactive approach and follow up. If you send your card after a week, wait another week to check in. Many companies reasonably decide within two weeks or so after interviews. Interviewers know the follow-up is a part of the process. Did they give you an estimated decision timeframe? Use this as your guide, and send your follow-up near this time but not right after your interview. Do it in the form of a check-in as a phone call or email to your contact: Hi Anne, I hope everything is well on your end. You mentioned the decision for the junior marketing position would be made by the end of the week. Im excited to hear more once you have an update. Let me know if I may provide anything to assist in the decision-making process. Forgot to ask a question during the interview? Use this as your opening to initiate the follow-up, but keep the questions specific and succinct. Hold off on salary and benefits questions until you get approached by the company with the details of the decision. 7. Add New Contacts to Your Network In your follow-up, you may also add an area where you ask if you may connect on Twitter or LinkedIn. In many cases, its perfectly acceptable to click those Follow buttons a few days after the interview. Add your LinkedIn and other professional social media to your email signature. Make sure your profiles are clean of personal information first. Think of the person and not the role when you add another professional to your network. Genuine connections beget a more rewarding network and professional relationship, so engage with their updates online and offer help where possible. You likely gathered several business cards during the interview and company tour. Connect with those individuals around the time you follow up or at any point afterward. Make your emails personal to your connection at the time and follow a similar structure to the thank you note email suggestions for structure. 8. Arrange a Coffee Meeting With a Mentor You may feel out of sorts about what this prospective move will do for your career, how to follow up or deal with the process of waiting. Arrange a coffee meeting with your mentor to share your concerns, reconnect and come away with tips for keeping your head clear and in the job search game. Treat your mentor to a coffee and scone for all their help and encouragement. Ask how you can assist them in return. 9. Follow Through on Interviewer Recommendations During the interview, you may connect with others on a particular topic and get recommendations to check out a book, podcast or speaker. Now is the time to make good on that. Head to the bookstore to pick up the book. Listen to the podcast while you work out. This gives you more information to connect at a later date and builds your resources for your career. 10. Listen to TED Talks to Stay Motivated Feeling like you dont have what it takes on paper? Listen to Regina Hartley talk about how the perfect candidate may not have the perfect resume or Stefan Sagmeister discuss the importance of time off for happiness and productivity. You need a reminder that you bring unique talent to the table and the importance of nurturing that and yourself. 11. Maintain Personal Routines and Self-Care Waiting for the decision may affect your normal routines that maintain your health and happiness. If out of a job, your savings may look low. If you feel stuck in your career, you may wonder when it will take off, if ever. Maintaining your routines keeps you focused on the day to day, and the waiting wont feel so long. Fill your plate with leafy greens and less stress. Go to bed early for your eight hours of sleep and shut off your phone. Meet a friend for dinner, and practice small acts of self-care. 12. Keep the Search Going Yes, you had a great interview â€" but the decision isnt final yet. So many opportunities exist in the world. Keep yourself open to them. Reflect on your resume and interview tactics. Go to other interviews. Network and attend conferences. Keep the search going until you find what youre looking for. The wait for a decision may feel like it takes forever, but you can use your postinterview time wisely to build your network, reconnect with a mentor, and reflect on your job search strategies and progress. Remember to take time for yourself. Subscribe to Punched Clocks for more on getting ahead in your career and life. Keep the conversation going by commenting and sharing. Get everything you need to build a career you love by signing up for the newsletter.

Choosing Good Resume Writing & Linkedin Seo Get Recruiters to Pursue You

Choosing Good Resume Writing & Linkedin Seo Get Recruiters to Pursue You Ideas, Formulas and Shortcuts for Resume Writing & Linkedin Seo Get Recruiters to Pursue You LinkedIn allows 2000 characters in every single profile section, but that doesn't indicate you should use all them! LinkedIn makes it simple to attach with people that you know by importing your contact lists from websites such as Gmail. LinkedIn makes it simple to locate and follow companies. Luckily LinkedIn permits you to have many unique sections inside your profile and therefore you may spread them out over your profile. So once you finish your profile, be certain you include things like the industry buzzwords utilized in your field, and sprinkle them throughout. Also, recruiters are essentially cattle herders. Follow businesses in your industry, especially the ones that you're applying to. You wish to stick out from competing job seekers. You will learn how to create high excellent profile and l ocate the new job you desire. Great if you're trying to find a new job or only need a career upgrade. If you're actively looking for a new job, it is not the worst idea. Do an Advanced Search to determine professional groups in your region and get involved. Therefore, if you discover another LinkedIn user whose Experience section appears tailor-made for you, you are going to want to use caution in borrowing it, as doing so can result in a plagiarism case. Finding jobs as an SEO Associate and the remainder of the nation may be a hard and long practice. When used strategically, LinkedIn can be an effective tool to assist you advance your career. A properly executed social media profile on LinkedIn is a significant job-search tool which increases your visibility, but it doesn't guarantee that you'll be observed, or seen by the folks with the authority and the urge to employ a professional like you. To assist you in finding the best ways to learn LinkedIn marketing online, we have located the Best Courses about the topic. Technology has changed every part of recruitment. The Honest to Goodness Truth on Resume Writing & Linkedin Seo Get Recruiters to Pursue You Before you commence writing or updating your profile, you should prepare a list of words which are related to your career. It's crucial to have a whole Headline that clearly defines your specialties and the types of problems you solve. Doing a search for your college or university is an excellent way to contact alumni who went to the identical school as you. Just read his reviews and you'll observe that enrolling in Lance's courses are the very best usage of your time.

How My ADD Actually Helped My Career - Work It Daily

How My ADD Actually Helped My Career - Work It Daily Today, I’m home with the flu, which I haven’t had for some 20 years. I suppose most of us know the feeling when life gets in the way and messes with our plans. Well, this has caused me to reflect a bit about how I came to be where I am today, and why I feel so passionate about Career ADD and speaking out for those of us who are suffering with these afflictions. There is a wonderful site that I often refer to, www.adderworld.com. I want to encourage you to check it out. It may help give you a voice and/or become aware of tools available for diagnosed or undiagnosed ADD/ADHD. So, the part of my story I want to share with you is a very dark time in my life after leaving KidzArt, the company I founded, which continues as an international art franchise today in 11 countries and 29 states. At the time, I left, I was longing to return to career counseling. This is the work I have always loved and I don’t foresee that changing any time soon. I was then locked into a semi-corporate structure â€" one that never suited me and, because it was my “baby,” I felt compelled to make a go of it for myself. The truth is, I was seriously burning out. I was unhappy â€" miserable in fact. I did not wake up looking forward to the days’ challenges as I had in the beginning. When the company was formed, we really had no clue how to successfully form a franchise system. It was a combination of luck and tenacity that kept us going, but at the expense of leaving a negative mark on the folks I worked with due to my ADD. At the time, I was undiagnosed. I had no clue why I felt different (as I had my entire life) and why others didn’t get what I was trying to accomplish. After all, I was the one who brought pretty much everyone into the company and had taken steps to develop the concept. Had it not been for ADD, I doubt that KidzArt would exist today. It’s called “hyper-focus” â€" something we do when we are truly engaged. Of course, that is the good news. Deep down, I felt that how I envisioned the “big picture” (an ADD characteristic) was what needed to be done to make us successful. Sometimes, it almost felt like having “psychic” abilities, but trying to fit in with “normal” folks can be a challenge, to say the least. I don’t know how things would have changed had I known or been diagnosed, but frankly my leaving was the best thing that could happened. Perhaps I would have left sooner. It was not on good terms. I lost friendships, trust, and confidence. Not pretty. Our administrative assistant was a very organized and almost “anal” personality, and as you can imagine, we clashed on almost every level. Details? What details? Organized? Not! A few months before leaving KidzArt, I got divorced and became a newly single mom. In addition, the company took a nosedive due to the recession. Our salaries were cut in half â€" not good in my situation. I became fearful and negative, and dreaded our Wednesday afternoon staff meetings. Each month, I was going deeper and deeper in the red with no back up. I wanted out of the torture that I spent so many years creating. Life happened. So financially, emotionally, and physically, I had bottomed out. Once I was diagnosed, I began to check myself with other people. While it’s not perfect, I am living a much less stressful life and doing more of what I enjoy. With my skills and background in career counseling, coupled with my knowledge of how ADD can take a tremendous toll on our lives, I have set out to bring Career ADD to the forefront. Not only can I relate to it personally, but it brings out the best in me. For me it’s about: Having a purpose that helps me stay on track. Continuously seeking tools to manage my ADD. Having the support I need and understanding to move forward and succeed by doing the things I love to do in my work. Telling my story. Sharing my insights. Keeping my eye on my Big Goal and taking small actions to reach it. What's your story? Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!