Job-Hunt.org sponsoring my on-site presentations

Job-Hunt.org sponsoring my on-site presentations Im flying to Maryland today In my presentations in California I raffled big packages worth hundreds of dollars to job seekers, sponsored by Job-Hunt.org. I tell people to go to Job-Hunt for various things here are three things to do there (these are all from the middle column, second box): Find local network meetings.  How invaluable is this?  Go to your state and find something that you can GO TO. Find company job pages.  This is not as easy as you would think, and Job-Hunt lists them here. Also, an excellent way to expand your list of target companies. Find information about societies and associations.  You should browse through relevant association sites and look for job posting employers put there if nothing else youll learn about certain companies that hire in various industries. Thank you Susan, of Job Hunt! If you are interested in sponsoring my on-site presentations, drop me a note. Job-Hunt.org sponsoring my on-site presentations Im flying to Maryland today In my presentations in California I raffled big packages worth hundreds of dollars to job seekers, sponsored by Job-Hunt.org. I tell people to go to Job-Hunt for various things here are three things to do there (these are all from the middle column, second box): Find local network meetings.  How invaluable is this?  Go to your state and find something that you can GO TO. Find company job pages.  This is not as easy as you would think, and Job-Hunt lists them here. Also, an excellent way to expand your list of target companies. Find information about societies and associations.  You should browse through relevant association sites and look for job posting employers put there if nothing else youll learn about certain companies that hire in various industries. Thank you Susan, of Job Hunt! If you are interested in sponsoring my on-site presentations, drop me a note. Job-Hunt.org sponsoring my on-site presentations Im flying to Maryland today In my presentations in California I raffled big packages worth hundreds of dollars to job seekers, sponsored by Job-Hunt.org. I tell people to go to Job-Hunt for various things here are three things to do there (these are all from the middle column, second box): Find local network meetings.  How invaluable is this?  Go to your state and find something that you can GO TO. Find company job pages.  This is not as easy as you would think, and Job-Hunt lists them here. Also, an excellent way to expand your list of target companies. Find information about societies and associations.  You should browse through relevant association sites and look for job posting employers put there if nothing else youll learn about certain companies that hire in various industries. Thank you Susan, of Job Hunt! If you are interested in sponsoring my on-site presentations, drop me a note.

8 Basic Tech Skills Every Employee Should Have

8 Basic Tech Skills Every Employee Should Have Being tech-savvy is no longer unique, its universal. Some people may be more comfortable around technology than others, and that might depend on your profession. We get that, but every professional nowadays must have a degree of technological sophistication to them. To some of you reading this, the basic skills Im about to list might already be second nature to you, and that is what I expected. Remember I put basic in the title for a reason. But if youre one of those feeling incomplete when it comes to workplace tech, then have a read through this article and you might find a missing skill that changes the way you work for the better. 1. Social media savviness No matter what role you are in, in todays climate it is vital to be social media-savvy. The most vital platforms to become familiar with are  ones you probably already use socially; Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Having the ability to share information, and engage with clients, customers and future prospects are vital for any and every employee. Its a two-way street that benefits both yourself  and your business as a whole. 2. Spreadsheeting On to the more boring stuff, having the ability to use spreadsheets effectively is a trait that companies look for. Whatever sector  you are in, you will need to store  vital company information whatever it may be, from contact information to research calculations. If you cant navigate yourself through Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets, then get to learning! Here are the  7 Excellent Ways to Excel at Excel. 3. Presentation skills Most employers will assume you know how to create presentations either for clients or internal use. It doesnt matter if you operate in a B2B or B2C company, the ability to create visually compelling work is integral to the modern workplace. There is a multiplicity of tech tools available to you either on Google Suite or Microsoft Office that you can utilize. 4. Word processing This may be the most basic skill. But, learning how to type properly is very important as youll find that most work is done digitally now. Make sure you know to utilize basic formatting such as  bold,  italics, and  underlining effectively. There are plenty of free word processing tutorials online to help you brush up your skills and make your content look more attractive and readable. 5. Touch typing If you still use three fingers to type then we feel sorry for you. Having the ability to touch type means you dont  waste time looking at your keyboard. Employers will not appreciate a candidate that isnt a natural with the keyboard, as computers have become a necessity in the workplace. If need be, use a free online program like Ratatype or Keyhero to improve your touch typing ability. 6. Keyboard shortcuts Learning all the basic keyboard shortcuts of the system you use, either for Apple or Microsoft PCs, can save you a lot of time. Shortcuts such as copying, pasting, printing, window switching, bookmarking and more can make you a much productive worker. To get to know what shortcuts are available, check out these shortcuts listed by  Windows and Apple. 7. Emailing Ill repeat, the title of this article is about the basics, and email truly has become one of the staples of workplace technology. Knowing how to email professionally is everything. The email is the contact hub for almost all workplaces, and it is the main way for you to contact clients, customers, and co-workers. We recommend you get to know all the basics of sending out an email, such as how to compose or format an email, or even creating an email signature for yourself. An article we previously wrote called the  12 Professional Email Etiquette Guidelines might help you do just that. 8. Staying with the times Last but not least, I know this isnt an actual skill but it is very important you keep an open mind when it comes to technology. Just because you are used to doing something one way, does not mean you cant do it better another way. Furthermore, there is no longer an excuse to not being tech-savvy, these tech skills should be second nature to you. Without them, you are limiting yourself as a professional, and limiting the business you work for. Employers all around the world have a high demand for these basic tech skills. If weve missed any basics that you cant do without, then comment below and let people know!

Guest Post Taking the Professional Brand Online by Lief Larson - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Guest Post Taking the Professional Brand Online by Lief Larson - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today is a special event.   It is the first guest post ever on the Personal Branding Blog.   This guest post is written by Lief Larson, the founder and genius behind Lyro.com, a social network for exchanging business cards with your contacts. Im proud to support Lief and be featured on the main page of Lyro.   Lief was also mentioned as one of Americas Top Entrepreneurs Under the Age of 30 by Entrepreneur Magazine. _________________________ Tom Peters, in the August 1997 issue of Fast Company, said it best, “Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.” Here we are just beyond the Decennial of Peters cutting-edge article and yet many of us have not stepped up to the plate to take a swing at personal branding, yet alone hit one out of the park. If you feel guilty about building your personal brand, don’t. It’s what separates the ultra successful from the mediocre. In my childhood back in Wisconsin, my name was the butt of numerous jokes. No matter which way others approached the uncommon name of Lief, the few hurtful antagonists-at-heart always ended up producing variants such as “beef”, “grief” or the flatulent-sounding “queef”. Although it bothered me back then, peer maturity and wisdom have rewarded me handsomely with a name that immediately sets me apart from the crowd. I’ve come to embrace and appreciate my name and freely share it every chance I get. To me, my name has become the platform for launching my personal brand. Whether your name is Tom, Mary, or John, you too can embrace your personal brand. Outside of our names, understanding our individual identity traits can cultivate our personal brand; it’s what makes you different! Often your identity is directly tied to what you’re good at. Maybe you are highly creative? Possibly you’re a people person? Or perhaps you have a natural talent for managing teams? Regardless of the capability that is unique to you, it is only worth something to others if you have found a means to express it through actions. In other words, have you fostered your distinctive abilities and have you leveraged them to a personal or commercial benefit? Personally, I have come to realize that I have great vision and the drive to execute that vision. Unfortunately, because I failed to exploit this gift in the early years of my career, I needlessly held myself back. Once I got in touch with my natural sense of intuition, I excelled in the business world. This brought me to a new appreciation for the importance of taking the personal brand and turning it professional for new commercial opportunities. You too have a skill that is unique to you. But what is it? To help you identify this unique attribute, I have a short exercise for you. Think back for a moment to those last ten (non-superficial) compliments other people have paid to you. Did somebody say that you’re very organized? Maybe they mentioned how poignant and well spoken you are? Or possibly they noted that you come across with great confidence and leadership? Whatever those people told you, they were subconsciously encouraging your unique trait (and likely one that they themselves do not possess). The social group, although somewhat mysteriously, has this omnipresent knack of discovering your role in society long before you have a clue. However, sometimes our antennas are just not fixed in the right direction to pick up on the signals. So now is the time to listen. Somewhere between about age 18 and today you picked up several proficiencies. These are skills and traits that you have developed through education and practice. Maybe you know how assembly lines work and you’re skilled in the art of lean management. Perhaps your capable hands have performed surgery on a human heart, but you’re also incredible at making patients feel safe. Or possibly you are qualified at organizing and managing vast amounts of data, but you can leave the technical jargon behind when conveying yourself to operational and technical teams. Your unique identity combined with your trade or skill set equal your distinction. [identity + skill = brand distinction] Take a moment to really focus in on how uncommon you are and how difficult it would be for just anybody to come in and do what you do every day. Modesty has no place in professional brand building. O.k. Now back to reality. Unless you are the President, the Pope, or the Dalai Lama, chances are there are other people competing to do things similar to what you do or even for your very job. Let’s take comedians for example. There are thousands and thousands of people whose livelihood depends on making people laugh. Yet, a small roster of names like Seinfeld, Richard Pryor, and Rodney Dangerfield come to mind. Each has worked tirelessly to bring value to the marketplace and the reward has been competitive differentiation. What value do you bring? Around my office I have a saying that I repeat at least once a week, ‘business is not about products and services, it’s about people.’ Without Edison there may have never been a phonograph. Without Bills Gates there may have never been a (albeit vulnerable) Windows ® operating system. Without Spencer Johnson and Kenneth Blanchard none of us would know who moved our cheese, which leads me to my next point. You are the Wizard of Oz â€" behind the curtain of some product or service â€" making the show go off without any hitches. You are pulling strings and dazzling the marketplace. But no one outside of your inner circle knows who you are. The ad budget for brand YOU is non-existent and your PR strategy doesn’t extend any further than leaving the office for an hour lunch break with colleagues. So what to do for brand YOU? Well, try discovering your inner star on the internet. With the vast amounts of bits and bytes floating around in cyberspace, it’s easy to get lost. You can create a blog (which will only be one of more than 3 million blogs). You can create a website (which will only be one of 30 million). Or, you can leverage existing websites that already offer tools for helping you to create a digital identity. For example, check these sites out: www.myspace.com, www.facebook.com, www.lyro.com, www.orkut.com, www.linkedin.com, etc. When you set out to tackle the mission of creating a brand YOU on the web, the first objective is to be searchable. Your own blog, if created through services such as Blogger or WordPress, will almost immediately be found in the major search engines. Your website, in most cases, will get lost in the mix unless you know how to market it. So how else you go about getting your name top ranking on search engines? The answer is that it’s a numbers game. In other words, you want to publish and control your identity on as many major sites as possible. The above-mentioned web communities are a start, but here are a couple of ideas most people don’t think of: Create an OpenID at www.ClaimID.com Create a Wikipedia entry at www.wikipedia.org Check your aggregated identity at www.spock.com Now that you’ve put yourself out there, be careful to manage your expectations. Don’t anticipate that commercial opportunity will come knocking immediately. Increasing your exposure and reach takes time. However, with patience and thoughtful placement of your brand you will increase your visibility, which has greater potential than not. Your professional brand is unique and there is no better time than now to take it online.

Professor Teaches Students About Personal Branding and They Respond! - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Professor Teaches Students About Personal Branding and They Respond! - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Guest post by Chrystal Denmark Porter, the Assistant Dean of Sport Science at Endicott College, in Beverly, MA. Note from Dan: One of my main missions in life is to teach academia about personal branding and start an international class on the topic for freshman college students. Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success would be the textbook! Its taken a long time to convince professors, career counselors and students of the importance of personal branding as it pertains to getting a job, living a fulfilling life and gaining confidence in their abilities. Basically, I want to transform these students into commanders by using the personal branding process as a compass (see my logo ?? ). Recently, I exchanged tweets with Chrystal, who teaches a class, enjoys this blog and wrote a guest post on her experiences teaching personal branding in the classroom. This is music to my ears and one of my favorite blog posts ever (out of nearly 500).   I predicted this would happen next year and its starting to come true. I hope you enjoy this and if youre in academia, please pay attention! Class is now in session When my students entered my Sport Enterprise course this past semester I declared on the first day that they would enter the class as mere students, but would leave the course thinking as pre-professionals. Like most college students they were unimpressed, unfazed, and not intrigued by my prediction, primarily because I was not providing any hints about what they needed to do to earn an A in the class. Over the first few weeks of the semester I ran the course in a very traditional manner. I lectured, they took notes, completed assignments, gave presentations, and stressed over what they needed to know for the exam. After I was confident the majority had mastered the major concepts related to the actual subject of the course, which included hypothesizing why management make the decisions they do, I took the course in another direction and returned to my initial objective. How to make your class care about personal branding As we discussed the rationale for managerial decision making, I began to ask students if a manager was hiring, would it make sense for them to take a risk on them personally? And more importantly, what did they need to do now, as students, to make sure that they would be an obvious choice once they graduate? As I helped them understand the number games associated with our industry (i.e. the number of students within the major, the number of entry level opportunities, the number of actual positions of significance, etc.), it became painfully obvious to the students that they would need to do a lot more than have a bubbling personality and burning desire if they wanted not only a true shot to reach their current professional goals, but at the very least entry into the industry. As they began to tune into the idea that they are individually responsible for taking action (See my command your career post), developing relationships, and creating their personas and personal brands, they became invested and immersed in learning what it would take to stand out from all the others who are trying to do the exact same things they are trying to do when there are limited opportunities. So the final weeks of the semester we had discussions on how it was important to create your own personal strategy and your individual brand, and all the steps that that might entailed. Student feedback on personal branding At the conclusion of the course I asked each student to comment on what they now understood about utilizing their student status and what they needed to change so they could build an effective personal brand and here is what they said: “It’s interesting that no one tells you about concepts such as personal branding until you’re halfway done with school. After reading [the Personal Branding Blog] and discussing what we have in class, I feel as though there should be a class freshmen year that teaches these things. Living at college it’s hard not to live in your own personal bubble. We don’t feel the pressure to get a job until senior year and we have an almost ‘I’m unbreakable’ view on life. I wish someone had told me two years ago to start marketing myself.” M. M.-Junior “I plan on starting to put myself out there as much as possible as soon as break is over. Around that time I will know if I am going to grad school, law school, or entering the workforce. If I do decide to enter the work force, I will use all the resources we have been presented in class, as I feel that everyone can use them to their fullest advantage.” G. S.-Senior “Until I read [the Personal Branding Blog] I wasn’t really serious about networking, but now I know I should have gotten to meet so many more people…Being a lot more versatile throughout my college years would have helped me know what direction I would want to head in May…I think this class would have also helped me if I was able to take it earlier than I have.” A.O.-Senior “Knowing what you know is only half the battle when it comes to landing a good job; the other half is the people you know and your determination. Now at the end of my college years I will start doing these things better late than never.” A.R.-Senior Class dismissed! Hopefully these lessons learned will serve as a springboard to accomplishing their goals. They will come to find that this is a continuous endeavor in their professional lives. Like any other worthy goal, laying an early foundation can only stand to benefit you as you travel down your professional path. Dr. Chrystal Denmark Porter is a life-long learner and member of the Higher Education Consultant Association (HECA), National Academic Advisors Association (NACADA), the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA), and a sustaining member of the Mortar Board National Honor Society. In 2008, she accepted the position of Assistant Professor of Sport Science with Endicott College in Beverly, MA. In addition to her experience in higher education, Dr. Porter has worked for the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, The Womens Sports Foundation, The Bonham Sport Marketing Group, The Ohio University Athletic Department, and the Young Americans Bank. Follow her on Twitter.

Professional Resume Writing Services for Akron, Ohio Businesses

Professional Resume Writing Services for Akron, Ohio BusinessesAny candidate applying for a job in Akron, Ohio should look into professional resume writing services. Akron is an important place to be, and if you're an aspiring employee there, chances are that you would want your resume to reflect this. No matter what kind of job you have lined up for the future, or even if you're a bit overqualified, having a stellar resume prepared by a professional in this industry can help your future employer to see how much of a professional you are, and this will make them like you more.A new employee at Akron, Ohio business is one of the most important people in your life, and without their knowledge, you could be a total failure. That's why hiring a professional resume writer in Akron, Ohio, such as those listed below, is a wise move for any business. These talented people can ensure that your future employer will see you're a professional before even reading your resume.David F. is a Madison Avenue well-known resume writers who has worked with many of the best companies on the planet, and won several awards for his work. He's also run a national resume writing agency for over fifteen years, and he knows the exact steps to take to get your resume noticed. The work of a professional resume writer in Akron, Ohio, such as David F., can be just as important as the work of the top executives on the floor. It's crucial that they are seen, because without it, employers will pass on any application you make.For Akron, Ohio businesses, Michael D. has years of experience in all facets of business, and he has helped hundreds of employees get hired and keep them there. In addition to his resume writing services, he's also built up a successful direct marketing agency, which means he knows how to promote his clients. He has worked with small and large businesses, and he understands the needs of different kinds of job seekers.These are just three of the many professionals in the Akro n, Ohio area that offer resume editing services and resume writing services. These companies take the time to read through your resume and figure out exactly what needs to be changed. After they've finished editing your resume, you can be sure that it will be worthy of being reviewed by a variety of employers, and you can be assured that your future employer will see you as a professional.To learn more about how an experienced resume editor or resume writer can help, try visiting the website of a company such as these, and then asking for a free consultation to see how easy it is to make a new resume. You may even find that you get a free resume evaluation so you can compare potential companies and see which ones are going to give you the best deal. Contact these professionals today, and you may find that you need no other service.Building yourself up with high hopes and a winning resume can go a long way toward making a successful transition to your future career. Contact a Akron, Ohio resume writing company, and they can help you establish a successful career before you know it.

Conference on happiness at work on May 20 in Copenhagen - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Conference on happiness at work on May 20 in Copenhagen - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog We had a fantastic time with our conference on happiness at work last year. You can read more about it here and you can see Srikumar S. Raos presentation here. This years event promises to be even better. We have speakers from companies like IKEA, ISS and Zappos. We have Lars Kolind, Alfred Josefsen and Fred Gratzon (the self-proclaimed laziest man in North America) sharing their insights. Unfortunately, unless you speak Danish you will miss out on about 2/3 of the day :o( Heres a little more info about the day for our Danish readership: Kom til konference om arbejdsgl?de d. 20. maj 2010 Vi holder konference om arbejdsgl?de igen i ?r det bliver den 20. maj i K?benhavn og vi gl?der os helt vildt. Sidste ?rs konference var et k?mpe hit og 2010-udgaven bliver endnu bedre :o) Du f?r: Vi har samlet 10 af Danmarks og verdens f?rende t?nkere og praktikere inden for arbejdsgl?de, bl.a. Lars Kolind, Alfred Josefsen og FCKs talentchef Sune Smith-Nielsen. Jens Gaardbo er konferencier. Inspiration og ideer fra virksomheder som IKEA, ISS, Irma, zappos.com, FCK og mange andre. Et sp?ndende konferenceformat i Danmark der giver dig flere, kortere og mere m?lrettede indl?g. Masser af praktiske, brugbare redskaber til at g?re din arbejdsplads gladere. L?s meget mere om konferencen og tilmeld dig her. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Podcasts from the WorldBlu Forum - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Podcasts from the WorldBlu Forum - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog A short while ago I spoke at one of the best conferences Ive ever been to: The WorldBlu Forum on Organizational Democracy. Previous coverage here, here, here and here. The organizers have put up podcasts with many of the speakers including Dan Pink, David Weinberger and me (7 min., 8 Mb mp3) being interviewed by the charming and delightful Susanne Goldstein. I somehow manage to go all the way back to Aristotle and the Dalai Lama and then talk about happiness at work and how it relates to democratic workplaces. Find all interviews from the forum here. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related