Want to write on my blog

Want to write on my blog Guess what? Yesterday I opened up my inbox and had no less than four new requests to guest post on my blog. And I had two invitations to get better at LinkedIn you know, in case I was frustrated not knowing how to use LinkedIn. In case I havent been writing about LinkedIn for years and even authoring the book (now in the fourth edition) Im on LinkedIn Now What??? Im not bragging but I want to re-emphasize my post from Wednesday, titled Competition in the Job Search. From that post you should have walked away with the thought that you need to be more purposeful, intentional and strategic in your job search.  Sit around and be one of the crowd, and your job search will probably go on longer than you wish. But do things differently, think about what you are doing, bring in the right help, etc. and you can stand above your peers. Lets build on that idea. The people who are asking to write on my blog as guest bloggers, and the people who are pitching me for LinkedIn training, do not understand who they are pitching to.  Their messages look like spam (because they are). Do the people you send messages to think that your messages look like unsolicited, untargeted, irrelevant spam? I regularly get emails from job seekers with a resume attached that says hey, I want to work for your company.   The last email I got was about a page long of copy and paste.  There was nothing personal about it.  It was boiler-plate. And Im not even talking about the resume!  This was throwing mud on the wall to see what sticks. Im sorry to say that what Im suggesting is that instead of blasting out emails, you take time to understand who you are approaching, and how you can become relevant to them. There is a lot of noise in our inboxes.  If you dont customize, or dont even understand who you are pitching to, you could be doing more harm than good. Oh yeah, to answer your question do you want to write on my blog if you look through my posts, youll see very few guest posts. I write most of my own stuff.  There are some exceptions, but not many.  Usually the answer is no.  Unless you have something really compelling (starting at around $500). Want to write on my blog Guess what? Yesterday I opened up my inbox and had no less than four new requests to guest post on my blog. And I had two invitations to get better at LinkedIn you know, in case I was frustrated not knowing how to use LinkedIn. In case I havent been writing about LinkedIn for years and even authoring the book (now in the fourth edition) Im on LinkedIn Now What??? Im not bragging but I want to re-emphasize my post from Wednesday, titled Competition in the Job Search. From that post you should have walked away with the thought that you need to be more purposeful, intentional and strategic in your job search.  Sit around and be one of the crowd, and your job search will probably go on longer than you wish. But do things differently, think about what you are doing, bring in the right help, etc. and you can stand above your peers. Lets build on that idea. The people who are asking to write on my blog as guest bloggers, and the people who are pitching me for LinkedIn training, do not understand who they are pitching to.  Their messages look like spam (because they are). Do the people you send messages to think that your messages look like unsolicited, untargeted, irrelevant spam? I regularly get emails from job seekers with a resume attached that says hey, I want to work for your company.   The last email I got was about a page long of copy and paste.  There was nothing personal about it.  It was boiler-plate. And Im not even talking about the resume!  This was throwing mud on the wall to see what sticks. Im sorry to say that what Im suggesting is that instead of blasting out emails, you take time to understand who you are approaching, and how you can become relevant to them. There is a lot of noise in our inboxes.  If you dont customize, or dont even understand who you are pitching to, you could be doing more harm than good. Oh yeah, to answer your question do you want to write on my blog if you look through my posts, youll see very few guest posts. I write most of my own stuff.  There are some exceptions, but not many.  Usually the answer is no.  Unless you have something really compelling (starting at around $500).

How to Get a Job in a Field You Didnt Study

How to Get a Job in a Field You Didn’t Study How to Get a Job in a Field You Didn’t Study Stuck in a job you hate? Studied for a career path only to find it isnt all you thought it would be? There is no reason for slogging along a path if its not the right one for you to be on. Never think that you have your life mapped out for you because you studied for one particular discipline. You are not aloneDid you know that only about half of graduates actually go on to work in the exact same field as their degree? Its true. Many will realize towards the end of their studies that their chosen career path may not be the right one. Others will only realize they are on the wrong track after landing a job and finding it much different to their expectations.Deciding to make a career change either straight after graduation or after working for a while in the field doesnt mean you have to panic and start all over again. As long as you have a strong passion to pursue a different path and a willingness to learn new skills, it doesnt matter that you carry an unrelated degree. Many young hopefuls have ended up somewhere completely different to where they imagined they would be just a couple of years previously.Let’s take a look at some tips and advice about switching your career path without having to stumble or start again from scratch.Gain some new industry knowledgeSpend some time learning everything you possibly can about your new career path. You can do this in your spare time outside of work if you already have a job, or fit some study into your day if you have graduated and are looking for work.Read up on books, blogs and follow experts in the field online to gain as much information as possible. We all have to start somewhere and the internet is a good place to start. It does require a lot of hard work and dedication, but gaining a solid background knowledge in your new chosen career industry will certainly help you land a job and also dispel any lingering doubts you may have about making that switch.Make the best use of your transferable skillsNo matter what field or industry you studied for, along the way you would have picked up a lot of skills that will stay with you for life, no matter what job you eventually end up with. Just about every employment role will need you have some transferable skills. Think along the lines of your punctuality and good time-keeping, your amazing keyboard typing speed and accuracy, your ability to cope well under pressure and meet deadlines, your organisation and time management skills that enable you to be very productive. Speak up and be confidentJust because your degree isnt relevant to the industry you want to work in doesnt mean you cannot use it to prove your ability to study and learn new things. Being confident that you have the ability to fit in and adapt to your potential new role will show employers what you are capable of. Many recruiters will actively look above and beyond a degree to see the things you cannot learn in school. You may have a degree in Earth Sciences, but your skills as a blogger and your success on social media may well lead to a job in digital marketing or writing.Seek out a mentorThere is nothing more positive than having first-hand guidance and encouragement from someone who actually works in the industry that you want to break into. There are lots of way to gain the help and knowledge from people in your chosen field. You can look up prominent members of staff on social media such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and start to follow them. Read their blog and pinned posts. Join in with online discussions, leave positive comments and ask questions. Once you become known to them you are more likely to be engaged with. You should welcome all the advice and wisdom that they pass on to you and use this to help you on your journey to a better career.These are just some useful tips and advice to help graduates find their right career path. No matter what you qualified in, it doesnt mean your life has already been mapped out for you. previous arti cle Resume Template Pack | Touch Of Pink next article Professional Resume Template Set | Two Tones you might also likeThe Best Way to Explain Your Sabbatical To a New Employer

The secret of career success University of Manchester Careers Blog

The secret of career success University of Manchester Careers Blog Some big questions on a lot of peoples minds: What do you need to do to stand out over all the other graduates and postgraduates looking for jobs? How can you improve your chances of being the one to move into an interesting, challenging career, shortly after graduating? Well, we wondered that too. Everyones talking about graduate employability, but its a bit of a vague term, and frankly, most graduates are employable but how long before you become employed, and employed as what? What have we done about it? Weve worked with Robertson Cooper (a business psychology consultancy led by Profs Ivan Robertson and Cary Cooper) to find out what makes the difference between those graduates who make a swift and smooth move into a great job on graduation, and those who struggle or take longer to get there. (You can find out how we went about this further down.) The works continuing but were excited about the results so far, and if you talk to one of the careers consultants, chances are it wont be long before they whip out a picture, a bit like this: So, what makes the difference? The key differences were seen in 5 behaviours. Those who were successful in getting a good job quickly tended to: Explore keep their options and their eyes open; stretch themselves by trying things outside their comfort zone; take every opportunity to gain lots of varied experiences; Connect build their network and maintain contacts (peers and social contacts as well as experienced professionals); use information from their contacts to research jobs and career paths; Communicate adapt their communication to different audiences; learn from others how to engage audiences; introduce themselves effectively; practise; Reflect recognise their own skills and can illustrate with examples; differentiate themselves from the competition; Persevere learn from setbacks and constantly adapt; start their job search early, learn from any knock-backs and approach the next opportunity positively. Obviously, for some jobs you also need advanced synthetic organic chemistry experience, or an in-depth knowledge of SPSS but weve all met people who have great specialist knowledge but who struggle to get a decent job. Reasons I like this approach: It doesnt try to cover the whole of your career or define employability. Its practical, about getting a job after graduating but to be honest, if you can do this for one job, I reckon its worth a try for future jobs. Its about behaviours. These are things you do and can probably learn to do, or do better, rather than personality traits, which youre probably not going to be able to change. It seems to be generic to a wide range of jobs. Specialist knowledge and skills needed will vary from job to job. However, you still need to be able to reflect to spot what youre good at and find evidence which will convince employers and to communicate what you can do and why thats useful to an employer. These are both areas where graduates, and particularly specialist postgraduates, commonly struggle. It highlights the importance of connecting, reflecting and persevering. When most people think of careers, they think of what job would I like, where are the job ads, how do I write a CV and how do I get through interviews which tend to fall under explore and communicate. These obviously are important, but this is the first time weve had such stark evidence that these other three behaviours make such a difference. Reasons to be a bit more cautious: Its only based on undergraduates (so far). Id be surprised if postgraduates were particularly different, but the evidence so far comes from interviewing undergraduates. When we take it to the next stage, we can try and see if there are any significant differences for postgraduates. Its only based on graduates who were aiming to get into work. We didnt interview those who were aiming at postgraduate study or self-employment as a next step. However, again, when we take it to the next stage, we can see if these behaviours also differentiate between those who were successful in getting on to a postgraduate programme and those who struggled. We can also look at self-employment but our populations are likely to be small there, so that will probably take longer. What happens next? Robertson Cooper are developing a questionnaire for us to help our students understand how strong they are in each of these behaviours. When enough students and graduates have completed the questionnaire, we will also be able to let you know how you compare to others in particular, how you compare to others who have been successful in getting into a good graduate job quickly. Of course, the tough bit is devising a questionnaire which differentiates between those who do get into graduate jobs quickly and those who struggle, even if we do think weve got the right behaviours. (Really hope it doesnt all unravel at that stage!) OK, once Ive got the results of a questionnaire then what? This is new, so new that were just starting to think of the implications of providing support to help you learn how to explore-connect-communicate-reflect-persevere, and what services and resources we should provide to help you put it all into practice. To be honest, a lot of what we offer fits neatly into supporting those behaviours, but well work on how we can make it even easier for you. If youre a postgraduate, youve got a head start. If youve had a look at the new online postgrad resources Ive written (How to careers guides and Careers for doctoral researchers), youll spot that Ive already written them based around explore-connect-communicate-reflect-persevere. (I was writing the resources just after we got the first look at the framework, so it seemed like a good idea to test it out hope you dont mind being guinea pigs/pioneers!) Your views very welcome Expect to see a lot more on this in future, but I thought youd like a preview of whats to come. Wed love your comments on this were stress testing this framework at every opportunity, talking to students and academics, finding where the holes might be, or how it might be used. (For more on how the work has been developed, see below ? ) How this work has developed (for those interested in the background) The work with Robertson Cooper is being led by Prof Ivan Robertson,  Emeritus Professor of Work Organisational Psychology at the University of Manchester. Initially, they interviewed several careers consultants to gather examples of behaviours we have seen in successful and less successful graduates. They then conducted in-depth interviews with recent graduates who had made a quick transition into a range of jobs, including science, the creative industries, teaching (humanities), engineering and business. They also interviewed graduates who had struggled to get into the kinds of jobs they wanted. Most of these were working, but in more transitional roles and internships. By teasing out examples of what these two groups had done during their degrees, Robertson Cooper produced a competency framework, to describe the positive behaviours (those which led to success) and negative behaviours (those which led into those transitional roles or unemployment), from which emerged the 5 groups of behaviours in the model above. This framework has been refined with focus groups of graduates and careers consultants, and a questionnaire is now in development, and under initial testing. Watch this space All Postgraduate employability

Adapting Your Communication Style

Adapting Your Communication Style Personality conflicts are a fact of life in the office.   Even if a team has the same goals, they will differ on how to achieve them.   Understanding your own communication style and decision process is important if you want a successful team.   Even more important than self awareness, though, is your ability to adapt to the other team members’ styles when communicating with them. One tool for self awareness is The Ultimate Personality Assessment, developed by Progress West, Inc., a Stevens Point, Wisconsin-based consulting firm which specializes in advanced learning models for a series, which Scott West called the Human Equity Series.   The Ultimate Personality Assessment uses colors to describe human behavior.    For example, “Orange” people are charming and witty optimists who enjoy the spotlight.   They’re competitive and adaptable, and seek variety and challenge at work.   The behavior they see as bold, innovative and fun-loving can be perceived as pushy, brash and reckless by those who look at the world through a different lens. “Green” people are analytical, serious and innovative.   They see themselves as intelligent and creative â€" true visionaries.   They’re surprised when others describe them as cold and critical.   “Gold” personalities value order and discipline; they value doing things the right way â€"because their method is what they consider correct.   They see themselves as reliable, practical, and professional.   Others may see them as rigid, narrow-minded and negative. “Blue” people value relationships above all else.   They give plenty of support and approval, and demand just as much as they give.   They see themselves as humanitarians and romantics, and are devastated when they hear others talk about them as high maintenance. Where do you see yourself in this spectrum of colors?   Most of us are a combination of a couple of these personality styles.   Pay attention to the color description that feels the most right for you and the one that feels the most removed.   You’ll find that the people who irritate you the most have the most â€" or least â€" in common with you.   That pushy new hire in accounting?   She feels the same way about you.   Negative and grumpy Jim, who sits in the corner during your brainstorming session mumbling under his breath about how your plan is doomed to fail?   He’s just trying to provide balance to what he perceives as your crazy, half-baked schemes. Who do you clash with at work?   Could you handle things differently? Check the next post for ways to communicate with people who don’t see things your way.

How to Make Mondays Less Awful CareerMetis.com

How to Make Mondays Less Awful â€" CareerMetis.com Photo Credit â€" Pixabay.comMore than often, Monday seems impossible for many people. No matter the occupation, a lot of individuals actually hate the first day of the week. Every one of us has our different reasons and motives for not enjoying Monday days.The truth is, there are many things that have been planted in your mind, you might have many disempowering life habits, or you might be working on something that you’re not enjoying.Figuring out what exactly bothers you so much is the first step. The second would be your mindset, your lifestyle choices, and your habits. These factors could be considered personal improvements; their purpose is to help you enjoy more of your days, especially days like Monday.evalDuring today’s article, we’re going to explore some basic but also effective strategies that should inspire everyone who’s feeling down, lifeless, or disappointed each Monday morning. It would be impossible to fix every disappointment in life at once; you should first focus on smaller but more persistent issues in your life.Feeling bad one out of seven days for the rest of your life is absolutely insane, and you should never practice that!1) Do You Enjoy What You Do?evalI couldn’t help but make this question a priority. You know, no one can help you if you’re not contributing to the process. It first starts with you.You must be genuine with yourself, and try answering this question: “Do you enjoy what you’re currently doing in your life?” If the question is negative, then the following tips will only help you twice less than they would if you’d actually like what you’re doing.Choosing the wrong career is often a cause for feeling awful every Monday. It’s pretty obvious; not doing something that personally and truly interests you will take the life out of that activity.Even though you hate to admit that you’ll eventually have to change your life, or that you couldn’t bear with this lifestyle for eternity, I’m here telling yo u that making a change is a rejuvenating process rather than a painful one.If you’re still in college, you must pay close attention to what you choose to do in life. There are many mistakes that could drag you down, and you’d better avoid them while you still can.evalIf you’re already established and hold responsibilities, the change will be a bit harder, but never impossible. Here’s something to give you an impulse to initiate the change that you’ve always held in your thought.2) Don’t Be Lazy on FridaysFor many people, Fridays are “cheating days”‘; days in which you’re eager to stop working and finally live your life…after all it’s weekend. You see, this is something that became a habit, and it’s truly damaging your Monday’s performance.By rushing Fridays, you’re leaving unfinished work. Those assignments that you haven’t completed by the end of the last week don’t just vanish. Instead, they’ll have to be dealt with on Monday.Obviously, this tho ugh will torment you on weekends, and when the “big day” starts, you’ll feel extremely stressed out. You’ll start hating what you do, and you’ll blame it all on something else instead of seeing it as your own fault. Never be lazy on Fridays!3) Work is Work, Life is LifeevalOn the other side of the fence, some of you are not letting work be work. That means that even though you should take some time to rest, to spend some time with your family, or to focus on a hobby, you just can’t stop thinking about work.Fine, I understand that you’re doing something important and you need more time; we all feel the same, but that shouldn’t turn you into a sad workaholic.The lack of balance in your life will eventually affect you on a personal and professional level. In order to avoid this, you need to disconnect from time to time. Do not tolerate work thoughts while you’re not working; it only stresses you out and it makes you neglect everyone around you. Moreover, when Monday†™s knocking at your door, you won’t have the personal and mental power to start strong.4) Live the Present Moment and Be GratefulDid you know that gratitude and love are the most powerful feelings that a human can experience? Did you know that gratitude can actually eliminate every possible negative state and thought?If you enter a gratitude state, everything’s going to be alright. You’re going to feel in peace, and almost nothing could infect you with negative thoughts.Living the present moment should also help you deal with your Monday mornings. Instead of letting overwhelming thoughts visit your mind all the time, try focusing on whatever you’re doing right now. You’re only living in the present, so the past and the future are merely illusions.After all, we’re all looking for fulfillment in life, but we fail to realize that it all lies in front of us. We can choose what feelings to focus on, what actions to take, and also how to perceive our days.eval5) Create a Speci al Routine for Monday MorningsIf you’re looking to improve your Monday moods, you should start with your morning routine. Starting your day with full force and full focus will tremendously impact the rest of the day.Here’s my suggestion: wake up one hour earlier and create your own routine. You should follow that “special routine” each Monday in order to put yourself in the proper state.evalFind something that could be good for you or for your body. For example, you can jog for twenty minutes, take a shower, drink a special type of coffee or tea, and listen to something inspiring. This should be done every Monday morning in order to create habits. Of course, the example was general, and you can choose your own habits.6) Create Connections with Your ColleaguesMichelle Austin is an HR manager in my professional network. After a small personal talk and many questions that came from my side, Michelle gave me a really straightforward reason for which their employees are always pr oductive and happy on Mondays:“Our human resources team is made up of talented individuals who love what they do. Moreover â€" and this is very important â€" they love who they’re working with. I could state that most of our employees know something about each other, communicate frequently, and even go out together every now and then.”Therefore, developing stronger bonds with your colleagues might often change the way you see Monday mornings and work.

Are you on track with your career network - Hire Imaging

Are you on track with your career network - Hire Imaging When you’ve become comfortable with building your career or job search network, you’ll no doubt be amazed at the number of people you are speaking to or connecting with on a regular basis. Keeping track could mean the difference between grasping opportunity or having it slip away. Think like a reporter The Five Ws (and one H), or the Big Six, is a concept well known in news journalism, research and investigations, and is a formula for getting the full story on something. Its principle is that for a report to be considered complete, it must answer a checklist of six questions. Pick some method that works for you â€" electronic or even a small spiral notebook. Then use this organized system in order to keep track of: WHO You spoke to or communicated with (in person, phone, text, email, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) Else they referred you to WHAT You talked / communicated about Information or help they could use from you Their company’s current hiring needs are WHERE You will meet them or connect with them again You should send your information and thank-you if applicable WHY You should keep in touch with them They are a valuable contact WHEN You will meet or connect with them again You should call, email or connect in another way again to follow up HOW You can make sure they remember you You can use the information they provided you with The help is there One of my favorite online career management tools is Jason Alba’s JibberJobber. You can track where you’ve sent your resumes and the jobs you’ve applied for. You can log the status of each application as you proceed through the hiring process. You can also track your personal networking contacts and log how they have helped you. JibberJobber is a great resource  if you’re feeling overwhelmed with job search or career information overload. The basic version is free (premium features like expense tracking are available for a fee). If you take your job search or career management online, you can access your correspondence, calendar and contacts from any computer. If you’re a Gmail user, you can access their email accounts via Gmail and once you’re there, you can see links to your calendar and documents. Google Documents is an easy application to use. You can upload documents directly from your computer (browse to select the file, then click to upload) or create a new document on the web site. You can also edit your documents and export them as Word, Open Office, PDF, RTF, or HTML files. So, you’re able to access your resume and letters from your Gmail account and apply for positions directly from the web via Gmail. Very cool! System = sanity You’ve been making contacts like a fanatic: networking events, social and community activities, etc. You’ve embraced LinkedIn and social media. Now what? This is where people’s networking often falters. Lack of a tracking system. Lack of a plan on how to capitalize on the connections they have made. Here, many fall off the boat. A stack of business cards in your drawer won’t do it. Keep track of your personal career network somewhere. Make sure you know who’s who, where they work or frequent, and how to get in touch. Then you’re on track and in the driver’s seat! Photo: LinPernillePhotography

Technical Writing-Resume Objective - Why You Need One

Technical Writing-Resume Objective - Why You Need OneA technical writing job resume objective serves as a calling card to a potential employer. Many job seekers overlook this page, but having a good one can result in a better chance of getting the job you want. It is certainly important to write one as you would anything else, and it is important to not assume that the resume objective should stand alone.Any job writing resume should include a resume objective. This is the main reason that hiring managers read them. The objective should grab your attention immediately. When the objective is catchy and can be used to help solve a problem for your prospective employer, it will stand out and be remembered. Of course, you do not want to write an objective that is silly or any less important than what you are offering your potential employer.Job objectives should be the basic basis for the job description. They are the body of your resume and a general summary of your career to date. They also provide a brief description of each job position you have held, including the job title and the specific duties.It is important to refrain from writing a wordy objective if you have just started your job search or if you need to shorten it. You do not want your prospective employer to be reading an incomprehensible, poorly written objective. This could be a negative signal to the hiring manager.You must include all relevant information in the resume in order to have a concise, well-written resume. The best way to do this is to include all relevant job-related information in the objective. To do this, make sure to use descriptive words that describe your skills and experience in as many words as possible. It is also very important to state your employment goals if you are interviewing for a job opening.Your objective should only go on one page of your resume. One way to cut back on redundancy is to ask yourself if you really need to list every position you have held in chronolo gical order. If you feel that the purpose of your resume is to summarize all of your job experience, it might be a good idea to list all positions at the top of the resume and then list your experiences in reverse order.Having a technical writing resume objective can be essential to your success. Employers will read the objective and feel that you can provide solutions to their technical writing needs. Therefore, you should not neglect this important part of your resume.