How To Using Tags

How To Using Tags Tags are COOL. Seriously cool. Tags help me slice and dice my data. That simply means I can get a report/view on just certain records, like: Show me all of my Contacts who I’ve tagged as “family.” Or, show me all of my Contacts who I’ve tagged as “hiring manager,” or “newsletter.” One that I’ve done is this: “show me all of my Contacts I’ve tagged as “family,” and who have the last name of “Alba.” Tags help me filter down and get a subset of my data. How do you create a tag? On the ADD or EDIT page (of Job, Company or Contact) simply type in any tag you want (1). If it is a tag you already created you can either type it again or you can select it from the drop down (2). It’s that simple, and perhaps one of the most important things to do when you create a record. The two main places to make use of tags are in the List Panel search: and the Get Contact List (heres a video on how that works)  (premium feature): Are you using Tags? If not, use them! (note: tags are similar to Labels on Gmail) How To Using Tags Tags are COOL. Seriously cool. Tags help me slice and dice my data. That simply means I can get a report/view on just certain records, like: Show me all of my Contacts who I’ve tagged as “family.” Or, show me all of my Contacts who I’ve tagged as “hiring manager,” or “newsletter.” One that I’ve done is this: “show me all of my Contacts I’ve tagged as “family,” and who have the last name of “Alba.” Tags help me filter down and get a subset of my data. How do you create a tag? On the ADD or EDIT page (of Job, Company or Contact) simply type in any tag you want (1). If it is a tag you already created you can either type it again or you can select it from the drop down (2). It’s that simple, and perhaps one of the most important things to do when you create a record. The two main places to make use of tags are in the List Panel search: and the Get Contact List (heres a video on how that works)  (premium feature): Are you using Tags? If not, use them! (note: tags are similar to Labels on Gmail) How To Using Tags Tags are COOL. Seriously cool. Tags help me slice and dice my data. That simply means I can get a report/view on just certain records, like: Show me all of my Contacts who I’ve tagged as “family.” Or, show me all of my Contacts who I’ve tagged as “hiring manager,” or “newsletter.” One that I’ve done is this: “show me all of my Contacts I’ve tagged as “family,” and who have the last name of “Alba.” Tags help me filter down and get a subset of my data. How do you create a tag? On the ADD or EDIT page (of Job, Company or Contact) simply type in any tag you want (1). If it is a tag you already created you can either type it again or you can select it from the drop down (2). It’s that simple, and perhaps one of the most important things to do when you create a record. The two main places to make use of tags are in the List Panel search: and the Get Contact List (heres a video on how that works)  (premium feature): Are you using Tags? If not, use them! (note: tags are similar to Labels on Gmail)

Get careers advice and organise your job search with a careers helpout

Get careers advice and organise your job search with a careers helpout I have some exciting news: Im one of the first people offering one-to-one expert help over live video through a new Google product called Helpouts. The service we offer is career helpouts. Helpouts make it easier to get help right when you need it, wherever you are. All you need is a PC, smartphone or tablet with a camera and you can connect with me and ask any careers or job search related questions. Im offering help in the Education Careers section and invite you to check out my Helpout.  If you know someone else who you think might benefit from my expertise, please share this post with them. You can now get one-to-one personalised advice from me. What is a helpout? Helpout categories available now. Career Geek had early access to the helpout platform and Ive been trialling it for a few weeks now. You can get advice from experts on just about anything through Google Helpouts. Whether its fixing something, speaking to a nutrionist or getting career advice, its all there. You simply need to look through the listings and then chose who youd like to speak to. Prices and availability will be shown on the listing. On the day of the launch of Google Helpouts, there were just over 1000 helpout providers listed on the platform. Globally! Career Geek is one of them. So, what do we offer in the career helpout? I understand the graduate job search is much more than just sending a CV and that much more is what I offer on the career helpout. I can help you explore the idea of using social media in your job search whether it will help you or if youll be wasting your time. In my helpout you will have the chance to ask about the mechanisms behind Applicant Tracking Systems something that not many people speak about. Whether its getting started on LinkedIn or needing a quick CV/cover letter review I will be available for this, too. Additionally, if you have an interview or an assessment coming up the next day and you are stressing out, speak to me. I can help you practice your answers and check that you have prepared well. Whether it is getting started with your job search or managing it better, I will try to help you be more efficient and believe in your effort through  my helpout. How much does our career helpout cost? Career helpouts can be notoriously expensive. Heres an image of the Best Match for career advice helpouts. Career Geek is in the top three. But the helpouts above and below cost $40 and $90 respectively. The career helpout offered by me is FREE. Yes, absolutely free! I offer a free career helpout because I cater to graduates, students and young jobseekers. And being a true career geek, I am passionate about helping the young and unemployed move up in life. So that is my way of helping and providing you with advice. Do check out my helpout, get in touch, or book an appointment. I look forward to your comments.  Career helpout. 0

Why Completing Online Job Applications Is a Hassle

Why Completing Online Job Applications Is a Hassle If you had a bad day at work and think, “I am going to get a job online now,” you first need to know where to get job applications that do not waste your time. Even when that is done, you still have to experience what makes completing online job applications such a hassle.Knowing what makes it such a hassle will help you find out if you have the time to get a job online now, or if you need assistance.The False Appearance of Many JobsIf you think you have found the best place forjob applications, there is something you should know. The most common job boards out there include LinkedIn, Indeedand Glassdoor. At times, you will notice the exact same job posting on each of these sites. Last week, a client of Find My Profession asked for our assistance with completing online job applications. As we started to apply, something interesting happened:The job boards the client found jobs on carried a heavy subscription fee. The same jobs appeared on Indeed, LinkedIn, TheLadders, Glassdoor, and ZipRecruiter. Then we found the same jobs on websites that required registering, with an email list.Then something else happenedWe found many jobs on the company website career sections. Several jobs had already closed!So, knowing where to get job applications may simply mean knowing what websites give a false appearance of a job opening. Job seekers and stats on jobs available per website can be misleading.Tip: If you really want to work for a company, go straight to the company’s career section.Poor Quality Assurance by Job BoardsI realize the Internet has always been about “freedom”. People should have the freedom to post what they wish online and let the choices of others freely decide what works and what does not.But if completing job applications is a hassle and then the jobs being posted are not real, there is a greater demand for quality assurance of those claiming to offer work. There are some job boards claiming you can get a job online now that have an abundanc e of job listings with the following issues:Job postings for the purposes of web content The job posting is purely there to advertise the company. Bait-and-switch job listingsThe job listing uses the right words to find the right candidates. But when the job candidate shows up for an interview they are either sold on a new position, find out the company is not what it claimed to be, or the job description was misleading. You thought you knew where to get job applications. All you found is spam listings.An example of this would be the company that posts a listing for Marketing Manager, and during the interview, it is revealed the company is selling a product. Then, the company states, “You will be managing your own marketing as you run your own business to sell our product.”Content Aggregate Job ListingsThe job listing originated on an original site and is then sold to the job seeker on a new site. You are completing online job applications on websites that took jobs from other w ebsites and passed them off as their own.Poor Technology and Forms on Company WebsitesYou want to get a job online now and you are looking at it on your screen. Great. But then you tackle the company’s version of its own job application submission process. The technology is not as sharp as what you find on job boards.Buttons do not work and you can never select a password that actually works twice. Some companies even have application processes that are not Google Chrome-compatible.It is not terribly efficient to have a job board with its own “way” of having people apply for jobs and gathering information. When a company website asks a series of questions to get personal information, before completing the online job application, you start to feel like you are wasting your time and telling your life’s story.And If the Process Is BrokenIt means you are completing online job applications when you could be networking with people who can get you work faster.If you have not alread y tried this approach to job searching, I would highly recommend starting with networking on LinkedIn.

The Importance of Happiness at Work - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

The Importance of Happiness at Work - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career A sweeping misconception among many American workers regarding happiness and success is how the two coincide with one another. It is commonly thought that happiness is a result of success. For instance, once an individual gets the raise they want or the promotion they desire, then they will become happy. The only problem is that the formula doesn’t work. More than a decade of psychological studies on American workers has shown the equation to be backward. It is now believed that happiness comes before success, thus is a precursor, not merely a result of accomplishment. As a matter of fact, happiness and optimism fuel performance and achievement. Our recruiters have seen that waiting to be happy limits our potential for success and further fuels discouragement. On the other hand, learning to be positive about work today makes us more motivated, resilient, focused and creative. Happiness and Brain Power Happiness not only makes us work harder, it allows us to turn out work of the highest quality at the highest efficiency. Lately, it has become evident to scientists that positive thinking has profound sharpening effects on the human brain. Specifically, there are 3 main ways in which enjoyment enhances human brain power in ways that set you up for career success. 1. Positive thoughts broaden the amount of career possibilities your brain can process. 2. Positive emotions help you better organize new information and keep that information longer. 3. Happiness assists the human brain in becoming more skilled at complex problem solving. Making Ourselves Happier at Work If we maximize our brain’s potential when in upbeat moods, it is important to understand how to make ourselves happy. Interestingly, many of the recommended techniques to increase happiness at work profoundly impact our overall sense of well-being. While there are a plethora of techniques to boost performance through increasing our outlook, let’s focus on 5. 1. Visualize Success. When you are able to clearly envision success, it naturally cultivates a feeling of well-being which promotes focus and forward movement. Conversely, when you feel you don’t have it in you to achieve your goals, your work ethic and focus suffers. 2. Maintain Interpersonal Relationships. Stress and workplace unhappiness is diminished by increasing your social support network both at work and outside of your job. When stress and unhappiness rise in the American worker, many try to alleviate the negative feelings by focusing more time on work and thus leave less time for relationships with co-workers, friends and family. Thinking that heightened hours will remedy performance gaps and, thus improve happiness is a misconception. When we pull away from interpersonal interactions to pour more time into work, our happiness diminishes and performance suffers further. Without fulfilling relationships both inside and outside the office, focus, creativity, work ethic and resilience suffer. 3. Positively Anticipate an Event. Find something to look forward to. Studies have found that employees who anticipate future rewards (regardless of how big or small), are better able utilize their brain power and benefit from the advantages that happiness brings. 4. Learn to Divert Negative Thoughts. The most effective way to promote healthy thinking is to learn how to expel negative thoughts on the spot. If you kill a thought dead, for the time being you can do anything else with that brain power that you want. 5. Incorporate Daily Exercise. It is widely known that psychical activity boosts mood and performance by reducing stress and anxiety. However, the benefits of cardiovascular exercise go further. Aerobic activity has been proven to directly stimulate the dorsolateral prefrontal cortices the part of the brain that heavily regulates the way you think and the actions you take. In the End Happiness is not an end goal, but rather the actual joy we feel while striving towards our potential. If you enjoy what you do, you do it better. Thoughts affect our feelings, which then affects the manner in which we work.

Using Your Resume Summary Section Effectively

Using Your Resume Summary Section EffectivelyIn this article, I will give you some tips to help make the resume summary section effective. This section is usually the part of a resume that you should at least worry about as the person who is going to read it has already seen it before. Therefore, take your time and make it as impressive as possible.In order to get the best out of your resume, you need to know how to employ the employ in your company. The resume summary section can be very effective if you know how to employ it. The resume summary should not be short and simple. You need to know how to focus on your resume to maximize its impact. Your resume summary can work wonders if you can carefully consider the sections.The first thing that you need to consider when writing a successful resume summary is the kind of people that you are trying to impress. Be sure that the job that you are applying for is one that you would be interested in taking up. The entire purpose of having a resume is to get your CV passed onto a recruitment company, so do not try to include too much of yourself in your resume. Instead, use the resume summary section to describe the work experience you have already had or that you expect to have with the company.Use the summary to convince the recruiter that you are worth the time and effort that they are going to put into finding you a job. It is your job to be honest about your qualifications. Show the recruiter that you have had a great working history and demonstrate how many years of work experience you have. You also need to show that you are an excellent worker by being able to show that you get on with the other staff members.You need to try and stick to one resume format in the summary section. Some recruiters can only read Microsoft Word documents. This means that they will either have to use a screen reader or print the page so that they can read it easily. If you use Microsoft Word then you are in a much better position tha n someone who cannot read or write well enough to use it. When using Microsoft Word, you can simply open the document and paste the text into the appropriate section.Always include the date that the section began. Make sure that the date is accurate and does not change after the recruiters have read it. You should also be certain that it does not go past the date that the recruiter starts reading the document. A recruiter cannot let this information go past them so make sure that you include it accurately.The next tip to make the resume summary section more effective is to list all of the positions that you held within the company. You should list the position that you held at your previous job and then show how many years that you spent at the job. You should also give the dates of each of the positions and how long they lasted. Do not simply list the last position that you held; try to look back as far as you can and list all of the jobs that you held. Doing this will give you a g ood overview of your career path.Last but not least, highlight how you contributed to the success of the company. Show how you turned down a promotion and then filled in your position with a promotion. Try to emphasize how you were instrumental in the growth of the company rather than just highlighting the position itself.

Why a Cover Letter is Important

Why a Cover Letter is Important 8 Flares 8 Flares Writing a cover letter can be the difference between setting yourself apart from the crowd and falling in line with the rest! Hillman Saunders  discusses the importance of having a cover letter to help you get the job. The importance of a cover letter when sending off a Resume/CV Looking for a job in the digital industries can be an extremely time consuming business. Not only do you have to trawl through all of the adverts in the press and online, but then send off a Resume/CV and a covering letter for each separate job. After a while it can be very tempting to construct a standard covering letter which touches all bases and which you send off with your Resume for every job. However, competition out there for the very best positions is tough, and not tailoring your cover letter to each specific vacancy could really damage your chances of landing that perfect position. Stand out from the crowd If you are tempted to send out a standard letter with each and every application to save time, then the chances are that lots of other job seekers are doing exactly the same thing. Rather than trying to make your application stand out by using an unusual font, or animated graphics to highlight your best features, employers will be more impressed by a well constructed covering letter which you have taken time over writing. If competition is fierce, employers will start by sifting applications based on a number of factors, and these could be as harsh as binning all applications not filled in the specified font, or which do not have a tailor made cover letter. Let your personality shine through By definition a CV is a rather sterile document which deals in the hard facts such as the grades you got at school, the training courses you have completed and the responsibilities and achievements in your career to date. There isnt much room for injecting any personality and it can be very difficult for a potential employer to get an idea of your character and how you may fit in with the rest of the team. Writing a cover letter gives you a chance to give the employer a real sense of what you are like as a person, and careful reading of the advertisement and other company materials such as their website or blog will give you a good idea of the culture of the organisation and what sort of people they are looking for. Attention to detail Your Resume has to be short and sweet, and often there just isnt space to explain fully how you delivered that multi-million pound project on time and in budget, or how you managed the most tricky of employee relations. Writing a good cover letter gives you the space to expand on these issues in full, and make your CV much more relevant to the job on offer. Taking time over structuring your letter will let you show the employer that you have the necessary skills, and that you are just the person they need to join their team. Personal answers to job advertisement Each and every job advert is different, and if you take the time to write a separate letter for each one, you can explain fully how your skills meet what is specified in the advert. If there is a list of essential and desirable attributes, write a similar list to show how you have experience and skills which tick all of the boxes. You have as much space as you need to do this, but bulleted lists and short, punchy paragraphs are always better than writing a ten page essay; HR people are busy too and just wont get past the first page. You can also change the tone of your writing to suit the organisation, and ensure that not only do you stand out from the crowd, but that you secure that all important interview too

4 Questions To Ask Before You Accept A Job Offer

4 Questions To Ask Before You Accept A Job Offer 4 Questions To Ask Before You Accept A Job Offer Finding a new job isn’t easy. Finding a new gig that’s also a good fit is even more difficult. It takes time, tenaciousness, and a little bit of luck. If you hate your job, despise your boss, or have been out of work for six months or more it can be tempting to jump at the first job offer that comes along. But taking a job without doing your due diligence can end up being a big mistake. BIG mistake. Worst job I ever had was one that I accepted without asking the right questions. In truth, I barely asked any questions at all. On paper it was a step up from my current position. In reality due to the poor health benefits and longer hours I ended up working harder for less money. Far worse the office environment where we were cooped up in teeny, tiny cubes. It felt like being in jail. Don’t make the mistake that I did. Before you accept a job offer do your best to ensure that the job and the company are a good fit for you. Here are three questions to consider before you make a move. How will the size of the organization affect you? Whether large or small the size of the company often directly affects you. There are many benefits to working for a large firm including a greater variety of training programs and career paths, more managerial levels for advancement, and better employee benefits than those offered at small firms. They also may have more advanced technologies. The downside is that, many jobs in large firms tend to be highly specialized. Small firms offer different perks. Working for a small firm is often means more autonomy and responsibility, a closer working relationship with top management, and a chance to clearly see your contribution to the success of the organization. A lot depends on what’s most important to you. However, before you say yes be sure that you find out specificsâ€"like how much you will be contributing to your medical benefits?â€"before you accept a job offer. What are the hours? Most jobs involve regular hours during a typical workweek; other jobs require night, weekend, or holiday work. Some jobs routinely require overtime to meet deadlines or sales or production goals, or to better serve customers. While you don’t want to lead with questions about the hours required it is something that you find out about before you sign on. It’s common knowledge that tax accountants employed by CPA firms work longer hours during tax season. However, how many extra hours often varies widely from firm to firm. While some accountants are at the office until 9 pm others end up working into the wee hours of the morning. Another thing to consider is how available you need to be. Many companies expect their employees to be available 24/7. Others do not. Think about how the job’s work hours will affect your personal life. Is there advancement? The employer should be able to give you some idea of promotion possibilities within the organization. What is the next step on the career ladder? If you have to wait for a job to become vacant before you can be promoted, how long does this usually take? A job may not be as attractive if you have to wait for your boss who’s been there 10 years to retire. It’s also important to know if the employer has a policy about promoting from within. When opportunities for advancement do arise, will you compete with applicants from outside the company? Can you apply for jobs for which you qualify elsewhere within the organization, or is mobility within the firm limited? Again, these are not questions for the first interview, but unless you are just marking time with no plans for advancement these are things you need to know. Is the job an overall good fit for you? Does the organization’s business or activity align with your interests and values? It’s easier to do your best work, particularly when times get tough or stressful, when you are enthusiastic about what the organization does. Consider the energy of the organization during the interview process. Are people rushing around or relaxed? Are they smiling or serious? If you thrive in a busy, fast-paced environment you may not be happy where the staff has a more go-with-the-flow attitude. After months of looking for a new opportunity any job offer can look like a blessing. But, do your due diligence before you say yes. As the first week of your new job comes to a close you want to be congratulating yourself on what a good move you made not wondering what you were thinking. If you’d like to work with Annette Richmond, a certified resume writer, LinkedIn Profile writer, and career consultant, please schedule an introductory call to discuss your needs.     You will be able to access Annette’s calendar to choose a day and time that works for you.