Job Search Tip Get A Coach (someone who will hold you accountable)

Job Search Tip Get A Coach (someone who will hold you accountable) I got this tweet a couple of weeks ago from Craig Murden: I have blogged about this before in the following posts: The Professional Job Search Creed 1 of 10 (November 17, 2006) I Have A Coach Do You? (July 16, 2007) I Hate My Coach (August 21, 2007) A job search coach would have significantly changed my job search here are two reason why: I was doing the wrong stuff in my job search, but I didnt know it.   I spun my wheels, and got frustrated, but didnt know I should do something else. I had no accountability to anyone.   Everyone treated me with kid gloves since they didnt know how to ask if I was still unemployed.   Its a touchy subject that many dont ask about. Now, you can PAY for a coach, or you can find a buddy, as Craig suggests.   Either are okay options, in my opinion.   During my job search I didnt think I could afford a coach, and Im not sure if I was ready to be a good client of a coach. I have seen, however, many job seekers find someone they can be accountable to from job search clubs essentially their job search peers.   Some of those relationships lasted beyond the job search, which I think is pretty cool.   I think there are two keys to a coaching relationship: Principle-based methodology. If someone is your job search coach and they tell you to do bad stuff (like spend all your time on job boards, or apply to newspaper ads 100% of the time), you have the wrong coach. This is where a professional job search coach comes in not only are they principle-based, they have a lot of experience with their other clients that will help you keep your job search as short as possible. Accountability. You must be accountable to someone for your weekly (daily?) goals and targets.   This CANNOT be your spouse, as your spouse is TOO close to the emotional outcome of the job search.   I know career coaches who wont coach their spouses Do you have a coach?   If not, go get one.   In the link above, the first point in the Job Search Creed is to get a coach. JibberJobber partners with coaches and resume writers.   If you are looking for a professional coach or resume writer, let us know and we can send your info to our Partners.   Most of my Partners specialize (by industry, profession, level, etc.) so you might be a fit for some and a misfit for others. Job Search Tip Get A Coach (someone who will hold you accountable) I got this tweet a couple of weeks ago from Craig Murden: I have blogged about this before in the following posts: The Professional Job Search Creed 1 of 10 (November 17, 2006) I Have A Coach Do You? (July 16, 2007) I Hate My Coach (August 21, 2007) A job search coach would have significantly changed my job search here are two reason why: I was doing the wrong stuff in my job search, but I didnt know it.   I spun my wheels, and got frustrated, but didnt know I should do something else. I had no accountability to anyone.   Everyone treated me with kid gloves since they didnt know how to ask if I was still unemployed.   Its a touchy subject that many dont ask about. Now, you can PAY for a coach, or you can find a buddy, as Craig suggests.   Either are okay options, in my opinion.   During my job search I didnt think I could afford a coach, and Im not sure if I was ready to be a good client of a coach. I have seen, however, many job seekers find someone they can be accountable to from job search clubs essentially their job search peers.   Some of those relationships lasted beyond the job search, which I think is pretty cool.   I think there are two keys to a coaching relationship: Principle-based methodology. If someone is your job search coach and they tell you to do bad stuff (like spend all your time on job boards, or apply to newspaper ads 100% of the time), you have the wrong coach. This is where a professional job search coach comes in not only are they principle-based, they have a lot of experience with their other clients that will help you keep your job search as short as possible. Accountability. You must be accountable to someone for your weekly (daily?) goals and targets.   This CANNOT be your spouse, as your spouse is TOO close to the emotional outcome of the job search.   I know career coaches who wont coach their spouses Do you have a coach?   If not, go get one.   In the link above, the first point in the Job Search Creed is to get a coach. JibberJobber partners with coaches and resume writers.   If you are looking for a professional coach or resume writer, let us know and we can send your info to our Partners.   Most of my Partners specialize (by industry, profession, level, etc.) so you might be a fit for some and a misfit for others. Job Search Tip Get A Coach (someone who will hold you accountable) I got this tweet a couple of weeks ago from Craig Murden: I have blogged about this before in the following posts: The Professional Job Search Creed 1 of 10 (November 17, 2006) I Have A Coach Do You? (July 16, 2007) I Hate My Coach (August 21, 2007) A job search coach would have significantly changed my job search here are two reason why: I was doing the wrong stuff in my job search, but I didnt know it.   I spun my wheels, and got frustrated, but didnt know I should do something else. I had no accountability to anyone.   Everyone treated me with kid gloves since they didnt know how to ask if I was still unemployed.   Its a touchy subject that many dont ask about. Now, you can PAY for a coach, or you can find a buddy, as Craig suggests.   Either are okay options, in my opinion.   During my job search I didnt think I could afford a coach, and Im not sure if I was ready to be a good client of a coach. I have seen, however, many job seekers find someone they can be accountable to from job search clubs essentially their job search peers.   Some of those relationships lasted beyond the job search, which I think is pretty cool.   I think there are two keys to a coaching relationship: Principle-based methodology. If someone is your job search coach and they tell you to do bad stuff (like spend all your time on job boards, or apply to newspaper ads 100% of the time), you have the wrong coach. This is where a professional job search coach comes in not only are they principle-based, they have a lot of experience with their other clients that will help you keep your job search as short as possible. Accountability. You must be accountable to someone for your weekly (daily?) goals and targets.   This CANNOT be your spouse, as your spouse is TOO close to the emotional outcome of the job search.   I know career coaches who wont coach their spouses Do you have a coach?   If not, go get one.   In the link above, the first point in the Job Search Creed is to get a coach. JibberJobber partners with coaches and resume writers.   If you are looking for a professional coach or resume writer, let us know and we can send your info to our Partners.   Most of my Partners specialize (by industry, profession, level, etc.) so you might be a fit for some and a misfit for others.

Why Resumes Should Be PDF Not Word - Algrim.co

Why Resumes Should Be PDF Not Word - Algrim.co Should your resume be a PDF or Word file when you send it? And what should you send your resume as? A PDF or Word file? This is a great question for all job seekers. Sending the right file type can mean a world of difference for your hiring manager and reader. Let’s jump into why this matters and what you should do when sending your job application by email or through a job portal. Why It Matters To Send The Correct File Type Some employers have preferences for the type of files that you send them for your resume. This might be defined through their job or career portal. When you go to send your resume, it may only accept Word files. Why would they do this? The answer is because they might use tools like Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), which scan resumes for keywords. They scan resumes for keywords like “Stanford” or “Adaptability” which bubble your resume towards the top of the priority list for the hiring manager. They use tools like this because they often receive thousands of applications for jobs posted online and it can take considerable amounts of time to sift through each resume. What If PDF and Word Are Both Accepted, Which Do I Send? If your job application through the career portal accepts both Word and PDF, which do you send? Or maybe you’re going to be sending your application through an email. Then which file format do you send? The answer: PDF Why send PDF files not Word files? When you send a Word file, you risk the reader not being able to open your file. Microsoft Word allows you to save Word documents under a number of their versions (which are based on the years that Microsoft Office Suite product was in existence). If you send a Word file made from the latest version of Microsoft Office, your hiring manager might not have that same version and it becomes impossible for them to open your resume. You’ll see this be the case when you’re asked to save your file as either a “.doc” or a “.docx” which is where compatibility becomes an issue. This is why PDF files are best. They are a universal file type. This means regardless of your hiring managers operating system (Windows or Apple) they will be able to open your PDF file. In addition to compatibility being the biggest factor, they can zoom in on your PDF file quite easily. All PDF files are exported in vector format, meaning they can be zoomed in and out for the reader infinitely. This is helpful to know in case you use 9-point or 10-point font size, which looks great when printed but can be small to read on the desktop computer Lastly, PDF files are small in their file size. Meaning, your reader won’t have to spend time downloading a large file in order to read through your resume. What Should I Send My Cover Letter As? It’s not just your resume that you should send as a PDF file, your cover letter, reference list, and letters of recommendation should also be in PDF file format. This will make your entire job application asset package be the same file format, which makes it easy for your hiring manager to open and read as well as keep organized under your Human Resources file. What If They Want to Edit My Resume? This is one of the disadvantages of sending your resume as a PDF file, they are not editable. But here’s the thing, your hiring manager wanting to edit your resume would be an odd request. They aren’t here to review your resume. They are presently reading your resume to see if you’re qualified for the position you’re applying for. If you’re concerned about the fact that your reader can’t edit your resume, don’t be. They shouldn’t be editing your resume, to begin with.

Five steps to make yourself great

Five steps to make yourself great The best way to get control of your career and stability in your life is to be great at what you do. Superstars are not out of work right now. Really. Even in finance. If you have an amazing track record in your field of work, youll have a job. And if you need to change jobs, or adjust what youre doing, youll be able to do it if youre great at what you do. Here are five steps to follow: 1. Aim to be great at something that matters in the world. The process of being great is long and hard. It requires you to try a lot of stuff to figure out the intersection of your gifts and what the world will pay for. Its hard to be great at something you have to stop doing. But thats the reality you face if you are going to be a star performer. Its about self-discipline. When I was in graduate school, my writing professor was reviewing my writing, and he announced to the class, She writes the best sex scenes I have ever read. Week after week she surprises me with her wry, funny, salacious approach. I had to look up the word salacious to make sure it was good. Then I had to stop writing about sex. Because it was clear to me that being great at writing literary sex is too narrow. The greatness is so small it doesnt matter. Greatness needs context that has value. 2. Expect that being great will entail many levels of disappointment. So I got a job in a marketing department in a Fortune 100 company where we spent lots of time talking about whether HTML accommodates a proper em dash. I felt sad, for sure, that I had given up the process of novelizing my sex life. But at that point, I had also given up some other stuff that I was really good at but could not achieve greatness: Beach volleyball, for example. I was good enough to have games against the US Olympic team. But I was never going to be good enough to save myself from getting my butt kicked. Since then, I have tried a lot of stuff that Im good at, but not great. I wrote a book. It got great reviews, but you know what? Im not going to write a New York Times bestseller. I dont have the patience for the long format or the long-term investment in promoting a book. (Warning to the uninitiated: It takes, literally, a year of preparation to promote a book properly.) 3. Try starting and stopping; we feel desperate to do what were great at. I think what makes me great is something at the intersection of blogging and entrepreneurship. Both are time-consuming and most people fail at both, and because of that, I have tried to stop doing both. I cant stop. But I still have to figure out: At this intersection of blogging and entrepreneurship, where am I special? Where am I a star? I am always searching and trying new things. 4. When you know whats special about you, refuse work outside of that. Some things fail. Like the polls on my sidebar. I wish it were working. Because I think that part of what makes me great is that I love hearing what other people think about the topics Im thinking about. But the poll strikes me as disingenuous. The choices are limiting so I dont really find out what people are thinking. And then I feel like a fake running a poll. And I am certain that whatever I am great at will include authenticity of some kind. So the poll is a distraction from me figuring out how to be great. I need to get rid of that poll. Another thing Ive done is public speaking. I would say that Im in the top 10% of all speakers. This is not scientific. Its my instinct. I get a lot of feedback. Including my fee. And my fee is high and my feedback tells me that Im special. This doesnt mean that I am perfect, but it means that the greatness I already have in the field of public speaking, and the synergy it has with other things Im great at, like, blogging (ideas) and entrepreneurship (sales) means that I should keep working on it. I need to speak slower. I need to stop using the F word. But working on that is a good investment for me. (Look. Heres a speech I gave at Cornell University.) 5. Quit quickly if you wont be great. You dont have time for mediocrity. I thought that because Im great at speaking and great at ideas, Id be great at radio. So I agreed to do a radio show with Webmaster Radio. But heres something I didnt realize about radio: Its actually about social skills. You need to be a great conversationalist, and you need to be able to read what someone will do next in conversation. You know why I write so much about social skills on this blog? Because mine are so sub-par and I have to work so hard at learning how to make myself less awkward socially. So radio is never going to be my strength. And heres another reason I know: because people are, at their core, honest, caring, and supportive. And people will tell you, effusively, if you have exceptional talent at something. Because its fun to see great talent, and fun to be a part of watching it bloom. And people do not say that with me and radio. They say they like the show, but I know what it is like when people think I have huge talent. So I am not doing my radio show anymore. Because maybe Im good, but I wont be great. And I dont have time in my life to not be great.

Degree from a Top University That Dont Impress Me Much

Degree from a Top University That Dont Impress Me Much Most marketing professionals have a degree. Generally, the recruiter wouldnt bat an eyelid as long as the education section in your LinkedIn doesnt make claim to a PhD from the University of Life. At executive-level hires, HR probably wont check your employment history either, and so a little hike in degree grade or institution isnt going to crackle with deceit on the printed page; for the most part itll go under the radar. A degree is not the be all and end all Why be pre-occupied with university at all? According to the Department of Business, the difference between entry-level salaries of graduates and those who didnt go to university are at an all-time low. Enough people simply arent asking this question. Im interested in those that do; the degree-less CV will always catch my eye. Where candidates have forgone their presumed place at University and have achieved something in their formative years suggests mettle and imagination: two characteristics essential to talent at an executive or Board level. But most recruiters just want a safe bet. They know what a safe bet is because a degree tells us just that. All recruitment is fee-based, and the logic of the recruitment consultant follows that the candidate they find most impressive will be the candidate that is most conventionally impressive (surely an oxymoron if Ive ever heard one). This fallacy usually comes down to the recruiters inexperience in their particular sector. Safe hiring  is a habit that needs to be broken It does not help that safe hiring is an entrenched attitude in the UK. Those who arent particularly good at their job are able to nominally thrive in an organisation, working steadily to the top, where theyll be in the position to hire like-minded â€" and ultimately unadventurous â€" candidates to fill their shoes. Often candidates are hired for a reason as simple as proficiency, which is as simple as a degree. Institutionalised averageness abounds, but then again, youre rarely disappointed if youve set the bar at competent. It follows that success is interchangeable with mediocrity, although fortunately, the two are not indistinguishable. A good recruiter can spot genuine talent, and a CV without a degree is often a clue. My ears prick up when I head to the education section and see â€" nothing worthwhile. Ill then scan the page excitedly to see what the candidate has done instead. Whether theyve had a stint in the army, trained to be an athlete or travelled to a distant corner of the globe to learn Pekingese, as long as they havent spent three years stacking shelves at a supermarket, theyve got my attention. Not going to university can place a chip on your shoulder, and youd be surprised how far that can advance your professional life. Deciding your future at a young age At age 17, youre asked to fork out thousands of pounds you dont yet own to take a course that will inform â€" if not decide â€" your future career. And if you have the sense to see that, at this age, you might not be best placed to make life-defining decisions, and instead try to make something of the little you have, then youre a step ahead. After having established your interests outside of university, you can poke your head round the door later in life. Education is wasted on the young anyway. By their nature, universities process young talent and qualify worth by a common measure but real talent comes from being able to qualify your own worth. With the exception of vocational degrees, the experience needed to succeed comes from ingenuity, motivation, and hard work (in that order). Some people dont want to get stuck in and prefer to exist as part of a pre-prescribed model, and theres nothing wrong with that. Between their degree, their place on a graduate scheme and their middle management position, theyll do just fine. Where university used to be the preserve of the educated elite, they are now â€" for many institutions â€" run as an enterprise, which recognises its own role as a default setting for young adults. Their attendance is expected from their family, society and the government. By saying stuff it and achieving something besides, youre blazing your own trail and you might have something genuinely interesting to say in interviews too, rather than singing from the same hymn sheet as the thousands of other graduates struggling to gain a foothold. Life experience is often more interesting than a good education If you didnt go to university and you invested your time and money into something else, youre interesting. You can do new things, you can thrive in unfamiliar surroundings, youre ready to take the reigns and control the business, take risks and move the organisation in the right direction. In the field of digital marketing and Ecommerce, hundreds of executive and Board-level positions appear everyday. The market is one of the most highly changeable and potentially lucrative spaces to invest â€" and thats why not going to university impresses me so much. By showing the ability to work outside of the norm, rather than simply being content with the present, youre dreaming of new ways to decide the sectors future.

The Most Important Tips on Writing a Federal Resume

The Most Important Tips on Writing a Federal ResumeThe most important tips on writing a federal resume are to create an easy to read, clean and fresh-looking document. You should make sure that it is readable and no one will be able to guess what your documents are about.Before you start with your federal government work experience, choose a format which suits you best. There are plenty of formats available. The two most popular are the chronological and the functional approach. Read and decide which one you are most comfortable with.Before you can write your federal government work experience on a document, you must write an essay first. It is very important that you write an essay about your experiences in the government. This is the core of your resume. While doing this, make sure that you have created a thesis statement. This is something you will use to describe why you are qualified for the particular job that you want.When writing an essay, keep your main points to a minimum a nd focus on particular requirements which are relevant to the position that you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for a position in the field of human resources, write about your experiences as a supervisor of personnel and their development. On the other hand, if you are applying for a position in the process of investigation and evaluation, then talk about what you have done in this field. Always remember that you have to use specific job titles for the essay.Another important tip on writing a federal resume is to keep it to two pages. This is one of the most common mistakes made by candidates who do not follow this. They end up writing too much, resulting in a long and unwieldy document.One of the most important tips on writing a federal resume is to include a two-page summary of your career achievements and educational background. It will be best if you create this summary at the beginning of your document. This will make it easier for you to find everything tha t you need.Other tips on writing a federal resume include the use of specific job titles. If you want to use specific job titles, make sure that you put them at the top of your document and then list the specific position that you are applying for.One of the most important tips on writing a federal resume is to be detailed and concise. Write the best possible resume that you can to show the best side of yourself.

Summary Sunday Inspiring Twitter Chats and More

Summary Sunday Inspiring Twitter Chats and More Certain days we find ourselves more inspired, motivated, charged, jazzed, energizedyou know the feeling right?   Can you replicate those scenarios?   Maybe not exactly, but many times, Ive found that because I put myself out there (attended an event, participated in something, met with someone), Ive stumbled onto something or someone thats energized me.   Thats what I am talking about, step out!   Re-create opportunities for yourself to be exposed to new ideas or like-minded thinkers! This week I came across #HFchat! (Fridays from 12-1 pm EST) HF stands for HireFriday, an initiative started by @HRMargo otherwise known as Margo Rose. To learn more about HireFriday, please read Margos post! The   co-moderators of #hfchat also include @tombolt @AvidCareerist. As I watched the stream of tweets, I was impressed by three things, the people, the quality of the content and the subject matter- tweet critiques/twitter profiles!   I couldnt help but follow what was going on, then, I had to share what I thought to be interesting thoughts of others, then, I had to chime in my own two cents.   This is a transcript of what was discussed so that you can read it at your leisure.   If you are looking for smart people to follow on Twitter, follow the folks who participated here.   The other thing I hope you notice is that opinions differ.   Thats always a good thing, it gets you thinking and asking questions!   (Because you may not click through on the link above, here is a teaser of the transcript from this weeks #hfchat courtesy of @animal) If you are tempted/interested to see what happens during a Twitter chat, your next great opportunity is Monday, December 6th from 8-10 EST called Mega Job Hunt Chat! 6 job search related chats combine into one huge event!   Just follow #megajobhuntchat. Here are some other posts this week to get you thinking! A LinkedIn Profile that Works from The Wise Job Search What My Parenting Coach Taught Me About Job Search from CareeRealism Communicating Who You Really Are Online and Off by Malcolm Levene on HuffingtonPost New Research Finding on Social and Career Networking from Tims Strategy And by the way, if you havent read ALL the Career Collective posts on dispelling common myths surrounding job search, you can get them all here!

Career Management Is Not For Me

Career Management Is Not For Me I write a lot about managing your career. I also know a lot of people who dont want to do this or at least say they dont care about a career. (They dont read my blog either.) They want time with their family or time to do things THEY want to do. Climbing the corporate ladder is not their thing. My friend Kelly doesnt see herself as a career enthusiast. She works part time and fits that in around her familys schedule. She views attending meetings as an interruption to her personal life and a drain on her wallet. She has zero desire to network for the sake of meeting new people in her field of work. Kellys desire is to be a mother and take care of her family. Her interest in her career is very low at this point in her busy life. There are lots of Kellys out there- people who have priorities and values which dont really include a career. I get it. Though Kelly doesnt think she is managing her career, she is. Here are some reasons why: Her work does require her to interact with other departments and she does a phenomenal job at managing these relationships. She is a life-long learner. Though Kelly doesnt read trade publications, she does talk with others in her field regularly to learn whats going on. She also has maintained the certifications necessary to work in her field. She has developed a reputation of being fair and honest and hard working. Kelly would never use LinkedIn or Twitter. Shell never have a blog. But she doesnt need to. What Kelly does day after day is develop a reputation as an expert among her peers. She does this by doing her job well. She plays nicely with others. She seeks out information and is current in her knowledge. Kelly is being true to her personal values. She is a survivor. She understands relationships. She shows interest in others 100% of the time. For those of you thinking, Kelly has a job, I can tell you that she has been a job seeker more than once and every time shes searched, shes found something and it didnt take her long. I hope this helps those of you who say you just want a job. I know it has helped me understand that theres more than one way to manage a career!