Thursday, May 28, 2020

Awesome LinkedIn Professional Headline

Awesome LinkedIn Professional Headline I was surfing my LinkedIn contacts and found a profile of Mike Dodson, a guy I met a few years ago at an entrepreneur networking event.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE Mikes Professional Headline: As an entrepreneur I can read that he is successful, has failed (and probably has a lot of lessons learned), and isnt done yet ! How is your LinkedIn Professional Headline?  If you havent ever changed it, I can almost guarantee is needs work.  Heres a great resource for helping you develop your own strong Professional Headline: a blog post with a super awesome comment thread. Awesome LinkedIn Professional Headline I was surfing my LinkedIn contacts and found a profile of Mike Dodson, a guy I met a few years ago at an entrepreneur networking event.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE Mikes Professional Headline: As an entrepreneur I can read that he is successful, has failed (and probably has a lot of lessons learned), and isnt done yet ! How is your LinkedIn Professional Headline?  If you havent ever changed it, I can almost guarantee is needs work.  Heres a great resource for helping you develop your own strong Professional Headline: a blog post with a super awesome comment thread.

Monday, May 25, 2020

My experiences of Ambitious Futures A graduate scheme for university leadership University of Manchester Careers Blog

My experiences of Ambitious Futures A graduate scheme for university leadership University of Manchester Careers Blog Guest post by Kim Smith, Careers Consultant and Ambitious Futures alumnus. So you’ve studied at university but would you ever consider working here? I started my career on the Ambitious Futures Graduate Scheme and have since worked in various roles in Higher Education (HE), including my current role here in the Careers Service. If you don’t fancy a career in academia, but are interested in Higher Education then this could be the scheme for you, as you get to experience at least three different Professional Services/Support functions (e.g. careers, recruitment, marketing, HR, alumni, international, research, school administration), which can help you explore which path might be right for you. In each rotation you will be assigned a project. Projects are very diverse, so you will gain a variety of new skills, including project management. Here are some example projects to help you get a flavour of the scheme: Work in the Recruitment Office to complete an audit of our communication channels with students and produce a report which makes recommendations for streamlining our service and improving the experience for students. Work in the Research Office to review our Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (postdoctoral students going to work on placement in industry), by interviewing stakeholders and make recommendations for improvement. Work in the International department to produce a market intelligence report on EU recruitment. Work in the Student Services Centre to design, market and conduct a survey to assess the level of understanding students and staff have of our services, and how useful they find the support. Work in conjunction with the Counselling Service and the Sports division to launch a student-facing campaign about mental health and wellbeing and promote services Placements are allocated on business need, so you will not have complete choice over your three rotations. However, your preferences will be taken into consideration for the final placement where possible. You may be able to shadow members of staff in other departments for a short period of time if you have a particular interest in their work, but cannot be accommodated for a full placement there. Since graduating I’ve worked in four different universities (the great thing is universities are all over the country so good if you want to move around!), in seven different roles (plenty of opportunity to try new things), which has helped me to figure out what I enjoy doing. I am now working as a Careers Consultant at The University of Manchester, but fellow trainees from my year on the scheme are now working across HE in roles such as Press and Communications Officer, International Recruitment Manager, Residential Life Coordinator and Registry Administration Officer. Although most graduates of the scheme find work in HE, others onto work in other sectors too, so you won’t be ‘stuck’ if you don’t enjoy the scheme. If you would like to find out more about my experiences on the scheme, please feel free to contact me on LinkedIn for a chat or book an appointment in the Atrium, University Place. Application process and top tips Applications are open now until the 19 January 2018. However this deadline will be reviewed in line with the volume of applications received, and may close earlier. Therefore you should complete your application as soon as possible. Application form You will be asked about what interests you about working for a university; try to dig beneath the surface of what you already know as a student. Can you speak to someone who works for a university to help your understanding of the departments and the goals of the institution? Use the STAR (situation, task, actions and result) technique to answer the competency based questions. Come for an applications advice appointment at the Careers Service to get your questions checked. Strengths-focused telephone interview The interview aims to find out what you really enjoy doing and where you get your energy from. Have a look on the website for some example questions You will need some good real life examples to help you demonstrate your passion! Come for an interview simulation with the Careers Service. You can practice in person or over the phone. Assessment Centre You will participate in some individual activities, such as a role play where you may have to resolve an issue under pressure and prioritise tasks; writing up a short report based on information provided; and a strengths-based interview. You will also participate in a group activity to see how you work in a team. Do more in-depth preparation for your interview and on the university you will be working for. Gain more interview practice if necessary. Don’t panic if you think you performed poorly in one of the tasks, take a deep breath and wow the assessors in your next one. They will be looking at your performance over the whole day. All Graduate Graduate-highlighted Postgraduate Applications and interviews graduate schemes higher education University of Manchester

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Free Template for Resume - Basic and Light

Free Template for Resume - Basic and Light Free Template for Resume Basic and Light When you want simple, basic, and just a small touch of flair, you will want to download this MS Word resume template we call “basic-light.” The term “simple” in this context means that your executive summary, skills, work experience and education are laid out in simple sections for easy scanning by a potential employer or recruiter. The term “basic” means that you will not have lots of glitz and frills â€" something that may turn some readers off. What you will have with this template, though, is a document that will “fit” almost any organizational “culture,” from conservative and traditional to the more progressive. It is also ideal for candidates who do not have lengthy employment histories â€" the summary and skills take up almost 1/3 of the vertical space, and it will be easy to fill the other 2/3 with a few employment entries and your education.This format will give you a great balance. Simple resume layouts are often the best after all! File size: 56 KB F ormat: .doc Downloaded 4,494 times License: Free, personal use only. Please read the license terms for resources. Download previous article Failed your Job Interview? What would you do if you could do it all again? next article How to Negotiate the Best Salary for a New Job you might also likeCadmium Yellow: Simple, Yet Elegant Resume Template

Sunday, May 17, 2020

Four Tips for Acing Your Job Interviews - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Four Tips for Acing Your Job Interviews - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career I spoke to a career group last weekend and my speech was titled Seven Critical Career Questions. The questions covered topics that ranged from choosing a profession to improving your interview results. I want to share what I told them about interviewing in this blog post. As I mention in Chapter 14 of Fast Track Your Job Search (and Career!), Interviewing has become a performance art and the person who handles the interview process best tends to get the job. What do I mean when saying that interviewing has become a performance art? Just like an actor auditioning for a part in a play, your job interview is your audition for a part in a company’s daily operations. In each case the desired result is picking the candidate who will perform best in their role. So, here are four tips to improve your performance: Do your research â€" Be prepared to demonstrate that you have done your home work. You need to be able to discuss the company intelligently and know enough about the interviewers to engage them with your knowledge of them. The company website, Google searches, and LinkedIn are generally helpful. Smile more. The fact is that people many times get nervous when they interview and fail to smile. Smiling more makes you appear friendlier and well adjusted…. even easygoing! Smiling also tends to cause the interviewer to smile, which reduces their nervousness and makes them feel better. Keep  answers under 60 seconds â€" Interviewers are regular people and regular people have short attention spans. Keeping your answer compact will keep their attention. It also forces you to be more hard-hitting and to the point. It also prevents you from rambling and getting lost. End strongly â€" The most important parts of the interview tend to be the beginning, when you are making a first impression, and the ending. A strong ending leaves the meeting on a strong note. Express confidence in your ability to do the job as well as strong interest in having the job. Many people accomplish some portion of this list, but few people I have met do a good job of accomplishing all of them. The next time you have an interview for a job you really want, make the effort to follow  these four tips and you will  increase your odds of success considerably.

Thursday, May 14, 2020

7 Ways the Internet is Ruining Your Career CareerMetis.com

7 Ways the Internet is Ruining Your Career Source â€" Unsplash.comThe internet is a powerful tool that can help you find a career quickly. Unfortunately, if you aren’t careful with the kind of information you share on social media sites, it can put your employment in jeopardy.Making your social media profile work appropriateisn’t just a good idea, it’s actually a workplace necessity. Not following proper social media etiquette can find you in a precarious situation.According to a Career Buildersurvey, over half of all employers have decided not to hire a candidate based on the content they found on social media. Seven out of 10 employers research candidates on social media sites during the hiring process, and 48 percent check up on current employees’ social media accounts. With statistics like this, you can’t be too careful about the content you post or share.Understanding Your Digital FootprintevalHave you ever heard someone say that your digital footprint matters, but weren’t sure what they were talking about? Y our digital footprint refers to all electronic data that can be linked back to you online. If you post 20 times each day on multiple social media sites, in a matter of a few weeks there is a vast amount of information that a recruiter, HR manager, or hiring manager is likely to find about you without you knowing.Each time you post a photo or update, your digital footprint expands. Other data that are linked to your digital print includes websites you visit, stores you buy items from, and all the devices you use, such as your phone, tablet, or computer. One critical point to remember when discussing your digital footprint is that while you may have forgotten about a questionable post from 2016, it is genuinely impossible to erase the existence of this information.So, before you post your next update, take a look at some of the ways the internet can ruin your career.1) Spelling or Grammar IssuesevalHave you ever shortened a post by using text lingo to make it fit into the character co unt of some platforms? Of course, you have. However, you need to keep in mind that many employers see this as poor spelling and grammar, and they can be turned off by these findings.So, when you’re tempted to use text shorthand, consider just how important your social media account is on your next job search. This can even force you to improve your language skills and be more concise.2) Ranting or Being DisrespectfulLet’s be honest: it’s easy to be a keyboard warrior and type some mean things to people you don’t agree with on social media. However, you need to heed a few tips for courtesy in the digital age. This means that before you say something that could be seen as racist, sexist, or downright mean, think twice. While you can certainly delete anything later, it’s crucial to remember that the damage is probably already done.3) Sharing Personal PastimesEven if you’re over 21, someone might have an issue seeing images of you with alcohol or other substances. Consider H igh School Football coach Fernando Bryant’s story. He was hired by a private Christian School and just 20 days later was fired because of an image of he and his wife holding a bottle of alcohol. The picture in question was from three years earlier. The school did not have in their policies that staff cannot drink alcohol, but several parents raised concerns after seeing this image.evalWhile this might seem like an extreme case, it’s not a limited incidence. People who work in schools, hospitals, other public institutions must be particularly careful about what they post. School leaders may offer tips for improving communicationon social media, but ultimately, the individual employee is responsible for anything they post or are tagged in by others.There are countless stories just like this of employers who saw images of “legal” drinking and decided that the message the pictures sent didn’t align with their overall mission or vision of the workplace. Before you post the pict ures of last weekend’s party, think about the message your images convey.4) Speaking Poorly of the CompanyEveryone has a bad day at work from time to time. However, heading to social media to air out your dirty laundry isn’t going to strengthen your personal brand on social media. Whether you’re complaining about or mocking the company, supervisors, or customers, it’s probably not going to coincide with the culture and policies of the company. The best approach is to just not talk about your workplace frustration online.5) Breaking Your Employer’s Social Media PolicyevalMost businesses have a social media policythat clearly defines what acceptable and unacceptable behavior is. These policies can cover professional boundaries, how to handle workplace issues internally, and the best way to represent your employer across all social media sites.evalIt’s critical that you read, understand, and follow your workplace policy so that it doesn’t cause you career problems. Not ev ery business will have the same rules. Some schools might have policies that teachers aren’t allowed to post images of themselves doing anything students can’t do. Hospitals or other healthcare facilities may have policies about taking pictures in patient care areas or posting details about a patient due to privacy and confidentiality laws. Other employers may be a bit more lenient and even encourage staff to share pictures, events, and other updates about work.6) Friending the Whole OfficeIt’s not that you’re doing anything wrong by sending friend requests to Jane from accounting, even though you’ve only talked to her once. You just have to weigh the potential consequences of everyone knowing small details about your personal life if you going to send a request to everyone you meet at work. If you break company policy and Jane is a stickler for the rules, there is a good chance she will turn you in before you even remember that she is a friend.If you’re in management, f riending your employees on social media many not be a good idea. You could make a staff member uncomfortable or even access personal information about them that you just shouldn’t know. So, before you send everyone a request to connect, think about the worst case scenario and decide if you can survive if that would happen.7) Sharing Company SecretsIf you know the secret ingredient to your companies famous chocolate chip cookies, it’s a bad idea even to consider sharing this information anywhere. Giving competitors information that they could steal is going to be a losing battle for your company. So, before you share documents, papers, or other proprietary information, consider the risks to the company and your career outlook.Following Best PracticesYour social media accounts can be an asset. Read your companies policy and do a quick inventory of your past posts and images. Delete anything that could be seen as offensive or questionable by an employer. If you have old accounts th at you are no longer using, delete them. There is no reason to leave old data floating around in cyberspace.Draw a line between your personal and professional identities. If you’re not sure if everything you post is appropriate for the workplace, consider creating an account just for professional connections and a separate one for your personal life. The challenge with this plan is keeping strict boundaries between the two. Avoid connecting with colleagues on your personal accounts and vice versa. You should also check out your privacy settings and make sure everything is well-controlled on any personal accounts you have.Setting Yourself Up for SuccessSocial media is a significant part of your personal and professional lives. You should be able to land a new job and keep up with great-aunt Carol’s 99th birthday celebrations at the same time. Follow these best practices and avoid these nine ways the internet can ruin your career.

Sunday, May 10, 2020

3 Ways to Find People on LinkedIn

3 Ways to Find People on LinkedIn If you are new to LinkedIn, you may be wondering how you can find people to add to your LinkedIn connections. 3 Ways to Find People on LinkedIn LinkedIn provides three ways to easily identify people to add to your network: People you may know Colleagues Classmates Where To Find These People In order to find these categories of people, go to My Network from the menu bar at the top of LinkedIn. As you scroll down past the invitations to connect, you will eventually see recommendations of people to connect with. People you may have worked with School alumni you may know More suggestions for you This section allows you to search by LinkedIn to find these things that might be of interest: People Groups Pages Hashtags Before You Click Connect This isnt about massively connecting with random people. Thoughtfully select people who would add value to your network. ALWAYS personalize your invitation to connect. Heres what you need to know about this. If you are not on the persons full profile when you click connect you may not have the opportunity to personalize or send a note with your invitation. Heres how to send your Invitation To Connect. If you are looking for more ideas for how to grow your LinkedIn network, check out How to find Great People to Connect With with tips from career professionals. LinkedIn Help Is A Lifesaver Most people can play around with LinkedIn and figure some of this out.   Some need more hand-holding.    LinkedIn Help resources will answer most, if not all, of your LinkedIn questions.

Friday, May 8, 2020

Resume Writing Tips For Online Users

Resume Writing Tips For Online UsersIf you have chosen to write a resume, then there are a few things that you should know about resume writing tips. These tips are to be found online or in some kind of guide that has been put together for a specific purpose. If you are unsure what kind of job you have, you can then do a search on the Internet to find out more about it. However, if you are doing the search in order to write a resume, you should find out some information on it from a professional writing service that is trained and experienced.Resume writing tips for online users can also be found online, but this is rarely done. Many people do not like the idea of talking on the phone in the first place, and they tend to lose their words as they are bombarded with the various forms of technology. The only way to get around this is to make use of writing services that are hired by many businesses in order to ensure that they stay on top of the latest trends. They also give plenty of t ips that will help you create a professional looking resume without having to spend a great deal of time in the process. A good writer can do this in a very short period of time.If you are doing your job through an agency, then you will be asked to fill out applications and send them in. It will take some time to write these forms because the staff needs to make sure that they are giving you the best option that they can think of. To make the application process easier for them, they will ask you to provide them with an outline so that they can easily take care of the details. This will also help them know if you have the aptitude to do the job. You will also be provided with templates that can be used when you fill out the various forms and submit them. This will allow them to ensure that you have the necessary details.If you are a writer, you may be lucky enough to find some creative resume ideas that can help you tailor make your resume for better results. For example, if you wan t to get yourself a more difficult and complex cover letter, you can simply include some extra information in the cover letter. Some of the additional information can be included in the first paragraph of the letter. These are some of the resume writing tips that you need to consider.A good resume writer will also offer tips on how to improve your writing. He will talk about what kinds of things to avoid while writing. It is not good to include an old and obsolete job title. It will make your resume look poor and amateurish. You will also need to learn how to add your life experiences, such as your experiences working as a secretary. You need to make your resume stand out.In order to create a suitable resume, you should always remember that the purpose of your resume is to attract potential employers. This can be achieved by getting some professional help. By knowing some of the resume writing tips for online users, you will be able to gain access to the right resource that can help you make your resume stand out from the rest.A professional writing service will be able to help you write a resume that will speak volumes about your worthiness to do the job. This is a very important task, because a good resume is a reflection of your true capabilities.