LinkedIn Articles For Finding Meaningful Work - Career Enlightenment

4 Steps When Contacting A Stranger On LinkedInI received an info interview request from a stranger as a direct message on  LinkedIn. Despite my very busy schedule, I decided to take his call.  Over the weekend, I asked myself, “Why did I agree?”Let’s take his email apart and put it into four essential elements so you can use them in your own  LinkedIn networking  communications. Networking with strangers on LinkedIn can give you great results if you’re deliberate in the process. Read the rest3 Warning Signals Your LinkedIn Profile Needs Help!For job seekers, missing something small could mean missed opportunities or, worse, like getting blacklisted. And,  to help you determine if you are missing that LinkedIn lint brickâ€"the obvious thing you can’t seeâ€"here are three objective tests you can run. Read the restHow to Find a Job With LinkedIn’s New Search FeatureIn 2012 there were  5.7 billion professionally oriented searches on LinkedIn.  That’s a ton.Since it’s such a popular feature, LinkedIn users demanded a better search experience. Luckily, LinkedIn’s software development team listened and launched an enhanced version of their search technology.  (It happened on March 25. Did you notice?)The good news is this new search makes it easier for recruiters to find you but ONLY if you’ve written your profile correctly.  Here are three ways to leverage LinkedIn’s new search approach. Follow these steps and you’ll improve your profile, and as a result your job search. Read the rest3 Ways to Use LinkedIn to Advance Your Career ChangeLinkedIn is one of the most powerful tools to help you redefine yourself and move your career in a new direction. Taking your career in a new direction is  a bold move that requires framing your proven skills for a whole new purpose. Identify your transferable skills, and then consider the following three  ideas for using LinkedIn to advance your career change. Read the restFollow These 3 LinkedIn Tips if You Rec ently Changed CareersAs a job seeker in 2013, if you have LinkedIn, youre lucky.Ten  years ago when I changed careers and left the solar industry, I didn’t have LinkedIn as a personal branding tool.  Nowadays, many job seekers have the same issue because they don’t know how to properly use LinkedIn to their advantage. Well, good thing you’re reading this article.Here are three ways to tweak your LinkedIn profile so you can better communicate what you WANT to be doing so you move away from what you USED to be doing. Read the rest3 Easy Steps to Finding a Job With LinkedIn’s New Contact AppI receive a fair amount of requests for LinkedIn recommendations, and I usually oblige without hesitation. However, a recent e-mail from an old colleague  made me realize there are plenty of “networkers” out there who just don’t get it.If only this “dear friend” of mine knew about the new  LinkedIn Contact  product.  Had he known, he may have received more than a laugh from me. He may have actually gotten his recommendation.  All LinkedIn users need to follow these three tips to stay current and ask for help more skillfully. Read the restWatch Joshua Waldman’s exclusive video “3 Secrets to Getting Job Interviews by Next Week” to learn the 3 secrets no one wants you to know about getting hired in today’s job market. Joshua is the founder of Career Enlightenment which offers  professional LinkedIn profile writing  and job search services to colleges, WorkForce offices and re-entering veterans.

Top Tech Skills for College Students What You Need to Know to Succeed in School - CareerAlley

Top Tech Skills for College Students What You Need to Know to Succeed in School - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Getting to college is a journey. A student must do well in classes, fill-out applications, write essays, etc. In some cases, an adult gains experience before heading to college. Regardless, in some cases, essential skills are not learned or improved. In some cases, high school students may have access to computers but with limited resources and teachers who can relay top tech skills. If youre headed toward a higher degree, heres what you need to know to succeed. Basic Office There was a time when office referred to WordPerfect, Excel, and PowerPoint. Each has its own purpose: writing, stats and number crunching, and presentation. Its suggested that college bound students get familiar with similar software since professors may require reports and homework be typed or presented. Search Engine Its not strange for some to misunderstand what a search engine is and does. Some incorrectly use the term Google interchangeably with the Internet. Google is a search engine (on the Internet) that helps people find information. Its essential that students become familiar with using search engines (Yahoo, Bing, etc) and feel confident about finding information within university or educational-based databases (JSTOR for example). Online Tools Students must grow familiar with and engage in related technology, such as attending online seminars, video conferencing with professors and peers, and using multimedia to enhance learning or compose assignments. In some cases, entire degrees are earned online, which means the student is totally reliant on their ability to learn and use software, apps, etc. Typing and Editing Skills While a majority knows how to type, few know how to quickly navigate through documents, edit, or use advanced features of related software. Knowing how to type is a minimal skill; successful college students are skilled typists and efficient in using advanced features. Check Typisto to test and develop your typing skills further. Online Communication As mentioned, students may need to attend online seminars or video conference with professors. Theres also a need to mention that students are efficient in receiving and sending email as well as appropriate in composing messages to professors and other professionals. Furthermore, some teachers may require students to create their own websites, join and participate in forums, or read and comment on class related content, which all necessitate time and learning. Security Awareness With increased technological participation comes vulnerability. Ten years ago, identity theft was a rare occurrence. Today, many students use online resources to buy goods and services and use online tools (dating sites, etc.) Students must be wary of exposing vital information along with that of peers or professors. Free Resources In some cases, you may need stats or pictures to supplement assignments. Therefore, a student will need to know where to find free and legal resources to meet demands. For example, its not legal to use an image from a website without the consent of the webmaster or the owner of the picture. While it would be inconvenient to ask for consent, plenty of websites offer free and legal to use images. Josh Scott has worked as a careers consultant with students and young people for several years. Helping them to hone their skills, he shares useful tips and tricks in his articles to help you get the job you want. We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+ Visit Joeys profile on Pinterest Job Search job title, keywords, company, location jobs by What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to find the opportunities that help you grow your best career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

6 ways to improve your listening skills -

6 ways to improve your listening skills - This is the fourth in my series about the five networking fundamentals to help you land a job. Dont miss the pieces about the keys to researching your networking targets and how to ask good questions. Todays installment is about being interested in the replies, which is mainly about being a good listener. Good listening is fundamentally important for job seekers and all careerists. I’ve written about this and cannot say it enough. It is so easy to be distracted. The buzzing (or ringing) phone in your pocket, the online ad that is dashing across your screen while you are typing an email, Tweetdeck notifying you of direct messages, the to dos running through your head while speaking to someoneThis list is never ending. Being distracted is easy. Need help articulating what you offer? Check out my new book: 100 Conversations for Career Success Re-learning how to focus and concentrate is important, because good listeners have more opportunities to succeed at networking, in interviews and on the job. I cant tell you how often I have interviewed a candidate, asked a question and gotten an answer that has nothing to do with what I wanted to know. Clearly, the person was not practicing active listening! What can you do to improve your skills in this area? JobsDB.com has some useful tips (bold from them, commentary is my own): Learn to listen by using lots of eye contact. It is harder to be distracted if you are really focusing on the speaker. Be slow to speak. Dont interrupt. Be Attentive. Sit still and nod your head. Make sure your body language shows your interest. Lean in and keep your body turned directly to the other person. Show Gratitude. Thanking someone for a specific piece of advice or information clearly shows that you were listening and paying attention. Plus, people love to be thankedIt really helps form a connection that could result in more opportunities to share and learn. Stay in Tune. If you find that your attention span is small, actively repeat what is being said to you as the speaker is speaking. Its rude to let your mind wander when someone is talking. If you are not interested in the conversation, change the subject or excuse yourself. Dont give yourself permission to ignore what is going on in the discussion at hand. Dawn Rosenber McKay, who writes for About.com, adds another great point: Repeat instructions and ask appropriate questions when the speaker has finished. This is a great tip to help maintain focus. Stay tuned for more ideas to improve your listening skillsIn the meantime, feel free to share your ideas and stories about good listening! Photo by Beverly Pack

The Low Down on My Resume Is Printed on the Textured Side and the Embossed Writing Can Be R Exposed

The Low Down on My Resume Is Printed on the Textured Side and the Embossed Writing Can Be R Exposed Scan N Cut350 Get a good deal on the trustworthy version of this machine. So unless you truly require the more compact size of the Jr. 6-inch width, I would advise the entire size Gemini. You're going to need a prolonged plate for the Foilpress to work in the entire size Gemini. It appears to me that there was just a change in bottle styles because of the automated bottling machine and mass production practices. Paper with a laid finish was designed to emulate the manner paper looked when it was initially invented. Possessing a thorough understanding of what things to include in a resume is the initial step in preparing a resume. Other Considerations While it's always important to create an internet presence as well as a paper resume, it's necessary for each job seeker to make certain they have their bases covered in presentation. To begin with, you would like your resume to be legible. This practice is not going to force you to look creative, but it is going to force you to stand out for the incorrect factors. Possessing a well-formatted, clean and professional resume is a significant way to generate a terrific first impression, which will let you get the job which you are really interested in. The next thing to do is to write off your education history. Getting the Best My Resume Is Printed on the Textured Side and the Embossed Writing Can Be R Plain paper is almost always a safe alternative. Letterpress printing is a conventional craft technique that employs a printing press to make relief patterns on paper or other materials. Simply take a rest from your crafting to delight in a healthful treat! The Hidden Truth About My Resume Is Printed on the Textured Side and the Embossed Writing Can Be R Additionally, it is helpful to show you're seriously interested in the available position. All you will need is the password to get in, which you ar e able to get by completing the form below. It's fast and simple to use. Maybe you are in need of a new computer or external hard disk. Forgetting to set our goals isn't a fantastic thing. Make sure you let your resume sit on the printer for a couple moments before picking this up. When buying a box of resume paper, you should make sure it's the ideal fit for you and your work history. Bad quality resume paper will make you stumble across schlumpy and slouchy. Proceed to Glassdoor and see whether it's possible to establish the preferences of the companies where you're applying. Getting sure to fulfill an employer's expectations by incorporating the primary elements of a resume is an advantage over those who don't. The Pain of My Resume Is Printed on the Textured Side and the Embossed Writing Can Be R 1 Resume paper is made especially to print resumes on. In case the resume spans multiple pages, be certain that the formatting is exactly the same on each page. While you may produce a hybrid of formats you ought to avoid developing a format that's entirely unique or different by utilizing a comparatively obscure formatting. Possibly the one most important quality of fine paper. Employers may want to copy your resume so that they can distribute it to others involved with the hiring process. Resumes play imperative roles and they're the ideal recommendation. Chic Resumes is here in order to help with an informed staff that may help craft a gorgeous work history that's formatted, relevant and job market savvy.

Behavior Based Interviewing For Sales Jobs - Work It Daily

Behavior Based Interviewing For Sales Jobs - Work It Daily If it’s been awhile since you’ve been out of work and interviewing for a job, then you may never have encountered the concept of behavior based interviewing. Or, you may simply be someone that has never interviewed with a company or an employer for whom behavior based interviewing is the standard methodology for screening candidates for sales jobs, whether for full-time jobs or part-time jobs. Either way, you’ll need to get up to speed on the process in order to perform well in any interview in which the methods are used. Odds are good, even if you only participate in a few interviews before landing a new position, you’ll experience some behavior based interview questions. In the off chance you don’t, rest assured any practice you put in with honing your behavior based interviewing skills will still serve you well. In fact, practicing methods of appropriately answering behavior based interview questions help job seekers provide more robust and impressive responses to even the most traditional interview questions, like “Where do you see yourself in five years?” Traditional Job Interview Methods In more traditional interviews for full-time jobs and part-time jobs, employers asked questions that were easier for interviewees to bluff their way through. They may have asked, for instance, “Are you familiar with working in a sales management database in which you track your leads?” Questions such as these are rather closed-ended and leading in nature. Candidates are able to answer with a simple “yes” or “no,” and in order to get greater detail about the candidate’s experience, the interviewer would need to ask a follow-up question, usually something along the lines of: “Can you tell me a little more about the system you used?” Now granted, answers to these more traditional questions may provide the interviewer with some details about the candidate’s experience, but a skilled talker, as most candidates interviewing for sales jobs and media jobs will be, could bluff their way through responses with ease. Additionally, these kinds of questions don’t offer a way of determining a candidate’s demonstrated work behaviors. Essentially, the more traditional methods of interviewing falls short, leaving employers with only partial information about a prospective employee’s real abilities and skills. For this reason, more and more employers, especially those considering candidates for higher level and professional positions have begun utilizing behavior based interviewing methods. So, in your search for jobs, if you’re applying for or interviewing with an employer who will be considering you for social worker, engineer jobs, or any more professional level position, the odds of completing a behavior based interview session increase significantly. What's Behavior Based Interviewing? Behavior based interviewing techniques are utilized by employers who are looking for greater detail on your demonstrated work abilities. In other words, it is an interviewing method that requires you to give strong, detailed examples to support any claims you make about your skills, abilities and character during an interview or on a resume or CV. Behavior based interview questions are open-ended and require a candidate to answer in a very structured and specific manner in order to satisfy all requirements for sufficiently addressing the “situation” or “challenge” set forth in the question itself. Here are a few examples of common behavior based questions you may encounter. Give me an example of a time when you had to make a very quick decision on a matter of significant importance. How do you typically handle conflict? Give me an example. Tell me of a time when you took the lead on a project or specific task? What were the circumstances? And the outcomes? Give me an example of a time when you had to deal with someone with whom you didn’t really like or mesh well with. How did you handle the situation? Answering Behavior Based Interview Questions When formulating responses to behavior based interview questions, there are two primary methods which can be used: SOAR and STAR. In each method, your answers will have four parts, with each part representing one of the letters in the acronym which is the title of the method. Also in each method, the entire answer should tell a “story” about you and your work-related behaviors, actions, skills, abilities, and knowledge. Following are the basic frameworks for each method. The STAR Method Situation â€" Describe a specific work-related task or situation. Task â€" What were you trying to achieve or accomplish in that situation or through that task? Action â€" What action or actions did you take toward achieving your goal? Result â€" What was the result or the outcomes of the actions you took? The SOAR Method Situation â€" Describe a specific work-related task or situation. Obstacle or Opportunity â€" Describe the opportunity or the obstacle you encountered in the situation or with the task. Action â€" What action or actions did you take to overcome the obstacle or take advantage of the opportunity? Result â€" What was the result or the outcomes of the actions you took? You can apply these whether you want to apply in engineer jobs, sales jobs, media jobs, or social worker positions. Bear them in mind and you’re sure to ace your interview. Enjoy this article? You've got time for another! Check out these related articles: How To Answer 7 Of The Most Common Interview Questions Top 3 Tips For Phone Interviews How To Ace The Panel Interview Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!

7 Healthcare Jobs that Require No Experience

7 Healthcare Jobs that Require No ExperienceTheres no doubt healthcare is a booming industry, with tons of diverse well-paying jobs with good benefits and job security. Youre smart to want in. But what ifyou dont have any healthcare experience or educational background? Dont fearnot all healthcare jobs require it. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Here are 7 healthcare jobsin the industry that dont require any particular prior experience or training to get hired. So go ahead, get your foot in that door.1. Home care aideWork in care facilities or in peoples homes assisting elderly and/or disabled patients with day-to-day functions and activities. Youll be doing a lot of household labor, as well as interfacing with families, but youll start at just over $20k per year and get good training in the process.2. Medical assistantWork in a physicians office or clinicin any specialtydoing normal administrative duties plus some extra bookkeeping and records-keeping that are particular to the field, plus assisting with minor medical duties and procedures. Great experience, great first opportunity, great starting salary (approximately $30k per year).3. Medical billerBasically handling the moneyfrom patients, from insurers, and maintaining records. You can work in any number of health care facilities and settings, and make over $33k in your first year.4. Medical secretaryHelp manage a medical office. Youll coordinate everythingfrom administrative duties, to supply ordering, to schedule keeping, communication, and liaising with doctors. You can choose from several different work environments and make over $32k per year.5. Nursing assistantWork as an assistant in nursing and patient care and get hands-on experience with patients working with trained staff. Help the pros with logistics and keeping patients comfortable while picking up valuable hours in the field. Expect to make between $25 and $26k per year.6. OT aideConsider working as an aide for an Occupational Therapist in their offices or clinics, helping to rehabilitate patients with mental or physical impairments. Youll work mostly handling equipment and administrative tasks, but youll gain great experience and make almost $32k per year.7. Psychiatric AideDo the incredibly good and hard work of helping patients who have been confined to mental health facilities. Youll have tons of good patient care experience under your belt, make over $27k per year, and have done important work in the process.No matter where youre starting out, you can always get started in the health care field. Just find yourself a suitable entry-level gig and start working your way up.

For Women In Business, Fairness Is A Fairy Tale

For Women In geschftsleben, Fairness Is A Fairy Tale There is a painful and difficult premise behind my message to women in business. But it is nonetheless one we must all face. We must begin with the idea that its not going to be fair.If you refuse to accept this premise and are out to change the world and bring about equality, thats terrific. I wish you well. Those of us fortunate enough to have been raised in democracies gravitate to the ideal of equity and fairness. And we should. But we must also come to terms with the realities of our circumstances and ourselves. Once we accept this and resolve to turn perceived disadvantages to advantages, well save ourselves a lot of frustration.Heres a real life illustration of the fairness fairy taleI was speaking to a womens group about how we can and should leverage each of our uniquely feminine competitive advantages when a partner at a a law firm raised a question that was on the minds of many. This woman, lets call her Mary, works very hard. Shes clearly passionate, talented and exceptional. But she isnt able to keep up with the men in her office and its gnawing at her every day. She looked burdened when of them men with whom she workscame into the talk, and that heaviness continued to be palpable. She has small children and a husband who works. Her two male partners in the firm also have children and stay-at-home wives. As the primary caretaker in her household, she says she cant keep up with her partners. Mary is plagued daily with the reality that shes falling behind. Looking beyond business, that makes me think of theGuardianpiece that presented research on the accumulation of small, inherent biases against women in science that hinder their advancements. It saysBiologists work long hours, and the desire to have a decent work/life balance may drive many women out of the profession of their own accord. The life sciences career path is rife with short-term contracts, which also dont help those wanting to abflu g a family. Meanwhile, astudy published in 2010showed that women scientists shoulder on average approximately twice as many household chores as their male partners, and also bore more childcare responsibilities.This is just one area where fairness doesnt exist for women. Other areas include salary (read the genderpay gap), and a constant need to be in tune to so many factors relating to how we presend andconduct ourselves, how we ask for what we want and negotiate, etc. The list goes on and on. But when it comes to the issue of time and hours worked, what are savvy women to do?Stop measuring productivity in hoursWe all have the same number of hours in the day, but women (and men), with significant family commitments often cant dedicate the same amount of hours to working as those who do not have them.If you want to spend time with your family or at leisure, or justnotworking, you have to stop thinking in terms of hours. Find other smarter ways to measure your value. The length of a workday isnota measure of effectiveness. Ive worked with many people who stayed attached to their desk chairs for very long periods of time, but that didnt mean they produced. We all need to do what we need to do to get the job done, but if a key metric for you is hours worked, I challenge you to pick your head up from your workspace and really think that through. Instead, shift the focus to what gives you a competitive edge. In talking with Mary, I learned that she has some subject matter expertise that the men she works with dont have. And, importantly, shes able to earn the trust of prospects and clients and relate to them on a deeper level than the men might be able to. Get realWhat are your competitive advantages? Lets say youre a brilliant collaborator, but if you work in an organization that doesnt value collaboration, your competitive advantage is wasted. Dont waste your advantages, dont undermine them, and dont forget to make sure that the decision makers you work with un derstand the specific and unique value you bring.You have differentiators, some of which may be based on yourcommunication style, sensitivity to the needs of others, a strong gut instinct, collaboration, and more. Are you in a position where you can leverage them?Heads down, plugging away, day after day, night after night, will get us more long hours. But on its own, it wont get us ahead.You dont need to accept my premise that fairness is a fairy tale. You can reject it, or you can work to change it. We all have different purposes and objectives. But if you want to get ahead in the corporate world or build a successful organization, I recommend that you think strategically about how you can turn perceived disadvantages to your advantage by bending the rules. Business is a game. There are winners and losers. And if you try to force yourself to play by rules that have set you up for failure, dont be surprised when you come up very short.--Becky Sheetz is a speaker, trainer and martial arts master. She helps women master their competitive advantages and conquer their limitations with the worlds greatest strategist, Sun Tzu. Beckys keynotes and corporate trainings are highly regarded for transforming the way women approach and live out their careersFairygodboss is committed to improving the workplace and lives of women. 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