Is a Transition Job Right for You

Is a Transition Job Right for You Are you looking to transition? Be it from university life to becoming a self-sufficient adult, or from a dead-end job to an exciting and blossoming career? Either way, a survival job might be the right choice for you. Even though they are careers in themselves, a temporary office job, or a stint in retail might not be right for you in the long term, but a perfect compromise for now. Read on to find out how to properly decide, considering your own situation. Draw up a prioritised list: To get started, draw up a list of your upcoming priorities and try your best to rank them honestly. These priorities could include money for travelling, money to move out of your folks?? place, time to plan your next career move/look for a new job or just time to look after yourself. Once you have your list, you need to plan a timescale: will you continue job-searching whilst working in your local pub, or give yourself a few months? Or how long do you need to save for before you jet off to Argentina? Read on to find out the pros and cons of your particular situation. So what do you need right now? Money? Depending on whether you want to save or survive, the amount of hours you need to work could differ, but a transition job might be your only answer right now. If you??re saving for something big, you??ll need to work a good deal of hours and/or cut back on your daily expenses in order to be able to save enough in a decent amount of time. But keep an eye on your progress. Set yourself monthly goals, and a realistic time-frame. If youre just looking to stay afloat whilst waiting for a new job prospect, you need to work out how much you need -?? if you can find somewhere that pays enough, but allows you to work part-time, then brilliant! If not, a full-time role will give you enough money to play with, but leave you less time to plan your next move. Advantages:  easy to find, easy?? to do, you??ll have money, you??ll stay active and social. Challenges: not as much time and/or energy to search for something new, you might have less money than before, theres the chance it might not remain short-term, without proper planning you may lose your focus on the long-term. Time? Be it time to figure out your next move, or just time for yourself, your portfolio or your family, you??ll never have enough of it. If you??re thinking about an interim job, but need time as well, your best option is to look for something part-time or a flexible full-time position. Consider a role that allows for painless shift-swapping to make that important job interview, or work late nights or weekends so you can head to assessment days. Failing that, develop a superhuman ability to function without sleep. If its yourself you??re looking to take care of, an interim job without take-home work and/or a role that isnt physically demanding will make less of an impact on your working days, meaning you need less time to recuperate, affording you more you-time (or time for other work, spending time with loved ones etc.). Advantages: enough money for survival, more time to job-search, stay active and social, little to no take-home work. Challenges: making yourself job-hunt during your free-time, less disposable income, could become long term. But remember Unfortunately, your days may feel wasted in a job that you dont see in your future, but don??t let this attitude come across. Not only is it insulting to your employer, but by focussing on how much you dislike your interim situation, you??ll end up feeling less motivated than before (negative vibes won??t breed positive outlooks). In times like these, remember why you??re doing it and focus on your end goal.

LinkedIn - Youre either there, or you dont exist. Career Coach JobJenny

LinkedIn - Youre either there, or you dont exist. Career Coach JobJenny A dear, longtime pal of me had a great job. She was a senior auditor for a massive, global corporation. She travelled the globe for her work and made huge, important financial decisions that directly impacted the company's financial health.She wasn't looking for a new job, at all.That dear, longtime pal, however, was always smart enough to keep her LinkedIn profile current, and her connections up-to-date on what she was up to with her job.Guess what happened a few weeks ago?Her commitment to LinkedIn paid off, massively ... and quite unexpectedly.She was approached by an incredibly cool company in the pet industry (she's a huge dog lover), for a financial leadership role. This one didn't involve as much travel, but as a new mom, she was more than happy about that.And so guess what?My dear, longtime pal has a great new job, courtesy of someone finding her on LinkedIn.The moral of this story?LinkedIn is absolutely not just for professionals actively working to find jobs. Certainly, it can be incredibly beneficial for this purpose, but LinkedIn is a vital resource for all professionals, throughout your career.We are at the spot in which, if you're not showing up on LinkedIn? As a professional, you very nearly don't exist.That's right. You don't exist.More than 90% of recruiters are using LinkedIn every day to find talent, some of them ONLY use LinkedIn. This means that, if you're not there? You don't appear in their searches.And then guess who gets that dream job for which you were perfectly suited?Mmm hmm. Her name is: Not You.You've got to be there. You've got to align your profile to the types of roles you'd like to be contacted about. And you've got to participate, throughout your career.Like it or not, technology platforms that enable us to better engage us with others -- both socially and professionally -- are here to stay. It's time to make the most of them, both through job search and beyond.If you don't know how the heck to set up your profile or use Link edIn to your best advantage, be sure and check out our brand new Ridiculously Awesome LinkedIn Kit.

How to Close a Business Deal Successfully - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How to Close a Business Deal Successfully - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career A business deal is actually a transaction. Some transactions are very easy such as buying inventory with a fixed price but some transactions are very complicated. If you don’t do these transactions right, they may cost you a lot of money. Therefore, you should be careful about finding the middle ground. In order to do this, read below to find out how you can make a successful business deal. Know the Other Person: It is important to know who you are doing business with because business is between people and people can make or break a business deal. Make a little background search on them. Check their personal social media accounts. Understand who you are dealing with. Then, try to get to know these people more on a personal level because if you develop positive relationships and build trust, you can make a better deal. Understand the Problem: Don’t do your marketing by telling how good your product is because the other side may not be interested in all the features of your product. Instead, understand the other side’s problem before trying to sell something. If you cannot understand the problem fully, then you cannot provide the right solution. However, if you really understand what they need, then you can talk about how your product or service handles their issues. Pay Attention to Details: Details makes the real deal. Every business wants to make more money or take less risk and therefore, try to tailor the agreement according to themselves. Therefore, pay attention to the tiny details written on the agreement. Otherwise, these details may cost you more money in the future. If you don’t like the conditions the other side offers, then walk away from the deal or else you may regret later that you didn’t. Never Make a Verbal Agreement: Always make the agreements in writing. Never make a deal on the phone or on the dinner with only a handshake. If you do, immediately write it down and turn it into a written agreement. Don’t forget the famous Latin proverb “spoken words fly away but written words remain”. If the other side truly trusts you and is really planning to keep their promises, then they should not be against putting the agreement on a paper.

How to Improve the Most Vital Component of Your Recruiting Efforts

How to Improve the Most Vital Component of Your Recruiting Efforts Sometimes we put too much emphasis on the shiny new HR Technology product or the trending social media site and assume that it’s the answer to our recruitment challenges. The truth is if you really want to make an impact on your recruiting strategies this year, take a look at something that’s been in existence for years â€" the company job description. Your job descriptions play an integral role in recruiting candidates, and yet we’ve ignored them for years, only to see them wither away in obscurity. Most active candidates come across your job descriptions as the first touch-point with your brand, and even passive candidates check out a job description to see if a potential role interests them (most recruiters will even send a direct link to the candidate). Candidates can hit dozens of job descriptions before coming to yours, so how are you separating yourself from your competitors? So, with that in mind, here are 6 ways to turn your job descriptions into an effective recruiting tool. 1. Understand your goals Like any other strategy you put in place, take a step back and understand what your goals are. For a job description, you have two goals: to inform and then drive action based on a candidate match. It’s not â€" I repeat, it’s NOT â€" to detail every possible task that employee will have to handle over the coming years. Inform and motivate. Those are your goals. 2. Format and flow OK, so keeping your goals in mind, you want to consider the structure of your story (and yes, a job description should be considered a short story). Here’s the structure that I’ve found very effective: A strong opening with 2-3 sentences about the role itself. Explain it in a concise way that speaks to the broader meaning and purpose of the job. Then, move into WHY a candidate should join your company. Skip the corporate jargon and go straight into your employee value proposition and core brand values. A short, bulleted list of key duties and responsibilities and minimum qualifications. Target 5-7 bullets. Bring it to a close with a longer explanation of the company, what you do and why it matters and end with a strong call to action to encourage the viewer to hit that big, shiny apply button. As well, consider some visual ways you can freshen up your job descriptions too. 3. SEO friendly titles A job title is not the place to get cute. Stick to the standard, widely-known way to refer to the job. Remember, it has to show up in a search result, and I don’t know any candidate who searches for “Senior Road Warrior Sales God” (yes, I’ve seen that). 4. Word count There is some debate to the appropriate length of a job description, but for most jobs, I recommend short and sweet. Keep it around 500-700 words. 5. Language Stay true to your brand voice and understand, once again, your goals. You want to put your employer brand front and center, and realize you’re speaking to a person who’s interested in a new career. Inform them what it’s like to work @ ABC company and inspire them to join the team. In addition, there are tools out there (like Textio) that can help evaluate your language choice from a diversity perspective, as well as overall grammar and word usage. 6. Consistency For many larger organizations, it becomes a challenge of who writes the job descriptions and how to keep them consistently over time. This is worth your time to figure out. Otherwise, you could spend lots of time and effort upfront creating the best job description ever, only to see it get watered down and edited months later until you no longer recognize it. Put a formalized structure in place. Revitalizing your job descriptions requires internal partnerships at most companies, but shouldn’t take a dollar from your budget. That in itself is a win. Your job description is quite possibly the most visible aspect of your recruitment efforts, and with some improvements, could provide you the greatest return as well.

How to Convince a Recruiter That You Are the One and Only

How to Convince a Recruiter That You Are the One and Only Competing with thousands of other applicants is not to be taken lightly. Everyone is an expert in his own field, has an MBA or a Ph.D. to boot, and a long list of achievements. So how does one stand out from a pool of job seekers who consider themselves also as the one and only?While you think we have exhausted all possible means of setting you apart from the crowd, there are, in fact, still steps that you can take to convince the recruiters that you are the one who is perfect for the job.1. Follow instructionsevalIt is the very first thing these recruiters notice. Imagine them going through hundreds of applications for one job. You have to understand that these people are actually pressed for time and will not have the luxury to go through every application as thorough as possible. They have to come up with the most efficient methods and procedures to make a shortlist of these applicants who would qualify for an interview.Prove yourself from the very start by actually following dire ctions. Check if they imposed rules on how to layout your resume â€" from subheadings to its chronological order, even to where you place your picture. Be very meticulous about it and check their website for the complete rules and perhaps some tips coming from the Human Resources department itself.Accordingly, if you make it to the next step, an interview, for example, make sure you go there at least 15 minutes earlier and show up wearing the company’s dress code. It would depend on the company on what type of clothes they require so make sure to do your research first before showing up.2. Be interestedUnfortunately, some job seekers apply to almost all possible job applications available to them without even considering if it is something, they are actually passionate about or qualified for. Before applying, read the job description carefully and evaluate whether it is something that you will be happy to work on and whether the company will actually benefit from you, too.Without you knowing, recruiters actually ask questions that will help them find out if you really care about the job or if you are only looking to get employed without considering what the job really is. Additionally, when sending in your resume, make sure to customize it according to the job application. You can show you care by these little acts of exerting effort to tailor your resume and include only the qualifications that are actually related to the job description.Should you need assistance in writing your resume, you can visit Essayservices.reviews and review the various options available. Be aware, however, not to be too clingy and desperate for the job. Following up once is acceptable but do not waste their time by following up every day because this could reflect negatively on your application.3. Tell the truthIt is a norm to put yourself in the best light possible when applying for the job and that is okay. But these recruiters hate being misled. Note that there is a fine line b etween promoting yourself and lying. It is actually possible to make yourself stand out by giving straight information to your recruiters without the frills.evalRemember that these recruiters exercise due diligence which means they will be calling some references to verify whether you are telling the truth such as your previous employers or your school.Additionally, telling them about some of your weaknesses can turn out positive for you by making them feel that you are actually aware of the mistakes you have made and that you have actually done something to correct these mistakes. While telling the truth is recommended, remember that it is not an excuse to come out aggressive or to bad mouth your previous employers. Always remember to keep it professional. After all, you want them to like you.4. PrepareMost job seekers end up failing miserably in interviews because they show up unprepared and totally clueless about the possible questions that may be asked in the process. So how do you prepare for an interview?Well, the first thing to do is to know by heart what the company and job position are. A lot of questions will be about your knowledge of the business and the work itself so make sure you do your research.evalDo not forget the basic information such as the company’s mission and vision. The second thing to do is to be able to recite your resume because this is how you are going to present or introduce yourself. Note that sometimes, these recruiters will ask you to introduce yourself by stating information that is not included already in your resume. So think about it so you do not end up literally speechless during the interview.Remember that you are also allowed to ask questions during the interview so take this opportunity to know or make clarifications about the company and the job position. After all, these are all necessary things to know before you agree to a contract of employment.ConclusionMaintain a proper conduct. If you succeed in impressing these recruiters, know that there could be other steps to take before you are officially offered a job and that includes an interview with your direct supervisor or manager. Because of this, they will also be looking at your manners.Manners can be manifested through the way you dress and the way you act and talk. This means you have to make sure that you dress the part. You can ask them directly what the dress code is or observe the rest of the employees.For good measure, it is recommended to ask outright rather than make assumptions. As for the way you act and talk, the key is to be polite at all times.Give them the impression that you are someone who can deal with just about anyone in the business from the executives down to the janitorial staff.

15 Outrageous Job Interview Blunders - CareerAlley

15 Outrageous Job Interview Blunders - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Even if everything goes as planned, interviews can be very stressful. The last thing you want is for some blunder to occur that could have been easily avoided. Following is a list of potential mistakes. Can you see yourself starring in one of these epic disasters? Relax. Running through the handful of worst case scenarios outlined here can help ease pre-interview jitters and put you in the right mindset to avoid the worst of them. For instance, chewing gum during an interview might have been pure carelessness (see below), but could just have easily been an innocent oversight, too. But as the interview time approaches, it can be easy to forget about it. 1. Do Your Research: You should have ample time to review the company (and the interviewer via LinkedIn) prior to your interviewer. Avoid calling the interviewer by the wrong name or having incomplete or wrong information about the company. Take a look at How To Be Impressive Before, During and After Your Interview. 2. Turn OFF Your Cellphone: Not a good thing if your cellphone goes off in the middle of an interview (and that includes email notifications, Twitter notifications, Text chimes, etc.). Worst of all, if you somehow forget to turn off your phone, DO NOT ANSWER IT! Just turn it off. In those intense moments of anticipation before show time you might overlook the simplest of preparations, such as turning off the cell phone. To avoid this, plan for a moment of reflection before you step foot into the building. Run through a checklist, whether its mental or written, to ensureyouvetaken care of all the simple, goofy things that can blossom into big mistakes later. 3. Leave the Gum at Home: Chewing gum during a job interview is not a good idea. If you feel like you need to freshen your breath prior to the interview, spit out your gum prior to entering the building. 4. Get Some Sleep: Just as bad is acting bored or being tired during an interview. A big yawn is not going to impress. You need to be energized and attentive, which means getting a good nights sleep beforehand. Dont shortcut this step by relying on an energy drink to perk you up. Youll be at your best if youre naturally alert. 5. Dress the Part: One of the most frequently stated pieces of advice to job seekers is to dress appropriately, and yet hiring managers still see mini-skirts, tee-shirts and nose rings. Regardless of the job, dressing professionally shows you are treating the interview seriously and that youre mature. Just because youre applying for a life guard position doesnt mean you should show up looking like a surfer dude. 6. Know Your Background Information: There have been many times when a job seeker was caught unprepared with a long application to fill out at the interview location. Come equipped with all the information you could possibly need concerning employment history, your previous addresses, dates of military service, etc. 7. Know Your Resume: You would be surprised how many people are not familiar with the details of their own resume. Make sure you know your own resume inside and out. Its incredibly embarrassing to be asked specifics about a project you boasted about on the resume and respond with a blank look. Even if someone helped you write the resume, you definitely should be the expert. 8. Communication is a Two-Way Street: While the hiring manager will ask the questions, they expect a dialogue with the candidate. Concentrate on truly communicating with the interviewer. It starts off with a handshake and friendly greeting. There have been cases of the interviewee barely saying a word and other cases of the interviewee dominating the conversation. Slow down, relax and be yourself. 9. Dont Badmouth Your Current Company: You know the old saying If you have nothing nice to say, dont say anything at all. Even if you had a horrible time with your current or previous employers, dont badmouth them to the interviewer. Youll just leave the impression of being disgruntled and unprofessional. 10. Tell Me About Yourself: This is a common question, but imagine being asked and you have no idea what to say? This question many people nervous and some people have rattled on about their family, their dog or personal issues. The question is meant for your professional life, not personal. Plan ahead and have a great story to tell. 11. Tell the Truth: Honesty is mandatory. Not being truthful about your experience or education will come back to haunt you. Why would you say you graduated from a college that you did not attend or claim to have experience you do not have? The hiring manager is definitely going to figure out you were lying real fast. 12. Be Prepared to Ask Questions: One of the absolute best ways of going into an interview feeling more prepared is to have some questions to ask during the interview. You should have questions! This means doing research about the company and position ahead of time. An interviewer can spot a shallow, unprepared question easily. Take a look at 10 Questions to Ask at an Interview. 13. Dont Be Late: The worst thing you can do is to be late for your interview. If possible, try to visit the building several days before the interview so that you are familiar with the location. Make sure you have time to sign-in at the security desk as you never know what obstacles will slow you down. Get to the interview location at least 15 minutes early (but dont go in until close to the agreed time). The extra time will also give you a chance to mentally calm and prepare yourself. If you are late, be sure you dont claim that promptness is one of your greatest strengths! 14. Dont Talk Benefits: You will, at some point, need to talk about benefits, compensation and vacation days but these topics should be saved for the final round (or when you get the job offer). Even if you are asked about your acceptable salary, keep it low key (see How to Answer the Most Terrifying Job Interview Questions. 15. Dont Forget to Follow-up: Send a thank you letter (take a look at Have you sent your Thank You letter?)that shows your continued interest in the position and highlights the positives from the interview. Its amazing how many people neglect this important step. When you do it, its almost a guarantee to impress the interviewer and keep you fresh in his or her mind. Despite all the preparation in the world, you could still fall flat on your face. Youre only human, after all. Its not something to beat yourself up over, provided you dont make the same mistakes over and over. Everyone has a bad day, a bit of bad luck, or unforeseen circumstances that can throw just about anyone off. Dont dwell on mistakes. Use them as learning experiences that will help you do better next time. 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. what where job title, keywords or company city, state or zip 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 nail the interview and get hired. 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. 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Mass. Department of Higher Education Guide - How To Write A Resume, Build Your Resume & Get Noticed In The Job Market

Mass. Department of Higher Education Guide - How To Write A Resume, Build Your Resume & Get Noticed In The Job MarketThe Massachusetts Department of Higher Education Guide is one of the most important books that you will ever read. Many students fail to write their resumes and may even end up getting a job only to realize they need to know more about the student resources. Keep reading below for a little bit of insight on what the guide covers.Once you have taken the time to understand this guide, writing a resume, and making sure you take advantage of all the student resources available, you are ready to move forward. One of the most common mistakes that people make is they assume they need to do all of the work on their own. However, the Massachusetts guide is designed to show you how to write a great resume. You also need to learn how to do research to find the right information on your career goals. You will need to develop the tools to use in the job interview, and of course , you will need to communicate effectively with the employer to get the job you want.If you have questions about the Massachusetts guide, writing a resume, or any other aspect of career planning, you can contact a career counselor. A career counselor can give you some advice on how to use the guide. They can help you find out where to get the most information from and give you suggestions on how to research your career goals and develop the tools you need to apply them to your situation. Sometimes it's not possible to see what's available at a career fair, or online, so you will want to go to your local library or bookstore and check out the guides for your specific career needs.The Massachusetts Department of Higher Education Guide, Writing a Resume, is perfect for students who are attending a Massachusetts college or university. It will help you build your resume and improve your chances of getting into the best job available to you. Although this guide does not cover everything, it will provide you with a solid foundation that will help you in the future.Many students have major problems with their resumes and some never get them to the point of being considered. The Massachusetts guide will help you understand the mistakes you are making and tell you what you need to do to improve your resume. You will know what you need to do to build your resume and help you land the job you have always wanted.The Massachusetts guide will also help you make your future career plans by showing you how to improve your resume and get your name on more job boards. Most people do not realize that there are thousands of job boards and not all of them display your resume.Remember that the Massachusetts guide will provide you with strategies to improve your career planning and provide you with tools to use in job interviews. This will be a great guide to read and it will definitely make a difference in your future. You will have a better chance of landing the job of your dreams and of having a great career.