How To Create a Personal Brand That Moves Your Career Forward [FB LIVE] - Classy Career Girl

How To Create a Personal Brand That Moves Your Career Forward [FB LIVE] Hey ladies! During the month of August, Im answering your questions on making career transitions and discovering what your dream career is. Every Tuesday, I’m  going to be on Facebook live to answer one of your questions. Today were talking about how to create your personal brand for your career growth. Todays question is from Iiris Murto: A question about personal branding: the majority of the advice Ive seen about branding is for your business and/or creative work. And thats all wonderful! But Ive found it really difficult to find the applicable points to something more boring and less flashy, such as my field (sports economics and analytics). How would you go about building a captivating and dynamic personal brand when your area of expertise is inherently just looking at numbers and your field is mostly male. As someone who loves baking and high heels AND a good set of data, Im wondering: how to mix all these often conflicting aspects and demands into a coherent personal brand that will help me move forward in my career? Great question! You have no idea how similar our career histories are. I spent 8 years at a consulting company doing a lot of data and analytic work, a lot of financial work, and a lot of project management. It was a very male-dominated field. It was a great job and I was getting promotions and raises, but I knew it wasnt my future or my vision. I knew I couldnt spend 30 years doing the exact same thing. Halfway through my eight years, I realized I needed to create my own personal brand for my next level. I thought long and hard. Where will I be in 5 years, 10 years? Where do I want to be? What is my vision? What do I want to do next? I was in no rush to do this because I had job security and a financial cushion, but I still wondered: whats the next step? Thats major, so I would push you to start thinking about that. When I started thinking about my vision, where I wanted to go and what I wanted my career to look like in 5 to 10 years, I realized I needed to do something for my own personal brand to meet that vision. I know I couldnt get to my vision if I kept doing what I was doing and thats what pushed me to create my brand. Halfway through my career, I started a blog. I was putting out content based on where I wanted my career to go and what my vision was. A few years after that, I was able to use that personal brand I made on my blog to get new jobs. I added my personal brand to my resume. I created everything myself and got job offers and opportunities because I spent years building my brand. That personal brand I built helped me get my next job, which was a Professor at DeVry University. I got offered a job as a professor for career development and leadership. I only got that job because I had created a personal brand (it was my dream job!). Social media and branding are not just for entrepreneurs! Here are 3 things you can do today to discover how you should brand yourself so you can move your career forward. How To Create a Personal Brand That Moves Your Career Forward 1. Evaluate Your Vision Where do you want to be in about 5 to 10 years? Where do you see yourself? What skills and experiences do you need to get there? Evaluate your network and do some informational interviews. Do you want to stay within your current company, or do you want to transfer to a different company? Do you want to be in a different industry? What does your brand need to be to get you there? One of my favorite sayings is, What got you here wont get you there. Youve probably already experienced success in your career, but what got you here isnt going to get you to that next level you envision. Personal branding all starts with your vision. Even spending 15 minutes journaling and making your vision board will help you develop a personal brand. 2. Create Your Dream Resume What do you want to have on your resume in 5 to 10 years? What experiences do you want? Create your dream resume. You can be anyone and get any job you want! If you were applying for your dream job, what would you need for that? I would highly recommend creating that resume for yourself. I would also suggest making your dream job description. You can get some ideas by looking at job descriptions online, but I want you to focus on what you want first. Usually, when we jump online to look at jobs, we focus on whats in front of us rather than what we actually want. What is your dream job? Create your dream job description (seriously!). 3. Create Content Create some sort of content online. In this age where technology is ever-prevalent, there are so many opportunities you can find to create content online. You can see through my story how many new opportunities and jobs I was able to get just by blogging. Create original content that expresses your personal brand online and on social media. You could write a blog, post on LinkedIn, write statuses, or create your brand on Twitter. Pick one for now and use that one form of social media to be your platform that starts building your reputation and personal brand. Put out content on what you know. When I started my blog, I started putting out content, answering questions like I am right now, and I started blogging about my company, the brand I was creating, and the experiences and skills I was  learning. I was working on my MBA at the time, so I was blogging about what I was learning in the program and demonstrating my expertise. Thats how I got job offers. People would land on my blog, google me, check out my website, and see that I knew my stuff. I was being compared to other applicants who didnt have an online resume blog or portfolio and that made me the obvious pick because they could plainly see that I did have the knowledge they needed in a candidate. Medium.com is a great place to start putting your information out there. Theres a lot of people reading and writing on there, so you can start building up your profile on there and really reach people. Iiris: create an Instagram with the things you love to bake, your clothing (heels!), and communicating your knowledge and expertise on data and analytics. You want to combine a way for people to get to know you a little better, but also show you have experience and expertise. If I were starting out now rather than 7 years ago, I would probably start out on Instagram and post every day with my content under my photos. So, to summarize, really think about where you want to be and skills you need for that, create your dream resume and job description and start creating content online. Youll be well on your way to creating your personal brand! On September 5th we are holding a 4-part virtual workshop to determine what your dream career is. Dont miss out!  You can grab your free spot here:  The Get Unstuck Workshop

How To Ace Your Next Performance Review

How To Ace Your Next Performance Review Photo Credit â€" Jobacle.comNo one is particularly excited about job performance reviews. Even managers don’t exactly relish the opportunity to criticize their employees’ performance every year. Similarly, employees hardly enjoy the extra scrutiny of their work. Therefore, emotions can run high during the performance review season.A job performance review can be quite stressful. It ranks right up there with a public speaking or moving houses, and it is certainly not among the favorite things for any professional. In fact, many employees find them quite inaccurate and many times, unfair. On the other hand, managers and supervisors consider them as mere formalities.The very fact that a performance review plays a part in increasing your chances of promotion or even affects other areas of your job is enough to cause agitation and stress. However, when conducted well, performance reviews can help strengthen an organization’s overall performance. After all, employees’ individual pe rformances determine corporate outcomes.evalEither way, performance reviews are part and parcel of professional life, so you need to know how to handle them effectively.Still not feeling up to par?Here are three ways to get more confidence and ace your next performance review:1) Be prepared at all timesevalYour manager or supervisor will likely not run into you in the hallway and say, “Hi, we need to do your performance review right now. Would you please walk into my office so that we can get it over with?” Many organizations have set calendar days or months for performance reviews. Either way, you will need to be prepared at all times.Get into the habit of tracking your goals and your progress as you move along. You don’t want to scramble around and try to dig up everything at the last minute.By keeping an ongoing log of your accomplishments will help you be more confident and prepared to take a performance review at a moment’s notice. You could include a bit more detail li ke specific results, some challenges you overcame, or even some clients’ testimonials.That said it is also important to put down your achievements when they are still fresh. It will help you track your results and adjust accordingly as you move along and may also help you answer tough questions during the performance review.evalWhen your performance review, then all you’ll have to do is just organize all the information, convert it into a presentation and take it with you to the meeting.2) Remain calmWhile this easier said than done, staying calm will score you some vital points. You will project an air of confidence, which will help you get a foot in the door. Anxiety and stress can eat away at you, especially when waiting for feedback from your manager.Shove those negative thoughts to the side and take up some positive affirmations instead. Pick out one short affirmation that will help you stay calm and focused.Envision a great outcome for the meeting with an affirmation that stirs up positive energy. Take a couple of deep breaths before you enter the meeting room and say to yourself, “I will ace this performance review!” When you go in, sit comfortably and check on your breathing regularly.evalIt also pays to prepare mentally before the meeting. Single out any potential problems that your manager might pick out and figure out how to address them beforehand. If they are out your hand, come up with creative or better ways on how to handle those issues. When they come up during the interview, you won’t panic or struggle to address them.3) Thank your ManagerNote that your manager may just be as uncomfortable as you during performance reviews. Thank them for their time as well as their feedback and let them know that you appreciate their work. However, you do not need to turn into a schmoozer, as that could be counter-productive.You’ll not want to come out like a wet noodle and in constant need of an extra helping hand. Just thank them at the beginni ng and the end of the interview. Consider also sending them a thank you note or email after a few days.In fact, doing this at the beginning of the meeting helps to set a positive tone for the meeting. It will essentially send a signal to your manager that you are open to discussing anything that needs to be tackled during the entire review. This will also set the stage for open and productive communication. It may give you an opportunity to bring up some of the personal issues related to your work that you could not bring up during group discussions.Is your next job performance review coming up soon or just concluded?Share with us some of your own tips and tricks in the comments section.

Is your job search position clear to others - Hire Imaging

Is your job search position clear to others - Hire Imaging One of the biggest mistakes I see with job seekers is in not being prepared with a positioning statement. It’s one of the most important tools in your job search kit. What’s yours? Your vital communications tool You’ll use your positioning statement or pitch in conversations throughout your job search in networking and interviews. You’ll use written variations of it in your resume, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles or other communications. It responds to a request that you are likely to hear quite frequently during your talks with people: Tell me about yourself. It’s actually a great opportunity for you to concisely and confidently position yourself with others who might be able to help you. 4 things in brief Write your statement, challenging yourself to keep it shortâ€"under two minutes. After you’ve written it, practice it out loud so that it comes out naturally and unrehearsed. Shape it around these areas: Line of work. First state your professional identity in the present tense (I am a Financial Analyst). Create a vivid personal image by associating yourself with your true profession and/or professional level (rather than your previous job title or organization). For example, even if your job title is Director, you might consider Sales Executive a truer picture. Expertise. When talking about your expertise, focus on competencies and skills. For example, a logistics executive might talk about competencies in carrier and vendor negotiations, multimodal transportation or multi-partner distribution. An automotive engineer might discuss competencies in ISO initiatives, design innovation, structural simulation or specialized technology skills. Types of organizations / settings. Sum up the organizations or settings in which you’ve worked, such as a Fortune 500,   entrepreneurial business, government agency, non-profit entity or small consulting firm. Insert types of activities, such as taking a leadership role, representing the company with your community or a professional association or participating on a board or committees. Unique value. Articulate what differentiates you from your competition, emphasizing a particularly deep (and marketable) technical knowledge, an exceptional approach to finding solutions to problems, or something else that sets you apart from others in your field. Here’s Jack’s positioning statement. I am an operations and finance executive with an MBA, Master’s in Manufacturing Engineering, and Six Sigma Green Belt credentials. I have extensive experience in manufacturing operational responsibilities, including mergers and acquisitions, due diligence, synergy analysis and continuous improvement. I’ve been particularly effective in turnaround leadership, financial restructuring and process improvement to drive organizational performance and EBITDA. Most recently, I led initiatives generating over $25 million in aggregate annual cost savings. You can use different methods to introduce strengths and expertise. The key is to create a clear impression of value to potential employers. As with most of your job search communications, you will likely continue to tweak and refine your statement. You’ll be armed when that tell me about yourself question pops up! Posturing clearly! Looking good! Photo: woodleywonderworks

How to Get Paid for Doing What You Love

How to Get Paid for Doing What You Love There are jobs, and then there are things you love to doâ€"that you wish were jobs. But do you know how to get paid for doing what you love to do, not just a piddling boring job? Believe it or not, being paid for something that you love to do is entirely possible. You simply have to find a way to do it, and, with some careful planning, you can do it. First, decide what it is you love to do. Is it knitting, carpentry, or even computer work? Some people love to plan and cater events; others love to provide rides forpeople. Once you have decided what it is that you want to do, start to look at it as something that you might like as a jobâ€"to build into a business. What supplies and/or tools will you need? Will you need a vehicle, or not? Start to look around at possible places to get your supplies at a cheaper rate than you might at the local stores. Discount stores exist, and even if they are not nearby, perhaps it would be worth the cost of shipping to have the supplies sent to you. Your potential customer base is another issue to think about. Consider what it is that you are going to be doing, and decide how many people would pay you for it. Event planners, for example, are absolutely needed in cities like New York City or Washington, DC. However, the need for an event planner may not exist in Gold Coast, Oregon. Be aware of the need for your skill. Now that you do know how to get paid for doing what you loveâ€"or the basics of itâ€"consider some finer points. Advertising yourself so that your business will do well can be an issue. Whether your advertising will cost a lot to begin with is up to you. Should your business be something like a virtual assistant, take advantage of cheap online directories to advertise yourself. Go to freelancing sites to find jobs that you can bid on to start out as a virtual assistant, and build your resume’. Classified ads in the newspaper will workâ€"but only in your local area unless you use a major newspaper. Consider other options as well. If you are going to want to do one-on-one work, such as driving for people, don’t forget to employ word-of-mouth as a resource. Take advantage of using the people that you know for suggestions. Do they know someone that needs a driver, or an event planned, and would be willing to recommend you? Build a website, pure and simple. Use it so that you can know more about how to build to get paid for doing what you love. If you are willing to come to someone’s home to fix their computer, tell about your skills and prices for your help on the website. Add a blog to it, to chronicle your experiences. Being paid for something that you love isn’t too hardâ€"you just have to plan it out well. Dig in with some determination as well, and success will be yours.

Using a Resume Writing Service From Fort Worth TX

Using a Resume Writing Service From Fort Worth TXHiring a resume writing service from Fort Worth is simple, affordable and will give you the necessary help in writing your resume for any job opening or job search. There are many benefits in using resume writing services Fort Worth TX. Here are some of them.All the help you need for writing resumes is provided by the company. You do not have to hire a copywriter or even a professional to complete the whole writing process. It is all made possible through this outsourcing firm. They are professional in giving help to writing resumes, thus you can have your job done fast and well.With the help of the resume writing service, you will be able to find out the best job openings. You will be able to see the ads of the firms as well as find their contact details on the website of the firm. There will be a link to the website of the hiring firm on the website. Thus you will be able to get hold of the vacancy and do the right job for the right company.Resume writing service is not limited to just these three types of jobs but there are many other services too. It can help you with job openings in marketing, advertising, human resources, teaching, accounting, engineering, hospitality and many more. You will be able to find out about the job openings and its requirements from them. Thus you will be able to do the right job to get the job that suits you best.When you are looking for job openings in the internet, you will be able to get a list of the job openings that are advertised on different websites on the internet. Thus it is easy for you to see them and then go through the list of the companies to find out the best ones. They will guide you through the process of finding a suitable company for you. resume When you get the resume written by the resume writing service, it is much easier for you to read it. You will not need to read the resume every single time. With the help of the resume service you will be able to read it only if you are satisfied with it.Hiring a resume writing service from Fort Worth TX is an easy task that you can do for yourself. They will guide you through the entire process of writing resumes which means you can have your job done fast and well. Therefore you will need to employ them to get the job done.

Are Most Job Openings Unadvertised

Are Most Job Openings Unadvertised Q: Is it true that 80% of job openings are never advertised? I always hear the statement that “You know, 80% of job openings are never posted or advertised.” What do you think? Is this statement true or false? What has been your experience? If it is true, how are 80% of these jobs getting filled then? How can job seekers find these jobs? If it is false, why do people make these kinds of statements? Read More: My nosy coworker keeps joining my conversations A: From everything I can see, it’s false. It may have been true 30 years ago when it first started getting thrown around, but I don’t know it was true even then. 80% is crazy high. It’s not that some jobs don’t go unadvertised; some do! But that 80% figure doesn’t seem to be anywhere close to the reality. Jonathan Blaine has a good discussion of this here. As for why it keeps getting repeated, it’s being repeated by people who don’t know any better, who aren’t thinking critically about it or testing it against their own experience, and who in some cases have something to gain by convincing job seekers that finding a job is a mysterious thing they need to pay for help doing. Read More: How can I get my coworker to stop rambling and get to the point? Q: My coworker keeps interrupting me We hired a new member of our team almost a year ago now, and her work product is generally fantastic. She’s been well received by our team and people she works with on other teams, from what I’ve heard. Unfortunately, she has been a bit difficult for me to work with. She is constantly interrupting and correcting me, even when she isn’t correct about her correction. I’ve tried giving her the floor when that happens and just ignoring it, and also tried just continuing my thought as though she didn’t ignore me, but this morning it got to a breaking point. She asked me a question and halfway through my sentence interrupted me with her own answer. I’m not sure if anyone else has experienced this or not, as I haven’t brought it up with a colleague or our manager. On our team of six, I was the youngest until she was hired. It could be that nobody has told her yet and she just needs some coaching. It could be other reasons, but I don’t think it’s right to speculate on those. Is it reasonable to bring it up with her in private? If so, how would you phrase it? Or better to bring it up with our manager? If so, how would you go about that? I know it seems childish to complain of someone interrupting you, but it’s gotten to the point where I feel disrespected. A: I’d actually bring it up in the moment, which will make it less of a big deal than a whole separate conversation. From now on when she interrupts you, call it out! For example: * “Actually, please hang on â€" I wasn’t done.” * “Please let me finish.” * “Whoops, I was still talking. As I was saying…” It’s possible that a few times of this will solve the problem. But if it doesn’t, then after one of those interruptions I’d say, “I’m not sure if you realize, but you interrupt me a lot. Would you be more vigilant about letting me finish my thought before you jump in?” Read More: This is a resume and cover letter that work These questions are adapted from ones that originally appeared on Ask a Manager. Some have been edited for length.

Career Comics Funny Caption Contest #14 - Work It Daily

Career Comics Funny Caption Contest #14 - Work It Daily PLEASE NOTE: This contest is officially over. The comment section was print screened and the winner was notified by e-mail. Any additional votes will not be counted. Do you think you're funny? Prove it! In the comment section below, write out the funniest caption you can think of for the picture on the right. Whoever has the most votes by 11:59 PM ET on Wednesday, April 27 will win! How to Enter 1. Look at the picture and think of a funny caption for it. 2. Type your winning caption into the comment section below. Don't forget to use a valid e-mail address when entering your name on the comment platform so we can contact you if you win! 3. Hit the 'Like' button on your comment. That's one vote. Hurray! Now, show your funny caption to all your friends and tell them to 'Like' your comment, too. Why You Should Play The winner will receive the following: FREE half-hour of personal career coaching with CAREEREALISM.com Founder, J.T. O'Donnell [Value = $75] FREE PDF copy of J.T.'s book [Value = $9.95] More friends [Priceless] Rule: No swearing or inappropriate humor. Basically, you can be funny but not really funny. Hint: Use your social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) to ask for votes. That way, all your friends will know how funny you are. Disclaimer: We cannot guarantee you will make more friends from your participation in this contest. Photo credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join For Free!