Tracking Your Contacts (organize your job search)

Tracking Your Contacts (organize your job search) I was cleaning up the Yahoo Groups Im on (leaving all the dead ones, or the ones that are broadcast only) and out of curiousity I checked the website for Atlanta Job Seekers.  Ive been on that group for probably 6.5 years. The website is defunct it hasnt been updated since June 26, 2009.  Check out the last post: Tracking your contacts. Sadly, this post suggests you get a 3 ring binder, 50 copies of their contact sheet, 3 copies of their tracking log, etc. This works great in your first week of networking.  After that it becomes an absolute mess. I know because I tried it (with my own version). It makes me sad that the Atlanta Job Seekers was saying to do this even three years after I joined their group, and participated.  They should have been promoting JibberJobber back then. Heres the saddest part: I still see this horrible advice coming from career professionals (even a handful of the ones I network with), career centers at universities and military bases, and faith-based career groups. Folks, it is 2013!  The world didnt end last year, and its time to move on from paper and Excel to track and manage this very complex thing! Aside from the functionality differences between web-based vs. paper, there is the longevity of the information you are collecting. Think about this: lets say you use a spreadsheet (or paper-based system or something like that) to organize and track your job search.  You land a job.  What happens to the spreadsheet? Five years later you are intransition, you need the information from your last job search, but its gone.  You moved, gave away your computer, had it crash multiple times, etc.  Its wiped out.  Your backup system is gone. Best case scenario is that you can still access it.  Great!  But you open it and the notes make NO sense.  The columns the lack of information, the half-notes it makes no sense. Throw it away and start over, from scratch.  Spend a week tweaking columns and rows and sheets.  Waste that time. OR JUST USE JIBBERJOBBER! Tracking Your Contacts (organize your job search) I was cleaning up the Yahoo Groups Im on (leaving all the dead ones, or the ones that are broadcast only) and out of curiousity I checked the website for Atlanta Job Seekers.  Ive been on that group for probably 6.5 years. The website is defunct it hasnt been updated since June 26, 2009.  Check out the last post: Tracking your contacts. Sadly, this post suggests you get a 3 ring binder, 50 copies of their contact sheet, 3 copies of their tracking log, etc. This works great in your first week of networking.  After that it becomes an absolute mess. I know because I tried it (with my own version). It makes me sad that the Atlanta Job Seekers was saying to do this even three years after I joined their group, and participated.  They should have been promoting JibberJobber back then. Heres the saddest part: I still see this horrible advice coming from career professionals (even a handful of the ones I network with), career centers at universities and military bases, and faith-based career groups. Folks, it is 2013!  The world didnt end last year, and its time to move on from paper and Excel to track and manage this very complex thing! Aside from the functionality differences between web-based vs. paper, there is the longevity of the information you are collecting. Think about this: lets say you use a spreadsheet (or paper-based system or something like that) to organize and track your job search.  You land a job.  What happens to the spreadsheet? Five years later you are intransition, you need the information from your last job search, but its gone.  You moved, gave away your computer, had it crash multiple times, etc.  Its wiped out.  Your backup system is gone. Best case scenario is that you can still access it.  Great!  But you open it and the notes make NO sense.  The columns the lack of information, the half-notes it makes no sense. Throw it away and start over, from scratch.  Spend a week tweaking columns and rows and sheets.  Waste that time. OR JUST USE JIBBERJOBBER!

Making the Best Decisions for the Future of Your Career

Making the Best Decisions for the Future of Your Career Choosing the ideal career for your future is not something that’s easy or quick. It requires work, effort and analysis. You need to make sensible choices and decisions to help you thrive in the career you choose. Now, there are plenty of things you can do to achieve this. If you can take the right steps now then you’ll be set on the right track later down the line. Here are some tips and suggestions to help you choose your perfect career. This is going to take a lot of effort, but it will be worth it. These are all things you should be doing when trying to decide on what you want to do with your life. Study this list, and try to put these points into practice because they will make things much easier. CV is the Key When you’re applying for any job or career path you need to make sure you prioritise your CV. This is how you cast an impression of yourself to potential employers. If you can spend the time making sure your CV is perfect, then you’ll have a much better chance of securing employment. There are plenty of CV tips out there that you can, and should, use to make yours better. The idea is to implement techniques in order to help get your resume to the top of the pile. If you can catch the eye of an employer with your CV, you will be more likely to get job offers. Hire a Career Coach Another idea that would help you is to hire a career coach to take charge of your career decisions. This is something that not enough people take the time to do, and that’s a shame because it can really help you. A career coach might prove to be the perfect addition to your career plans. This helps you to stay on the straight and narrow and get serious about your career choices. Make the Right Decision Anyone who’s serious about picking the right career needs to make the right decisions. This means you’ve got to think about the sort of job you want to have. And then you need to make decisions that will help you to get into this career path. Making the wrong decisions may well leave you in a career you don’t want to be in. It will make it much more difficult to get to where you want to be. Get as Much Experience as Possible It’s vital to ensure that you try to get as much experience as you can. The more you can get experience and qualifications, the better your prospects will be. You can take courses that will give you qualifications in specific areas. And you might even think about taking on work experience or apprenticeships. These will all help you become more qualified for the roles, and give you an edge over your rivals. You’ve got to get serious about your career these days. So many people take a non-committal approach and waste years doing a career they don’t want to do. In order to make the best choices and get the perfect career, you have to knuckle down and get it sorted. Using the tips on this post will help you to achieve that as much as you can. Image Source

First year internships and work experience University of Manchester Careers Blog

First year internships and work experience University of Manchester Careers Blog Are you a first year, wondering where you can get an internship or career relevant experience? If so,  here are a few things you need to know, and some  of the best ways to find opportunities. Finding internships as a first year student It can be a tough task to find  an internship in your first year, and unless you are looking in the right places and at the right time, you can miss what opportunities are out there.  There are fewer advertised internships open to  first year students, and its because many of the larger companies that recruit lots of interns want 2nd/pre-final  year  students, which can be frustrating. Why only them? Its because these companies use internships as a way of talent spotting for their graduate programmes they usually want you to come back and work for them after graduation, and if there is only one year of your studies left to go, there is less risk that you will change your career plans and join some other company after they have invested time and training on you. Some companies also require a certain level of skills, life experience  or knowledge of your degree subject (e.g. engineering) before they feel you are ready to take a role with them. So what can I do? While the above is true of many larger organisations, it isnt true of all of them, so its always worth checking if they dont specify that roles are not open to first years. Check the organisations recruitment website, speak to them if you can, either at a fair/presentation/open day  or via their recruitment  hotline if they have one.  But there are other options open to you too: Apply to internships and schemes specifically for first years Some companies offer these, often calling them a spring internship or insight day. These are often the larger corporates so if you are interested in finance, banking, law or IT or management careers these are worth a look. Be aware that closing dates are typically in the autumn, so apply early! Apply to smaller companies Smaller businesses  usually have a more direct need for your help in their business. You might be the only intern there, helping them with a new website, social media strategy or  completing a project they just dont have time to deliver.  This need may be short-term, so its not automatically the case that they will have a role for you after graduation, but neither will they turn you away just because  you are a first year. If you have the right skills and the right attitude, you can get your foot in the door just as easily as a pre-final year student. These companies usually advertise in spring, a bit closer to when you would start with them, so check CareersLink for adverts between now and summer!  We will also be posting adverts on our Internships Facebook Group so follow us there to hear about the latest news. Look for sponsorships, sponsorships or bursary programmes A small number of companies offer  scholarships, sponsorship or bursary to students that are interested in a career with them. Whilst you have to commit to working for that organisation after graduation, these provide you with extra cash and a guaranteed work placement each summer (possibly an industrial placement too if its an option on your degree). These opportunities are quite hard to spot and have tight closing dates, so whilst you can do a google search, the best way to see those  we have heard about is by following us on Facebook, both  via your School  group and the Internships and work experience group   Take a casual summer job Just because your work experience isnt related to your ideal career doesnt mean it isnt valuable. Employers like to see lots of evidence for you working in teams, using your communication skills, problem solving, taking responsibility, and so on. Its not what you have done, its how you sell it. So if you cant find anything career related, dont be afraid to do something else that can earn you money and put skills on your CV. Find other ways to get experience and skills Part-time work can sometimes be career related. We receive details of part-time work in IT, translation interpreting, marketing, administration and many other areas. For some careers (e.g. teaching, social work), volunteering experience is valuable, or even essential. Even if its not essential for your career plans, its great  developing your skills and shows your commitment to supporting a good cause, so its well worth doing. Even better, some volunteering roles can provide career relevant skills like event management, administration, and marketing.  Active involvement in student societies is also a great way to take responsibilities (e.g. treasurer, social secretary, president) and develop your skills. Where can I get more advice? If you arent sure on the best route for you or want to get something career relevant but arent sure what career path interests you, you can discuss options and ideas with our information staff or a Careers Consultant. Feel free to pop in or call us on 0161 275 2829.   http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/students/findingwork/workexperience/ Undergraduate First year students Part-time summer internships work experience

Trying to network like a guy

Trying to network like a guy Everyone says, Penelope why dont you write a book? and I always reply, Good idea. And then I say, I mean, I *am* writing one. Because thats what youre supposed to say when someone asks if youre close to accomplishing your next big goal that youre working on it. But I wasnt working on it. For a while, the only thing I knew about writing books is that to get a publishers attention, you first need to write a proposal, and 99% of book proposals are terrible. I figured if I was going to write a book, I needed to know how to create a proposal. The bookstore seemed like a good place to start. But all the how-to books I read about writing a book werent helpful. I read things like, Writing a proposal in five easy steps, and How I sold ten thousand books. After reading this advice, I wondered why, if proposal writing is so easy, all the agents complain that 99% of the proposals they receive are intolerable? Since the how-to books were so unhelpful, I enrolled in a class on how to write books, conducted by a professional writers organization. All the participants in the class were women. Immediately, my sirens went off. I know my next remark is sexist, but women earn 75 cents for every dollar a man makes, so I figured this class was not my ticket to making tons of money. Yes, exceptions do exist. But salaries in typically female professions are lower than salaries paid for typically male occupations. Think elementary school teachers vs. university teachers, nurses vs. doctors, education sales vs. technology sales, and so on. So on balance, my feeling is that a class attended solely by women will not lead me to grand career success. I also was deterred that the instructor wasnt even male. Catalyst, the womens research organization, notes that women who succeed in reaching their career goals typically have better mentoring experiences than women who dont reach their goals. Since I planned to write a business book, and men are still further up the ladder in business than women, I wanted a male book-authoring mentor, because I felt I would reach my writing goals faster. Despite all my belly-aching, I took the class, learned a lot, and even made a friend. But still, I mentally ran through my list of networking contacts hoping to think of a man who could help me write a book proposal. Eventually I thought of Bob Rosner, author of several books, including Gray Matters: The Workplace Survival Guide. Since Bob also is a career advisor, I felt he wouldnt be afraid to give me some straight talk. For the most part, the only people who tell me how to run my career are my brothers (Heres a good column topic: [Insert brothers name] and his perceived greatness.) and my husband (Im sure your readers are sick of hearing about me in your column all the time, so could I have a little privacy?) But Bob had some good advice. His first: You should call me more often. Hes right. Because hes the one who usually calls me. And I need to be reminded to pick up the phone and network. Women are not as effective as men at networking, and I may be a good example of this. There are many reasons for the gulf, a few mentioned recently in a CareerJournal.com article: For the most part, women arent included in the old boys network, the so-called real sphere of influence in business today; women are more often the primary caretakers and caregivers, so they have less time for networking; and finally, women are more reticent than men to mix business and pleasure to women it seems inappropriate to use a friendship for business purposes. But Bob and I talked a long time about book publishing and writing good proposals. He was willing to share information about royalties, agents and ways to cut corners. He even shared his ideas for a next book. I felt great when I hung up. I thought perhaps I might be able to do a proposal after all. But after speaking with Bob, I understood why men are better networkers than women. Bob and his wife had a baby, with a difficult delivery, the same week his latest book was published. Yet after only a week, Bob was back on his feet and milking his network for publicity and book reviews. His wife was not back on her networking feet so fast.

Professional Resume Writing Service For Teachers

Professional Resume Writing Service For TeachersIf you want to find a professional resume writing service for teachers, you will have a lot of different options. Not only are there many different types of teachers out there, but there are also many different styles and approaches. This is a situation that can be overwhelming for the average person to navigate.A professional resume writing service for teachers will be able to help you choose which resume style is best for your particular field. They will also help you focus on exactly what is important for your career. These services can also help you learn how to put your best foot forward by presenting yourself correctly in the job application process.You will need to get yourself organized and your life back in order before you take the first step in the process. If you've had a serious job loss or other stressful circumstance that has affected your health, then the stress can mount on you during this time. You need to find a way t o make sure that you are feeling better and getting some rest. This is why it is so important to find a resume writing service for teachers that can work with you to help you do this.One of the ways that a professional resume writing service for teachers can help you is to provide the first step in your quest for a new job. After the initial sit down meeting, your writer will get to work creating your resume for you. They will also provide an interview, which can be very helpful as well.The next step of your resume writing service for teachers will involve the preparation of your cover letter. They will use your resume to start the process of building your future employment history. Once you have been hired, they will turn your letter around and present it to your potential employer.Your professional resume writing service for teachers will take care of this entire process by allowing you to rest and keep your mind clear. It's really important that you focus on getting some quality rest while you are waiting for the interview to come around. Once you get a phone call, you will be in a much better position to show off your skills and highlight what makes you an ideal candidate for the job.An experienced professional resume writing service for teachers will be happy to give you all of the tools and techniques that you need to be successful. Once you have been hired, your education background and your professional experience will be shown to your potential employer in their own words. This will really help to set you apart from all of the other applicants.Finding a good resume writing service for teachers is one of the best things that you can do to get your career on the right track. If you don't already have a job, it's time to start applying. You will have a great chance of being selected if you work with a professional resume writing service for teachers.

Businesses- Heres How You Can Keep Burglars at Bay

Businesses- Heres How You Can Keep Burglars at Bay As a business owner, you really do have so many tasks to juggle. From keeping employees happy to ensure all jobs are being done to the right standard, to liaising with clients, making sure your business is moving with the times and so much more. Theres no doubt that your job is a busy one, but one thing you should never let slip is your security. Criminals either in person or online have the ability to completely destroy your business- from stealing equipment to stealing data, rising bank accounts and taking your money as well as damaging your reputation. Heres what you can do to keep the burglars at bay from your company. Use a Good Office Security System If you dont own your office building and just rent a space inside a bigger office block, it can be easy to disregard security. However its important that you still take responsibility for your own company. Invest in a commercial burglar alarm and CCTV, these things will both help to both deter criminals but if they do still manage to get, in you have taped evidence to show to the police and use in court Back Up To The Cloud The cloud is becoming increasingly important in business and its your responsibility to ensure youre keeping up with these advancements. From a security point of view, its far safer to have your information encrypted and kept on cloud based servers than it is to keep them on things like hard drives. If your office computer is stolen or damaged, the backup drive is likely to suffer the same fate. Using the cloud also allows workers to access the information they need from anywhere in the world in a safe and secure way, so you can have some employees working remotely if you choose to. Do your research and consider cloud migration as an essential aspect of improving and growing your business as well as keeping it more secure. Be Aware of Passwords We all know the importance of using complex passwords on our personal accounts, so don’t overlook this when setting up your business accounts too. Not only should you set ones that aren’t able to be guessed, but be careful about who knows them too. Since most business are largely run online these days, it’s essential that your accounts are secured. Cyber criminals who are looking to target enterprises remotely often gain access to sensitive information simply due to simple passwords, so this is one area not to disregard. Invest in Proper Insurance Finally, if the worst were to happen and something does happen to your business, having insurance means you wont be left out of pocket. It could be the difference between a minor setback and full bankruptcy so do your research. If you own the building you work in, buildings insurance will protect you in the case of things like arson or natural disaster damaging the outer shell. Contents insurance will protect your possessions and everything inside again from accidental, natural or criminal damage. Public liability insurance and employer’s insurance are essential to have and will protect your workers and members of the public if any accident or injury were to occur as a result of your business. This could be anything from a defective product, or an incident happening on your premises.

Develop Understanding Across Cultures - Jane Jackson Career

Develop Understanding Across Cultures - Jane Jackson Career Globalisation â€" what does it really mean to us in our daily lives?   To me, it means that the world is flat.  It means the opening of international markets for the trade of goods, services, and operations and the export of jobs and cross-border transactions.The ease of air travel and the interest to explore other countries for work or for pleasure means that we encounter cultural diversity constantly in our personal and professional lives.   This, in turn, means that we need to understand and accommodate diverse cultures in order to ensure effective communication and minimize misunderstandings.   This article covers a few areas to consider when working across cultures its all a matter of respect and taking time to understand whats important to others.Today’s employees need to ensure their ability to work and communicate with people across cultures. Those who grasp the nuances of cross-cultural communications and appropriate interactions will create an edge for themselves as the y move through their career. Those who are ill prepared may not understand how their own actions, appropriate in their own culture, created a rift in another.   I am a firm believer in the importance of understanding across cultures as I come from a Eurasian background with a Chinese mother and an English father.   I was born in Malaysia, brought up in Hong Kong, educated in America and have lived and worked in England, Hong Kong, Singapore and Sydney.   My close friends are from America, Ghana, England, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea and Egypt.   My dearest friends from high school are an eclectic bunch â€" one has a Shanghainese/Indian mother and a Norwegian/German father, another has a Korean mother and a German father and another, like me, has a Chinese mother and English father.   We all speak a second language and truly believe the world is flat!My beautifully eclectic group of friends and me from Ghana, Japan, Egypt, Hong Kong and Singapore  I’ve conducted research from numerous sources and will share the common themes I’ve found that I believe will be helpful in creating an awareness that will assist in understanding across cultures.   I’ve found it to be fascinating.   I hope you will too!   Let’s take a quick look at Body Language and Communication.Communication and Body Language Some cultures avoid both negative and positive responses.  This makes it difficult for those used to direct and honest answers in their own culture.   For example, the Japanese are extremely reticent to say “no”, as are most Indonesian cultures, such as the Javanese.  If you will pardon the pun, a negative expression is frowned upon!  The Javanese, in fact, will never admit to any negative opinion nor give negative criticism; a disparaging comment would be considered a face destroying insult.Other cultures, such as in Eastern Europe, avoid overly positive or enthusiastic reactions initially as this may receive a negative response, be a little more circumspect,   at least in the first instance.Nodding one’s head is a classic example of an easily misunderstood gesture. In most of the West it is common to show you agree by nodding your head up and down and murmuring “um hmm” or “mmm” or something similar. This will mean nothing in some other cultures, and in some it may even indicate the negative.  In Turkey, Iran, Bulgaria and some Melanesian islands nodding the head up (in Melanesia usually accompanied by a slight “tsk” sound) means a definite NO. In much of Asia nodding, sometimes accompanied by “yes”, simply means:   “I understand, carry on . . .” however this is often misinterpreted by Westerners to indicate agreement, usually of each specific point nodded at. This misunderstanding can cause considerable disappointment and annoyance to Western businessmen negotiating a deal.Another easily confused gesture is the mostly western custom of twirling the forefinger in front of one’s ear to indicate that someone is a littl e crazed or unbalanced.   However in certain cultures, such as in Argentina, that same gesture is common sign language that means “a telephone call for you”.  You can understand the misunderstanding this gesture could create in the wrong circumstances.The simple act of waving your hand can have different significance or impact in different cultures.  While Americans might wave their hand, palm out, sideways to say goodbye, in much of Europe such a gesture indicates, “No”, while to say goodbye they might wave their hand up and down with the palm down.    That same hand up and down gesture in Indonesia means, “come here.”   In the West “come here” would be indicated by a similar gesture but with the palm facing up or just “beckoning” with the forefinger.   Please be aware though, that the latter gesture with the forefinger would be found demeaning and highly offensive in Indonesia and some other parts of Asia.Pointing your finger at someone is often taken as an a ggressive act.    It is much more polite to point with one’s whole outstretched arm and hand.Posture also has an impact.  For example, the Western habit of leaning back and putting one’s feet up on one’s desk or table is considered extremely rude in much of Asia.  Showing the bottom of one’s foot is taken as an insult to anyone the foot faces.Standing with your arms akimbo (hands on your hips) is quite a natural gesture for most Westerners, but many Asians see this as an arrogant stance and may easily be offended by it.In England you must never turn ones back towards royalty.   Showing one’s back to anyone may be considered an insult in much of Asia.Touching someone with one’s left hand is considered unclean in parts of Asia and the mid-East.  If you are fortunate enough to speak with royalty in England remember they are not to be touched at all!     Also, touching someone’s head without asking permission may be considered an aggressive act, in some cultures amount ing to an invitation to fight.  In such cultures, even a masseuse will not touch the client’s head without first enquiring whether it is desired.Smiling and silence can also have different meanings to people from different cultures.  In much of Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia, simple courtesy dictates that people generally will maintain a smiling face, and smile and nod even to strangers when passing them on the street.  Similarly, people will make pleasant small talk to strangers whom they may encounter in a shop, a waiting room or even public transport.  This is why so many tourists find Indonesians and, in particular, Balinese, so friendly and welcoming when they first meet them.   In these cultures a scowling and closed face, and reluctance to engage in polite conversation will be taken as rudeness, very bad form.Conversely, some western cultures, such as the French, see gratuitous chitchat and smiling as signs of mental instability or suspicious intent.  In som e cultures preliminary chit chat and joking among participants in any meeting simply relaxes the atmosphere and allows things to commence on an amicable tone; whereas in others it is looked upon as an attempt to divert attention away from the matters at hand and waste time, indicating a lack of seriousness.This is just the tip of the iceberg, a taster about cultural differences.   The message here is that understanding creates clarity and tolerance.   The important thing to remember is to respect other cultures in order to enhance the building of strong relationships.I am continuing with my research and would welcome additional information and comments â€" if you agree or disagree I’d love to hear from you and if you have more information to share and shed light on cultural differences to enhance understanding start a discussion!