Review of Job Searching with Social Media for Dummies - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Review of Job Searching with Social Media for Dummies - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Personal branding is important in social media. And both social media and personal branding are important in today’s job search process. Joshua Waldman, author of Job Searching with Social Media for Dummies, gets that. He summarizes his new book as follows:   If you’re looking for a first job, exploring a career change, or preparing to re-enter the job market after being out of it for several years, you need to take advantage of social media for the best results. Social media sites are proven platforms for facilitating connections, demonstrating passions and interests, and ultimately landing jobs. In his book, Waldman teaches readers the following: How to harness the power of LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and more to propel your job search Make your online profiles work for you so that opportunities knock at your door Create a winning strategy for securing a position Build your personal brand online to truly stand out from the crowd Where does personal branding come in? In Chapter 4, “Personal Branding 101,” Waldman discusses the importance of building and maintaining your professional brandâ€"before someone else does. “Because you can’t reach into someone else’s head and tweak how that person sees you, all you can do is change your image, your messaging, your look, and so forth to better align with who you really are,” he writes. Social media and your brand It’s easy to craft an online brand today. Almost instantly after signing up for a social media site, blog, or website, you can tell people across the world who you are, what you do, and much more. What affects other’s perceptions of your brand? According to Waldman, these three elements: The way you act online: Your online behavior clues people in to what you may be like in person. The way you act may include the state of your LinkedIn profile, your blog, or the first three pages of a Google search results of your name. Do you have a story to tell? How frequently do you post messages? The way (and how often) you talk online: Your online voice reflects how people hear your offline voice. For example, are you posting status updates on your profiles? If so, do your updates add values or are they silly? Are you aware of your audience when you post? The way you present yourself: This may include the way your blog looks and how professional your pictures are. Is there a font you’re fond of? If so, what does it communicate? Also, what do the colors in your blog or online resume communicate? Although Job Searching with Social Media for Dummies is meant to be for folks who either don’t know much on the topic or don’t understand it yet, it certainly holds value for anyone looking to leverage today’s online tools for career and job search success. Even if you think you know everything about social media for your job search, this book can certainly teach you a thing or two to boost your personal brand beyond where it is currently. Author: Heather R. Huhman is a career expert, experienced hiring manager, and founder president of Come Recommended, a  content marketing and digital PR consultancy for organizations with products that target job seekers and/or employers. She is also the author of Lies, Damned Lies Internships: The Truth About Getting from Classroom to Cubicle (2011), #ENTRYLEVELtweet: Taking Your Career from Classroom to Cubicle (2010), and writes  career and recruiting advice for numerous outlets.

Branding vs. Positioning Whats the Difference - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Branding vs. Positioning What’s the Difference - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career One of the biggest challenges new business owners have is understanding multitude of business and marketing concepts. Two of these concepts are branding and positioning. Both are important to reaching your market and are related, yet they’re very different. Branding You want to direct the brand image of your company through the quality of your products and services, responsiveness to customer needs and other tactics that support the image you want to create, but whether or not you’re successful depends on your markets experience. The goal of branding is to elicit a positive emotional response from the market. What thoughts and feelings do you have when you think of Apple, Disney or Amazon.com? Your feelings won’t be based on what these companies say their brand is. Instead your feelings are based on your experience with them. The important concept to understand about branding is that it comes from your customers’ experiences with your business. Positioning Positioning is just like it sounds. It’s about where you rank in your customers’ mind in relation to your competition. Positioning your business comes from differentiating yourself from your competition. In other words, what do you offer or do different from all the other businesses that provide the same products or services? There are many places to buy books online, but Amazon is often the first company people think of in regards to buying books (or just about anything) on the Internet. Amazon has also positioned itself above most it’s competition in e-readers and self-publishing. How branding and positioning relate Positioning always comes before branding. Positioning tactics lure your market to your business. The experience the market has with your business will determine if you’re successful in building a positive brand image. For example, for many years Avis Car Rental advertised a brand message that said, “We’re number 2. We try harder.” This positioning tactic was designed to lure customers from their competition with the promise that Avis would work harder to make them happy. But the marketing effort only worked in building Avis’ brand if customers felt that the company did indeed try harder. While new businesses should define the brand image they want, they need to focus on positioning themselves in the marketplace first, by identifying what makes them different and translating that difference into a customer benefit. If new businesses deliver on the benefit promised, they will be successful in building a positive brand image.

How to Find the Best Nurse Resume Writing Services

How to Find the Best Nurse Resume Writing ServicesThere are a lot of sites online that offer quality and affordable resume writing services. Many nurses look for online content as opposed to print material when they're looking for a new job. When you decide to opt for these sites, it's important to consider the source. If you're thinking about using free resume writing services, be wary as there are times when you're the one paying for these services.The nurse resume you're writing will be sent directly to the employer. As the most important aspect of a resume, this is the first thing potential employers to see and it's also very important. When it comes to resume writing, you have the power to send out your resume in a way that it has the highest chance of being read. To do this, you need to invest your time and money in a quality writer. For example, many online resume writing services charge as much as five dollars per resume that they create.Online, there are plenty of sources av ailable. A search online for quality nurse resume writing services will return thousands of results in no time. While it's important to be selective, it's best to choose those sites that have been around for a long time. This is very important because you can expect them to know the market better than those sites that just came out a few months ago.Another important tip is to consider how many times the writer will be submitting your resume. It's a common occurrence that nurses find a job within hours after submitting a resume; however, this does not mean that a top quality resume writing service will do the same. Keep this in mind because some of the sites might be more willing to share with you their expertise.When looking for the best nurse resume writing services, you want to be sure that you are getting the very best possible work for the lowest price. You maybe able to get cheap, but not the best quality. This is why you should consider the reputation of the service you're con sidering. This way, you can ensure that your resume will be written by a professional who is going to make it the very best.Professional nurse resume writing services offer resume examples that you can use. These samples show you the exact resume formats and everything that is included. This will allow you to figure out what your own resume should look like and what they expect you to put on yours. Take your time to compare each sample against the rest so that you can determine if you're getting an acceptable output from the service.When you want to find the best nurse resume writing services, you want to consider the input that they provide to their clients. They'll be able to give you feedback on your resume, so that you know what to change and how to improve your resume. This is also the perfect opportunity to start working on your resume so that you're ready for your next interview.With all of the help that a professional nurse resume writing service can provide, you should be a ble to have your new job in no time. Just make sure that you pick the right writer for the job. With a little bit of patience and the use of some professional resume examples, you'll be able to get your dream job in no time at all.

Austin Job Search Tips

Austin Job Search Tips Joy Woods, Recruiting Goddess from Big Commerce (@BigCommerce, www.bigcommerce.com), led our Austin-based Careers over Coffee discussion on November 5, 2012. Joy gave us excellent insight into the role of a corporate recruiter, i.e. an internal recruiter who works for a specific company. She shared many job search tips for both passive and active job seekers. Check out her tips below so that you can prepare to communicate effectively with corporate recruiters. Never be afraid to build relationships with corporate recruiters. While the recruiter may not have an opening that fits your Job Search Tips from an Austin recruiter skills at the moment, you never know when a position will open up that meets your skills and the recruiter’s needs. That being said, corporate recruiters are tasked with filling positions at their company with an individual who is the best fit. Their job is not to “find an individual a job”. Make it easy for corporate recruiters to see how you fit the position. Do not make them work to see how your skills might be used for that position. To do this, use keywords in your resume, do not use functional resumes, and be focused â€" demonstrate in the resume and cover letter how you will fit that position at that specific company. Don’t add anything to your resume that will weed you out of being considered for the position. Recruiters get so many resumes that they are looking for individuals to weed out, not ‘pull into’ the stack. Show the recruiter that you will fit in. During an interview the recruiter will also be looking for whether you mesh with the team you would work with the style of the team and the pace of team. If asked behavioral questions during the interview give very specific examples, provide results, and talk about what you specifically did to achieve the results. Show passion for what you do and show initiative. The recruiter wants to see not only if you want the job, but also that you would excel in the job and enjoy the work. Corporate recruiter don’ts: Don’t say, “I am the perfect fit for the job” as there is no such thing as the ‘perfect’ fit. Don’t ask recruiters if they can get you a job. Don’t ask recruiters to critique your resume. Don’t ask the recruiter where you fit best in their company as you need to know this information already. It isnt easy to get an interview with a company but the job search tips above give you some insight into what Austin based recruiters want. Help the recruiter and you will also be helping yourself.

Poll Of The Week #2 How many hours do you spend preparing for an interview

Poll Of The Week #2 How many hours do you spend preparing for an interview 1 Flares 1 Flares Thanks to those for voting in this weeks poll!  COTJ asked readers to share how many hours they spend preparing for an interview, heres how it went: First Place:    64%  0-1 Second Place: 27%  1-2 Third Place: 9% 2+ Candidates should always spend at least one hour preparing for an interview.  In my opinion, preparation builds confidence, and confidence creates a persuasive candidate who can get just about anything from the interviewers.  Pretend your interview is like a final exam from college or high school.  You can either cram your preparation into one big session a day before the interview, or maybe spread it out over time.  Think about what has worked for you before and continue to do that.  Here are some factors you should consider when preparing for your interview: Put strong effort into really knowing your resume.  Your goal is to able to explain in detail your highlighted points in the resume without looking down.  This alone can take an hour, but it will prove you know yourself, as well as prove the experiences are real.  The constant eye contact with your interviewer(s) is also important. Study the company.  Go through the company website to check out their history, as well as where they plan to go.  Maybe they have a new product or service that you can bring up at the interview.  Spend at least 15-30 minutes just researching the company so you can talk intelligently about what they do.  Interviewers love this. Spend 10-15 minutes preparing some questions that you can ask the interviewer.  Heres a previous article Ive wrote about this http://cornonthejob.com/2009/07/12/questions-you-should-ask-at-an-interview/ If lucky enough, you might even be told what to expect on the interview.  If they let you know which method of interviewing will be used, then research it online, and put in time practicing sample questions. Write down a list of projects youve worked on.  Think of the positive times, and successes youve had in your career so far and write those down!  Write down a few negative experiences as well.  You may be asked to talk about a situation that didnt go so well for you.  They will be looking for what youve taken away from that experience and what youve learned about yourself.  This ones important, prepare a nice list and memorize it. Practice, practice, practice.  Study your resume again, and once you feel confident,  practice with a friend.  Go through your resume and try to keep your head up making eye contact the entire time.  Practicing will also help you get comfortable speaking in front of others.  Interviewing is a form of public speaking, maybe not as intense as talking to a large group, but it can be intimidating.  If you feel you need help in this area, I know a great communications specialist!  Go to http://www.RonicaCommunications.com/ and see if the services offered can help give you the confidence you need to communicate/sell yourself effectively on the interview. There is nothing wrong with just winging it, but preparing yourself will ensure youve done just about everything you can to rock their socks off at the interview.  Do it

How to interview and illustrate skills that are a reach -

How to interview and illustrate skills that are a reach - What are the skills you need to demonstrate when you apply for jobs? Its usually not very difficult to identify what employers are looking for; their 3000-word, in-depth job descriptions dont leave much to the imagination. Many firms also post videos, have Facebook sites and Twitter feeds touting their organizations and why you might want to work there. Skip these resources at your own peril they are telling you exactly what you need to know to be a strong candidate. But, what if most everything on the job description is a great match for your skills, but they want one or two skills or accomplishments you dont really have a lot to say about? A good example? Leadership skills. So many jobs are looking for people with leadership skills. You know you need to address how you are a great leader in the interview, but, truth be told you havent had a lot of opportunities to lead. Maybe youre an entry-level candidate or youre trying to move into a leadership position. However, as far as specific stories about how you led a team to greatness, you dont really have it. Some things to consider: Its acceptable (and expected) to share non-work related leadership stories if your job isnt very leadership focused. Volunteer work is very useful for this. Maybe you led a team and raised a lot of money for a cause. Or, you galvanized a lot of other volunteers and accomplished a big goal. Your leadership stories do not need to focus entirely on your paid work experiences. That said, it does help to be able to work in information about how you demonstrated leadership at work. Focus on what skills are useful to have as a leaderBreak down the topic of leadership and see if you can identify some matches between what youve exhibited on the job and your career goals. (Note: remember, you can break down the topic for any skill you want to illustrate.) For example a leader: Shows (and takes) initiative enthusiastically Takes responsibility for his or her actions Has strong communication skills Can think on his or her feet and make decisions Is able to convince others of a viewpoint or plan and inspires them to cooperate Demonstrates dedication and confidence Is comfortable with a certain amount of ambiguity Is focused on the best possible ways to get the job done Thinks analytically and focuses on the task at hand Sees the bigger picture and makes suggestions to avoid obstacles Hones strong relationships Shows good judgement Is imaginative and innovative Consider addressing a question about leadership like this: When I think of the best leaders, they demonstrate dedication and confidence, can think ahead and make good decisions and have strong relationships with their teammates. (Then, tell a story illustrating a time when you used those three skills.) Framing the definition of leadership and providing a story showing how and when you used those characteristics will help you answer a question that might otherwise have stymied you if you were thinking of a very traditional example of you leading a group or a team, but you have not done that on the job. What suggestions do you have to answer interview questions that might otherwise really stump you? Resources for this list: An article by Barbara White, who has over twenty years experience in leadership. She is President of Beyond Better Development, which specializes in motivation and training in interpersonal skills. Coach4Growth photo by Leo Reynolds

The Most Overlooked Fact About Amazon Resume Writing Exposed

The Most Overlooked Fact About Amazon Resume Writing Exposed Want to Know More About Amazon Resume Writing? Your essay writing will be finished in under 5 hours. The book also has sound resume writing advice depending on the secrets of professional resume writers. Utilizing a writing service is the perfect method to have a well-written essay to use as a guideline to guarantee the essays you write are hitting each of the critical points and are at the appropriate depth needed for your academic grade. The author delivers practical and easy-to-follow advice together with numerous samples that demonstrate every one of her tips in action. The Truth About Amazon Resume Writing If you think yourself a do-it-yourself-er'' there are a good deal of great books on the industry that may help you craft a compelling and visually distinct document. It's important to pick a font and font size that's legible and leaves enough white space on the webpage. As soon as it's only a page or two i n length, a resume is among the most important components of a work application. Select the most suitable font and size. Quite simply, format matters for an expert engineering resume. A set of professionally written resumes aimed at anybody who has left work for a time period and then wished to return. Every one of these sections are optional, but one of the principal benefits of a summary statement is that hiring managers can quickly assess if you could be a great fit without having to spend a good deal of time reading your entire resume. Clearly answer each area of the question. For example, if you have a substantial employment gap since your final position, you can want to use a functional resume rather than a chronological one. Lots of people don't like their present job or career. You are also able to get a feeling of the internal language used within a specific industry or company. No matter if you're a student or an expert worker, we'll supply you with well-written and error-free resume within the necessary deadline. How to Choose Amazon Resume Writing You're able to earn up to two CEUs per book review. Order writing or editing of a resume at this time and the quantity of job offers increase enormously. Always ensure you have a look at the review my essay section of any writing service website you're contemplating using. Attempt to discover a site that provides good deals and offers in place of rock-bottom rates. Such a situation takes a particularly special approach to crafting a resume and presents some special challenges. It's also important to think about the type of work you really wish to be hired to do. It doesn't need to be something which's patented. People may not take the opportunity to consider the effect of the work they've done,'' Diaz explained.