How to Get Referred and Get Hired

How to Get Referred and Get Hired Its true referred candidates are the number one source of external hires! And did you know, referred candidates are twice as likely to get interviewed and have a 40% chance of getting hired over other candidates (according to the  New York Times)? So why do you continue to send your resume for job postings without finding someone inside the company who can refer you? This post will share different ways to find inside connections in order to land that next job faster! The idea is to set yourself apart as a referred candidate: How to find connections inside a company: Long ago, it would take a massive network (or a very well connected network) and lots of phone calls and emails to get a company insider name. However, LinkedIn has made finding contacts and connections increasingly easier. LinkedIn is a gold mine. Use it to search for company insiders. Start your search by selecting the “company” search option from the search bar and type the name of one company you are interested in. View the company page and look at all the results in the How Youre Connected box. You are looking for first or even second degree connections who work in the company with a posting you can connect with and let them know you are interested in applying to a position in his/her company. Be sure you view the green shared connections link under the persons profile to see who you both know. If you arent connected, reach out to the person you know best either through LinkedIn or email and ask if they will introduce you to the company insider you want to meet! In case you havent figured this out yet, you should work on expanding your LinkedIn network by connecting with people on a regular basis. No LinkedIn connections? Try this tool: If you want search LinkedIn profiles inside and outside of your network, you chould try Recruitem (http://recruitin.net/). Thanks goes to @avidcareerist for discovering this! This tool will search public LinkedIn profiles. Enter the company name in the keyword box and country then see your results on Google. You would ideally be looking for the hiring managers job title. As a last resort, in other words, you cant find anyone close to the depart you would like to work in, find the Human Resources or Recruiting head and ask to connect with them. But dont stop here! Search other social networks too: As crazy as it may sound, not everyone is on LinkedIn. You can use the Recruitem tool to search Google+ profiles. Often, these search results contain some new names. If you have a Facebook account, you can and should search to see if you can find friends or friends of friends who work inside the target company. Jobvites recent study says that 76% of social job seekers found their current position through Facebook! And dont forget about Twitter. Search Twitter bios using Twitters advanced search  or try searching within KnowEm.com, a directory of Twitter users. Last, but not least: change your approach! Stop spraying-and-praying your resume to hundreds of job postings. Be discerning about which jobs you choose to apply to. Most importantly, use a proactive approach instead of a reactive approach. This means you need to identify companies you would like to work for. Call them targets. If you talk to anyone who has ever been in sales or marketing, they have prospect or target lists made up of companies who could potentially use their product or service. Their lists contain company and contact information of people to reach out to and have an exploratory conversation with. In your case, these target companies and contacts could potentially need your skills or expertise.  Your targets are not necessarily hiring, the companies you list have been known to hire the types of jobs you are interested in or currently employ people who do they type of work you would like to do. Dont forget about finding competitors and similar companies.  Your goal is to build inside connections before a job ge ts posted, because we all know, that once a job is publicly posted, everyone and their brother/sister begins applying. Need ideas for target companies? You probably have some idea of companies you would like to work for. Maybe it is a company thats been featured in the news or youve heard people rave about. This is a starting point. You have to trust in the exploration process. If you are still at a loss, take a look at these lists which may help you discover great companies: Glassdoor.com’s  Best Places to Work Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For Search for “Top 100? and “Best Employer” lists for your city  

How to Write a Hybrid Resume

How to Write a Hybrid ResumeThere are a lot of hybrid resumes out there. If you want to know how to write a hybrid resume, this article will give you some advice on what kind of resumes you should look for.A hybrid resume is a flexible, streamlined version of the typical resume. The hybrid resume not only reflects your work experience and education, but also shows other things that could be important in your future job.You should take some time to think about what your skills are in the job you're interviewing for. You can use these skills to describe yourself in your resume. Don't be afraid to use experience and education that could apply to a different career.Make sure that you check your grammar when creating a hybrid resume. Your resume is used for a lot of people, so you want to make sure it's perfect. When someone is looking at your resume, they want to see an accurate representation of who you are.It's more difficult to make a great resume if you don't have the experience of t he hiring managers. Try to show your knowledge of the job you're interviewing for. Showing their the skills you have will give them confidence in you and your future hiring.When you're trying to get someone to hire you, you want to show them that you have unique ideas about the industry. Make sure that you're able to clearly write down your qualifications, and what you can do to solve the problem of the hiring manager.When you're trying to write a resume, you want to be as specific as possible. A job description for the company where you're applying can help you get in the door without saying something that isn't true.When you're trying to create a hybrid resume, make sure you have the skills you need. Don't add anything that isn't required in the position. A hybrid resume will give you a much better chance of getting hired, even if you don't have experience in that particular job.

Three Step Process to Conquer Work Distractions

Three Step Process to Conquer Work Distractions Do you ever leave work for the day and then wonder: what did I do today? That, my friend, is a huge sign that distraction might be reigning terror on your work life. Distractions tyrannical reign begins slowly. A minute here. A minute there. By the end of the day, hours of the work day are wasted. Hours you could not afford to lose. The lost time can lead the inability to perform your duties. The inability to meet basic job expectations can lead to stress that feeds into poor job performance, employee burn out, and poor physical and mental health. Employees can decrease distractions that lead to stress with an easy three step process designed to decrease distractions. The three step process presented below is derived from the extensive research conducted by Rutgers professor Dr. John R. Aiello. Dr. Aiellio has spent a large portion of his educational career studying work stress and performance monitoring. In “Control and Anticipation of Social Interruptions: Reduced Stress and Improved Task Performance,” Aiellio reveals that anticipation is imperative to decreasing the period you will need to recover from the interruption. Therefore, the three step process will focus on pro-actively dealing with distractions. Step 1: Identification Spend about ten minutes jotting down as many distractions that you encountered at work in the last week. Once you have the master list of distractions, monitor what distractions continue to remain a problem at the end of every day. Example: Barbara seems to spend her days being pulled from her work for spontaneous meetings. Sometimes by the time she’s ready to dive into work again, management pulls her into another meeting. Step 2: Analysis Analyze how often the distractions happen. Here are a few questions to ask yourself about every distraction. The main point of the second step is to set a framework on how you can potentially deal with the issue. How often does the distraction occur? Once a week? Every day? A few times a day? Who instigates the distraction? A co-worker? You? A manager? How much time do you lose every time you face the distraction? Example: The spontaneous meetings happen at least two or three times a day and last for about an hour. It sometimes takes Barbara 15 minutes to get back into her work after the meeting. The meetings are arranged mostly by managers (but sometimes her co-workers pull her into them). Step 3: Implementation of Defense Once you have completed the analysis, take a few moments to craft a battle plan for the distractions you will face. Focus should be placed on strategizing how to anticipate interruptions to your workflow. Remember, Dr. Aiellio found that individuals who knew when the interruption would take place were able to jump back into work quicker and perform better, so you should focus on trying to schedule unavoidable distractions. Example: Talk to managers about pre-planning when the meeting will be held each day. Ask co-workers to let you know in the morning if they would like to strategize that day. Distractions can be mitigated through thoughtful analysis of the problem and implementation of a plan. If you still find yourself having problems focusing at work, don’t continually try to face-down the problem alone. Try to brainstorm ways to deal with the issue with your manager or your co-workers. The success of the team hinges on every individuals ability to perform, so they will help you strategize ways to increase your focus. It’s up to you to ensure you receive the help necessary to survive and thrive in the office.

5 Tips to Keep Your Social Media Positive

5 Tips to Keep Your Social Media Positive The following is a guest post by  Alexandra Daniella Pierson.  Their bio follows. Noticing the negativity that often overwhelms the digital space, Alexandra and Daniella Pierson set out to create platforms for discovering clean and happy content on-the-go. The twins and college students started their separate brands, Springpop and The Newsette, during their sophomore year of college. After almost two years spent gathering data, conducting focus groups, and working with a team to develop the app, Alexandra launched Springpop in June 2016. Providing a clutter-free feed, the app allows users to view and post what they are seeing, buying and doing. Springpop changes the way users spend time on social media by limiting the number of posts users can share per day and the number of Posters an individual can follow, creating a positive, streamlined space to explore. Inspired by her sister’s dedication to building her app and discouraged by the overwhelming amount of headlines filled with negative news, Daniella conceptualized and published her first issue of The Newsette. The mini-magazine delivers style-minded content, pop culture highlights and Instagram inspiration to inboxes daily in a format that can be easily digested in 5 minutes or less. Now, heading into their senior year at the University of Pennsylvania and Boston University respectively, the duo is determined to supply stress-free, streamlined social platforms for young women to explore lifestyle, fashion and career topics. Through their combination of research and passion for making a positive mark on social media, the twins know a thing or two on keeping your feed light and fun. Below are a few tips for creating a more positive experience on the platform, from the social media gurus themselves. Set the tone early It’s become second nature for many of us to start the day by scrolling through social media. Because our first waking moments can impact how we feel for the rest of the day, we suggest avoiding hard hitting headlines first thing in the morning. Instead, focus on gathering inspiration through photos, quotes and tips to set the tone for a positive and productive day. Use social media as a resource   Social media can often be a space that breeds negativity, criticism and comparisons. It’s easy to turn to social media for the quick yet unfulfilling validation it provides through ‘likes’ and new followers. Instead of fueling the stereotype, use the platform as a resource.   Place to find inspiration by following influential all-stars in areas of interest. Stay away from social media before bedtime   It seems adults have swapped their hardcover books with Snapchat stories and Instagram feeds to end their day. We love social media.  But we suggest staying off of it at least an hour before bedtime, to prevent the light and endless scrolling from messing with your sleep cycle. Try a feed detox A little detox can go a long way. Simplify your feed by unfollowing anyone who isn’t regularly posting or providing captivating content. Also, don’t be afraid to unfollow! Weed out those accounts that aren’t adding to your life by subtracting them from your feed. 10-minute challenge It’s easy to get sucked into the black hole of the never-ending digital world. However, when it comes to social media, sometimes less is more. To avoid the inevitable hour-long binge, challenge yourself to limit your social media intake to 10 minutes per scroll session. We find that to be the perfect amount of time to catch up to speed without becoming a distraction. Bio  Alexandra Daniella Pierson are identical twins from Jacksonville, Florida.  They had been seen as a duo their entire lives. So they saw college as an opportunity to create their separate brands by moving to different cities and starting their own ventures. The college students and twin sisters have since created Springpop and The Newsette respectively. Although different, like the twins, each brand focuses on providing positive, streamlined content in a world overwhelmed by information overload.   Image by Tiffany Von Photography. Other Images: Social Media Keys  Jason Howie  In Bed  Kendra.

Resume Writing Services For Executives

Resume Writing Services For ExecutivesWhen hiring a writing service, it's good to know what are the services that are offered by the company. The services are usually categorized in three areas. They are as follows:Executive Resume Writing Services for Executives One of the main reasons why executives hire these services is because of the fact that they have an elaborate and long resume. The executive may have had several jobs, and the need for them all might be covered. So hiring a writer to come up with a better resume would be perfect for them.The writers can offer various packages that include different components of executive resumes and cover letters. These components could include creative ideas for the resume, relevant research of the industry for which the executive is interested, knowledge about the industry about which the executive is looking for employment, or anything else that the executive may want to have. There are resume writing services for executives that also of fer free samples.Executive Resume Writing Services for Team Leaders When it comes to writing a resume for the leader of a team, the services can also help to write relevant resume and cover letters. However, writing a resume for the leader of a team isn't always as difficult as what we might think. By simply giving it some extra touches, the services will come up with the best resume for the leader.The teams on the other hand, can provide the executives with relevant job titles and compensation for their previous jobs. Since the leader has a team to look after, the services can come up with a resume with a team spirit and of a team leader. By using the team resources, the leader can make sure that the team gets everything done in a timely manner.Team Leader Resume Writing Services For Leaders A leader who works with multiple teams would need to come up with a resume that includes his qualities for the team. These include experience, competence, and most importantly, the team spirit. Team spirit is the key to success and the services can go a long way to make sure that the team members get exactly what they deserve and want.A leader should put the most important points in the first paragraph, because it is one of the most important things to the team. There's nothing wrong with providing the individual with details about their past and how they can achieve the same thing in the future. They can include such important details as their achievements, the role they play, and any other relevant information that they can provide.There are a number of resume writing services for executives that can provide the executive with a resume that is tailored specifically for the individual that they are going to hire. And it can also come up with an idea for a business card for the person.

Why E-Learning is Becoming Common CareerMetis.com

Why E-Learning is Becoming Commonâ€" CareerMetis.com Why do online courses? Learning is a continuous process that happens all the time in various environments. Learning institutions have been mandated by society to impart knowledge to learners.Normally, as a prospective learner, you enroll in a physical school and choose subjects that you wish to take. This is usually followed by going to classrooms where the information exchange takes place.evalHowever, you can now leverage technology to get the knowledge you need by engaging with curated content designed for you. This interaction is usually referred to as e-learning.Why do online courses?Doing online courses usually, come with a lot of benefits to the learners which are mentioned below.1) Flexible schedule and environmentBy studying online, you are at liberty to choose your learning environment that best suits your needs, be it studying in your bedroom, the study, your favorite café, studying in the morning or the evening.Taking an online course also means that you don’t have to commute to class, giving you more study time.Furthermore, if you are unable to attend an online session, most e-learning platforms allow you to reschedule.2) Lower costsStudying online means that you pay the tuition fees, possibly book supplies, an online application fee, and a few other items.In return, you avoid transportation costs to your classroom and back which usually translates to more savings eventually.3) More choice of course topicsevalWhen thinking about where to study, besides interest and career opportunities, the institution to study is also a deciding factor.As various institutions are known to specialize in various professional areas, studying online allows you to choose your courses from the very best institutions with ease.For example, if you are interested inonline management courses, you could select an online school like The College for Adult Learning which offers a variety of such programs at a professional level.4) Self-discipline and responsibilityStudying onlinerequires self-motiv ation, integrity, and proper time-management skills because no one is there to physically watch over you.evalParticipating in the online sessions, doing the assignments on time and interacting with tutors instills in you self-motivation which is a desirable feature and can make your resume stand out.5) Career advancementAs a student, you can take online courses and even complete entire degrees while working or even while raising a family.You can enroll for asynchronous classes which don’t require you to log in at a specific time for a live session but you can study and interact with your supervisor and classmates at your own time and pace through discussion forums.Earning a certificate for such online courses from trusted e-learning platforms can show ambitiousness to prospective employers and a desire to remain informed and prepared for new challenges.ConclusionTaking online coursessaves you time, eliminates distance as a hindrance and saves you money.You can now get your certifi cation in any online management courses of your choice, be it Diploma of Project Management, Certificate in Project Management Practice or any other course by simply enrolling on a trusted learning website, doing the work and passing your exams.

Back in the Saddle 10 Tips For Taming Backlogs At Work After Being Gone - Pathfinder Careers

Back in the Saddle 10 Tips For Taming Backlogs At Work After Being Gone - Pathfinder Careers Back in the Saddle: 10 Tips For Taming Backlogs At Work After Being Gone Sound familiar? You are heading out on vacation or on the road for work, and theres the mad rush in preparation beforehand to tie up loose ends. Then, while you are gone, you are stressed out because you are afraid of missing something and feel the compulsive need to keep checking emails to stay on top of things. Upon you return, there is a monster tsunami wave of work waiting gleefully to engulf you on that first day back in the office. Is it any wonder we are running around stressed out all the time? Personally, I have been traveling quite a bit for the last month and a half three weeks, to be specific. While on the road, I have maintained office operations (being a one-person shop) and kept client appointments thanks to cloud computing and having a virtual office.  But it still stressed me out and being away from the normal routine of daily work and having some email connectivity issues didnt help when Outlook decided that it would receive but not send email messages that always helps ease ones frustration. (Ha!) But what I learned from this experience is that a lot of this stress is self-induced.  Of course there are people that need responding to, and projects that need to be completed. But it was me and me alone that allowed the sense of urgency to compound itself into aggravation by feeling like I was almost overwhelmed. We can all learn a lesson here on how to handle situations like this, and calm our anxiety levels. Here are some quick tips to help you navigate getting around the stress of backlogs at work while maintaining your productivity: Before you leave, see if you can have someone checking messages on your behalf.    This obviously only works if you have support or other employees in your office, but having someone running interference while you are gone can take a huge amount of anxiety off your mind.  Dont be afraid to delegate, or ask your boss to assign someone to help in your absence. Block out specific times to respond to messages.   We are ALL in danger of becoming messaging addicts. A recent article in PC World showed that there is a physiological response, sort of an adrenaline hit, that takes place when we get a message, which prompts us to look, and so the cycle continues. Instead of responding each time our smart phone pings us, turn it on silent and then plan a specific time of day to manage those messages.  If you are on vacation, this is especially important- our brains need a rest from work-related issues and if you are on the beach in Hawaii stressing out about a project that just suffered a major problem, you are not resting and relaxing. You are tense and pacing like a tiger. Try to leave your office at home if at all possible. Easier said than done, but this is your health.  Remember: THE WORLD WILL NOT END if you arent checking email!! Upon your return, do a once-over of all of your messages (voice mail  and email) so you have a general idea of where things stand.  Until you have the big picture, you wont be able to develop responses. Keep a task list.  Getting everything on paper or into a software tracking program will help you organize your thoughts and you can also feel a sense of accomplishment as you slowly and steadily scratch things off that list. Triage the urgent priorities.  Create a master list of what you need to respond to and develop an idea of what it is you need to do in terms of urgency and priority.  Start responding after you collect the facts. As you know, sometimes there are multiple tiers to one particular conversational thread read the first one and then skim through the rest- sometimes what was an urgent situation was already rectified by the time you read the last message! Take a deep breath. You arent going to be able to do everything in one day so remember you need to step away and take a break just to give yourself that breather before diving right back in. Dont be afraid to ask for deadline extensions.  Sometimes, these are set in stone. Othertimes, they are arbitrary timelines set up.  It never hurts to ask for additional time the worst thing they can say is no and the best thing they can do is say, sure and wouldnt that be a load of stress off your back? Communicate.  Keeping stakeholders in the loop is important most people are understanding that you just got back, but they only get upset when they simply dont hear from you.  Providing updates and acknowledgement of receiving their messages is just good business form, but also gives them a sense of reassurance that their project is a priority and on your radar screen. Dont be afraid to push back in a good way.  You know the type: the pushy client who thinks their project is the only one on the planet you can reassure them that you are working on it but if they keep pushing you, you can firmly establish yourself by saying, I want to reassure you that I am working on this project, and as soon as I can, I will make sure it gets the attention and priority that it deserves. I am doing my very best, and as you can understand, this is my first (day or week) back in the office, so I am balancing multiple priorities at this moment. It is very difficult to be away from a busy office no matter if you are gone on business or taking some time out vacation time (much deserved, too!). Structuring your work flows and maintaining some kind of regimen will help you slowly but surely work through backlogs at work.  By feeling like you have forward momentum, your level of stress should decrease as you keep progressing forward.   It can help you retain some sense of peace and organization to your work while keeping productivity levels up!

What about my age - Hallie Crawford

What about my age If you’re over 55 and looking for a job, do you need to worry about age discrimination? Technically, asking about age is an illegal interview question, but if you’re worried about your age, here are some tips to help you. First of all, on your resume, leave off the dates you graduated from high school, college, and post-graduate school. What about the dates you worked 30 years ago â€" won’t employers know your age from your lengthy work history? On your resume, you only need to list your work experience for the last 10 to 15 years. On the other hand, if your work experience from years ago is relevant to the job for which you are applying, consider adding it. A clever way is to make a category title on your resume of “Other Relevant Work Experience.” Beneath the category title, list only the organization and your job title, but omit the dates you worked for the organization. Once you do have an interview scheduled, will the interviewer know your age by your looks? The interviewer probably will guess your age, but interviewers try to guess the age of every person they interview. Will the interviewer discriminate because of your age? If you don’t get the job, you may never know the real reason. The bottom line is that many employers prefer seasoned employees and as a job seeker, your job is to find the ones that want you! and  Terry L. Wynne, Ed.S., LPC, BCC Ceritifed Career Coaches P.S. How do you know if your resume is good?  Take this  Resume Quiz  to find out how to keep your resume out of the trash can.