Things to Do When Your Job is at Risk - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Things to Do When Your Job is at Risk - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career If you start to feel that your job is on the line, you should behave proactively and prepare in advance. Preparing can help you a lot for softening the process and let you plan how you are going to deal with this both emotionally and financially.   Below you can find steps which will help you overcome this situation. Assess Your Financial Situation: Make sure you have enough savings to live through for the next 6 months. Otherwise, cut your unnecessary expenses and start saving money right away. If you are certain that you will lose your income, you can also try selling items that you no longer need on internet. This will help you both gain some extra cash as well as clean your house from unnecessary items. Control Your Emotions At Work: Don’t become offensive or defensive. This will only make your situation worse. Also, keep your fears to yourself. Don’t talk about them with your coworkers. Stay confident and professional. Don’t bad mouth your boss to your coworkers or don’t get angry with him/her. Be political and diplomatic. Try to Go over Your Boss: In some organizations, the manager you report to for organizational purposes and the manager you work with may differ due to a project based environment. In this case, even if you are successful, your successes may not be known by the manager you report to. Therefore, you can ask your project manager to talk to your manager that you report to and so, s/he can learn your achievements. If this doesn’t help, you can go over him/her and talk to your manager’s manager. Hang Around with Your Boss More: Be around your boss more often and offer to help him with his/her tasks. If your boss doesn’t want your help, then, ask other managers if they need help. Don’t sit on your corner all day long. Be visible and show that you are willing to help and perform the given tasks. Maybe another department manager sees your value and takes you to his/her own team. Start Looking for Another Job: Be on the lookout for a new job. Go to networking and industry events, talk to people in your own field, update your CV and apply for jobs. You can also try recruitment agencies and give them your CV. It is best to start applying early and go to as many interviews as you can. Only in this way, you can have a clear understanding of the market conditions and what types of jobs are out there.

Great Ways to Boost Your Savings

Great Ways to Boost Your Savings If you want to boost your savings, you need to work hard and think carefully. Here are some key ideas to get you started. Save Wisely A lot of people tend to think that if they’re loyal to their bank, they’ll get the best rates for their savings. But that’s not actually true. Once you’re with a certain bank, the deals tend to get worse. You should shop around and switch your money around if you want to get the best deal for it. Loyalty rarely pays. If you’re saving, you should definitely make the most of your cash ISA limit. The money that’s saved in an ISA is free from tax, so your savings will get a welcome boost. When your savings aren’t taxed, you get all the interest earn without having to give any of it up. Interest rates in ISA accounts tend to be pretty favourable too. Invest Some of your savings should be invested if you want to get the most from them. If all your money is sitting in an account, then it’s not working for you or increasing. Interest rates are pretty low, so you won’t see huge increases by saving alone. Investing offers the chance to make money for your future. If you do this correctly, you could boost your savings considerably. There are lots of ways you can invest. You could buy stocks and shares, invest in rare coins like the Silver Maple or renovate an old property and rent it out. Just be careful when you invest and don’t invest all your money. Cut Down Unnecessary Spending You should set a monthly budget and try your best not to go over that budget. The money that you don’t spend can then be saved. By cutting down on your unnecessary spending, you can make a big difference to how much you have in your savings account. Cutting down your spending is easier said than done though. Try to eat out less and prepare your food at home more. That’s one simple way to cut down how much you spend each week. It’s also a good idea to use cash more and your cards less. Consumer research shows that people spend more when they use their card rather than cash. Set Savings Goals To turn saving into a competitive, fun task, you need set goals for yourself. If you have a goal, it gives you extra focus and helps you know where you’re going. When you don’t have a specific goal in mind, you can fall behind, and it can be hard to tell if you’re on track with your savings or not. Your goals don’t have to be huge. The best goals are the ones that are ambitious but realistic. It’s not easy to strike that balance, but it’s what you need to do. And when you’ve hit your goal, you need to think about setting a new one; don’t just sit back and relax because you’re goal’s been reached. Your savings are important, so get the most from them with these tips. Image Source

Five Tips to Set Yourself Apart During the Job Hunt

Five Tips to Set Yourself Apart During the Job Hunt Statistics showed that in 2017 34.6% of women graduated with a 4 year degree vs. 33.7% of men. This gap has been narrowing for years, and women finally surpassed men for the first time in 2014. More women are making their mark and creating their trajectory for their futures. I’m proud of us! What this also means is that there will be more women entering this fresh new phase of their lives called a career. As a graduating female pursuing your career, you will find yourself receiving solicited and unsolicited interview advice from friends and family. Regardless of all of the wonderful advice you will hear about resume content, what to wear, and interview questions, there are other components of interviewing that can set you apart.   Heres my top five interviewing tips. Use Your Network: Lets face it the Internet is our way of life. We rely on it to shop, work, travel, check the weather and yes, find a job. Everyone uses it, especially when looking for a job. Our first instinct is to go the computer and search popular websites like LinkedIn, Monster, and Ladders. I get it. I’ve done it. These websites provide quick access to available jobs, salaries and requirements. Excellent for visibility to what is out there for you. But, upon attaching your resume and clicking the submit button there is a risk. You risk getting lost in the shuffle of the hundreds or thousands of other candidates or perhaps going into sheer cyberspace. So, instead of going into cyberspace, or not having your resume reviewed at all, get creative and do something different â€" network. Network with other people, but without the computer. This is not rocket science I know, but people have gotten away from using themselves as their own best resource. The upside is that fundamentally people like to help people, especially when they are young, diligent and excited about pursuing their careers. Networking Plus Person to person networking will help you gain momentum in your job search in a flash. Sound overwhelming? Keep it simple. Make a list of 10 people you know who have careers you admire and then, wait for it… CALL them. Email is great too, but emails are commonplace and can be easily ignored. So do something different. When you get them on the phone, let them know you are in the market and looking for the first springboard job into your career. Ask if there is someone at their place of work you could speak with or is there someone else they would recommend.   This may feel a little awkward at first, but these chances have to be taken to widen the possibilities of new employment. Even if the person on the other end of the line doesn’t know of an immediate position they may know someone else at another company who does. Write a “Thank You” note: The value of a thank you is so overlooked these days. As simple as this seems, people in general are so fast paced now they don’t take an extra moment to thank someone. In your interview process, after meeting with someone, instead of logging onto email to send a thank you message like everyone else, take a moment   and hand-write it.   Again, this is an area where email is predictable. Everyone expects an emailed thank you message nowadays, so writing a personal note will differentiate you from the rest.   And, don’t save the thank you notes just for those you have interviewed with.   Write them to people who have helped you in the process.   Hiring managers and potential colleagues will appreciate that you took the time to think about your interaction with them. They will always remember you as the person that went the extra mile. Clean up Social Media: Potential employers will look you up on Facebook and Instagram just to see what you are portraying to the rest universe. Previous to graduation, look at all of your social media outlets and clean it up before you begin to interview. Cleaning up means removing any risqué photos, foul language, or anything else that would make a potential employer pause. Even if you have your social media on a private setting, all it takes is someone who is connected with you and a quick screenshot to transmit what you really don’t want others to see. Make them Remember YOU: In this crazy interview environment of competition, process and stress, give yourself a signature statement that will make you stand out. Wear a bright orange shirt with your interview suit, or wear unique glasses to each interview. Employers will remember you and associate you with the signature item. This is also a chance to show your personality, thoughtfulness and creativity. Regardless of your market, a hiring company will appreciate that you want to leave your mark. Be Consistent:   While making the interviewing rounds you will most likely be seated in front of other employees for additional interviews in the office. The purpose of this is for everyone to get a beat on you to see if you are right for the team. This is completely normal. During these additional meetings, be consistent with your content and character with everyone. I know this may sound elementary, but this is important because these same people will compare notes on you. Simple rules are be present, don’t get pulled away by your phone, don’t discuss your personal life. Displaying professional etiquette and respect for those around you will go a long way. This is your time to shine and show off all of the wonderful reasons an employer should hire you. Be authentic, thoughtful, professional and prepared and you will succeed. And most of all, remember how special you are. After all you are history makers. This guest post was authored by Holly Caplan Holly Caplan is a workplace issues expert and award-winning manager.   Shes the author of Surviving the Dick Clique: A Girls Guide to Surviving the Male Dominated Corporate World. For more information, please visit,  www.hollycaplan.com  and connect with her on Twitter, @hollymcaplan. For more interviewing tips from Ms Career Girl, click here. Image credit.

Goals and Objectives Resume - Writing Your Vision

Goals and Objectives Resume - Writing Your VisionGoals and Objectives resume is a unique document for those who are attempting to improve their employment records. To improve an employee's performance, it's best to go beyond simply having a good working record and provide job growth. Employees want a consistent statement of objective to maintain a level of trust in their jobs.Goals and Objectives resume should include the following basic components. First, your objective must be the core of the document; it must make sense. Although your objective might seem obvious, many employees aren't clear on what their objectives are so they end up rewriting the objective.Next, think about your goal. What is it? Does it relate to improving the company? Will you be bringing something new to the workplace? How does it support the company goals?Finally, it's important to summarize your goals and objectives. List the general objectives of the employer and then give a more detailed description of yo ur desired tasks. Be sure to write out your goals before writing out your objectives. If you don't outline your goals, it's difficult to assess whether or not they are realistic.One of the greatest challenges when writing objectives resume is to write concisely. Don't worry; you can actually use this as a sales tactic! Your sales letters are written for one reason - to sell a product or service. Your objectives, on the other hand, are written to sell yourself to the employer.By writing your objectives concisely, you can show your abilities and strengths to the employer by highlighting your achievements. You can also use the paragraphs to help the employer understand why they are hiring you. For example, if you have a college degree, you can describe how you were able to obtain a higher level of education because of your accomplishments in high school.It's important to start out your objectives by describing your vision for the company. Focus on your achievements but also write about your vision for the company. Be sure to describe your goals for the future. These should help you to clearly articulate how you want to improve the company.Your ultimate goal is to get hired! Whether your goals are grand or small, you must show your abilities and identify your skills. Writing goals and objectives is a great way to demonstrate to the employer why you're the right person for the job. Remember, it's best to write goals and objectives resume than to rewrite a resume!

10 Networking No-Nos Part 2

10 Networking No-Nos Part 2 Is it your greatest fear that you might show up on America’s Funniest Videos or on Epic Fail? Have you ever wondered if you are going to be found on one of those “blooper” videos or that a picture of you will show up on a blog about “10 Networking No-Nos?” Never fear, I’m here to prevent that. I’ve got your back! Networking is not just lots of LinkedIn connections or dealing out business cards at an event. In Networking No-Nos Part 1, I talked about good professional networking. Here in Part 2, are pointers on event networking. No-No #7: Don’t show up to a networking meeting or event empty-handed. Ninety percent of people who ask for network time show up empty-handed. They assume they can remember everything the other person says. Trust me, that’s impossible! What if your contact wanted to give you 3 names and phone numbers right then? The most important reason to take notes is to show respect and gratitude for the time they are giving. The notes you take will help you in your follow up, too. And use good old fashioned pen and paper for your notes. Don’t use your phone or tablet; it interrupts your eye contact and puts up an electronic barrier. No-No #9: Don’t run out of business cards at any event or meeting. Ever! Period. There is NO excuse that will justify not having plenty of small pieces of paper with your contact information on it. We call them business cards. They are cheap. You should have boxes of them the trunk of your car. If you’re between jobs, print them at home or order online. And include your LinkedIn profile. No-No #8: Don’t dominate someone’s time at a large network event. Your objective at large events is to make as many quality connections as possible; target Initial connections and not long-term networking. A large event is not the place or time to go deep on a subject or to solicit someone’s advice. The person you are talking to wants to network with others, and other networkers want a chance to talk to him or her, too! No-No #10: Talking too much. How to keep from dominating the conversation? Here are some tricks: Be interested, not interesting Use my “Law of 3s.” Make 3 short bullet points about something then stop talking. Zip it! Remember that networking is all about building 2-way relationships. That also means 2-way conversations. Otherwise, you’re USING. Oh, I have lots more, but avoid with these 10 No-Nos and you’ll build a professional network that will support and encourage you and create friends for life. Join Dana Manciagli’s Job Search Master Class right now and immediately access the most comprehensive job search system currently available!

Are you working your social networking - Hire Imaging

Are you working your social networking - Hire Imaging If you’re in a job search, you know that old-fashioned networking is crucial. It’s the best way to get your foot in the door. Yet, if you’ve not included social networking in the mix, you’re missing the boat. Finding and being found If most of your job search time at the computer is spent filling out online applications and blasting your resume out to advertised openings, you are engaging in the least effective way to find employment. You are not pulling others to you. Worse, you don’t even exist for those who might want to hire you â€" or know those who might. Social networking allows you to find those who can help you and whom you can help. The best of both worlds. Real networking via technology. Now, it’s not the Field of Dreams movie scenario (“If you build it, they will come.”) when you just set up your LinkedIn profile and stop. The playing field Your job search today might include emailing your resume (with links to your social media presence) to employers, or tweaking your profiles on LinkedIn, Google+ or elsewhere. Why is social media important to engaging in the job search? Because those hiring and in the know say that’s where they’re looking. They’re more likely to spot relevant skills and competencies by sifting through a candidate’s publicly available social media presence â€" their blogs, comments on blogs, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter and other sites â€" than they are by only seeing a resume that’s been filtered through an applicant tracking system (ATS). According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), some social recruiting firms like jobpage.com, take the best of a user’s profile into the their ATS. If the firm can find the candidate’s Twitter account, they bring in a summary of the last handful of tweets to peruse whether the comments are work related. And according to Jobvite, 89% of U.S. companies are now using social networking to recruit. LinkedIn, with 135 million members worldwide, accounts for 73% of hires through social media.   According to LinkedIn’s communications manager, Richard George, more than 7,400 companies use LinkedIn Recruiter to find passive candidates. Skin in the game It’s work. But it’s a domino effect that can produce phenomenal outcomes. So where to start? If you were in a traditional networking situation â€" let’s say at a Chamber event, at a conference or even your kid’s soccer game â€" you would not be standing in a corner eyes down and mouth silent. Not if you were trying to network in a job search. This is not different. Some ideas: Find target companies you’re interested in. Connect with people who work for those companies. Invite them to connect on LinkedIn. Follow them on Twitter and retweet them. Comment on their blogs or shared links; talk to them. When you retweet or comment on something they post, they get a fuzzy. Twitter has many discussion groups called Twitter Chats. These groups get together and have moderated discussions about all kinds of topics. It’s a great way to increase your network. The more you engage and comment, the more others will follow you and share your content. Others will see it … and so on. Participate in relevant LinkedIn discussions through Q A (you can have your answers ranked) and through the LinkedIn groups that are a fit for you. Follow recruiters, companies and people on Facebook. “Like” their pages and comments; make your own comments in response. If you’re a confident writer, start your own blog. It doesn’t matter if you’re world-renowned in your field. You have a unique opinion that others may enjoy. It’s not always what you say, but how you say it. Work at becoming a voice in your area of expertise. If you’re not comfortable blogging, use your voice in your conversations. In other words, really meet people, listen to them and give back â€" all online. What you can do for them There’s an adage that’s true here. “It’s not what you know, and it’s not who you know; it’s who knows what you can do.” Yes, our platforms have changed. But we’re still talking the essence of career marketing. The people at the gym see you three days a week. The folks where you volunteer know your name and like having you around. But they may not have a clue in how you add value to a job or employer. Same online. Whenever you have the chance and it seems appropriate, show your value proposition. What do you do? Offer? What are the tangible benefits you bring to your next role? Are they clear on your LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook? Are there links to your resume and other content? Whenever possible, sprinkle your social-media presence heavily with work-related ROI. You create this bit by bit online. On second thought, it is a Field of Dreams in social-media land. It can be a “build it, they will come” where doors you never dreamed of open. Photo:   Rosaura Ochoa

Great Giveaway A 32 Samsung LED TV 2 Six Flags tickets! - When I Grow Up

Great Giveaway A 32 Samsung LED TV 2 Six Flags tickets! - When I Grow Up So, yall remember my pesky boob cancer? And how, when I got diagnosed, I almost immediately signed up to do The Avon Walk (2 days, 39+ miles!) walk in New York City? Well, it seems like a long time ago (its been the longest year ever in my book!), but I can hardly believe it the walk is about 6 weeks away! Im leading a team of 5 (including my Mom, my Aunt and 2 of my besties), and weve already raised over $11,000 for boob cancer, which is amazeballs. However, our goal is to each raise $1,000 over our $1,800 minimum and that means we need to raise another $3,000+ to knock this goal on its butt. SooooooooI have 2 amazing prizes to raffle off: GRAND PRIZE: Samsung 32 LED Television the same one thats here  and here: 1ST PRIZE: A pair of Six Flags tickets to the Lake George, NY or Jackson, NJ locations thatre good for the 2012 season (which runs all the way through the end of October). The raffle will take place virtually, with every $10 donated earning you 1 ticket. So, if you donate $50, you get 5 entries, $100 will get ya 10 entries, etc. To win em, you need to make a donation before 3p Eastern on 9/14 to Team Awesome by clicking Donate Now! on this page. {Fine print: this is only open to those in the continental US, because shipping televisions get expensive! Also, anyone thats donated to Team Awesome previously will be entered to win.} My boobs thank you. My team thanks you. My legs thank you (theyre gonna be walking so far!). My husband thanks you (he even made a video about it! See?): THANK YOU! UPDATE: While were still absolutely positively taking donations, the raffle has been won! Mazel Tov to Tim Han for winning the TV Kim Mason for winning the pair of Six Flags tickets. So appreciate all the love/support, everyone!