Interview What Inspires You - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Interview What Inspires You - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Most recruiters want to know the single most important thing about you, which is: do you know yourself? You may not hear the literal question, “what inspires you?” during a job interview. However, your being able to articulate what inspires you, may be the linchpin to scoring the job you want. Inspiration is that thing that keeps you going: the North Star of your career. In a media interview last week, I was asked, “What has been the single greatest driver behind your career?” What the interviewer was really asking is, “What explains the choices you made?” Does this sound like something you have to answer? You may need to answer, “what inspires you?” even when that’s not exactly the question on the table. In fact, you may need to address the nature of your inspiration in your cover letter or email, just so you can get a meeting with the recruiter or hiring manager. Is this you? Perhaps your resume leaves you open to an accusation of job-hopping. Or, you were fired or laid off, your job was eliminated, or you quit without much notice. Perhaps your work experience is varied. Perhaps you’ve moved from one industry to another. Perhaps your education doesn’t match your current aspirations. For example, I have a coaching client who studied to be a mechanical engineer, and did a stint in a manufacturing plant where she measured job performance on a production line. Every hour she sat watching employees and charting their widget production on a spreadsheet. She thought she would lose her mind. Turns out she isn’t suited to do the job she is educated to do. After taking one extension class in strategic marketing, Daria wants to transform herself. She wants to transition to marketing, without going back for an MBA. Of course she can. She simply needs to explain the source of her inspiration â€" NOT what is inspiring her change of mind. She needs to explain that the same thing that inspired her to study mechanical engineering is the very thing that inspires her choice to move into marketing. Here’s what I recommended she say: Of course it seems unusual to first ‘know’ that mechanical engineering was the best choice, and now know with equal certainty that marketing is where I belong. So, I want to explain the source of inspiration for my career choices. I love measuring processes and progress. I love finding the way to optimize, replicate and continuously improve what is successful in business. I found out that a marketing department needs this approach. The inspiration for my career is to be logical and systematic, in my thinking and contribution. Because marketing is creative and experimental in its approach to generating responses to advertising and other messaging, I can add value with a systems approach to assess what marketing programs are working. Do you have an unusual or problematic work history? Could you benefit from a story that explains what happened, and why you are a great hire? I will help you for free. Just tell me your problem. Email me at Nance@NanceRosen.com. Subject line: Inspire.

Create a Resume That Is Noticed

Create a Resume That Is NoticedUsing a Canada resume writing service is a smart way to get a competitive edge over the competition. A good resume should have a list of qualifications in addition to an excellent educational background and work experience. Although, there are ways to provide the needed information on your own, but this can be very time consuming and requires knowledge in certain areas which a professional resume writer is well versed in.The objective job description of a Canada resume writing service is to help you craft a well written, carefully written, professional resume that showcases your skill set in a way that is searchable and noteworthy. For example, if you are a social worker, an employer would probably want to know about your past work experience and the number of years you have been practicing. If you are an interior designer, they might want to know if you have used interior decorating software for your particular style of home design. In addition, your p revious education and certifications can also play a role in your overall resume.A resume writing service can save you time, money and allow you to be more organized as it is a matter of scheduling appointments with writers who specialize in what you are seeking. While hiring a full-time professional can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars, using a resume writing service can cut the cost by about 40%.With a good resume writing service, it is also a possibility that the writer will also take over the research required to develop your Canada employment application in addition to writing the resume. A professional Canada resume writing service can help you develop a well-rounded resume that is created to get your letter of interest noticed by employers.Every day, thousands of resumes are thrown into the dustbin because it is difficult to find employment these days, especially with today's job market being very competitive. Many times people may get disc ouraged when submitting a resume because they do not know how to be effective in this area. That is why it is important to work with professionals who can create a Canada resume that will be noticed by hiring managers.A good resume should include a section that allows the prospective employer to get a feel for your personality and work ethic. In order to get the most attention, you can use a Canada resume writing service that will not only review your resume, but will help you create a strong outline for the section where your personal highlights will be discussed. This can make the difference between your resume getting read and not being read.The best way to build a resume is to first outline the basic facts and qualifications that need to be included on the document. This gives you the outline that your hiring manager will be able to go through to select your resume, and this outline makes it easy for them to choose which section you should focus on for inclusion on your resume.A n excellent resume is a direct reflection of the skills, education and experience that a person has, and not necessarily the fact that it was written by a well trained and educated professional. With the help of a Canada resume writing service, your resume can be used as the first step towards landing a position that you are looking for. You can build the resume up slowly and build your qualifications and skills until your hiring manager knows exactly what you can do and how well you are qualified to perform the job.

Build Your Skills for the New Wave of Careers

Build Your Skills for the New Wave of Careers The workplace is always changing. That includes which skills are more in demand than others. I have identified three core areas that seem to be on the forefront of what hiring managers are looking for today, no matter if you are a teacher, engineer, doctor, secretary, or anything in between. How can a lone skill be in demand across so many different jobs? you might ask. Well, keep in mind that these areas are not the be-all and end-all. Each team, function and position will vary in the degree that these may be important. Plus, skills can vary across industry, function, and individual/team dynamics. There is no one size fits all approach because, just as people are varied, job skills can vary too.  For example, the skills required for a software engineer will definitely differ from those of a 1st grade teacher! Its important for you to determine what other job skills are needed for the specific industry or role you are considering. With that said, here are three skills considered among the most attractive in todays market. At the very least, understand how these skills may improve your candidacy for a new job or bring additional value to the job you already have. 1) Professional attitude interest A hiring manager once told me that the thing the it-factor so to speak that he looks for in every candidate is that they are nice. His view was that its easy to teach the technical aspects of some positions, but its hard to teach attitude. What I believe a lot of hiring managers are looking for is the degree to which the candidate will get along with other people. Their overall attitude that will inevitably come with them to work. Its possible to teach Java, but its harder teach respect. I believe this gets to the heart of what some people call communication skills. Its the ability to speak with assertiveness and without contempt when differing opinions happen. Ill be first to admit, that it comes with practice and self reflection! The other part of this is genuine interest in the work itself. During the interview, the interest level can sometimes be faked for the couple of hours you are interviewing. Over the months and years, interest is harder to come by. Be interested and find curiosity in your work sometimes it pays off because your curiosity can lead you to a promotion. People tend to like and follow people who bring a professional attitude and a high level of interest to the group dynamic. 2) Technological knowledge flexibility Well the age of technology isnt really all that new anymore. We have absolutely accepted the fact that learning and being familiar with technology is a necessity.  Not only at work. Some, including myself, would rather have wi-fi and a warm blanket than a heater and no Google!  So, what this means in the workplace is that if youre brain is natural at understanding logic and organizational charts or trees, this skill is in high demand everywhere. We all love our IT guys gals, but bringing that skill set in-house or to your department can make you invaluable. This skill set is a comfort with working with technology, being able to answer basic questions about programming languages and third party software to customize it to office needs.  Since technology will most likely continue to move rapidly, this high level of comfort and ease is attractive to almost every function. My suggestion if you dont feel comfortable, is try to learn a new software for fun.  Just see what you learn!  Especially about yourself. You may be surprised to find out that youre more impressive than you thought or, at the very least, that you can learn new tricks. 3) Analytical mindset Okay, this is huge right now. We are right on the edge of this wave and with enough savvy and interest, there is plenty of room to ride this wave.  It has to do with Big Data. The question is, what do we do with the influx of information that has never been available before in human history?  Managers and decision-makers in industries everywhere are looking for the skill set to take information and examine, dig deep, analyze and turn it upside down to understand how new algorithms and programming can help make profit or improve efficiency. Every business these days has a website and social media presence.  We are now able to track user experience by the second. So, how do we use it to make products better?  There may not even be titles yet for this, but many want the skill set because businesses are trying to figure this out before their competitors. If you dont know much about it, I suggest you Google big data or analytics. Brainstorm ways to use these before your next interview, it just might come up. Many managers have these three areas on their minds. See how you can pull in your experience in these areas to increase your value. If you are job hunting go a step further and research these areas to see where you can find an advantage out there in the job market. By Dawn Shaw|2017-04-21T18:16:43+00:00November 3rd, 2015|Career Management, Job Search|0 Comments

Think Up, Down and Sideways

Think Up, Down and Sideways Think Up, Down and Sideways Think Up, Down and Sideways February 9, 2010 by Career Coach Sherri Thomas 1 Comment When it comes to getting your next job you need to think outside the box. The biggest mistake job hunting professionals make is looking for a position with the exact same job title they had in their last job. To increase your job opportunities, consider looking at smaller companies and going one-level up (i.e. from a manager to a Director), as well as larger companies and going one-level down (from a Director to a manager.) Want even more job opportunities? Then start thinking “sideways.” Some companies don’t require you to have industry experience, only expertise in a specific job function. So if you’ve been in sales, finance, engineering, or administration in a specific industry (such as health care, high tech, or construction), start applying for those same job roles in other industries. For example, after working in an advertising agency, I searched for my next career move and included organizations that had in-house advertising, marketing and communications departments. In less than 60 days, I was hired as a Regional Marketing Manager at a Fortune 500 company in an industry that was completely new to me! Also, it’s not mandatory that you meet 100-percent of the requirements in the job description. In fact, I only met about 50-75% of the job requirements each time I reinvented my career! My secrets? Focusing on transferable skills, passion and confidence! A good rule of thumb is to have at least 75-percent of the skills and experience required, and express in your cover letter and interviews that you’re a quick learner, flexible, and passionate about the position and the company! For more career strategies, or to get personalized strategies based on your unique career situation, challenges and goals visit my career coaching web page.

How to use soft skills to get the job -

How to use soft skills to get the job - If you are extremely qualified, have terrific application materials, a targeted resume and youre interviewing for jobs, but always coming up with a silver medal, its possible that youre bumping up against an elusive category: likability. Also known in the industry as cultural fit, likability is a reason many candidates dont make the final cutâ€"the interviewers either didnt like them or didnt believe they would mesh well with current employees. One of the reasons that most employers dont provide specific feedback to a second-place candidate is because its difficult to explain why someone doesnt fit in. An employer can get in legal hot water for explaining that someone didnt get hired because the team just didnt like the candidate and couldnt imagine spending a lot of time together. Emotional intelligence, otherwise known as soft skills, is the category of skills most likely involved when evaluating likability or fit. Wikipedia defines them as Personal attributes that enhance an individuals interactions, job performance and career prospects. Unlike hard skills, which are about a persons skill set and ability to perform a certain type of task or activity, soft skills relate to a persons ability to interact effectively with co-workers and customers and are broadly applicable both in and outside the workplace. Soft skills include: attitude, communication skills, time management, critical thinking and a slew of other categories that do not relate to intelligence. Theres no question that soft skills play a role in most, if not all, hiring decisions. How can soft skills help you land a job? So how can you demonstrate these skills during an interview? Eddie Earnest from HigherNext, a company that offers the Certified Business Laureate (CBL) certification tests and credentialing system, suggests the following tips to help highlight these five soft skills during an interview. 1. Work ethic. Make sure to weave your thoughts about how important the companys mission and vision are to you and explain why youre willing to go the extra mile to help the organization succeed. 2. Positive attitude. Give examples of how you improved employee morale in a past position, or how your positive attitude helped motivate your colleagues or those you managed. 3. Communication skills. Your interview is a great opportunity to demonstrate how well you communicate, so be sure you prepare and practice responses to showcase your best skills. 4. Time management. This is a crucial skill many employers seek in their hires. Earnest notes, Its especially important for candidates who want to work in a startup to know how to manage their time, tasks and responsibilities effectively. 5. Self confidence. Earnest reminds job seekers, You can demonstrate self confidence at the interview by the way you present yourself, including how you dress for the interview, the way you approach to shake hands and how you speak about your experiences during the interview. Read the whole post on U.S. News World Report. photo by coofdy

The Hidden Facts About Writing Courses Resume Revealed by an Old Pro

The Hidden Facts About Writing Courses Resume Revealed by an Old Pro A simple resume template is going to be your very best bet. Keywords are only one part of customizing your resume to a particular job. The Bizarre Secret of Writing Courses Resume You don't need to purchase any course books. Work Experience In the current lesson, you will learn to turn job descriptions into advertising copy. Students learn in various ways through different tools. Teaching material comprises a combination of videos and written instructions on this week's topic. Alas, many job seekers become overwhelmed before they even begin. There are a few things that don't belong on a resume for work. Some people wish to set their education up top. There are lots of standard forms of resumes used to make an application for job openings. The Principles of Writing Courses Resume You Will be Able to Benefit From Starting Right Away The NCRW Certification Commission is composed of volunteers who are d edicated to promoting the greatest standards of resume excellence. Other people discover that professional writing courses online provide the flexibility they will need to have the ability to learn and write when they're really switched on. New courses start every month to make sure that we've got the right proportion of students to tutors readily available, please make certain you choose a starting date when you proceed through our shopping cart, at checkout. If you're just beginning the journey of finding your fantasy career or simply searching for a new position, Sound Advice can supply the resume writing and coaching expertise to make sure you're on the proper path to achieving your professional career objectives. Reading content backwardsawkward and time-consuming though it can beis an excellent way to catch minor mistakes that you could otherwise miss. Ideally, you'll want to locate a program, or a school, where you could rub shoulders with published authors and naturall y get personal feedback from a writer whose work you want. Thus, another novel writing advice is to look for editor's help and proofread so as to help you achieve superior output and skilled work.

Job Posting Closed on LinkedIn, Can I Still Apply - Work It Daily

Job Posting Closed on LinkedIn, Can I Still Apply - Work It Daily The following question came up recently in one of my JSAP (Job Search Accelerator Program) group coaching sessions: “I saw a job I’m perfect for on LinkedIn, but it’s closed. Should I still apply?” The answer is, “It depends.” Below is a video where I map out what to consider when you see a job that is closed and what steps you can take to make the most of the situation. Any time we see a job we feel we are a match for, we need to do something. But, if it’s closed, the steps we should take become less clear. Until now! Watch my video and I’ll tell you step-by-step what to do. Your Next Step If you are struggling to stay positive and motivated in your job search, then I suggest you watch all four videos from my new job search training. This video series is 100% FREE and designed to help you understand what’s going wrong in your job search. WATCH VIDEO NOW ? Image Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!