Saturday, May 30, 2020

Why Isnt There a Better Interface Between JibberJobber and LinkedIn

Why Isnt There a Better Interface Between JibberJobber and LinkedIn Last week someone deleted their JibberJobber account and said they wanted a better/tighter interface between LinkedIn and JibberJobber. I want one too. We do have various access points between LinkedIn and JibberJobber, but its not enough. Ive been asking LinkedIn for years for more and better access. Before they had they API they basically said go find where other companies interface with us, and you can copy that. After they released their API they said go for it! HOWEVER, there was one really, really, really big HOWEVER. While the technology is in place to have a better, tighter interface, the LinkedIn terms of service will not allow us to do what we want. LinkedIns position is that the data in LinkedIn is THEIR data, and no third party system (like JibberJobber) is allowed to take the data out and put it elsewhere. In other words, we cant do a one-click synchronization. We cant have a browser toolbar that allows you to scrape data from a LinkedIn user profile. Even if you are a First Degree Contact, which means the other person agreed to be connected with you, you are not allowed to take the data from their Profile and put it anywhere. There is a term: storable data, that makes a lot of what YOU want to do impossible. Technically, its possible, and easy.  Legally, it is not possible. We could fudge it and just do it, however (a) that would be wrong of us, and (b) if LinkedIn found out YOU used a tool to break their rules, they might penalize YOUR account.  And I dont want to be responsible for your LinkedIn account getting penalized (disabled). If you are interested in more information on this issue (which is not uncommon), see this very good powerpoint. Here is the regular LinkedIn user Terms of Service. Here is a developer Terms of Service (for Plugins).  Heres the main one, though, precluding us from doing what you want (from the LinkedIn API Terms of Service): 3.4.1 Prohibition on Copying and Storage. You may not copy, store or cache any Content returned or received through the APIs, including data about users, longer than the current usage session of the user for which it was obtained, except for the alphanumeric user IDs (Member Tokens) which we provide you for identifying users or any individual members authentication token (OAuth Token) which we provide you  when a LinkedIn user authenticates your Application to his LinkedIn account. Want this changed?  Ask LinkedIn to let JibberJobber users get an exception Why Isnt There a Better Interface Between JibberJobber and LinkedIn Last week someone deleted their JibberJobber account and said they wanted a better/tighter interface between LinkedIn and JibberJobber. I want one too. We do have various access points between LinkedIn and JibberJobber, but its not enough. Ive been asking LinkedIn for years for more and better access. Before they had they API they basically said go find where other companies interface with us, and you can copy that. After they released their API they said go for it! HOWEVER, there was one really, really, really big HOWEVER. While the technology is in place to have a better, tighter interface, the LinkedIn terms of service will not allow us to do what we want. LinkedIns position is that the data in LinkedIn is THEIR data, and no third party system (like JibberJobber) is allowed to take the data out and put it elsewhere. In other words, we cant do a one-click synchronization. We cant have a browser toolbar that allows you to scrape data from a LinkedIn user profile. Even if you are a First Degree Contact, which means the other person agreed to be connected with you, you are not allowed to take the data from their Profile and put it anywhere. There is a term: storable data, that makes a lot of what YOU want to do impossible. Technically, its possible, and easy.  Legally, it is not possible. We could fudge it and just do it, however (a) that would be wrong of us, and (b) if LinkedIn found out YOU used a tool to break their rules, they might penalize YOUR account.  And I dont want to be responsible for your LinkedIn account getting penalized (disabled). If you are interested in more information on this issue (which is not uncommon), see this very good powerpoint. Here is the regular LinkedIn user Terms of Service. Here is a developer Terms of Service (for Plugins).  Heres the main one, though, precluding us from doing what you want (from the LinkedIn API Terms of Service): 3.4.1 Prohibition on Copying and Storage. You may not copy, store or cache any Content returned or received through the APIs, including data about users, longer than the current usage session of the user for which it was obtained, except for the alphanumeric user IDs (Member Tokens) which we provide you for identifying users or any individual members authentication token (OAuth Token) which we provide you  when a LinkedIn user authenticates your Application to his LinkedIn account. Want this changed?  Ask LinkedIn to let JibberJobber users get an exception

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Top 15 Job Interview Questions and Answers Examples - Career Sidekick

Top 15 Job Interview Questions and Answers Examples - Career Sidekick Top 15 Job Interview Questions and Answers Examples Interview Preparation / https://www.edenscott.com/blog If you have interviews coming up, this article is for you. Youre going to get the top job interview questions and answers examples, plus dos and donts to get you ready to ace your next interview.Make sure youre ready for each of these questions by reviewing our notes on what the hiring manager is looking for, the mistakes to avoid, and example answers that will impress the employer.Lets get started..15 Interview Questions and Answers ExamplesThese are the top interview questions you should be ready to answer, with word-for-word examples for each answer along with dos and donts.Practice and get comfortable with these questions and answer examples before your interview and youll feel more confident, while giving much better answers.1. What do you know about our company?This is one of the most common questions to practice for. Youre very likely to hear it in an early-stage interview, especially a phone interview.In the sample answers below, youll see that the goal is to show them youve done your research and didnt apply to their company without knowing anything about them.If you dont seem like you know anything about them, youll come across as desperate somebody who will take any job they can find. And thats going to make you unattractive to any good employers out there.So when they ask, what do you know about our company?, your primary goal is to show youve done your research or knew about their company before applying. If you do this, youll be fine.Do:Make sure to research the company before the interview (on their website, their LinkedIn page, and Google)Understand what industry theyre in, what they sell and how they make moneyTry to have some sense of their company size. Are they 100 employees? More than 10,000 employees?In your answer, show youve done research and show that youre excited about interviewing with their particular companyDont:Say you dont know anythingSay facts that are incorrect or you arent sure about (its bett er to know one or two facts that you can say accurately, than five facts youre not sure of)Interview answer example 1:From what I read, your company is one of the leaders in providing security software to other businesses. I read the list of clients on your website. Do you mostly serve Fortune 500 clients? I saw a couple big Fortune 500 companies mentioned on the list, including ___ and ___.Interview answer example 2:Youre one of the largest investment banks in the US. Your headquarters is in Raleigh, NC, and you have 25,000 employees worldwide based on what I read on your website.2. How did you hear about the position?When they ask how did you hear about the position?, the interviewer just wants to know if youve taken the time to research the company and if you have a genuine reason for wanting to talk with them. Mention a product, a mission statement on the website, a reputation for talented employees, or whatever else seems applicable to that specific company. Come up with a grea t reason. Dont make it seem like theyre just one company among many. Or that youre sending your resume out to themfor no particular reason other than wanting a job.This is one of the simplest question and answer scenarios in any interview, but that doesnt mean it cant ruin your chances at the job if you answer incorrectly.Do:Be clear, direct and upfrontTell the truth unless its something very embarrassing (for example, when I was much younger, my Mother actually found me a job to apply to. That does *not* sound great, so I told them a friend saw the job posting and mentioned it to me. A white-lie is okay but only when needed).Explain why the job interested you, if possible (e.g. I was excited to apply because ___)Compliment them if possible (e.g. My colleague said youre one of the top software firms in Dallas)Dont:Say you dont remember or dont knowSound unsure of yourselfHesitateGood answer examples:I found the position while looking for jobs onlineI heard about it from a colleague/ friendYour company was recommended to me by somebody I worked with in a previous job and had heard good things about your organizationI saw the job posted on LinkedIn, and the position seemed interesting so I wanted to learn more3. Why did you apply for this position?When they ask why did you apply for this position?, pick something specific that interested you. If you say you love their products, tell them why. Thats the key to giving a convincing answer for this job interview question.Stay away from sounding like youre desperate, or that you want just anyjob. Yes, if you were laid off its okay to say that, but then re-focus the conversation on exactly what youre looking for in the next opportunity and why you feel their company might have it.You need to sound like you want the RIGHT job and that youre being picky. Companies want the best performers, and the best performers are picky in their job hunt. Stay away from negatives and complaints too. Dont bad-mouth your current company or boss. Focus on the positives of the company youre interviewing with.Do:Make them feel like youre interested in them for a specific reasonShow youve done your research and understand what the job involvesPhrase everything as a positive. Dont badmouth your current situation, just talk about what you hope to gain by coming to work for them (experiences, challenges, opportunities).Dont:Say you just need a job in generalExplain that youre unemployed and just need to find workSay you just need money or have bills to pay so you need workBadmouth your current boss or company and sound like you just want to leave there, however you canSound desperate, or sound like you will take any job you can get and you dont care what it ends up beingMention any other personal reasons like I need to find a shorter commute.Example answer 1:Since beginning my career, Ive wanted to work for a larger organization in this industry, and I know youre one of the leaders in this space. Im very interested in yo ur products/services, especially the mobile applications youre building recently, so Id be excited to come here and grow my skills with an organization like yours.Example answer 2:Ive heard great things about the work environment here from a few colleagues. And when I saw this job posting, it seemed to match my skills very closely. For example, I saw on the job description that you need somebody whos an expert in Java programming. This is what I focused on in both of my previous positions, and was even the focus of my academic work before graduating university. I consider myself an expert in Java and its a skill I hope to continue specializing in.4. Why are you looking to leave your current company?Now, not everyone is job searching while employed, but if you are this is one of the most important interview questions and answers to know.The most important thing when they ask why you are looking to leave your current job is to stay positive and never badmouth.How do you sound positiv e? Rather than complaining or talking badly about your current situation, say that youre looking for more of something.Is your current boss a jerk ? Say that youre looking for an environment with more leadership you can learn from.Do:Sound positive and focus on what you want to gain by making a moveShow gratitude for your current job (e.g. This job has been great and Ive learned a lot in the 2 years Ive been here, but I feel Im ready for ___ now.)Sound like youre ambitious, motivated, and eager to find the next challenge in your career.Dont:Badmouth your current employer in any waySound like youre trying to escape a bad situation, or youre failing or not fitting in at your current jobSay youre struggling or failing to perform the workSay its too difficult or stressfulSay youre not sureGood sample answer:Im looking for more leadership opportunities. Ive been at my company for three years and have really enjoyed the experience but I feel in order to take the next step in my career, it d be helpful to join a larger organization and use what Ive learned in the past to lead more projects. Thats why this Project Manager role excited me.5. Tell us about a challenge youve faced and how you handled itFocus on a specific work-related challenge and talk about how you overcame obstacles, used it as a learning experience, used the resources around you (including people/colleagues if applicable), and ended up with a positive result! Thats how to answer this interview question. Keep it work related, not personal.Do:Explain the situation, the task you needed to accomplish, and what method you chose (and why)Share the outcome. What was the result?Share what you learned from the experience. Did you take away knowledge that has helped you in your career?Dont:Share any story that involves personal conflicts, arguments or disagreements at workTalk about an argument you hadTalk about a challenge that you didnt overcome, or didnt find a solution forAnswer example:In my last job, we w ere facing a tough deadline and my boss was out for the day. Our client was expecting a project to be delivered by 5PM, but we were far behind schedule. I took the lead on the project, delegated tasks to the four other team members in a way that I thought would utilize everyones strengths best. And then I re-organized my own personal tasks so I could dedicate my entire day to contributing to this project as well. The project was a success and we delivered the work on-time. I went on to lead more projects after that, and used what I learned to be a better project manager.6. How much money are you looking to earn?Unfortunately this question is left off of many lists of job interview questions and answers examples. But its extremely important, and the wrong answer here can cost you thousands of dollars in the negotiation later on.DONT say a number.Why? you have the least amount of leverage possible at this point, assuming youre early in the interview process. You havent finished interv iewingwith them, they dont know if youre any good or if they even want to hire you. So you cant command a high salary right now. If you go too low with your price, theyll hold you toit later. Go too high? Youll scare them off before they even know what youre worth!Its a lose-lose. Dont do it. So remember when youre preparing what to say in a job interview, especially an early stage interview, salary goalsshould not be a part of it!Do:Stand your ground and tell them you dont have a number in mind yet, or arent sure.Repeat this multiple times if needed (if they pressure you or push back after your first response).Dont:Tell them a specific salary youre hoping forTell them a range youre hoping forExample answer:Right now Im focused on finding a job thats the right fit for my career. Once Ive done that, Im willing to consider an offer you feel is fair, but I do not have a specific number in mind yet, and my priority is to find a position thats a great fit for me.For more info, heres a fu ll article on how to answer desired salary on applications and interviews.7. Do you have any questions for us?If you dont ask good questions to each person you speak with, you are very unlikely to get hired.You can ask about the work, the training, the challenges youd face, the overall direction of the company.Dont ask about salary, benefits, time off, or anything that isnt related to the work. Wait for them to bring it up, or until you know they want to offer you the position.FYI here are the 105 best questions to ask the interviewer.Do:Be ready to ask questions to every single person you meet withAsk about the company, the team, and most importantly the specific jobAsk about things you heard during the interview that youd like more information aboutAsk about the interview process: (e.g. when will I hear feedback, and who will be in touch after this?)Dont:Say you dont have any questionsSay so-and-so answered all my questions alreadyAsk about salary, benefits, work hours, dress-cod e, or anything else that isnt related to the actual work youll be doing for them. Wait for them to bring this up in a second or third interviewExample answer:Yes, I have a couple of questions actually. The first thing I wanted to ask: is this a newly-created position, or did somebody hold this role in the past? And if so, what did that person go on to do after this position?8. Why should we hire you?Employers ask, Why should we hire you to see how well you understand the role, and to hear your perspective on how your skills can help them.Try to talk about them and how youll help them. What will be better for them if they hire you? What will you improve for them?And show youve done your research. Make it clear that you know what this position involves, and youre ready to perform the tasks.Do:Be confident in your skills and abilitiesTalk about specific things you can help them do or achieve if they hire youDo your research before the interview and understand their needs, so you can ta ilor your answers and target the specific things theyll need if they hire you in this roleDont:Say I dont knowSay You should hire whoever you wantGive a generic answer thatd fit any company. You really need to tailor this to the specific duties youll be performing in THIS specific job. Otherwise your answer will not impress them.Example interview answer:“I read on the job description that you’re looking for someone with experience in ____. I’ve done that for 3 years and can immediately help you accomplish ____”.9. Why do you want to work here?If they ask why do you want this job?, show youve done plenty of research to learn about them before coming in to interview. You want to make them feel like you chose them for a reason. This is very similar to the previous question: Why did you apply for this position?Show them that you know what that their job involves (at least as much as you could learn from the job description and company website), and that youre excited to be inter viewing for this position.Do:Mention specific, work-related reasons why their job and company interest youTalk about your own career goals and how this job and company fits those goalsSound excited about the opportunity to work for themShow youve done your researchDont:Say, I have bills to pay and need moneySay, I just need a job.Share any personal details like, I live 5 minutes away so it would be a very short commuteSample interview answer:“I’ve been actively searching for jobs since graduating with my Nursing degree. I’m interested in intensive care and emergency medicine and I’ve seen your hospital mentioned as having one of the best ER’s in the region. I thought the job description matched up well with my background, and saw some of my personal strengths mentioned, like multitasking and being able to thrive in a fast paced environment, so Id love to begin my career here.”10. Tell me about yourselfThis is one of the most popular interview question and answer examples people look for, because its extremely common to hear AND difficult to answer. Heres how to handle it:Keep it professional when answering the question of tell me about yourself. You dont need to share personal details.To answer, walk them through your background, starting at how you began your career or your current line of work. Take them through key accomplishments, key career moves youve made, and end by sharing what youre looking to do next in your career and why youre job hunting.Do:Focus on sharing your professional story onlyKeep it under 2 minutesWalk them through how you got started in your career, key moves youve made, and then bring them up to speed on your current situationDont:Share personal detailsTalk for more than 2 minutesInterview answer example:?“I started my career in Marketing after graduating with a Business degree in 2013. I’ve spent my entire career at Microsoft, receiving two promotions and three awards for outstanding performance. Im looking to join a smaller company now, and take on more leadership and project management.11. Why did you leave your last job?There are a lot of good answers to this interview question. There isnt just one right answer. Here are some guidelines:If you chose to leave on your own terms, stay positive and focus on what you wanted to gain from the decision, rather than bad-mouthing or focusing on negatives you wanted to avoid.And if you were fired or laid off, be upfront and clear. Youre not going to make employers want to hire you by being vague or trying to hide something.If you got fired, show what youve learned from the experience, and what youve done to make sure this doesnt happen again. Thats how to spin it into a positive.Do:Be clear and direct and address the question head-onIf you were fired, own up to it and share what youve done to make sure this never happens againIf you chose to resign, focus on the positive things you hoped to gain by moving to the next opportunity, rather than badmouthing or talking about the negatives in your last roleDont:Dont badmouth or complainNever say you resigned because of a disagreement or argument with a coworkerDont make it sound like money is your main priorityDont try to hide facts or avoid the question; this will just lead to more questions and suspicion from the interviewerExample answer:“I was hired for a project management role, but over time that changed and I was no longer being given the opportunity to do the work I was interested in. I left to pursue an opportunity that I felt was more aligned with what Ive chosen to focus on in my career.”You can also get more ideas for how to answer this on our list of 20 answers for why did you leave your last job.12. What is your greatest weakness?When they ask, whats your greatest weakness? , you want to name a real weakness.I highly recommend picking something skill-based, not personality-based.You never want to say you struggle working with others, or youre bad at resolving disagreem ents, or taking direction from a manager, etc. Those things will get you rejected in the interview.So pick a specific skill, butpick something that wont severely impact your ability to do this job.For example if the job involves data entry with Excel spreadsheets all day, you do not want to say Excel is your weakness. Or that you struggle paying attention to details.Finally, end your answer by explaining what youre doing to overcome or improve your weakness.Take a look at the dos and donts, and the interview answer example below, to get a sense of what your answer might sound like.Do:Name a real weaknessPick something thats skill-based, not personality-based. For example, say, Im not particularly strong in Microsoft Excel, rather than, My weakness is working on a team and following directions.Mention what youve done to overcome this weakness and improve recentlyDont:Dont give a fake weakness like, I work too hardDont try to be funny with an answer like, Kryptonite. Hiring managers h ave heard it over and overDont tell them you have no weaknessesDont name a personality-based weakness (like I have trouble getting along with colleagues)Dont name a weakness that will severely impact your ability to succeed in their jobExample interview answer:“Im not particularly strong in social media marketing. For the first few years of my career, I focused entirely on email marketing. Thats still what I specialize in, which is why I applied for your Email Marketing Manager job. But Ive realized its also helpful to understand the principles of social media marketing because some of the strategies that work there also work well in email. So Ive started spending a couple hours a week of my own time studying and learning this new area, and its helped me a lot.13. Where do you see yourself in 5 years???There are three big reasons interviewers love to ask where do you see yourself in 5 years?:?They want to see if youve thought about your professional futureThey want to make sure yo ure ambitious and hard-workingThey want to make sure the job theyre offering fits with your goalsSo, pick a work-related goal of where you’d like to be 5 years from now, and make sure it’s slightly challenging or ambitious-sounding.Youdon’t want to say, “I see myself in the same position 5 years from now.”And make sure to share a goal that is related to the type of job youre interviewing for. You want to sound like the experience you’ll gain in this job fits your long-term goals.Otherwise theyre going to be scared to hire you. Why would they offer you the job if it doesnt fit the goals you described to them? You’d be unsatisfied, bored, and would probably quit within the first year. No company wants this.Do:Show youve thought about this topic and questionSound ambitious and motivatedBe realistic. Dont say you want to be CEO in 5 years if youre entry-levelMake sure your answer is related to this job. They wont hire you for a job that has nothing to do with your 5-year g oalDont:Be sarcastic or give a joke answer like, I plan on having your jobSay youre not sure, or say youd be happy staying in the same role for 5 years (most companies do not want to hear this)Example interview answer:Im glad you asked. In 5 years I see myself taking on more responsibilities, either through management or higher level individual contributions. I’m not sure which path will make sense to pursue, but I know my goal right now is to build a strong foundation and gain valuable experience so that I’ll have a successful future in this industry.14. Tell Me About a Time You FailedThis is a common interview question that employers ask to see if youre able to learn from mistakes and bounce back when things dont go your way.They always want to see if you can own-up to it and be accountable and actually admit to your failures.So when you answer, tell me a time when you failed here are the most important dos and donts to follow:Do:Admit to a real failureDescribe the situation a nd what went wrongShow that you take responsibility (rather than blaming others), and show you learned from itIdeally, talk about how you used that lesson to get a different outcome next time you were presented with a similar challenge (e.g. how you turned a past failure into a future success)Dont:Say you never failTalk about a failure but then blame others and talk about how it wasnt really your faultGive a long-winded answer that goes off-track. You really need to be concise and show you can tell a clear story. Thats one more thing employers look for when they ask this interview question.Sample interview answer:“In my most recent position, I had recently been promoted to Supervisor, and was managing the department on my own right before the department closed. An employee was acting out and I confronted him in front of everybody. It made the situation worse and caused a lot of distraction for every employee on the floor. I failed to lead properly in this situation, and spoke to m y manager the next day to discuss what I could have done differently. We both agreed that I should have handled this in-private with the employee, by asking them to step inside my office with me. If I had done this instead of reacting the way I did, the situation would have turned out much better. From that point onward, I am always consciousof whether a discussion with a team member should occur in public or behind closed doors, and it made me a better leader.”15. How do you make decisions?This is another one of the most common interview questions youll hear in any industry.You may also hear it phrased as behavioral interview questions like, Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision? How did you handle it and what did you decide?With any of these decision-making interview questions, hiring managers will want to know that youve made good decisions in the past and are comfortable with the pressure of a tough decision. This will make them comfortable that youll make good decisions in your next job, too while working for them.So to show the hiring manager that youre a good fit, prepare to explain how you organize and structure your decisions. You want to show them youre calm and follow a logical system when you make important decisions.Answer sample:I typically list out all available options and then weigh the pros and cons and expected outcomes of each. If other teams or people are impacted by the decision, Ill ask for their thoughts, too. Sometimes a peer will point out a pro or con that I hadnt seen, so I find it helpful to talk to others when appropriate. After this, Ill choose the course of action that I feel is most likely to bring about the best outcome. I also weigh risks of each possible decision. If one decision has a good potential outcome but comes with too much risk for the company, then it may not be the right choice. Would you like me to give an example? Or did that answer your questionUPDATE:Ifyou have interviews coming up and d on’t want to leave anything to chance, I’ve created anew guide where you can copymy exactstep-by-step method for getting job offers. You canget more details here.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Whos Directing Your Career - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Whos Directing Your Career - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Shakespeare is famous for penning All the worlds a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts.  How can we relate this metaphor to  your employment and future career? Let me give it a shot. The traditional and most popular career stage located in America is  The Job Market. If you  choose to act out your career on this stage in the 21st century you will have many exits and entrances of jobs (certainly), employers (extremely likely), and occupations (highly likely). As a player on this stage, I  have a very important question to ask  you: Who is writing the  scripts for your play  and who is your director? If you have defaulted your script and direction to your family/friends/bosses/etc., then it would not be unusual for your career to become  unsatisfying. Heck, over half of all employed people in America are dissatisfied with their current jobs. Perhaps you, or someone you know, is experiencing  lowered motivation, retarded personal development, atrophied skills, and decreased income. If so,  heres the good news: At any time you may choose to write your own script, become self-directed, and take control of your future starting now. A well-developed career planning process can empower you to improve  your current career situation and develop your own personalized script (career plan) to guide your future exits and entrances. Here are some items to consider in developing  your unique career plan: What you have to offer What are your talents? Of those talents, which ones are both (1) ones you want to utilize in your work and (2) ones that employers most desire? Your career motivations What activities are you motivated to do as part of your daily work? What have you done in the past, if anything, that aligned with these motivations? Your future occupations What have you done successfully in the past? Where else do you have motivations and applicable skills/education? What specifically do you want to do next? Where do you want this to lead you in 5, 10, or 20 years? Your future environments What types of products, services, etc. interest and excite you? With what types of people do you like to work? How do you like to be managed and motivated to do your best? Your development plan What education, certification, or other credentials would be worth pursuing? (Note: Im not an MBA or education for the sake of education fan.) What personal development could you gain through on-the-job experience, company training, or self-study? What additional soft skills need development? Your ACTION plan What is your time frame of making your next career change? What specifically is your goal and what benefits are you seeking from it? What is your specific plan of action for pursuing and achieving your goal? (No amount of planning will make up for lack of action. Take action!) Your future job title, employer reputation, etc., contribute to your personal brand at your current employer and, if you leave, on your future resumes. I have spoken to thousands of executives and professionals over the past 11+ years as a full time professional in the career field and  less than 10% had a coherent career plan. Even fewer had their plan written out, so it could be logically reviewed and  objective feedback provided to them. Even fewer were taking consistent, effective action that was likely to lead them to their goals. Creating and executing your unique career plan can provide you a competitive advantage over 90% of your competition. As I mention in Chapter 4 of Fast Track Your Job Search (and Career!), There is a popular expression that there are three types of people in the world â€" those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who fail to notice things and eventually wake up to ask “What happened?”. To succeed in the 21st century, you need to become someone who makes things happen… especially when it comes to your career satisfaction.       You have the inherent ability to become your own director of YOUR career play, writing the scripts and acting out the parts you desire to play when you want to play them. You can  take control of your career happiness and reap the rewards of being true to yourself. Become your own director and write the screenplay of your career and life. What have been your experiences with directing your career? What could others learn from you? I would love to have your comments. Author: Richard Kirby  is an executive career consultant, speaker on career strategies, and author of Fast Track Your Job Search (and Career!). Richard Kirby’s earlier experience includes managing engineering, human resources, marketing and sales teams for employers that ranged from a Fortune 100 to a VC-funded entrepreneurial startup. For the past 11 years at Executive Impact, Richard has helped hundreds of executives and professionals successfully navigate today’s transformed 21st century job market and achieve better employment for themselves. Richard’s expertise includes career assessments and goal setting, personal marketing/branding, resume enhancement, strategic networking and job interviewing, and “contrarian” job search methodologies. He is a Board Certified Coach (in career coaching) and a Certified Management Consultant (recognized by the ISO).

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

How Small Business Leaders Create Consistent Championship Employee Performance - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How Small Business Leaders Create Consistent Championship Employee Performance - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Being a lifelong sports fan and a season ticket holder for the New York Rangers National Hockey League team, has provided me with a lot of opportunities to compare success in sports to success in business. Recently my focus has been on comparing how sports teams manage the performance of their athletes versus how employee performance is managed in most small business work environments. It’s like night versus day. It’s like black versus white. It’s like the difference between having a dog as a pet versus a cat. Here are three employee performance management strategies small business leaders should adopt from athletic team coaching and integrate into their workplace today: Provide clear performance expectations immediately upon hiring an employee Each position on a team in sports has a role to fulfill so that the team can be successful. Within that role are certain specific performance results expected that relate directly to others on the team so the team can fulfill its strategy and schemes. This strategy comes with the pre-supposition that the performance expectations will be thought out and developed in advance of the hire. Create tools and systems to manage accountability performance results Every sport has a way to keep score and track overall team performance, usually in wins and losses. Additionally, each also has a scorecard that creates a box score tracking the individual team members’ performance that contributes to the overall team effort. Consistent feedback and coaching is provided to bring sub-par performance to an acceptable level, or to enhance and improve already acceptable performance results for continued team member growth and development. Change the lineup sooner rather than later Not one of my clients in 15 years has said to me, “Skip, we let that person go too soon, look what he’s doing for my competitor!” No, what they have all said is, “Gee, Skip, I wish you were here to tell me to make that change six months ago (or even six years ago). Sports teams don’t waste time making changes in the lineup if athletes are not performing to expectation. Even though small business leaders can not (nor should they) be as draconian in making decisions that impact employees’ livelihoods, they must be better at making firing decisions sooner rather than later. As such, they must also have the human resource systems in place to do so ethically, compassionately and legally. Do what you need to, to put the performance management systems in place to integrate these three Championship Company strategies into your workplace, and you will have a much more positive, productive and profitable company in just a few short months. My newest white paper report, The Missing Ingredient to Improving Employee Performance is now available as a FREE download at www.YourChampionshipCompany.com

Saturday, May 16, 2020

The Deans List on Resume

The Dean's List on ResumeThe Dean's List, the commonly referred to 'Dean's List', is a reference to a list of profiles of alumni, students and faculty members from the University of California campuses. The list was created in 1971 as a way for alumni and former students to meet and share information about UC schools. There are several lists that exist today. But, the 'Dean's List' has become very popular and is referred to by alumni.The Dean's List is a list of people who have graduated from a specific school. It can also be referred to as the Dean's List of Graduate Schools, depending on which list it is referred to. The Dean's List lists those who have attended and graduated from a certain school. Often, this includes a faculty member or a student. It can also include former and current faculty, parents of students, alumni from a specific school, and some current UC faculty.This is an organization for alumni and students of the school. The list is used to share information about t he school. It can be used in any industry or to gain an edge for recruiting new employees.The list was established because there were no alumni organizations that helped the graduates when they went back to school. The founder of the Dean's List wanted to make it easy for these graduates to find their classmates and find their educational institutions. The program was funded by contributions from alumni and the donor groups.To find a person listed in the list is not difficult, but finding a list for a specific university may be a little more difficult. To locate a list for your school, use the search engine on the internet. Here are some suggestions to help you locate a list of people.To locate a list of graduates, you will need to look at the UC Guide to Lists of Graduates. The guide shows people who have graduated from the university in a chronological listing. It also gives information about the year in which the graduate has graduated. If you want to use this list, you will need to ask the alumnae that are listed in the guide.You can also go to the website of your school's alumni association websites and look for a list of people. They will be able to help you get the list for your school. For students, you can look at the academic career services websites and try to get a list of graduates.The Dean's List on resume is an important part of the recruitment process for the business world. It allows people to network with one another. It can allow you to connect with faculty, alumni, and former students.

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

6 Tips to Help Students Find Their First Job - CareerAlley

6 Tips to Help Students Find Their First Job - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Finding a job is always extremely overwhelming, especially for students whose resumes are not yet filled with a long list of outstanding achievements. By the way, some of them skip this stage by delegating the task to specialized services like WriteMyEssayOnline. The process can become even harder when taking various complicating factors into account. For example, anxiety associated with the inability to find a job may worsen due to peer or parental pressure, overloads in college or university, availability of mental illness, or living in a region where there is a lack of job possibilities. However, there are certain strategies that can help students cope with distress during the process of job search. Finding a job is always extremely overwhelming, especially for students whose resumes are not filled with a long list of outstanding achievements. However, there are certain strategies that can help students cope with distress during the process of job search. Tweet This #1 Looking for Internships Related to their Area of Interest within an Educational Facility Many universities provide their students with the opportunity to enroll in various internships. A student may search through the official website of his/her educational facility to find these opportunities, or refer directly to the administration of a college/university. For instance: American University located in Washington, DC, provides its students with unsurpassed internship opportunities that may involve working as a policy analyst in World Bank, conducting research within the Department of Justice, or being an SMM specialist within Washington Nationals (Open the Door, 2019). A student can productively combine his/her internship experience with studying, and go off to another job after graduation. This scenario is preferred by many students because they do not have to start their job search from square one after receiving their degree. #2 Setting Realistic Goals Some students are unable to find a job because they have unreasonably high expectations about their future workplace. They may go for jobs that are currently beyond their reach, which will only lead to frustration. Understanding ones own potential and realizing that it is very unlikely to find a good or even prestigious job for life right after the university would save people valuable time that can be spent more productively. #3 Clearly Defining Career Prospects Students have to set their career expectations depending on their skills, qualifications, and area of study. Also, they have to take into account that job opportunities in two or more diverse fields differ not only in specificities of their work responsibilities, but also in organizational structure, career prospects they can offer, and soft skills their workers are commonly required to possess. Sometimes, in order to go up the career ladder within a certain field, a person is required to undergo additional training and acquire some other skills. This factor should be taken into account at the initial step of a job search because it can facilitate effective goal-setting. #4 Practicing Continuous Day-to-Day Job Search In order to have the possibility to choose between different job offers, students have to be encouraged to practice job search and apply for positions they consider suitable on a daily basis. For instance, they can use their smartphones to constantly check if the job of their dream has become available. In this case, there is a smaller chance of missing a precious job opportunity, and a greater chance of getting hired faster. #5 Using Different Internet Platforms for a Job Search In the digital age, it has become much easier for students to find job offers. There are Internet platforms that specialize in publishing vacancies only in specific fields, or that focus on a particular target audience. To increase ones chance of finding a job as fast as possible, there is a need to search through diverse job offering platforms. Moreover, if a students beliefs are in line with the mission and vision of certain organizations, he/she should regularly check their websites, where they publish job or internship possibilities from time to time. As with any other activity, persistence is the key to success. A person should dedicate a specific portion of his/her time for a daily job search to look through different job offering platforms. Not only does it structure the process, but it also provides an opportunity to see the current trends within the labor market. Image by Pexels from Pixabay #6 Staying Organized Finally, none of the job searching efforts listed above would be successful without properly organizing ones time and space. Keeping the journal where the time, day, and place of different job interviews are recorded, or tracking ones job searching progress by using the smartphone organizer is one of the pathways to a more organized way to manage a ton of information during a job search. Knowing what exactly to do next, and what were the previous steps within the process helps to track progress, evaluate ones performance during job interviews, ask for constructive feedback based on self-assessment, and most importantly, not feel emotionally overwhelmed and unable to meet deadlines. Staying organized also sends out a good message for potential employers: when they see that a person is able to manage loads of unstructured information, record his/her progress, set goals, and meet deadlines, they will be more eager to hire this candidate. References Open the Door to Endless Internship Opportunities. (2019). Retrieved November 30, 2019, from https://www.american.edu/spexs/washingtonsemester/internships.cfm. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to land your first job. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

Friday, May 8, 2020

5 Unexpected Tricks For Landing Your Dream Job in 2020 - CareerAlley

5 Unexpected Tricks For Landing Your Dream Job in 2020 - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Searching through job listings, finding a job you like and sending off your CV is no longer enough to land your dream job. Todays job market is a highly competitive place, and in order to stand out from the hundreds of other applicants who may be applying for the same position you need to be on your A-game. We all know the basics of applying for jobs. However, there are certain tricks which will put you ahead of your competition, some of which may surprise you. Here are the top 5 unexpected hacks which will help you to land your dream job in 2020. Todays job market is a highly competitive place, and in order to stand out from the hundreds of other applicants who may be applying for the same position you need to be on your A-game. Tweet This 1. Build Your Network Not every job youre looking for will be advertised where youll easily find them: sometimes the best opportunities will not be widely advertised, or not at all. Building your network means you may very well get a heads up on these positions, or be able to get insider information which will help you to present the best application for positions that are widely advertised. There are many ways to build your network, but it does take a certain investment of time and energy. Seek out and attend networking events, and be sure to follow up and maintain the connections you make. Build and have an active profile on LinkedIn, join sites like MeetUp.com and be sure to keep in contact with past colleagues, mentors, and fellow students you never know when a connection may prove useful! 2. Keep Your Resume Short This can seem counter-intuitive: bigger is always better, right? However, employers generally prefer shorter, concise resumes. Especially if youre near the beginning of your career, it can be tempting to try to demonstrate your skills and experience by including every tiny detail you can think of. However, this is a big mistake because recruiters need to sift through literally hundreds of resumes and you want to make their job as easy as possible by telling them just the information they need to know in order to move your application on to the next stage. Make sure you include key information such as experience, skills, and education. If you have a lot to say in these areas, edit this down only to the most relevant and cut out older or irrelevant experience. Your resume should be one or at the most two pages only, written in concise and to the point language. There are also a number of resume writing tools and services that are invaluable for helping you to write the perfect resume which conveys all your important information without being overly lengthy. 3. Sell Yourself For some people, this can be a challenge, but if you want to be successful in a job application you need to sell yourself. Throughout the whole process, from your resume and cover letter to the interview, you need to brag, brag, brag. After all, your potential employer doesnt know whether you are the right candidate for the job and if you dont tell them, who will? Whenever possible, provide evidence for the statements you are making. This may seem to be impossible how can you prove youre a team player or reliable without them seeing you work? However there are various ways you can do this both as part of written applications and in interviews: tell them about specific results you achieved (for example, growing a social media page by a certain number of followers, awards you received or responsibilities you were given (for example being made responsible for supervising a team of 12 people after one year as a direct report). Every day, job seekers review vacancies on their favourite platforms. Whether they click to upload their resumes or are redirected to an online profile builder, sometimes several hundreds of candidates apply for the same position. Only one of them will be offered the role at the end of the interview process. Every candidate asks the same question: how can I make sure to be the one they choose? The Experts Who Help You To Land Your Dream Job 4. Put Your Resume Out There Rather than simply being reactive and apply for jobs once they are posted, be proactive by putting your resume out there. There are various opportunities to do this, most notably through job sites. There are a range of job sites that allow job seekers to register a profile and upload their resume and other information for potential employers to view. Doing so, and making sure you create a strong profile and have a killer resume, means you never know if your dream employer may come to you. You can also take this a step further by sending your resume out to companies youd love to work for and see if theyre hiring. This can be more successful than you think. Make sure to tailor the email to the company youre applying for: tell them why you want to work for them and why youd be the perfect addition to their team. If possible leverage a personal connection, or at the very least find out the name and direct email address of the hiring manager and write to them personally. 5. Apply For the Right Positions Putting together the perfect application will be ineffective if you are applying for the wrong position for you. If you are struggling to put together an application and thinking this job just doesnt inspire me you are setting yourself up for failure. Even if you go through all the steps and try to write the best application possible if the job is something that you simply dont want to do it is highly unlikely that your application will be successful. If you are not passionate about the position this will show through to your future employers. Before you start any job application take a step back and critically assess the position description. Can you imagine yourself doing this job every day for the long term? Can you picture yourself carrying out the roles and responsibilities mentioned in the position description? Consider this carefully before wasting your time on an application that will likely be unsuccessful, or worse still, being successful and ending up in a job you hate! Monster.com Resume Writing Price: Get your resume professionally re-written at Monster.com â€" satisfaction guarantee! Get a killer resume We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to identify and land your dream job. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search