5 Ways To Expand Your Network

5 Ways To Expand Your Network Youve been told you need to expand your network. But that seems easier said than done. How do you meet more people? You want to expand your network or, as some call it, your sphere of influence. The more people who know about you, the greater the odds are that people you meet will know someone who may need your talents! But you dont want to sound like a desperate job seeker either. Information Is The Key The truth is, you arent looking for a job. Youre seeking information. And lets agree to stop calling it an informational interview. It isnt an interview at all. Its a conversation. Its a meeting. The term interview tends to send people running in the other direction. Only job seekers and career coaches use this term, and it reeks of, hire me, Im looking for a job. Who doesnt want to share information? Its flattering to be asked. And then theres this problem what will you say to someone you want to meet without sounding like youre looking for a job? Make Your Request Clear and Sincere Your request for a conversation must be sincere and free of hidden agendas. You will not ask for a job. You wont even mention the word job during your conversation. To help secure the meeting, make sure youre crystal clear in what types of questions and topics you plan on covering. Remember, networking is like dating, you dont hit a homerun on the first date.  Here is information on how to prepare for an informational meeting (questions to ask, etc). Include a link to your LinkedIn profile in your request to meet and you may even want to share your succinct value proposition. Want to learn more about creating a value proposition? Read this Not sure how to start conversations or what questions to ask during your informational meeting? Read  Networking Conversation Starters and Closings Tap Your Friends Friends Your friends would like to help you, but they usually dont know how. Do the heavy lifting and research whom your friends know. Look on Facebook and LinkedIn to see who is in their network and ask your friends for an introduction. Remember to be clear and sincere, even when making this request of a friend. Explain exactly why their contact is of value to you in your quest for information. And by all means, make it easy for your them to refer your request along. When crafting your request, be sure to contain answers to the questions who and why you want the introduction. Dont Just Lurk on LinkedIn Groups You have certainly noticed posted discussions on LinkedIn groups. Sometimes these discussions are questions, other times, they provide information. One way to begin a dialogue with someone you want to connect with is to read the posted discussion and ask a follow-up question relevant to what they shared. Generally, people who share information are open to conversations. Another way to approach someone in a group is to invite him or her to connect after you have carefully read his or her profile and have a reason to reach out. You may be interested in the company he or she worked for. Perhaps you graduated from the same college or with a similar degree and youre interested in learning how they started their career. Craft a Winning Request Almost any message is better than the default message LinkedIn sends. Take one second and insert your own words to personalize your reason for wanting to connect. Your message is limited to 185 characters, so you are forced to keep it short and sweet. Arnie Fertig, career counselor, On Careers blogger and owner of JOBHUNTERCOACH, recommends including these three elements in your introduction: 1. How you know or found the person the person youre inviting. Convey something uniquely personal. 2. Explain why you want to link up with him or her. 3. Present your offer of reciprocity. What do you think? Keep the Momentum Going Once youve connected or met with someone, keep in touch. There are many ways of staying top of mind, serving as a conduit of information is just one way you can maintain your relationships. Plan on sending your new contact an interesting article or send congratulations along when you hear or see special announcements about their company. Youre nurturing your relationship and staying top of mind. It is the strength of your relationships that will help you learn about future opportunities and meet new contacts in your career field. Looking To Do More Networking via Social Media? Ive got you covered. Check out this post. Post originally appeared on US News World Report On Careers

How to communicate better at work -

How to communicate better at work - According to this years annual job outlook survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the No. 1 skill employers seek from 2013 grads is the ability to verbally communicate with persons inside and outside the organization. Communication coach Marvin Brown, author of How to Meet and Talk to Anyone, Anywhere Anytime, agrees that communication is key to  success at work. Work is about relationships. With managers, co-workers, clients and customers, he says. To build a high-quality relationship, you need to establish trust, you need to be a great listener and you need to be friendly and easy to converse with. There are many ways to make a good first impression and raise your profile in the eyes of team members and bosses. Brown highlights these six key points to help you succeed on the job: 1. Communicate with intent.  Dont be lazy when you speak. While short-form communication, such as texting and tweeting, is commonplace, its  important in the workplace  to take extra time and effort to communicate specifically and to make sure what we say isnt full of clichés, nonspecific words like thing or fillers that we repeat so often that we dont hear ourselves saying them, for example, you know or like. Brown suggests: Think before you speak. Replace vague words with descriptive words. Try to hear yourself talk so your words have more value and your ideas have content. People will pay more attention to your ideas if you can express them well. 2. Dont pass up an opening to engage.  You never know what conversation at work will trigger an opportunity. Dont miss any chance to engage with people on the job. If youre in the elevator with your boss and she says something about the weather, thats an opening, an opportunity to engage, Brown says. Demonstrate that you can have a conversation. Look up from your phone long enough to make eye contact and  say something intelligent. There are bound to be opportunities to interact with new people every day in a work environment, but it can be easy to miss opportunities if youre engrossed in other things. Be ready to respond when someone casually engages in conversation with you, and dont be afraid to approach others with a friendly question or conversation starter. 3. Be yourself.  Youve heard this advice before: Just be yourself. But perhaps you never believed it would help. Trying to be someone youre not can be draining, so the best advice is to showcase your best self on the job. New employees often try to impress by being overly charming, Brown says. They feel the need to tell jokes, throw around fancy words and be the life of the cubicle. He warns that this act can easily backfire. Forget about being super eloquent, clever or pretentious. Be simple and direct. Trying to impress others will only come across as disingenuous and fake and you may risk alienating colleagues. 4. Use nonverbal cues to your advantage.  Body language  is as important as verbal language when it comes to making first impressions, giving your message impact and winning peoples trust, according to Brown. When greeting a work associate, look up from what youre doing, make eye contact and smile, he suggests. When you make the effort to engage nonverbally, you make the person feel important, which helps establish a relationship. 5. Focus on names.  Brown suggests: When meeting someone for the first time, say your name while extending a firm handshake. Research shows theyre 75 percent more likely to remember you. Also, make an effort to  remember the names  of the people you meet. Dont underestimate how impressive it is to be able to use someones name the next time you see him or her. 6. Take criticism gracefully.  Be open to constructive criticism. Brown says theres nothing worse than an employee or co-worker who wont hear feedback, gets defensive and impedes progress at work as a result. Try to listen to what the other person is saying about your work and try not to take it personally, Brown says. Its even better if you can respond by saying, Thank you for pointing that out to me, or Thats really helpful. You just did me a big favor sharing that feedback.' Be mindful of how you communicate and how your body language and persona either invite or push away people at work. Ultimately, the better your communication skills, the more likely you are to succeed in any workplace, so dont underestimate their importance. Originally appeared on U.S. News World Report.

Tips For Writing An Entry Level Resume For Someone With No Experience

Tips For Writing An Entry Level Resume For Someone With No ExperienceThere are several tips for writing an entry level resume for someone with no experience. Since the idea is to get the right person, the information should be relevant and filled with the correct information. These tips will ensure that the person who reads the resume gets a feel of what the applicant can do, not just for the position that the applicant is applying for, but for the position that they want to apply for.People with no experience are usually the same people who are trying to get some sort of job with a high salary. When you hire someone with no experience, it often means you are hiring someone who doesn't really know what they are doing. If you have a resume that is similar to this then the employer may end up dismissing your application and moving on to someone who does know what they are doing.A job seeker with no experience could actually land a job with a job description that involves things such as customer service. This job description could look very similar to a job applicant with experience. The difference being that if the person with no experience applies for a job, they may be told that they do not have experience in the field that they are applying for. When an employer finds this out, they will move on to another applicant who has experience that matches what the job applicant wants.Another way to get a feel for what kind of resume you should apply for is to look at what other applicants are sending out. A good strategy to use is to send out a sample resume with just enough information to get the job and a few samples of cover letters to get you some attention. This will allow you to feel what type of person you want to get.When you start to get the interview, make sure you bring the resume with you to the interview. It's only by keeping a note of the interviews that you will know how to write the resume.Do not give too much personal information about yourself in the resume. For example, do not name your boss or the person who is interviewing you. Do not use dates and locations. By keeping the information in the resume to the basics, you will be able to focus on the applicant and less on all the information that they may give.These are the top tips for writing an entry level resume for someone with no experience. Most of these points apply to any job application, so do not think that you are a special case. Keep your information simple and get the job for yourself.

Working Remotely 4 Ways to Stand Out to Your Boss

Working Remotely 4 Ways to Stand Out to Your Boss With technology enabling virtual work arrangements and flexible schedules, you may find yourself working out of the office or out of sight of your colleagues and management. This can be great for work/life balance, especially during summer vacations and as back-to-school season kicks into gear. But with added flexibility comes additional pressure to make sure your career prospects keep pace. Will your boss value work s/he doesn’t see day-to-day? Will management think of you come bonus or promotion time? Will colleagues question your commitment and competence? You don’t want out-of-sight to become out-of-mind when it comes to your career. Here are four ways to stay on your company’s radar even when you work remotely. Provide regular status updates What regular means will depend on how hands-on your manager is and how much the company culture values “face time.” Confirm with your manager how often and by what means (email update, scheduled meeting) s/he would like to hear from you. Even if your manager says a formal report isn’t necessary, keep a running tally of what you’re working on and what you have accomplished. This is useful for your next performance review anyway, and it keeps you on track, even if no one else sees it. Establish strong individual relationships Your manager isn’t the only person you need to build a relationship with. You want to know your colleagues, as well. If you need information for something you’re working on, you want to easily be able to get help. If you need a vacation day, you don’t want to have difficulty finding someone to cover you. If you want to be kept in the loop about company business and critical developments, having allies throughout the company will ensure you’re updated and informed. Since you won’t be chatting around the water cooler, make a deliberate effort to check in by email or phone. Read: These Are the Best Companies If You Want to Work from Home Show up Even with regular and thoughtful virtual communication, you should still plan on showing up in-person even if you don’t technically have to be in the office. It’s helpful to put a live face to the emails and phone calls. Having lunch builds a more personal connection. You also want to know the office vibe firsthand, and be able to recognize any changes over time. Get results â€" i.e., give no reason to doubt your commitment or capability All of the above will just be window dressing, however, if you’re not getting your work done. So first and foremost, make sure you’re covering the responsibilities of your role. If your function yields measurable results, are you hitting your targets? If you serve clients, are you expanding relationships, getting repeat business and hearing positive testimonials? If your work relies on others, do your colleagues want to work with you? Do an honest self-assessment of your work because you won’t get real-time feedback from the workplace. Read: 5 Brilliant Ways to Stay Connected If You Work from Home Knowing how to navigate a remote workplace may come up even if you never work virtually. You may manage regional offices or have vendors or consultants who work offsite. How will you keep your remote colleagues front-of-mind? Whether as an individual contributor or a manager, you want to effectively manage for career advancement for both live and virtual work arrangements. Caroline Ceniza-Levine is a careers expert and the author of Jump Ship: 10 Steps to Starting a New Career.

The Most Important Steps In The Job Search Process (That You Might Be Forgetting) - Work It Daily

The Most Important Steps In The Job Search Process (That You Might Be Forgetting) - Work It Daily Job search encompasses a lot of dedicated time and effort to obtain that ideal job. The saying goes that looking for a job is a full-time job, and it is exhausting. That’s when cutting corners comes in, when being burned out may cause an excellent candidate to miss an opportunity. You may overlook deciding to research about the companies you are applying for, and figure if they call you back you can research later. The Most Important Steps In The Job Search Process Are... ...researching your target company in a few different ways. Researching an employer before, during and after applying is crucial to the job application process because of the impression it gives the employer about you and your work. The information you receive will not only give you guidance but could also land you the job for showing how much you care about the job opening and (more importantly) the business. Here are some places and people to gather information from during your research: Company Website Most companies create a corporate website in today’s technological age. The first instinct that a job seeker may have is to skip right to the “Careers” section and start applying. Instead, try starting in the “About Us” section. Any company personnel reviewing resumes, or interviewing candidates, holds the expectation that you have read the information in this section. “Company, Inc. is one of the leading fashion design and marketing studios in the world. It designs and markets women’s and men’s designer collection apparel and a range of other products that are manufactured and marketed through an extensive network of licensing agreements and other arrangements worldwide.” A cover letter statement that would complement the above company information would be: “My resume will demonstrate my extensive experience as a worldwide fashion designer. I believe I can be an asset to Company, Inc., one of the leading fashion design and marketing studios in the world.” Companies often have mottos, or slogans, that are usually involved in some sort of sales pitch to obtain clients and demonstrate a company goal. These phrases are found on their website or even commercials. When you explain how you can contribute to their company goal using their self-created image, you’ve demonstrated that you’ve done your research. Company Insiders Networking is crucial to finding employment as a contact can provide you with a job lead before posted publicly. A contact can also give you information about the company culture so you are better prepared during an interview. Knowing someone who works (or worked) for a company you are interested in is not always easy. However, today’s digital age provides us with social networking tools (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter) to connect with individuals. More and more employers are creating accounts on these social media sites that can provide more information about the company. Search Engines Typing an employer’s name into a search engine can provide you with an idea about the company’s detailed history, new articles or reviews about performance which can help complete a picture for your job search. You may find negative information that may discourage you to apply as well. Just remember to take everything you’ve learned about the business as a whole and try not to focus on individual sites or content. ALSO: Don't forget to check the company's financial status. Is the business making money or on the economic decline? Obtaining a company’s recent financial history is important to know if you’ll be there for a long term career, or just a job. A constant economic decline may signal a worse fate for the company and may not be the type of investment to which you are willing to commit. You can possibly obtain financial information about the employer through newspapers, business websites or even the stock market. Completing the research aspect of job search involves a lot of reading and analyzing data. When a job seeker sacrifices information gathering to apply for more jobs, it will signal to the employer that you’re not really interested in the opportunity. The interviewer will ask why you are applying for this company, and when you provide a detailed response about corporate mentality and business goals, you stand out as a viable candidate. Combining thorough research with all of the other job search steps, you can make yourself a front-runner for whatever positions you apply for. Enjoy this article? Check out these related categories: Resume Advice Cover Letter Advice LinkedIn Advice Networking Advice Interview Advice Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!

3 Ways To Recharge Over The Weekend... Without Giving Up Your Phone

3 Ways To Recharge Over The Weekend... Without Giving Up Yur Phone Former Padmasree Warrior, CEO of NextEV, and former CTO of Cisco is known among circles of high-achieving women for taking a digital detox day during the weekend. While Warrior was in a uniquely demanding managerial and leadership role, she was senior enough to be able to make that conscious decision. For many of the rest of us, thats simply not realistic. Even those of us who dont work outside the home at all on weekends know what the all-wise Oprah is known for saying Women put themselves last on the listbelieve its okay to be a sacrificial lamb within their own families.The challenge for women is that they must re-language what it means to be a wife and a motzu sich. Being a good wife and mother means that if you dont take care of yourself, in the long run you are ultimately harming all the other people you love in your life. This is true of single women as well, who are often the ones taking care baskets to sick f riends, attending birthday parties and events for family members or even on babysitting duty.So how do we balance the fact that we may have managers or families or friends that need to reach us, and are demanding time of us during the weekend when many of us simply want to put up our feet for a few moments?Here are 3 ways to recharge over the weekend. None of them necessarily take a very long time, but they create the space for you to rejuvenate and become better for all the people and responsibilities that need you1. Get some exercise.Movement is truly healing. Whatever your level of physical fitness, take a lesson from Ellyn Shook, CHRO of Accenture who has written about the importance of exercise to her productivity and health. There is ample evidence that the body doesnt distinguish between physical and psychological stress, and that in either case, the body (and mind) suffers. That is why regular exercise is important to improving your mood, as well as fighting anxiety and depr ession. Especially if your weekday work is largely sedentary, make it a point to just take a quick walk. You dont have to be a gym rat in order to reap the benefits of physical movement. 2. Get some extra sleep, and barring that, simply lie down for a few moments. Sometimes this isnt possible but many times, its just that were not making the time. Even those of us with newborns can try to nap when our babies nap. And for the rest of us, it can be worth it to go to bed a bit early one night instead of staying out late at a party. Listen to your body and you will emerge from the weekend, recharged and at your best. Arianna Huffington, founder of the Huffington Post has written a compelling book all about the importance of sleep, and how it was a discovery she made that impacted her career in positive ways. 3. Take time to do nothing. Consciously.Non-stop work takes its toll. While you might be able to answer another email, write another report, add another analysis to the presentati on youre making, without a true mental break you are simply not going to be creative and see the bigger picture. Doing nothing means different things to different people, but it generally means taking your mind and body off of whatever it is that youre normally fixated on (whether thats your family, friends, or work). For high-octane professionals, its often very difficult to accept the concept of doing nothing. Everyone has their own version of what this meansbut it usually means emerging feeling more rested than before you did it. Heres hoping youre getting some rest this weekendHave you found it hard to really relax over the weekend or found any methods that help you unwind? If so, share your advice and opinions with other women in our community.Fairygodboss is committed to improving the workplace and lives of women.

Unbiased Report Exposes the Unanswered Questions on Resume Writing Hiring and Firing

Unbiased Report Exposes the Unanswered Questions on Resume Writing Hiring and Firing Previous lazy management or only the growth of the company will mean they no longer fit. This article is geared towards outlining ways of handling schwierigkeit employees and making certain the company doesnt suffer in the very long run. You might find it interesting to know that a few corporations get so many resumes they actually have computers reading them. The Benefits of Resume Writing Hiring and Firing If youre hiring just a couple of employees, you dont will need to create an entire handbook, but you ought to give some thought to the sorts of reasonable rules your company requires. If youre asking for a job which has unique requirements, you might need another edition of your resume to completely demonstrate your qualifications. Rule No 1 There are two different sorts of resumes. Developing a nursing resume is difficult, notably since there are not any rules. So, based on all of th at, my theory on firing is to receive in and escape the meeting as fast as possible. If youre requested to provide a demonstration of a possible firing, be certain to be firm with the man and make the reasons clear. The firing meeting is merely inherently awkward. It is not a place to give constructive feedback. The Hidden Treasure of Resume Writing Hiring and Firing When youre asking for a job which you want to remember to individualize to the job and the man or woman to whom youre sending it. Youre fully conscious of the job which you want. When you wish to land that ideal job then you must have a stellar resume. Nowadays youve just got to get the perfect job. Resume Writing Hiring and Firing Features Your ability to discover jobs as an arbeitszimmer manager, or some other portion of the country, will largely depend on your willingness to take the appropriate actions. When applying for most jobs, you would incorporate all your previous work experience, irrespective of w hether its related to your present career targets. All candidates interviewed but not selected for a particular opening ought to be notified of the results of the search by the department. Everything in your resume must align with what theyll be searching for in candidates. The hiring manager doesnt expect you to be perfect. At times, after investigating, you can choose not to fire the employee after all. The recruiter and hiring manager are more inclined to side with your prior employer if you begin to play the blame game. In its core, however, the job of any HR manager is precisely the same namely, to set and enforce healthful employee-employer relations. While theres absolutely no absolute method to avoid a terminated employee from filing an EEOC charge, there are steps that you can take to lessen the likelihood that this sort of complaint will be submitted. Each departing employee ought to be treated with dignity, respect and honesty, while being given the right info and untersttzung required to make superior decisions. If you neglect to inform an employee of their rights under health program, you can be held responsible. The employee who is most dangerous to your company is the person who thinks they are likely to get fired, not the one that you fired quickly. The Characteristics of Resume Writing Hiring and Firing The keywords in your resume can help you get selected for a work interview. For instance, you may require a resume summary or a resume objective, but you ought not incorporate both. In the market today, you may most likely must search for many diverse jobs and various varieties of jobs in buchen to have that one special job offer. Because resumes differ dependent on the particular industry or even the particular job, examine the job-specific resume examples weve provided.