Winners of the Month Much to learn from this

Winners of the Month â€" Much to learn from this Note: Lots to write here, not enough space. I was planning on giving this award to 60 people this month, which would be worth $3,600. Alas, it only goes to a fraction of that. Read on So Ive been following the Jobster layoffs for a few weeks (sorry to bring it up again it had pretty much died down), and found a most intriguing thread on Matt Martones blog. The big question boils down to So these guys get terminated and were supposed to jump to action to help them? What about the billions of others that lose their jobs? You can see my response in there, the 17th comment. I think its pretty brilliant :p It doesnt really matter what your position is, the bottom line is there are about 60 people that have been put out on the street (thats what I heard, not sure what the final numbers were), and they have to find a new gig. It is interesting because Jobster is the company to watch, and it has been watched. The CEO gets criticized for his blog style (I think his style is great, and he makes no excuses for the transparency (although he does kind of apologize for calling Monster a crap product), and news like this layoff has lots of people talking (lots of recruiters that blog, that is). Im not taking a position. I think its a cool tool, and its definitely different. But back to the winner of the month I have found a number of ex-Jobster professionals that I want to feature as winners this month. Note something different this month is the use of their LinkedIn profiles, which I need to blog about in another post. There would have been 60 awards this month, if all 60 of them got it. But read on, for the interesting outcome. Dana Bos Co-founder and Editor of ThreeImaginaryGirls.com. Freelance Content Guru. Danas LinkedIn profile and her ThreeImaginaryGirls are totally complementary and scream I know my stuff! I know web content. I know podcasting. I know how to communicate online. The fact that she had the role of Website Producer/Content Manager at Jobster tells me that she could cross industries easily. You need to check out her LinkedIn profile and constrast it with her Jobster profile it is very interesting (and something to consider based on your target companies)! While she doesnt have a blog or her own personal branding website, shes posted these profiles on comments of at least one other blog. Rob Humphrey talent professional if you want to see You Get It in action, go check out Robs profile. He blogs in multiple places (DigitalRecruiter, TriangleAtWork and CareerCowboy) and uses the SquareSpace.com very effectively to present himself and his achievements. You cant spend 10 minutes on this guys sites and NOT get an appreciation for his breadth/depth. Terrific stuff, presented very, very well. Sara Elkins Strategic Account Manager no website, no blog but shes obviously spent some time on her LinkedIn profile it looks very nice (read: its way more fleshed out than mine). This is a topic for another post but you can learn a lot by comparing your LinkedIn profile with hers, as she has all the right stuff. If you are in the mode of improving yours, check hers out and then read this post about improving your profile by Guy Kawasaki. Heather Gray Sales and Marketing VP this took a little poking around I got her resume from her Jobster profile page, and then found a blog address (it isnt active). But she does have a LinkedIn profile yahoo! Interestingly, her resume does a ton more for her personal brand than her LinkedIn profile but at least she has one. Ive just looked at 10 other Jobster profiles that dont have a LinkedIn profile, or a blog, or a website, or well, anything more than their Jobster profile. Heather can do some more work here, probably have an excellent blog a la Kent Blumberg style and be the thought-leader in this area her resume is super impressive and Id love to learn more about her breadth and depth through a blog hint hint! Ariel Stallings two writers in one on her website theres a section to go to see about being an author, and one about being a copywriter. And she advertises other services (like blog consultation hm, I wonder what shed do to change my blog!). Her website is great, has lots of information about her passions, skills etc. This is a good time to highlight the way Jobster has profiles its kind of like an interview where she has questions, and she has responses. These are NOT dry questions, mind you. They are more like casual conversation or regular conversation that you would get into the first time you met. Kalindi Kunis Marketing Communications and Product Management Kalindi had a resume on her jobster profile that had a link to her LinkedIn profile. Feel like Im stretching here, as far as substantiating her personal brand? I do too but thats okay it goes along with the theme this month. Her LinkedIn profile has interesting information, and I learned a lot about her from the resume+LinkedIn profile. At least she has two instances of using the web to help her brand and finally thats it. Thats all I found :(. Out of supposedly 60 reductions (love the term?), only 40 had their profiles on the Jobster site in this category. And out of these 40, this is all I found that had any substantiation of their personal brand. Im amazed to not see more blogs. Actually, I was amazed that so many (past) employees of a web 2.0 company that has a very active CEO blogger havent done much to substantiate their personal branding online. Before I went through the 40 profiles I thought Id have a TON of reading to do, going over each of their blogs. But I guess the reality is that too many people are spending all of their time on their job and no time on their career management. Sorry for the morbid note, I wont end on that! For all those mentioned here, you get the exceptional prizes of a cyber-high-five, a link on my blogroll (if you have a site so far this is just Rob and Ariel), and six months of premium access to JibberJobber! Good luck to each of you (and those not mentioned here), and please continue to pay attention to your career management even after you land your next dream job! Winners of the Month â€" Much to learn from this Note: Lots to write here, not enough space. I was planning on giving this award to 60 people this month, which would be worth $3,600. Alas, it only goes to a fraction of that. Read on So Ive been following the Jobster layoffs for a few weeks (sorry to bring it up again it had pretty much died down), and found a most intriguing thread on Matt Martones blog. The big question boils down to So these guys get terminated and were supposed to jump to action to help them? What about the billions of others that lose their jobs? You can see my response in there, the 17th comment. I think its pretty brilliant :p It doesnt really matter what your position is, the bottom line is there are about 60 people that have been put out on the street (thats what I heard, not sure what the final numbers were), and they have to find a new gig. It is interesting because Jobster is the company to watch, and it has been watched. The CEO gets criticized for his blog style (I think his style is great, and he makes no excuses for the transparency (although he does kind of apologize for calling Monster a crap product), and news like this layoff has lots of people talking (lots of recruiters that blog, that is). Im not taking a position. I think its a cool tool, and its definitely different. But back to the winner of the month I have found a number of ex-Jobster professionals that I want to feature as winners this month. Note something different this month is the use of their LinkedIn profiles, which I need to blog about in another post. There would have been 60 awards this month, if all 60 of them got it. But read on, for the interesting outcome. Dana Bos Co-founder and Editor of ThreeImaginaryGirls.com. Freelance Content Guru. Danas LinkedIn profile and her ThreeImaginaryGirls are totally complementary and scream I know my stuff! I know web content. I know podcasting. I know how to communicate online. The fact that she had the role of Website Producer/Content Manager at Jobster tells me that she could cross industries easily. You need to check out her LinkedIn profile and constrast it with her Jobster profile it is very interesting (and something to consider based on your target companies)! While she doesnt have a blog or her own personal branding website, shes posted these profiles on comments of at least one other blog. Rob Humphrey talent professional if you want to see You Get It in action, go check out Robs profile. He blogs in multiple places (DigitalRecruiter, TriangleAtWork and CareerCowboy) and uses the SquareSpace.com very effectively to present himself and his achievements. You cant spend 10 minutes on this guys sites and NOT get an appreciation for his breadth/depth. Terrific stuff, presented very, very well. Sara Elkins Strategic Account Manager no website, no blog but shes obviously spent some time on her LinkedIn profile it looks very nice (read: its way more fleshed out than mine). This is a topic for another post but you can learn a lot by comparing your LinkedIn profile with hers, as she has all the right stuff. If you are in the mode of improving yours, check hers out and then read this post about improving your profile by Guy Kawasaki. Heather Gray Sales and Marketing VP this took a little poking around I got her resume from her Jobster profile page, and then found a blog address (it isnt active). But she does have a LinkedIn profile yahoo! Interestingly, her resume does a ton more for her personal brand than her LinkedIn profile but at least she has one. Ive just looked at 10 other Jobster profiles that dont have a LinkedIn profile, or a blog, or a website, or well, anything more than their Jobster profile. Heather can do some more work here, probably have an excellent blog a la Kent Blumberg style and be the thought-leader in this area her resume is super impressive and Id love to learn more about her breadth and depth through a blog hint hint! Ariel Stallings two writers in one on her website theres a section to go to see about being an author, and one about being a copywriter. And she advertises other services (like blog consultation hm, I wonder what shed do to change my blog!). Her website is great, has lots of information about her passions, skills etc. This is a good time to highlight the way Jobster has profiles its kind of like an interview where she has questions, and she has responses. These are NOT dry questions, mind you. They are more like casual conversation or regular conversation that you would get into the first time you met. Kalindi Kunis Marketing Communications and Product Management Kalindi had a resume on her jobster profile that had a link to her LinkedIn profile. Feel like Im stretching here, as far as substantiating her personal brand? I do too but thats okay it goes along with the theme this month. Her LinkedIn profile has interesting information, and I learned a lot about her from the resume+LinkedIn profile. At least she has two instances of using the web to help her brand and finally thats it. Thats all I found :(. Out of supposedly 60 reductions (love the term?), only 40 had their profiles on the Jobster site in this category. And out of these 40, this is all I found that had any substantiation of their personal brand. Im amazed to not see more blogs. Actually, I was amazed that so many (past) employees of a web 2.0 company that has a very active CEO blogger havent done much to substantiate their personal branding online. Before I went through the 40 profiles I thought Id have a TON of reading to do, going over each of their blogs. But I guess the reality is that too many people are spending all of their time on their job and no time on their career management. Sorry for the morbid note, I wont end on that! For all those mentioned here, you get the exceptional prizes of a cyber-high-five, a link on my blogroll (if you have a site so far this is just Rob and Ariel), and six months of premium access to JibberJobber! Good luck to each of you (and those not mentioned here), and please continue to pay attention to your career management even after you land your next dream job! Winners of the Month â€" Much to learn from this Note: Lots to write here, not enough space. I was planning on giving this award to 60 people this month, which would be worth $3,600. Alas, it only goes to a fraction of that. Read on So Ive been following the Jobster layoffs for a few weeks (sorry to bring it up again it had pretty much died down), and found a most intriguing thread on Matt Martones blog. The big question boils down to So these guys get terminated and were supposed to jump to action to help them? What about the billions of others that lose their jobs? You can see my response in there, the 17th comment. I think its pretty brilliant :p It doesnt really matter what your position is, the bottom line is there are about 60 people that have been put out on the street (thats what I heard, not sure what the final numbers were), and they have to find a new gig. It is interesting because Jobster is the company to watch, and it has been watched. The CEO gets criticized for his blog style (I think his style is great, and he makes no excuses for the transparency (although he does kind of apologize for calling Monster a crap product), and news like this layoff has lots of people talking (lots of recruiters that blog, that is). Im not taking a position. I think its a cool tool, and its definitely different. But back to the winner of the month I have found a number of ex-Jobster professionals that I want to feature as winners this month. Note something different this month is the use of their LinkedIn profiles, which I need to blog about in another post. There would have been 60 awards this month, if all 60 of them got it. But read on, for the interesting outcome. Dana Bos Co-founder and Editor of ThreeImaginaryGirls.com. Freelance Content Guru. Danas LinkedIn profile and her ThreeImaginaryGirls are totally complementary and scream I know my stuff! I know web content. I know podcasting. I know how to communicate online. The fact that she had the role of Website Producer/Content Manager at Jobster tells me that she could cross industries easily. You need to check out her LinkedIn profile and constrast it with her Jobster profile it is very interesting (and something to consider based on your target companies)! While she doesnt have a blog or her own personal branding website, shes posted these profiles on comments of at least one other blog. Rob Humphrey talent professional if you want to see You Get It in action, go check out Robs profile. He blogs in multiple places (DigitalRecruiter, TriangleAtWork and CareerCowboy) and uses the SquareSpace.com very effectively to present himself and his achievements. You cant spend 10 minutes on this guys sites and NOT get an appreciation for his breadth/depth. Terrific stuff, presented very, very well. Sara Elkins Strategic Account Manager no website, no blog but shes obviously spent some time on her LinkedIn profile it looks very nice (read: its way more fleshed out than mine). This is a topic for another post but you can learn a lot by comparing your LinkedIn profile with hers, as she has all the right stuff. If you are in the mode of improving yours, check hers out and then read this post about improving your profile by Guy Kawasaki. Heather Gray Sales and Marketing VP this took a little poking around I got her resume from her Jobster profile page, and then found a blog address (it isnt active). But she does have a LinkedIn profile yahoo! Interestingly, her resume does a ton more for her personal brand than her LinkedIn profile but at least she has one. Ive just looked at 10 other Jobster profiles that dont have a LinkedIn profile, or a blog, or a website, or well, anything more than their Jobster profile. Heather can do some more work here, probably have an excellent blog a la Kent Blumberg style and be the thought-leader in this area her resume is super impressive and Id love to learn more about her breadth and depth through a blog hint hint! Ariel Stallings two writers in one on her website theres a section to go to see about being an author, and one about being a copywriter. And she advertises other services (like blog consultation hm, I wonder what shed do to change my blog!). Her website is great, has lots of information about her passions, skills etc. This is a good time to highlight the way Jobster has profiles its kind of like an interview where she has questions, and she has responses. These are NOT dry questions, mind you. They are more like casual conversation or regular conversation that you would get into the first time you met. Kalindi Kunis Marketing Communications and Product Management Kalindi had a resume on her jobster profile that had a link to her LinkedIn profile. Feel like Im stretching here, as far as substantiating her personal brand? I do too but thats okay it goes along with the theme this month. Her LinkedIn profile has interesting information, and I learned a lot about her from the resume+LinkedIn profile. At least she has two instances of using the web to help her brand and finally thats it. Thats all I found :(. Out of supposedly 60 reductions (love the term?), only 40 had their profiles on the Jobster site in this category. And out of these 40, this is all I found that had any substantiation of their personal brand. Im amazed to not see more blogs. Actually, I was amazed that so many (past) employees of a web 2.0 company that has a very active CEO blogger havent done much to substantiate their personal branding online. Before I went through the 40 profiles I thought Id have a TON of reading to do, going over each of their blogs. But I guess the reality is that too many people are spending all of their time on their job and no time on their career management. Sorry for the morbid note, I wont end on that! For all those mentioned here, you get the exceptional prizes of a cyber-high-five, a link on my blogroll (if you have a site so far this is just Rob and Ariel), and six months of premium access to JibberJobber! Good luck to each of you (and those not mentioned here), and please continue to pay attention to your career management even after you land your next dream job!

A Practical Guide to Interview Preparation - Classy Career Girl

A Practical Guide to Interview Preparation Enjoy this  sneak peek inside our Practical Guide to Job Search Success on sale now! Congrats! You got an interview. Now what?  Dont stress. An interview is simply a tool used by employers to assess a candidates ability to perform a role and the most important part of the hiring process. This will normally be the first time for you and the employer to meet one another, exchange information and assess if you have the qualities and experience that they are looking for. The interview will determine whether or not they like you as a person and if you are likely to fit into the team environment. The key to successful interview preparation is practicing interview questions. We recommend that you practice writing out your answers first and then practice them with a friend. Interview Preparation Guide: Here are the top 10 interview questions and exactly how to answer them: Note: These are examples for your interview preparation. You dont need to copy them word for word and some of them might not fit your situation and the job you are applying for.  Make sure you make them personalized to you. 1) Tell me about yourself. Summarize your work related qualifications and prepare a 1-minute personal commercial with an overview of work you have done. Feel free to add your academic degree and skills related to the job requirements.  Also, add something that makes you unique. For instance, add that you are training for a half-marathon or love to travel.  This makes them get to know you a little better and see what it would be like to spend 40+ hours per week with you. 2) What are your salary requirements? Answer with, I don’t know enough about the job yet to respond. I’m sure you pay a competitive salary and I’m flexible. What is the range you’ve budgeted for this position?” 3) What are your greatest strengths? Provide concrete tangible job skills and actual stories and examples of how you have used those skills in previous jobs.  Remember, results and accomplishments. Its ok to brag now! Dont be humble! 4) What are your weaknesses? Give  a trait that may have been a challenge in the past but  you have worked on to overcome. Make sure you end on a positive note and that you are a go-getter ready to tackle any weaknesses or challenges in your way. 5) What are your career goals? Say, I’d like to become increasingly valuable to your firm by consistently exceeding the performance standards and continually learning new skills.” 6) What did you like most about your last position? Tie the answer into the needs of the company you are interviewing for (because you have done your research, right?) and show your initiative and  desire to be outstanding in your past and future roles. 7) What did you like least about your last position? Say, “Though I liked most of the aspects of the job and company, the one limitation was lack of growth opportunities and new challenges.” 8) How quickly do you think you will be ready to contribute to our firm? Say, “I believe I can contribute almost immediately. In past positions, I had to learn a lot in a short time and did quite well. For example..” Remember, stories and past experiences are where you can really show how awesome you are! 9) Why did you leave your last position? Say, The Company reorganized and my position along with a number of others was eliminated.” OR “I had achieved as much as I could within that company and felt the need to seek another job to continue to grow.” 10) Why should we hire you? As you work on your interview preparation, remember to strut your stuff! Summarize the answers you’ve given to their questions as they relate to the job requirements in a concise 1-2 minute response. Hope you enjoyed this sneak peek inside our Practical Guide to Job Search Success on sale now!

Things to Take into Consideration When Traveling Abroad

Things to Take into Consideration When Traveling Abroad Traveling to a foreign country can not only be exciting but it can be quite an eye-opening experience. A trip to anywhere out of the country requires very careful planning because not being prepared in a foreign country can lead to a very bad experience. Keep up with any travel warnings in the country you plan to visit.   Postpone your trip if there is one during the time you plan on visiting. Before traveling, you will want to double-check to make sure you have all of the necessary documents you need to travel. Take the time to learn more about the country you plan to visit to ensure your trip goes as smoothly as possible. Getting Sick from Local Cuisine When traveling abroad it can be a lot of fun to taste local cuisine. While you may be excited to try everything on the menu just to experience it, you need to take it slow and know the types of food you should avoid. In a foreign country, you should always: Avoid unpasteurized dairy products Avoid seafood dishes Avoid cold meat platters and buffet options Eat only well-done or medium-well and only eat them served hot Only eat condiments when they are sealed in a package Try to stick to busy restaurants Its important to wash your hands before you eat, and make sure you only wash your hands with safe water. If you become sick from something you ate when traveling abroad, consult experts in the field of food poisoning like Siegfried Jensen. Travel Insurance Travel insurance is one thing you dont want to skip on when traveling to another country. Travel insurance can help you in a variety of situations including: Medical and hospital expenses Dental bills Emergency evacuation Lost or stolen luggage Cancelled trips Phone assistance With travel insurance, you can choose to get additional coverage such as life insurance, identity theft, rental car collision, and hazardous sports like SCUBA. Learn Some of the Language You dont have to be fluent in the language of the location you visit, but it will help you a lot to learn some important key phrases. Learning things like how to order foods or reading certain words like Do Not Enter and Danger can make a huge difference. Learning some of the language can also help bring you closer to the culture because youll get to appreciate the new country in different ways. Get Proper Vaccinations Keep yourself safe by getting the proper vaccinations before traveling to another country. Vaccinations are not only important for keeping you safe, but they also prevent you from bringing a disease back to the United States. Vaccinations protect you against a variety of illnesses including yellow fever and measles. Before you leave the states make an appointment with your primary health care provider approximately 4-6 weeks before you travel. You should also make sure you are up-to-date on routine vaccinations including the MMR vaccine. When traveling outside of the states to places like Cuba or any foreign country, you need to be prepared. Taking the proper steps to be prepared can ensure you have the best experience when traveling. Always get travel insurance to make sure youre covered and play it smart when tasting the local cuisine. Travel in groups if possible and if you run into any problems, always know where the nearest embassy is. Most of all, do what you can to get the most out of your trip. Image Source; Image Source; Image Source; Image Source

Avoiding Stress When Planning Your Next Trip

Avoiding Stress When Planning Your Next Trip There’s something very magical about planning a trip away out of your normal routines. You get a chance to explore different parts of the world, leave your hometown for a period of time, and also finally get the chance to release any stresses from life and begin to relax. As you may already know, planning a trip isn’t as simple as booking somewhere to go and getting on a plane. To make a trip worth the money and the effort, you need to make sure that you’ve planned everything to make the most of the time away. Here’s how to make every future trip you may take more memorable. Research where you’re staying and what you can do while you’re there The first thing that you should do once you’ve chosen where you’re going to be visiting is to research where you’re staying so that you can get a feel of what to expect when you’re there. If you were visiting somewhere like Rome, you’d want to look for things to do in Rome. You could achieve this by asking people who have already visited, looking in magazines, searching the web or even watching television programs that feature things to do. If at all possible, pre booking activities and events will save you missing out on anything exciting when you get there and will also allow you to prepay for everything too so that you’re not worrying about finding the money while you’re over there. Find out how much the currency conversion is, and how much you will need to take with you Secondly you will need to find out how much the currency conversion is on average. Try not to change your money too early as you could find yourself getting a much better deal closer to the time. The best way to do this is to keep an eye on conversion rates for a while and see what the best rate is on average. This will also allow you to work out how much money you will need to take with you. Even though you might be getting a good deal on conversion, the expenses of wherever you’re visiting might be higher than you thought, so it’s always a good idea to try and find out how much the cost of living is so that you’re not surprised when you get there. Create a packing list for you to come back to in the future too One thing that everyone should have is a packing list to make their lives easier when packing for a trip or vacation. Try to create one for each kind of climate that you will be visiting so that you can immediately and easily pack the basics without worrying about missing anything off. Of course, if you’re planning on doing multiple activities while you’re away like skiing and snowboarding, then you will need to add these items on for that particular trip. Whichever way you look at it, having a “basic” packing list will certainly take the strain off and let you concentrate on looking forward to your trip, and also relax during your trip knowing that you’ve got everything you need. Don’t panic over little things There will come a time when you suddenly realise that you’ve forgotten a charger lead to your camera or phone, or you’ve accidentally left a few things at home. It’s not worth panicking about, especially when you’re already well on your way to your vacation. Don’t let little things worry you and ruin your holiday as it’s likely that where you’re going you can pick up a phone charger, or even some toiletries. Research the culture before you get there Finally, research the culture before you get there so that you can fully embrace it when you’ve arrived and settled in. This will allow you to learn a bit of their language, and also learn what might be offensive or different to what we know. For example, in Bulgaria, nodding means no and shaking your head means yes. Applying these five bits of advice to each trip that you’re planning and taking will allow you to stop worrying about the little details, know a little bit more about the location and culture, and also allow you to pre plan your trip! The most important thing about any trip away is taking in our breathtaking world and enjoying ourselves, so make sure you do exactly that!

How to Write a Resume Lesson Plan For High School Students

How to Write a Resume Lesson Plan For High School StudentsOne of the most important parts of learning how to write a resume is learning how to write a resume lesson plan for high school students. A resume lesson plan helps you identify your goals and learn the basic skills needed to create a resume that will stand out from the crowd.It is crucial that you are prepared when submitting a resume for consideration, because you want to get into a good college and it should be a good resume. You should prepare by following a few simple steps to get a professional looking resume. You need to first identify what it is that you hope to accomplish with the college.Next, identify your career or industry that you are looking to enter. It is imperative that you understand exactly what this particular career field needs to have to make it attractive. This will help you know exactly what skills or abilities you will need to develop in order to be competitive for a job opening. For example, if you w ant to get into a profession that does not provide health benefits and anesthesiology is a good choice.Next, be prepared to tell the whole lot of people that you know about the job that you are applying for. Whether you have been offered a job or not, it is not going to help your chances if you do not mention it. You should go into your interview prepared to talk about the job. When you are speaking about it, you will gain more confidence and can better explain what that job is all about.Always include your contact information on your resume. If you are given a certain job to fill, put the company name and phone number on your resume. You should also include your e-mail address so that you can be contacted after the interview is completed. You should also include your social security number and driver's license number so that your application can be verified later on.Once you are done with your student's resume, check it carefully for spelling and grammar errors. There are many plac es online where you can find common mistakes, such as spelling a phrase incorrectly, wrong grammar, and using abbreviations incorrectly. The best way to correct these mistakes is to read through your resume again and then send it off to an editor. This way you can be assured that your resume will look perfect and professional.Now comes the most important step of all, taking your time. Write your resume in a smooth, flowing manner. Speak slowly and clearly. Remember that it is for college and to be professional, so do not worry about grammar or spelling. The essay needs to be well written and it is vital that you take your time.Resume writing lesson plans for high school students will help you overcome some of the hurdles that you may encounter along the way. You should be able to get a lot of new career experience by following a good resume writing lesson plan for high school students.

Resume Updates What You Need Before You Start

Resume Updates What You Need Before You Start Resume Updates: What You Need Before You Start Resume updates: They have a lifecycle, just like anything else on this planet. You write your resume. You get a job. You forget about the resume. Then all of a sudden, you need it for either a job opportunity that comes along, or a job search that gets kicked off. Love em or hate em, resume updates are a necessary evil that everyone, sooner or later, will have to deal with. But what most people dont realize is that there are some really important things that you need to be doing BEFORE you jump into resume updates at any point in your career. It requires being proactive.  Thoughtful. And mindful of what you are doing in the present moment which directly impacts your future. Resume updates mean that you need to start keeping track of your accomplishments NOW, so you dont wrack your brain later trying to remember what youve been doing for the past few years. (Sound familiar?) Here are some tips on what you need to have before you even start resume updates. First, create a file that is your Career Management file. This is going to be your braintrust and memory-prompter of everything youve done.  Things to put in this file (it can be a hard file or a computer file on your own thumbdrive, of course!): 1. Staff reports 2. Plan of Work 3. Budgets 4. Performance reviews 5. Project recaps 6. Kudos letters or notes from supervisors, colleagues, clients, or co-workers 7. Any formal goal-setting materials used to drive your work and its outcomes 8. Copies of any registrations for conferences, workshops, training sessions, industry certifications, internal corporate learning university sessions, conventions, classes, etc. that has added to your body of knowledge. Dont go back more than 5-7 years ago, however. You want to be able to show current job knowledge! 9. Any awards (plaques, certificates, recognition) that youve received from your company, industry, peers, or supervisors.  To be clear, this does not mean a $25 gift certificate to Applebees were talking  more about Employee of the Month kind of stuff. 10. Copies of contracts or programs where youve been a featured speaker. 11. Copies of articles that youve either been quoted, authored, or featured. 12. Documentation of any promotions, job title changes, or departmental shifts so you have exact dates. Having these pieces of information will make your life so much easier for future resume updates.  All of the information will be in one centralized spot which will eliminate hours of digging up information in what seems like an archaeological expedition. Especially when some resume updates need to take place quickly, you might waste precious time trying to pull information that isnt immediately accessible. So be kind to yourself. Make a promise and follow through on your commitment to yourself: plan for future resume updates by having a ready-to-go file that has all of your top info at your finger tips. And better yet: craft resume updates every few months, so its already a habit and your resume is ready to go at any notice.

Cover Images That Capture Your Personal Brand

Cover Images That Capture Your Personal Brand Cover Images That Capture Your Personal Brand Your cover image is just one more way to promote yourself. Learn how to give your cover images  on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook a make-over! Cover Images That Capture Your Personal Brand Cover images, sometimes referred to as header images or cover photos, are prime online real estate for showing off your career success or providing another way for someone to remember you. Whether you are  actively job searching or just want to keep your line in the water and troll for new opportunities, theres no reason NOT to have a cool cover image. Its probably fair to say that you could do a much better job showing off  your unique abilities and value by updating your cover photo on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Decide what you want to convey (or what you want your message to be). Find images and create a cover that captures your message. Use the right size layout. What Do You Want To Convey? What message do you want people who find your profile to remember about you? The answer IS NOT that you are available for work. Thats not how this works. Your availability is only important to you. If you have all the right stuff, a recruiter wont care if you are working or not. You want to convey your personal brand, in other words, whats different about you and the value you bring to an organization. What are the problems you are good at fixing, who benefits and how you do it uniquely? Always focus your message with the reader/viewer in mind. Think about what is important to your future employer or people  who stumble across your profile. And what will make you memorable? Defining your personal brand isnt easy, but well-worth the effort. Here is help  for  defining your personal brand. Cover Image Ideas Your favorite quote, You can use your own quote or someone elses. If you do use a quote by someone else, provide attribution (credit). A photo of you doing your job. A collage of photos and images of you at work (and play perhaps). An image that represents your field of expertise. Sample of work or current project you are working on Your work environment An upcoming event you are part of Summary of your skills/experience CTA (call to action).  Lets connect, follow me on other social platforms, see my work, see my online portfolio, etc. Highlight a testimonial Find  Photos You may have screen shots or your own photos to pick from. But in case you dont, you can find royalty free, attribution free images and photos. (This means you can use and edit the photo without providing credit). You want to use these types of images instead of the ones you  find online. Using someone elses photo without giving them credit is not a good idea. Personally, Ive had great luck using Pixabay to find royalty free, attribution free images. No sign up or fees involved if you choose from their curated images. Just dont get suckered into using the sponsored ones from companies like Shutterstock. Finding the right image may require you try searching by different terms. A single word works best. Horizontal images will work best. You  could  try and filter results by Category or just browse by category to get ideas. Play around with Pixabay. If you still cant find images you like, you can try some of the 17 sites suggested by HubSpot in this post. Getting The Cover Image Size Right Each social platform has a different size requirement for cover images/photos. Here are the dimensions in 2016. LinkedIn  1400 x 425 Facebook 851 x 315 Twitter  1500 x 500 If you are not familiar with what all these numbers mean, heres an easy work around. Use Canva To Create Your Cover Image Create a free account on Canva Click on the green create a design button Search for the template you want to create (Facebook cover, Twitter cover) For LinkedIn, you will need to select custom dimension and insert the dimensions (1400 x 425) Upload your images and fit to the full screen Add text (if desired). Just note, you dont want to put anything close to any of the edges as they may get cut off. Download to your computer as a .jpg file and name it first name last name cover [Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn].jpg Your design will be saved on Canva and you can see them by clicking on all your designs on the left side of the screen. This makes it easy to go back and edit if you make a mistake. Use PowerPoint You may be more comfortable using PowerPoint. You will have to  know what  slide dimensions to use but once youve made the conversion, you can use  that canvas to upload photos and add text. LINKEDIN Many people dont know what to do with their cover image on LinkedIn. And even when they do, they have difficulty getting it to appear just right.  Use work-appropriate messaging, but dont be afraid to inject some personality. Here are some examples to inspire you. The city you work in can be a powerful image. People from that area will recognize it. However, if you plan on moving or are not tied to your city, this wouldnt be a good image to use. A collage of photos of you in the news (or presenting) helps build credibility. Want to learn more about improving your LinkedIn profile? Is Your LinkedIn Profile Awesome? TWITTER The cover image you choose to use on Twitter can help the viewer learn more about you. A combination of words and an image helps display your expertise and cement your personal brand. A quote is another way to create a unique brand. Your tagline or    branding  statement lets the viewer know exactly what you do (beyond what you are able to write in your bio on Twitter). Adding media appearances or logos of past employers is another way to establish credibility. Want to learn more about how to use Twitter for job search? 11 Beginner Twitter Tips FACEBOOK Dont overlook personal branding opportunities on Facebook, especially if you are actively job hunting. You could use the same image from LinkedIn so your friends can see it or you can choose an image that represents who you are or something important to you-  hobby, professional interest, or life event. Facebook reminds you: If you add a cover photo to your profile, it will be visible to the public, just like your profile picture. This means that anyone can see your current cover photo. You can adjust the privacy settings for a photo youve used as a cover photo in the past. Want to learn more about using Facebook for job search?  Facebook Is Great For Job Search A Final Reminder You can change your cover image as often as you want. So go ahead and experiment with different types of images.