Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Dont Leave Home Without Them 7 Pieces of Advice from Seth Godin

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Don't Leave Home Without Them 7 Pieces of Advice from Seth Godin Seth Godin is one of the greatest business minds living today. I don’t believe that’s an exaggeration. I read his blog and here, summarized some of his best advice from the last year. The thing about a clean sheet of paper …is that it still has edges. It’s tempting to believe thatcreativitycomes from starting fresh. But even when we start fresh, we approach projects and problems with self-created boundaries. You can’t do real work without edges, without something to leverage, but those edges don’t have to be the same edges as everyone else uses. Creative people often excel because they change the shape of the clean sheet. You’re right, we were wrong This is the most difficult sentence for companies that stumble in doing effectivecustomer service. By effective, Seth means customer service that pays for itself, that is a rational expense on the way to building a loyal brand following and generating positive word of mouth. When someone in your organization says, “You’re right, we were wrong,” they’re not saying that you’re always wrong, or that you were completely wrong, or even that, in a court of law with a sympathetic jury, you would lose. No, all you’re saying is that you made a promise or set an expectation and then failed to live up to it.Owning thatand saying it out loud does two things: it respects the customer and it allows you to make more promises in the future. Sign your work We expect authors, painters and singers to identify themselves, to sign the work they do. What about managers, committee members, engineers and everyone else who makes something? Who made this policy? Who designed this menu? Who approved this project? If you’re not proud of it, don’t ship it. If you are, sign your work and own the results. Crowding the pan One thing you’ll discover when you start pan roasting brussel sprouts is that more is not always better. Sure you have three uncooked sprouts left, and it would be a shame to not serve them, but if you add those three to the pan with the others, the entire batch will suffer. Adding one more is just fine, until adding one more ruins everything. Greed costs. Taking the plunge Perhaps it’s better to commit towadinginstead. Not the giant, life-changing, risk-it-all-venture, but the small. When you do a small thing, when you finish it, polish it, put it into the world, you’ve made something. You’ve committed and you’ve finished. And then you can do it again, but louder. And larger. “Google it!” The job is no longer to recite facts, to read the bio out loud, to explain something better found or watched online. No, the job is to personally and passionately make us care enough to look up the facts for ourselves.When you introduce a concept, or a speaker, or an opportunity, skip the reading of facts. Instead, make a passionate pitch that drives inquiry. Put a frame around it What’s worth more, the frame or the poster? It turns out that a well-framed graphic is often transformed, at least in the eyes of the person engaging with it. It might be the very same beautiful object that was thumbtacked to the wall, but it sure feels different. And an unwrapped piece of jewelry is worth far less without the blue box, isn’t it? The wrapper isn’t everything, it might not even be the point. But it matters. For more Seth gems, check out the full post on Intuits Fast Track blog.

Free Resume Builder In This Year

Free Resume Builder In This YearThe search for the best free resume builder in this year's online world is highly possible. Every year, hundreds of thousands of job seekers apply for positions in order to find a permanent job. But in some cases, the applications will be rejected without the applicant knowing why, since he or she doesn't use a powerful resume builder which can be used on the internet.The job seeker's search for the best free resume builder usually leads him or her to the same place. Here, one of the very first things that should be taken into consideration is to actually read the site's terms and conditions. A lot of free sites simply don't adhere to the above-mentioned criteria and thus, these are usually not good sites to try out for resume building.The best free resume builder will usually have some basic parameters that will guide the applicant in constructing a nice and unique resume. Usually, these consist of a template, a structure, and an interface that help t he resume builder to find and organize all the necessary information.Once you get a glimpse at these basic parameters, the next step would be to select a resume builder which will be suitable for your kind of job. Since, most applicants will probably be looking for resume builders that will help them in creating resumes with more emphasis on industry, they would require a format builder, search engine generator, mobile capabilities, and so on.The best free resume builder will also have a control panel in order to test its functions and look for the errors that may appear. It will be much better to get a free resume builder that is already updated by the developers and which has access to thousands of people who need resumes written by these developers.Since most of the job hunting portals out there offer a free resume builder, it is highly possible to find one that would meet your needs. Mostof these can be found on the internet.Of course, you shouldn't simply rely on the free resum e builder that you will come across. You should instead go on to research the creators of such job hunting sites to know which are truly good and which are not.These parameters will help you decide which the best free resume builder in this year is and how can you get hold of it. These parameters will further tell you that if the application does indeed meet your requirements.

Massive Recruitment Mistakes You Might Be Making

Massive Recruitment Mistakes You Might Be Making “I am convinced that nothing we do is more important than hiring and developing people. At the end of the day you bet on people, not on strategies”  â€"  Larry Bossidy The phrase  you are what you eat  translates nicely to recruitment. Companies are built on great employees â€" hiring is therefore the most important thing we do. There are so many recruitment channels in today’s digital society that it’s increasingly difficult to stop stuff slipping through the cracks. This is by no means an indictment on the state of recruitment, but there is always room for change, room for innovation. If  a shark stops swimming it will die; constant  improvement  is the only way to become a better recruiter. Your job adverts aren’t helping Automation is great, right? With just one click your job ad can be in front of  thousands  of eager candidates. The problem? The rules are different now. There is no horde of  active  candidates waiting to find your jobs and apply. Adverts tend to be presented in employer-centric terms; there’s little focus on genuine engagement. Do away with costly advertising and focus less on products that let you post your job to hundreds of boards with one click â€" less than half of recruiters think this actually  works well anyway. There is a clear information asymmetry here. Recruiters are struggling to connect with the best candidates â€" neither party is satisfied. Better LinkedIn research means better results We all know how useful LinkedIn is for approaching  talent, but how often do you research the end user before you send that in-mail message? Carelessness at this stage can easily put candidates off. Taking just five minutes to check if a candidate is the right fit for your organisation is all it takes. Do they have similar past employment â€" if you’re looking for a enterprise sales rep, do they have experience in the role? Do they have the right skills? Where are they based? We often overestimate a candidate’s willingness to take on a horrific commute or relocate. This alone doesn’t necessarily rule a candidate out, but it should play a role in our decision. There can be exceptions, but candidates who  tick all the boxes here will be far more receptive to your approaches. Your applications are too long Would you want to apply for your job? It’s easy to hide behind the rhetoric that the more you know about a candidate, the better placed we are to judge them. Do we really need to know how many As they got at GCSE, though? Probably not. This is driving the increase in gamification â€"  recent research  suggests that by the end of 2014 more than 70% of the world’s largest companies will have at least one gamified application. L’Oreal saw significant success with its “Reveal” campaign. Allowing candidates to participate in the launch of a mock product, the game attracted more than  15,000 players  â€" many of whom would never have considered applying. Communicate better Great hiring is so much more than just matching candidates with job descriptions. The best recruiters take time to get to know their candidates. They find out what makes them tick and learn what they’re actually looking for. The problem? Currently most companies lack the framework to roll out this kind of continuous engagement process. Candidates slip through the cracks and are abandoned if they don’t meet requirements  at that moment in time. Instead, by redirecting these candidates to a talent community we can continue to evaluate them and provide them with carefully curated content. Maybe there’s a different role that they would be better suited for? Maybe in six months time you will have more suitable openings for them? A pool of engaged talent lets you develop an internal referral system. You already know who  is ready to be hired  before roles become available. Interview like a pro Behavioural competency interviews are not the gold standard. Following a strict playbook of questions that are designed to determine candidate suitability often leads to a leaden, inflexible process. It’s still essential to determine that a candidate has the core skills that will allow them to succeed in your company. When you’ve established this, you should consider the idea of hiring for cultural fit. How will the applicant fit in with your or your clients team?  Would  you want to sit next to him/her for eight hours every day? Will he/she be invested in the business, or is it  just a stepping stone for them? Asking the right questions and getting the answers you really need will let you work out what kind of colleague he/she would be. Is he/she worth it? Start following up, now The treatment of candidates you don’t hire has never been more important. Hard-won recruiting reputations can be quickly damaged by disgruntled applicants on social media and review websites like  Glassdoor. At this stage a shocking 73.8% of the  feedback candidates receive  is little more than a standard template â€" hardly conducive to a great candidate experience. Taking a little time to correct this will help stem negative reviews and may even lead to unsuccessful applicants referring their friends. Image: Shutterstock

How to Find a Job After College 3 Best Ways - Career Sidekick

How to Find a Job After College â€" 3 Best Ways - Career Sidekick How to Find a Job After College â€" 3 Best Ways Recent Grads / https://www.edenscott.com/blog If you just graduated or are looking for a job after college, this article will show you the 3 best ways to get hired.Then, at the end of the article Ill share a few of my other best tips to help you land a great job, so keep reading to the bottom.Lets get started with the 3 best ways to find a job after collegeFirst Way to Find a Job After College: Your NetworkNow you might not have a very big network, thats okay. When I graduated I had done almost zero networking and felt totally unprepared to job search.Its still a valuable tool to use as much as you can.Heres why: Youre FAR more likely to receive a job interview if you get introduced to a company by someone they know and trust.So think about who you can contact who might have connections with companies youd like to work for.Who You Can Ask for Help in Finding a Job:Friends/classmates from schoolFamily membersFamily members of good friendsFormer college professors and academic advisorsFormer manager s/bosses from any internships or part-time jobs youve heldHow to Ask These People for HelpNow, if youre very close with somebody, you can contact them and immediately ask for help. Hey, did you used to work for XYZ Company? Im interested in finding an entry-level job there and was wondering if you still have any connections there?However, if youre approaching somebody you arent very close with such as a friend from university that you had a few classes with but have only known for one year, you want to be more casual.Ask them a question like, do you have any advice for trying to get my resume in front of companies like XYZ Company?If they can help, they often will, and this sounds a lot better than asking for a favor right away.Try to help them too, if you can. Ask if they need any help finding jobs as well. This will make them want to help you more.After an initial question, you can ask them more directly for help if they dont realize what youre asking for. But its better to start with a much softer question.Other Networking Methods to Find a Job After College:Beyond this, consider going to local meetups, networking events for the industry you want to work in, etc. You can also connect with people on LinkedIn, tell them youre interested in their industry, and ask what its like to work in their company.(Again, youre starting with a soft, casual question).Then once youve exchanged a few messages, theyre a lot more likely to introduce you to a hiring manager in the company if you ask!Dont just approach strangers asking for a big favor right away. Youll get your message deleted and wont hear back.Second Method for Finding a Job After College: Apply Directly (to Growth-Stage Companies)You could do this for any companies actually. Applying directly on company websites is a great method for finding a job after college.But I prefer growth-stage companies in particular. Heres whyOne of the most common complaints I hear from job seekers is that its *very* hard to find companies who want someone who is entry-level.They tell me theyre frustrated because every job seems to require experience.And the companies MOST likely to hire someone without experience are growth-stage companies, startups, etc.They want talented people and are always looking to grow their team for the future.And theyre often hiring MULTIPLE people, so you dont even need to be the best person they interview. You just need to give good answers to their questions, not make any mistakes and youre in!This is how I landed my first job as a Recruiter actually. They were hiring 10 people at the time, for entry level spots. All due to growth!How Can You Find Growth-Stage Companies?This is the challenging part. Theres no magic recipe.Search on LinkedIn, where you can filter by company size.Id also recommend checking out INCs list of the 5,000 fastest growing US companies.Then I like to search Google for terms like New York startups list (replace New York with your city or region).To find r elatively early-stage startups, check CrunchBase.com for companies that have received recent funding. Theyre typically looking to hire more. If you want more stability, look for a company thats raised at least a few rounds of funding previously (so, not just Series A or Series B), and tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in total.Once you find these companies, apply directly on their website if possible. Use the best email address you can find (even if they dont appear to be hiring, its okay!)Write a great cover letter or email explaining why they caught your attention, how you believe your skills will help them, and why youd be excited to have an opportunity to discuss this further in an interview.Third Best Way to Find a Job After College: LinkedIn Job SearchThe two methods are above are what Id recommend for the best ways to find a job after college, or at least where you should start.However, you might not have much of a network, or maybe you dont want to work in a growth-sta ge company or startup.So heres another method you can tryApply to Companies Directly on LinkedInI find this to be MUCH better than job boards because you can often apply directly through LinkedIns website. Just attach your resume and hit send and youre done.Heres a case study and video explaining how to apply to jobs as quickly as possible on LinkedIn.This method lets you avoid having to create an account on multiple sites, and avoid having to fill in personal details over and over which is a huge waste of time.Everything ElseThe 3 methods I shared above are the best ways I know for how to find a good job after college.However, if those methods above dont work for you, then you may need to try a few methods that arent quite as good (but can still work).This includes using job boards and career portals like Indeed, Monster, etc.If you know what industry you want to work in, you can search for niche job boards as well. Heres a list of the 45 best tech job boards, for example.Id recomm end job boards as a last resort, or a small portion of your overall effort (10%, 20%, etc.)But they CAN work. In fact I found a great job in the past on a Craigslist posting. So you never know where youll get a high quality job interview lined up.However, you should start with the 3 best ways to find a job after college, mentioned above. Those should be enough to get you a good job after college without needing to spend hours applying on job boards.To recap:Use your network whenever possible. Always try to get introduced to a company.Apply directly to companies on their website when you can, and look for growth-stage companies because they hire more entry-level people.Try applying on LinkedIn to avoid the hassle of having to register an account on multiple job sites or company Career pages.Then try other methods only if needed.Other Resources to Help You Find a Good Job After College:I promised at the start of this article Id give you a few other tips and resources thatll help you f ind a good job after college, so here they are:When you do get interviews lined up, use this job interview preparation checklist to walk in prepared.If you need help writing a cover letter, heres how to write a cover letter with no experience.Also, do NOT neglect to prepare questions to ask them. This is something most job seekers do not do a very good job of. So to help you, heres a long list ofgreat questions to ask the interviewer.And as a final tip, if youre talking to a recruiter, here are 5 questions I recommend asking recruiters, based on my own experience as a recruiter for many years.Youre Ready to Job HuntIf you follow the steps and tips above, you will get more interviews, and succeed in those interviews so you can land a job in less time.Remember, it only takes one job offer, so dont get discouraged if you havent found a job as quickly as you had hoped. Youre one job interview away from getting hired, no matter what.So keep going, and good luck!

Tips For Writing a Resume That Will Increase Your Chances of Landing a Job

Tips For Writing a Resume That Will Increase Your Chances of Landing a JobIf you want to increase your chances of landing a job, you should take some tips for writing a resume that's more than just a list of your accomplishments. After all, this is the first thing potential employers will see. In order to achieve your goals, you'll need to present yourself as the best candidate for the job you are applying for. Here are some tips for writing a resume that is effective.First, you need to be honest with your skills and qualifications when you're listing them in your resume because employers don't want to know what they are missing from their field that you have. They will also want to know why you think you are a better candidate for the job than someone else who applies.Your resume needs to be descriptive so that the employer can visualize the job for them in his or her mind. You should be able to articulate your ideas clearly so that you're not left with bullet points and other ineff ective writing. Also, you will want to focus on those areas where you can show that you have shown a natural aptitude for.It's a good idea to list those areas that you don't care about but where you feel that you can do the job. These may be certain projects, specializations, and certifications that you are proud of.It's important to bring some good ideas that you can add to your resume. This way, it'll be easier for you to write a resume that shows that you understand your job description. You will also be more convincing because you will be able to demonstrate that you have a strong grasp of the job description.You'll want to include all of the details of different kinds of positions that you have had. Include jobs like secretary, computer technician, assistant manager, and maintenance engineer. Make sure that you include your level of skill, education, and training on each resume that you submit.Focus on your training so that your employers will feel that you've been very profici ent at this career. It's very important to prove that you know how to do the job you are applying for. This shows that you are committed to your work and that you are confident.Following these tips for writing a resume will help you get noticed. Try out some of the tips for writing a resume that you learned here and you will be on your way to landing that great job. Remember, it's not enough to simply have a great job experience; you need to convince the hiring manager that you are the best candidate for the job that you are applying for.

How to Deal With Problematic Clients as a Freelancer CareerMetis.com

How to Deal With Problematic Clients as a Freelancer A freelancing career is a great opportunity to do what you like at your own pace. Today, freelancing is considered as being your own boss without the hassle of starting your own business. You can work from the comfort of your home and set the schedule the way it suits you the most.However, although being a freelancercertainly has its benefits, there are also a few downsides to the whole thing. One of those downsides is handling problematic clients more often than not. The fact of the matter is that freelancers are oftentimes not taken seriously by the companies that hire them.evalThat’s why as a freelancer you may experience inconveniences, such as missed or late payments, unrealistic expectations, client dissatisfaction and so on, quite often. Nevertheless, just because every project counts to a freelancer, you’re not about to let everyone simply walk right over you. With that in mind, here are a few ways to deal with problematic clients as a freelancer.How to spot a problematic client?evalIn most cases, you won’t know with whom you’re dealing with until you start negotiating the terms for the project in mind. Some clients tend to be quite cooperative with you only to become clients from hell later on.By that time, you’re already involved and you’ll have difficulties handling the situation. Therefore, try to spot the problematic ones as early as possible.For example, here are a few common scenarios that indicate problematic clients.Clients who don’t know what they want â€" these clients have a general idea in mind about a project, but they’re uncertain as to what they really need. You may make suggestions and recommendations to which they’ll agree, but they will most likely change their mind by the end of the day.Clients who like it, but not really â€" these clients are arguably one of the most problematic ones. They will like everything you do, until the very end. Once you finish the project or a milestone, they will come up with some trivia l reason as to why they are not quite satisfied with your work.The greedy bunch â€" these are the clients who try to get a bit of extra out of the project; without having to pay for it, of course. They can act quite surprised when you say you charge extra for that sort of work.Researching the clientOne of the best ways to know what you’re up against is to research the clientbefore you agree to work with them. This may be a bit more difficult to accomplish as not everyone discloses information about their company as transparently as they should.Fortunately, you can find at least one fellow freelancer who had dealings with that client in the past.If you run into information, such as the client was unwilling to pay, the client demanded too much, we didn’t hear from them in weeks and so on, you’d best avoid them altogether. You may miss out on a project but if a client is as problematic as others claim them to be, you might not get paid at all.Work under a contractevalA contract i s a legally binding document that can protect you both legally and financially from troublesome clients. Working under a contract should be a mustfor freelancers, unless you want inconveniences on your hands.In most cases, clients will be happy to sign a contract that outlines everything you’ve agreed on previously, which includes terms of payment, deadlines, quality of work etc.However, if a client wants to convince you that you don’t really need a contract, there’s a good chance that they might want to pull one over on you. Without a contract, there isn’t a way to protect yourself in case you don’t get paid or something similar.On the other hand, if a client doesn’t abide by the terms outlined in the contract, you can always take them to court and settle things there. Take care of unpaid invoicesevalIt’s no secret that the majority of freelancers get paid via invoices. That’s where problematic clients really tend to shine. Late or missed payments may hurt you finan cially and you must ensure your invoices are due on time. But how can you do that if a client is hesitating to pay your invoice?In some cases, it’s probably just a misunderstanding, such as a client didn’t see your email or they simply forgot to pay. You can settle that by sending a reminder or by calling your client on the phone. It’s always okay to give clients the benefit of the doubt. However, if a client is persistent in refusing to pay you, you’ll have to take the necessary steps to get paid.As an example, you can consider invoice factoring as a means to manage your debtors. You can send a warning letter in which you’ll mention a lawsuit. That usually wakes them up.Worst case scenario, you take them to a small claims court or regular court depending on the seriousness of the matter. If a client is problematic when it comes to payment, don’t hesitate to do what you must. It’s always to be polite at first but you cannot allow problematic clients to ignore you forev er.Define expectations for both sidesevalNegotiations with problematic clients may seem like a tug-o-war for the most part. You must do everything you can to set clear expectations on both sides. Tell your clients and educate them if you must on what’s possible and what’s not. Also, when it’s possible and when it isn’t. Some clients don’t understand what a deadline is.They may agree on it, but come running to you with “We need this yesterday!” That’s why it’s important to set up guidelines for the project and outline conditions for how the project will or should proceed.If you cannot reason with clients during the negotiations, you can expect additional problems as time goes by. If you’re able, say goodbye to such clients before you get any deeper. If not, then you’ll have to manage them somehow until the project is completed.Charge clients upfrontFreelancers have an opportunity to implement a payment system that works best for them. Regardless of the system yo u have in place, you should make it your practice to charge clients upfront. This activity can protect you from missed and late payments, as well as problematic clients who prefer to pay as late as possible.Make it your standard policy and make it known to clients before you agree to do work with them. Charging upfront oftentimes makes troublesome clients act straight from the beginning.evalIf you get paid at the end of the project, they may try to fool around with you. As an example, you can charge upfront based on the scope, the length and the complexity of the project.Charge 100% upfront many freelancers to this for small projects that don’t last too long. You get paid in full before you deliver your work. That way you avoid any payment hassles from troublesome clients.Charge 50-60% upfront â€" this is a good way to ensure payments on mid-sized projects. You get paid at least half of the price upfront and you negotiate the other payment terms.Charge 30% upfront â€" this payment method is ideal for longer, more complex projects. You get paid a portion upfront and you get paid for each milestone as the project progresses further.Being a freelancer isn’t as easy as everyone believes it to be, especially when you have to deal with all sorts of clients.You try to build a reputationso that you’ll get more work coming your way, which isn’t easy when you have to deal with problematic clients. In any event, look to protect yourself first from any inconveniences and don’t hesitate to turn down clients who may be more trouble than they’re worth.

Take Security Seriously Dont Let Criminals Destroy Your Business!

Take Security Seriously Dont Let Criminals Destroy Your Business! When you run a business it becomes your entire life, you pour blood sweat and tears into your venture to ensure it’s a success. A lot of the time, your business will be your sole source of income- you might have your entire life savings tied up in it. So when something threatens it, it can be worrying and frustrating. But it’s a fact of life, we have to protect ourselves against criminals and as an entrepreneur, this means protecting your business. Here’s how you can go about it. On Your Premises As a business, your premises will be home to lots of expensive equipment, stock, sometimes even cash that criminals would love to get their hands on. Burglars target businesses because they know the rewards are great, in the case of lots of shops and offices no one is around after closing time giving them opportunity to get in and out unnoticed. CCTV and a burglar alarm act as a deterrent as well as making it easier for them to get caught if they do still enter. A secure safe that’s hidden away and bolted down should house any valuables and cash. Be sure to have cash collected regularly, the more that you have sitting around the more you stand to lose if you are targeted. While methods to keep criminals out are essential, you still need to play it safe. Metal, lockable shutters that pull down over doors and windows are another effective way to keep criminals out. While these methods might not be a hundred percent guaranteed, because most burglars are opportunistic, making their liv es harder can often be all it takes to avoid being targeted. Online These days, it’s not just your physical premises you need to protect. With more and more business being conducted online, the more opportunity there is for security breaches. These aren’t just a problem for bigger business, many criminals actually prefer smaller companies as they know that in most cases their security will be easier to get past. Hackers gaining entry could mean anything from rinsed bank accounts to stolen customer details- since these can then be used for fraud purposes it’s the law to inform your customers. This can result in a big blow to your reputation and could put people off wanting to shop with you again. Upgrade to cloud based servers which are encrypted for security, and use good security software. Educate yourself, learn about ransomware protection and other attacks that you could be subject to and ways to defend against them. Even passwords need to be considered, often criminals gain access to businesses due to simple passwords being used. Update the m and be careful who knows them. Trusted, senior staff members should be the only ones with this kind of access. Just in Case Finally, if the worst were to happen either online or in person, having the right insurances n place mean that you wont be left out of pocket. Do your research, make sure you have the right insurances for your business and read the small print so you know exactly what you’re covered against.

5 things you havent tried to help you land a job -

5 things you havent tried to help you land a job - I know how frustrating it is for job seekers who think they are   doing everything they can, but still cant land a job. Its empowering to realize there are probably strategies you have not tried and new, assertive approaches to expanding your network and landing a job. Here are five things you may not have tried that can make a difference: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Seek speaking opportunities. Even if you are not employed, if you are an expert in a subject matter, you should be able to identify organizations interested in hearing you speak. Start locally by finding the Kiwanis and Chamber of   Commerce in your area. Identify local chapters of your professions organizations. Join, attend regular meetings, and volunteer to share what you know about topics that interest the membership. Toastmasters groups are terrific places to practice your presentation skills if you are not a natural public speaker. In addition to improving your communication skills, participating in Toastmasters will naturally expand your professional reach and potentially result in some great contacts. Benefit: Speaking in front of a group automatically provides you credibility. When you deliver useful information or new ideas, you solidify your position as an expert in the topic. The combination of these could help you literally find the perfect audience for your job search. Read the rest on my weekly U.S. News World Report column photo by owaief89