LinkedIn Recommendations Smarts

LinkedIn Recommendations Smarts Over on Im on LinkedIn Now What (the blog behind the book) I posted about asking for (or being asked for) recommendations (click here for the post: LinkedIn Recommendation Thoughts). There are 10 excellent comments that I think youll find valuable It is a follow-up to my Writing Better LinkedIn Recommendations post from March. What are YOU doing for your network contacts TODAY? If you can, write one LinkedIn recommendation it is an excellent act of kindness, display of your networking attitude, and builds your personal brand as someone who is thoughtful and considerate. LinkedIn Recommendations Smarts Over on Im on LinkedIn Now What (the blog behind the book) I posted about asking for (or being asked for) recommendations (click here for the post: LinkedIn Recommendation Thoughts). There are 10 excellent comments that I think youll find valuable It is a follow-up to my Writing Better LinkedIn Recommendations post from March. What are YOU doing for your network contacts TODAY? If you can, write one LinkedIn recommendation it is an excellent act of kindness, display of your networking attitude, and builds your personal brand as someone who is thoughtful and considerate.

Does Your Resume Scream Out Your Age - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Does Your Resume Scream Out Your Age - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career The contribution we have delivered during our career is one of the things we are usually very proud of and it can often span decades of time.   When we prepare our resume we want the people who review it to see that we have value add and expertise in our field â€" part of our Personal Branding efforts. On the flip side, one of the things that many people worry about is ‘age bias’ or being age-typed by their resume. This is a true concern and one that you actually do have some power over in most circumstances. Here are some tips on how “not” to scream out your age with your resume: 1. Do not over-share: What I mean by this is that often times when I’m reviewing a client’s initial resume the very first sentence says “Over 20 years’ experience…” How does this sound to you right now? Let’s do some quick math.   If someone has over 20 years of experience and we do basic adding (i.e.; graduated from college around 23, went to work right away and now has over 20 years of experience â€" that would put the person in their mid-40’s…give or take a couple years). My point here is that it is quick to figure your age if you blast out decades of experience and that is not what you want the first few words of your resume to do. You must keep the reader interested in your expertise and not give them an immediate mathematical formula to deduce your age. After all, how many job descriptions do you see that want “20+ years of experience” in their requirements. Nearly zero. So, focus on the employer’s needs and leave out excessive years of experience. 2. Leave off “References Available Upon Request”: This is very out dated terminology and is already ‘assumed’ by the employer. Who refuses to provide an employer with references? Only someone who clearly does not want the job. Instead, have your references documented and carry them with you to your interview in the event the employer does ask you will have them on hand. 3. One size fits all: Creating one resume and sending the same to each employer is a dream from the past. It’s nice for you because there is not as much work â€" after all, you get to send the same resume out for every opening you apply for. You think you’re doing a good job at applying for so many positions, but your resume is getting lost in a long line of ‘one-sizers’. In today’s marketplace, to stand out you must create a targeted resume that will speak to each particular employer’s needs. The cover letter must also do the same. If you want to get a jump on the competition put ‘position targeting’ at the top of your resume writing list. And if you’re working with a resume writer who is trying to create a ‘one size fits all’ for you… RUN! 4. Degree Dates: In three words…”leave them off”. Unless you received your degree in the past few years you should not list the dates of your education (I refer you back to the formula in tip 1). And please â€" unless you’re a very recent high school graduate leave your high school off completely. If you do not have a college education it is best to list your training and/or certifications in this section. Again, unless they are recent you can leave the dates off.

6 Tips for Revitalizing Your Career

6 Tips for Revitalizing Your Career The following is a guest post by Lisa Skeete Tatum. Her bio follows. Sometimes in your career, you need to refresh the old and start anew. Why not do it now? Here are 6 ways to revitalize your career, plus some immediate steps you can take to get going today: Review the past accomplishments and set goals for the future. It’s always a good time to take stock of where you are in your career. Are you doing something that you’re passionate about? Are you leveraging all of your talent and skills? Now is a great time to assess your current situation, especially if you’re ready but not sure how to make your next move. Set new goals or reflect on ones already established and start tracking your progress. Update your online presence. Take a fresh look at your online profiles and make sure they’re up-to-date and truly reflect where you are in your career. Add things like links to your portfolios, presentations, or articles that you wrote or appeared in to demonstrate your great work. Perhaps your personal brand needs some attention? Find out by taking our brand quiz to get your brand score. Then, we’ll give you personalized recommendations on how to boost your score and your brand. Refresh the old resume and bio. Resume editing, even if you’re not actively looking for a new job opportunity, is important to do on a regular basis. You never know when a new opportunity will come along, and it’s always good to have your materials ready. It also takes effort to create something that captures your full set of accomplishments and responsibilities, and sometimes you can even forget to include all of your past wins. If you haven’t already, give your resume a tune-up this spring and have a top (human!) expert review your resume for free right now. Polish your skills or learn something new. Signing up for a professional development course is an ideal way to brush up on skills and learn about other career options without having to officially shift gears. If your goal is to advance in your current role, learn what takes it get the promotion you want. Check out great course options for boosting your skills or try something new across numerous industries. Reinvigorate your professional support system. Everyone needs a board of advisors â€" a trusted inner circle of peers that has your best interests at heart. As you refresh and review your goals for this year, ask yourself: when did you last speak to your mentor? Have you identified who your sponsors or connectors are? Maybe it’s time to meet some new people in your industry or beyond! A strong personal board of advisors includes six types of people that will help you move forward: mentors, sponsors, connectors, close friends, point experts and coaches. Start identifying and building your board of advisors today. Get expert advice if you’re feeling stuck. Sometimes it’s a challenge figuring out your next step: what do I want to do next? How am I going to get there? A little extra help from an expert coach can help you with issues like: brainstorming options for a specific career decision, help you clarify goals, hold you accountable for executing tasks to achieve your goals, and even bring more awareness about your thought patterns and behavior, and how well these habits serve you. About the author: Lisa Skeete Tatum Co-Founder CEO of www.landit.com.  Lisa was a General Partner at Cardinal Partners, a $350M+ venture capital firm, where she focused on investments in healthcare technology. She also held leadership positions at Procter Gamble and currently serves on several private, non-profit, and public company boards including Surgical Care Affiliates (NASDAQ:SCAI), Pager, Cornell University Board of Trustees, and the Princeton Healthcare System Foundation. She earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University and an M.B.A. from Harvard University. Images: Main  BK

Overlooked Ways To Find a Job and Stay Motivated in Your Job Search - Classy Career Girl

Overlooked Ways To Find a Job and Stay Motivated in Your Job Search Job searching is tough and it can be easy to get stuck in the world of online applications and resumes. Today I wanted to bring on a guest to the podcast that can refresh your job search and give you new tips and ideas that you might not know about yet. I loved this conversation with Dev Aujla, author of  50 Ways to Get a Job, and I hope you do too! Dev Aujla CEO of Catalog www.50waystogetajob.com Overlooked Ways To Find a Job and Stay Motivated in Your Job Search Dev Aujla is the CEO of Catalog, a recruiting and insight firm that has provided talent and high-level strategy to some of the worlds most innovative companies. He speaks regularly and blogs for outlets that include INC Magazine and Fast Company. Dev is the author of the book: 50 Ways to Get a Job. He wrote this book because he realized career advice hasn’t changed since the ’70s even though our lives and our work have changed drastically. Today our careers are nonlinear, and the job advice we need should reflect this. Subscribe  on  your favorite platform below: iTunes Google Play Music Stitcher Radio TuneIn iHeartRadio Sound Cloud What Doesnt Work If you look back at job search books over the last 20 years, job search advice hasnt changed in years. Peoples lives are so different now. Applying on job boards and working on your resume isnt just the only way to job search. How to Get Rid of Job Searching Overwhelm My favorite job searching exercise is a simple thing to do when you are overwhelmed. It is about getting rid of tolerations. A toleration is something that is small enough that is annoying but not big enough that you need to change it. Maybe its the zipper broken out of your backpack. Make a list of everything you are tolerating. Spend a Sunday and get rid of all of your tolerations completely. This feels so good youll feel light and it gives you a sense of momentum. Why would this be a way to get a job? The reality is that you need to do all the small things to gain momentum. You have to be in the right place to go into an interview or write that email to get that job. How do you stay motivated as job searching? A quick exercise is making a to learn list. This can be anything you want to learn personally or professionally. Then, ask yourself what job or position could teach me the most of the things on your list. Sometimes your next ideal job may be something you never would have expected but it might help you learn. It may help you open up more possibilities for your future. Youll start to think about your life differently and see other jobs you might never have considered. What should you stop doing when job searching? Stop using job sites. Why would you trust an algorightm to find your next job? All of a sudden you apply to jobs you did 7 years ago instead of where you want to go in the future. It seems easy but honestly just makes you feel depressed. What should you start doing instead? Start to do the work without having a job yet. Our everyday job search should feel like the job you want and will get. Instead of asking someone, Do you have a career for me? ask specific questions about the job. Get stories and experiences yourself and youll have a much different conversation. How do you communicate you are so much more than your resume? Find someone you want to work for. Tell them the experience you are getting and what you have been doing to learn more. Give them 3 ways that you have a real skill. Tell a couple of stories of how you have those skills. Tell them that you found them and youd love to chat with them. Now you talk to them in a way that shows all the real work you have done. Its a much different conversation than asking for a job. Some questions I asked: Of the 50 ways, what are some of your favorites? You are so much more than a resume or job application, but how can you communicate that to your potential employer? What are some it includes quick-step exercises that help you avoid the common pitfalls of navigating a modern career? How can you stay motivated while job searching? You need to learn to ask the right questions, stop using job sites, and start doing the work that actually counts. Tell us more about this? The book is centered on the idea that our careers are nonlinear and as you say learning-based? Tell me about what that means. Why write fiction about ourselves? Many of the 50 ways have to do with things that dont strike you as immediately about getting a job such as make changes to your apartment? How do these connect to your career? Episode Resources: The book: 50 Ways to Get a Job The website: www.50waystogetajob.com You may also like these episodes: 5 Steps You Need To Know To Negotiate a Higher Salary Find Your Dream Job in 6 Steps

How to Manage a Good Career in Investment Banking

How to Manage a Good Career in Investment Banking If you are planning for investment banking career, then it is no doubt an excellent choice. It is a highly competitive and lucrative field; if you have a good academics background, then you can surely manage to have great career option. Many people wish to make a career in this field but do not able to make progress due to various reasons. This industry is highly teeming with prospective careers in different specialized fields that are quite rewarding. It is needless to say that the pay scale is highly irresistible. In fact, people who have switched to this career field speak of the huge rewards. When it comes to the banking industry, the landscape is diversified with lots of space for the newcomers who wish to carve a niche in this field. evalOf course, you will need to have the required potential to excel in this career. In the below section, we will discuss various facts related to this field.Myriad range of servicesThe banking industry offers a vast variety of services that are r elated to the finance world. There is a huge lack of people who can give an efficient performance in these diversified services including capital-raising, mergers, buyout, acquisitions to investment management portfolios of businesses and private individuals. In fact, we can say that there is a huge demand for competent professionals in this arena. The demand is also fueled by the latest conditions of the financial market which is affected by the global economic situation. There is an intense and stiff competition that prevails in the investment bank careers. However, no doubt this field is quite lucrative.How to get started in an investment banking career?evalAfter completing the required qualifications and certifications, just step into this battlefield of investment banking with enough stamina and confidence. There are some necessary qualities and confidence that you need to have to rule out in this field. Start off in the direction and head towards having a successful career. De bt settlement companiesIf you are planning to go for a job in a debt consolidation company, then there is a good scope as well. However, make sure that you choose a well-established firm that can guarantee you a good prospect and salary package. evalToday, there is a huge demand for professionals in this sector owing to many people who seek out this service. Taking debt is a common factor, but when it comes to settling down with the same, then it becomes difficult many times due to various reasons.Before you choose to work with a debt consolidation firm, make sure that you check the debt consolidation reviews so that you end up working with a genuine company. You can look at the history of the firm online as well as the comments of the employees who have worked there previously. Let’s discuss benchmark requirements:Brush up your expertiseTry to maximize the potential you have by grabbing the opportunities. Hone your talent and always be ready to learn from the situations you face. Having a real skill of communication in this aspect is essential. At the same time, you need to be creative. evalYou have to present your creative ideas accompanied by fruitful strategies for the firm where you will be working. It will help you to create a good impression to the management.Field of interestYou need to understand your interested and potentials. Do not let the confidence level go down. Just immerse yourself in the field which interests you, and work hard to reach your full potential. Try to develop your skills; there is no end to learning. You should grab all the opportunities that need to improve yourself. Also, be customer-oriented. The direct contact needs to be established with the clients, which is done by the front desk.Academics:You need to equip yourself properly with academics. The undergraduate degree followed by robust accomplishments and credentials will help you to shine in the career of investment banking.Personal Enhancement Program You need to learn a ll the aspects and every minute detailing of the job. You should always keep studying to research more for improvement. Development programs are available. Enroll in such programs or go for reading resource materials.Team player You need to develop skills to become a perfect team player. At times, you may need to accommodate many tasks together, but you need to ensure that you accomplish all of them with equal attention and sincerity. You goal shall be to achieve the results of these tasks as per expectations. You can say that if you love your work, then it will be enjoyable to work under sheer pressure. However, always make sure that you be useful to your customers, team, and colleagues. It will help you in projecting yourself as uncomplaining and reliable.Commitment Give your hundred percent effort in developing yourself in any of the branches of the investment bank career. You need to be committed towards your work and always be ready to work overtime. You need to work as expecte d from you and grab the upcoming opportunities to hone your talent and experience to get further better possibilities in future. To get a promotion, you need to make sure that you showcase yourself to your seniors as a talented, dedicated and committed employee. evalGetting an excellent opportunity is difficult, but once you get a break, then nobody will able to stop you from reaching the peak point of your career.Establish a networkYou need to build your own career-related network to improve as an investment banker. Try your best to penetrate the reputable banks, especially the world-class banks, for which you dream to work for. At times, it also helps to get in touch with influential people in the world of corporate. Banks operating at large scale are highly dynamic and offer various kinds of finance-related services.Lastly, you need to be highly patient, diligent and committed to becoming a professional investment banker. As we have already discussed above, that there is a stiff competition which prevails all the time. So, even if you rush ahead, there will be no result. You need to take every step wisely to ensure a bright shining future ahead. Hard work pays off; so wait to get the best results!eval