Stand Out from the Crowd during Your Job Search - Your Career Intel

Stand Out from the Crowd during Your Job Search - Your Career IntelWith job creation numbers remaining modest and unemployment rates holding steady, landing your dream job may at times seem like a Sisyphean task. Sure, hand-delivering a box of chocolates to the hiring manager is one way to make your application stand out, but thats elend necessarily the best way to go about getting your resume to the top of the stack.As a Managing Partner overseeing executive recruitment, candidates frequently ask me how to stand out in a job interview and build their personal brand. My response is simple go the extra mile. This means tossing out a generic resume, upping your networking game, and thinking creatively.Tailor your resume to match the position and company culture.From tech startups to advertising giants, traditional resumes no longer make the cut. Tailor your resume to notlage only match the position for which you are applying, but also to align with the companys culture. For example, co nsider using an infographic to visually illustrate your skills and accomplishments. And while a creative presentation is important, when it comes to your qualifications and accomplishments, stick to the facts. In the age of Google, it only takes a few seconds to spot creative embellishments and have your resume sent straight to the reject pile.Build your digital brand and use it to network.Your LinkedIn profile is your digital calling card what does it say about you? Think beyond the basic profile and consider what you say in public forums, too. Establish yourself as an industry thought leader by curating industry news and adding insightful comments. Be strategic with your LinkedIn connections and dont be afraid to ask colleagues and clients for a recommendation on LinkedIn. If you are currently employed but interested in a new position, reach out individually to the contacts you trust can keep your intentions private, let them know you are exploring the possibility of a new challen ge, and ask for advice. I have found that people are genuinely interested in helping others when asked.Stand out in your job interview.Your interview is not a time to rehash your resumes bullet points it is a time to sell your personal brand by harnessing the power of storytelling. Come to your interview prepared with two or three anecdotes that demonstrate your soft skills, including teamwork, leadership, and creative thinking. Do your research understand the companys culture and be prepared with thoughtful questions to ask about the companys future direction. Demonstrate how your leadership and ideas will be invaluable to building the companys future. Speak with confidence, passion, and determination theres no substitute for human interaction, and an interview is your moment to shine.If you are currently looking for a new job, what steps are you taking to make your resume stand out and build your personal brand? I welcome your ideas below.

The 4 Spring Staples Every Professional Needs in Her Wardrobe

The 4 Spring Staples Every Professional Needs in Her Wardrobe The days are getting longer and warmer, meaning we can all pack away our boots and scarves for a few months. Even better, the change of seasons also means a chance to stock your wardrobe with a few new items for the bro.You should feel free to experiment and show your personality through your style. But when choosing outfits for work, there are two things to always keep in mind1. Layer, layer, layer.It might be cool in the mornings and evenings and warmer in the afternoons, so layer accordingly. Follow this tip and youll also be prepared for any amount for air conditioning (or heat) blasting in the office.2. Save the ultra-casual pieces (like flip flops or miniskirts) for the weekend.These pieces are too casual for any office. And consult your company handbook or talk to HR if you have questions about clothing guidelines.With these rules in mind, check out the four staples you should stock your closet with this spring.1. C olored Jeans and dress pants.Transition those lightweight long- and three-quarter-sleeve shirts from winter to spring by adding pop of color. Colored bottoms add a lighter look (and feel, depending on the fabric) to your outfit. You can also play with length and opt for the full, ankle or cropped variety. Plus, theyre just plain fun2. A new pair of sandals, flats or wedges.You can show off that new pedicure (without wearing flip flops) by investing in a good pair of sandals or wedges (or both). And depending on where you live, your open-toed shoes can transition into fall when paired with pants and a long-sleeve shirt or jacket.3. Lightweight blazers and sweaters.The temperatures outside are warming up, which means the air conditioning in the office is kicking on full blast. Not only will lightweight jackets, blazers and sweaters easily transition your outfits from season to season, theyll keep you comfortable in cool office environments.4. Dresses and skirts.And, of course, springt ime means you can break out those cute skirts and dresses, and pair them with those new sandals or wedges, lightweight jackets and even a fun tight of legging (depending on how casual your office is). These let you transition from the office to happy hour with minimal effort while looking super cute.--Samantha Smoak is a journalist turned tech PR pro based in Nashville, Tennessee. For dog pictures and sports jokes, follower her on Twitter and Instagram samanthaksmoak.

Should You Quit a Job Without an Exit Strategy

Should You Quit a Job Without an Exit Strategy We know that fruchtwein of you are disengaged in your work, (about 87% of you to be precise according to Gallup) one in four of you dont trust your employers (indicatesthis AMA study) and, most important, two-thirds of you experienced some kind of pay cut during the recession. This means that many of todays employees have had their patience tested for too long and are now operating on the edge and primed to blow at the smallest employer infraction, which could lead to a sudden or unplanned resignation in the heat of the moment. You can, of course, recover from a sudden and vexatious resignation, but it can seriously put the brakes on your career progression if you leave a company in haste without an exit strategy in place. For starters, it is likely to come across as impulsive or ill-judged if you have resigned in haste without a job offer in place. P otential employers could regard this as a sign of poor decision making while under pressure. You will also find yourself in a weaker negotiating position as the employer knows you have no other options and this decreases the chances of you finding a more suitable job on the right terms in a short time period. Quitting in haste and without an exit strategy will put you on the back foot from day one.So, if you are sitting with your resignation letter in your back pocket, or you feel you simply cant muster the energy to workat your employerany more and must resign today (without a plan/job), stop and devise your exit strategy.A good exit strategy should take around 3-6 months to execute, probably longer for senior candidates. This gives you time to find a job, which takes about 10 weeks on average, according to recent U.S. DOL figures. It also gives you some reflective time to see if a career or at least direction change is needed and to decide which roles and/or companies will compris e the next most effective career steps. This minimizes the chance of your next move being a backward step, or a jump from the frying pan into the fire.Youll also want to do some planning around any service-related benefits you may have. For example, is it worth staying an extra few months so you qualify for any service-related benefits, such as shares or annual bonus payments? It seems a shame to throw this away unless you are sure you can get it compensated for in a new job. Additionally, is it worth staying an extra few months so you can complete a full year tenure, e.g. 1 year or 2 years. Its much better PR on your resume.Taking 3-6 months to leave also gives you time to execute an effective networking campaign, which could involve making contacts with recruiters, hiring managers and peers in other companies to inquire about upcoming opportunities and share knowledge. You may or may not know that word-of-mouth hiring is currently the most effective way to find a job, and that stu dies show you aremuch more likely to be selected for interview and be offered a job if you are referred by an employee of a prospective employer or an influentialcontact.So, use your prolonged exit period to engage influencers both inside and outside the company to help find more relevant opportunities and convert them into interviews and job offers.When you do come to leave, its vital to resign and honor your notice periods to ensure that you maintain strong relations with your current employer as youll rely on them to provide you with good references for your next job and they may be able to help you to achieve future career or business objectives. As you can see, a job exit strategy is a crucial part of the job transitioning process that will enable you to make progressive and suitable career steps over the course of your working life.

A List of College Majors by Discipline

A List of College Majors by DisciplineA List of College Majors by DisciplineChoosing a college major was difficult enough back when there was only a handful from which to choose. behauptung days, there are hundreds of majors, including some in very new and intriguing areas. Lets just say, no one was majoring in informatics or viticulture or exercise studies, for that matter, back in the mid-20th century. Fortunately, all these college majors fall into six types. So scan this all-in-one list, or go to this subdivided list, which offers a little more depth, and share it with your college kid. Contemplating hundreds of possibilities may cause panic, but skimming six general categories helps winnow the list. Arts-Related Majors Contrary to popular opinion and operatic plots, art majors do not risk starvation(although thats certainly one of several misconceptions about college majors). These majors represent a variety of deeply creative and artistic pursuits, each with many specialtie s. The asterisks below denote traditionally competitive majors, which may be difficult to get into on some campuses or may require auditions, portfolios or recommendations. So if your college kid is interested in one, he should check requirements early. Architectural design*, including architecture and landscape architectureArt* and its many sub-specialties, including graphic designArt historyCinematography*Comparative literatureDance*DesignDigital arts* and other multimedia, including video game designDrama, including acting, writing, stage design, costume design, prop production and theater managementFilm studiesMusic*, including performance, composition, history, ethnomusicology, music education and recording technology Science and Math-Related Majors Over the last 30 years, the sciences have exploded into an extravagant array of possibilities. Some, such as bioengineering, can be very competitive to get into. Most of these have stringent GPA and prerequisite coursework requi rements. Pre-med students typically choose a major from this list, although statistically, music students stand a better chance of acceptance at med school.? Applied mathAgricultural scienceAnimal scienceAstronomyBiochemistry*Bioengineering*Biology, including marine, micro, molecular and neurobiologyBotanyChemistryCriminal science and forensicsEarth and space scienceEntomologyFood science, including nutrition scienceGeneticsGeologyKinesiology, including sports medicine and exercise biologyMathematicsMedical technologyNursing*OceanographyPhysicsPhysiologyPsychologySpeech and hearing sciences and disordersStatisticsViticulture and enology, a field that includes vineyard management Environment-Related Majors Aquatic and fishery sciencesAtmospheric sciencesBiologyEcologyEarth and space sciences, including astronomy and geologyEnvironmental studies and policyEnvironmental ScienceResource Management, including forestry and wildlife managementOceanography and marine biology Busines s-Related Majors Admission to business programs is typically competitive. Accounting and informational systemsBusiness administrationConstruction managementEconomicsEntrepreneurshipFinanceHealth informaticsIndustrial engineeringInformaticsInternational businessManagementMarketing Engineering and Technology Majors These are all highly competitive majors. Virtually every major on this list, except applied mathematical science, is impacted. Aeronautics and Astronautics, the design, testing and production of aircraft, missiles, and spacecraftApplied mathematical sciencesBioengineeringBioresource science and engineeringChemical engineeringCivil and environmental engineeringComputer engineering and computer scienceElectrical engineeringTechnical communication, a field that includes tech writingMaterials science and engineeringMechanical engineering Literature, Language, and Social Science Majors Just as most premed (pre-dent and pre-pharm) students choose from the sciences list, pre-law students tend to select majors from this list. Asterisks denote more competitive majors. AnthropologyClassicsCity planning*Comparative literatureCommunication*CriminologyEducation, including early childhood and special educationEconomics*EnglishEnvironmental studiesEthnic and gender studiesForeign language and literatureGeographyHistoryInformaticsInternational studiesLibrary scienceLinguisticsPhilosophyPolitical sciencePsychologyReligious studiesRhetoricSocial justiceSocial welfareSociology

What to Say Instead of Im Busy - The Muse

What to Say Instead of Im Busy - The MuseWhat to Say Instead of Im Busy Our default answer to How are you? in the workplace is usually something along the lines of, Im stressed/busy/tired/overworked. Were being honest More than half of all working adults are so burnt out theyre worried its impacting their health. There are three problems with saying so, however. First, it loses its potency. Yeah, youre stressed, so what- you said that yesterday, and the week before, and the month before that. Second, saying youre stressed or busy actually makes you feel mora stressed or busy. Third, weve created a cult of busy Theres a cultural expectation that, if youre not stressed or busy, youre slacking.So, lets stop it. The next time someone asks how youre doing (which will probably happen, oh, in the next two hours), dont complain about being swamped- especially if the question is coming from your boss or a colleague who you ultimately want to impress. Instead, choose from these five replies.1. Im having a productive day.If youre worried your co-workers or boss will assume you need more to do if you dont talk about your heavy workload, go for this response. Youre still implying you have a lot going on, but youre demonstrating that youre handling it. You also sound happy to be working and checking boxes on your to-do list, which everyone in the office will appreciate. Maybe youll even inspire them to give similarly upbeat responses to the same question.2. Im working on X project andSometimes youre not being productive. You might be stumped by a project, or you actually feel overwhelmed by how much you have to get done. In this case, putting a positive spin on the situation could hurt you. If the person who asks you how youre doing has the power to help, say, Im so glad youre checking in Im working on X problem and Id love your insight on/support with If he or she cant help, stick to, Im working on these X things. How are you?3. Im a little overloaded right now, but I expec t things to calm down in a week when X is done.This is especially good when you think someone might have ulterior motives in asking how you are (i.e., they want to know if you can help with more work). You definitely dont want to misrepresent your situation, but you dont want to sound like youre dodging work, either. Explain youre at full capacity right now but hint that the person could approach you again once things have calmed down. It makes you sound more on top of things than just a vague, panicked, Im so busy4. Ive got a lot to do, but Im excited for the results.This reply makes it difficult for whoever just asked you how you were doing not to get caught up in your energetic attitude. Youre acknowledging that youre occupied and simultaneously pointing out good things will come of it. Im busy or Im stressed is a complaint- this is a victory lap in advance. Bonus Projecting your future success will make you look more competent.5. Im stressed.Wait, isnt this what weve been harpin g on about not saying? Yup. In very rare occasions, you can use Im stressed/Im busy/Im tired/Im overworked- when theres no substitute for these expressions. Youre the founder of a startup and youve just pulled your fourth all-nighter in a week. Okay, youre busy and tired. Youre in charge of a new marketing campaign thats failing miserably. Okay, youre stressed. Youve been spending every weekend laboring on a project running behind schedule. Okay, youre overworked.By saving these statements for the fruchtwein extreme situations, people will actually take them seriously. You dont have to be Pollyanna all the time. Just, well, most of the time.Its hard to find a professional who doesnt feel stressed, busy, tired, or overworked. Dropping these responses from your vocabulary, except when theyre truly needed, will make you feel calmer and appear more capable. Win-win.Photo of busy bees courtesy of Shutterstock.

13 Ways to Jump Start Your Job Search

13 Ways to Jump Start Your Job Search 13 Ways to Jump Start Your Job Search Are you feeling stuck in a job search rut? One of the most frequent questions Im asked is how can I get people to respond to my resume? I understand the feeling its incredibly discouraging to apply for job after job and never hear a peep back. You start to think it must be you there must be something wrong with you or why would nobody call back?But thats leid the case. Theres nothing wrong with you although it seems there is something wrong with your job search strategy. After all, youve been doing the same things for a while now and they havent workedSo here are just a few suggestions to shake things up.13 Ways to Jump Start Your Job Search1. Narrow it down Get really specific about what you want to do and which companies you want to work in, and then develop a strategy to make connections inside those companies using your real life network and your zugreifbar network (through social media sites like Faceb ook, Twitter and LinkedIn). Dont worry if theyre not advertising jobs just now there are tons of jobs filled every day that are not advertised.2. Broaden it out Maybe you have been very specific and it hasnt worked. Well then, try broadening your search. Consider other industries and fields that might need someone like you and research the types of available positions.3. Revamp your resume Choose 3 vacant job postings that appeal to you. Go through them and highlight key words and themes. Get inside the head of the hiring manager what is he looking for? Now look at your resume does it instantly convey that you have what it takes? If not, rework it to focus on those words and themes.4. Show some personality Call or email friends and people who have worked with you. Ask them what words describe you best. Now look at your resume to see if it includes those words. If not, rework it to reflect some personality.5. Be an expert Giving advice instantly makes you look smarter than other p eople, so write an article about your area of expertise. Call it The 5 Secrets of a Successful Administrative Assistant or 10 Ways to Succeed at Sales or How to be a Successful Game Designer. Publish your article to the web using Google Knols. Now when you send a resume by email, you can say I have attached my resume but to learn mora about how I work, feel free to check out my article on 10 Ways to Succeed at Sales.6. Be more of an expert Create a whole resources page about your profession at Squidoo.com. Include your Knol article, but also provide links to other good resources, recommended books and some quick tips. Again, you can include this link in your cover letter. (Now you can say I have written several resources for other Administrative Assistants, including a web page which you can find at .)7. Be even more of an expert If you like writing, start a blog. Keep it professional and use it as a way to show employers just how much you know about your profession.8. Read recruite r blogs and newsletters To succeed, you need to understand how recruiters work and what they like and dislike. Reading recruiter blogs is a great way to find out. Just go to Technorati and do a search for recruiting to find some blogs to follow. Also, I recommend signing up for Nick Corcodilass Ask the Recruiter newsletter, which is packed full of good advice and insights.9. Use social media to make connections Read my article on Using Twitter for Job Search. Then get on Twitter and start following people who work at your target companies. Start conversations with them about them not about you and make a connection. Once you know them and they know you, you can ask hey, are you guys hiring?10. Beef up your online presence Recruiters are increasingly using sites like LinkedIn and ZoomInfo to find candidates. Create profiles on both and make sure you do it correctly Check my article on 7 LinkedIn Mistakes for some tips on what to do.11. Check your web presence Google yourself and se e what comes up. Check Yahoo and MSN also as each search engine produces different results. Check Pipl, which pulls from information all over the web. If you find things you dont like, take steps to correct that by either (a) removing content from sites, profiles, blogs or forums or (b) replacing search results you dont like with better stuff. You can do this by making smart and thoughtful comments on blogs using your real name, creating profiles and writing articles as mentioned above. This will bump down any negative stuff over time.12. Know who you are This goes back to my 1 point, but sometimes in a long job search, you can lose track of who you are and your unique value. In trying to get a job any job you can start trying to be all things to all people. Dont. It never works. Clarify who you are and your unique value proposition and then make sure that is the focus of everything else that you do (including articles and web profiles). Check out my free resume writing course to learn how to develop your value proposition.13. Stop following the rules When you apply for a position online, they ask you to follow certain steps. Dont. Instead, research the company and then network your way to a real person. Send your resume to that person with a note telling them how excited you are about the vacancy you saw and why you would be the perfect fit. If you can find more than one person, send more than one email. Making the human connection is the key.There are many many ways to get creative about your search. Taking action on one or more of these suggestions will make a difference to your search results and also maybe help you to feel unstuck. In summary, I think all this can be encapsulated as stop doing what you have been doing and do something new.What about you? Do you have any suggestions for people feeling stuck in a job search rut? Have you ever used a creative strategy successfully? Do you know someone who has? If so, please share in the comments.

Religion in the Workplace

Religion in the WorkplaceReligion in the WorkplaceHow do you handle the gray areas of accommodating religious diversity at work?Accommodating, incorporating, and embracing diversity in the workplace has been a common thread among many of our articles recently. Each piece asks and answers different questions about diversity, including How do you uphold the rights and preferences of individual employees? and How do you tap into the benefits of diversity while avoiding the possible challenges?In a timely example of accommodating a religion-based need in a communal situation, I had to address this struggle in a club I help lead, outside of the workplace, but within a similar situation to what many experience on the job. Since many of the factors in this situation parallel things one might see at work, we used many of the basic employment laws to help shape our thinking around this issue. Heres our story.The BackgroundOur club is one that requires physical contact between members. Similar to activities such as partner yoga, wrestling, flying trapeze, or ballroom dancing, you simply cant participate in the club if you are unwilling to be in contact with the other participants. Our club is coed, but unlike ballroom dancing, there is no historic, traditional, or expected gender distinction for who someone might be paired up with during the course of the activity.Our club, although open to the public, is also offered as a course for leistungspunkt at a local university. So at any given time, some of the students in this club may be receiving school credit for attending, while others arent.The SituationRecently one of our new students requested that he not be partnered with female students due to religious restrictions. And he asked that the leader working with his group at the time share this request with the other club leaders. This poses a challenge for the rest of the club members for a few reasons.Attendance varies from meeting to meeting and it is impossible to gua rantee that there will always be a male in attendance to work with this participant.As members progress in skill level, the numbers of available participants decrease, thus by continuing to participate in the club, accommodating this request will become harder.As members progress in skill level, they are expected to teach newer students. Teaching generally includes a certain level of physical contact for demonstration purposes. It would be difficult to meet the needs of our students when an instructor cannot adequately teach a portion of them.The Factors ConsideredAlthough our organization is run as a club and not a business, this situation could arise in many workplaces, especially those requiring a physical element to participate. As a leadership team, we discussed this situation holistically as well as the specific request. The factors considered can be broken down into three general categories rules, laws and precedent impact to the club and impact to the student.Rules, laws, an d precedentTo help us think through this situation, we looked at several employment rules and principles that often guide decisions in the workplace. Would accommodating this student pose an unreasonable hardship to the club?Would this student be able to execute tasks needed to complete the course for full credit with reasonable accommodation?Does the affiliated university have any specific rules or precedent that would apply in this situation?Impact to the clubWhile it may be a little bit inconvenient to accommodate this student, it is really not any more inconvenient than accommodating a student with an injury, which we already do frequently. If the student owns the responsibility to remind others of the situation as needed and sit out during activities where his needs cant be accommodated (auditing portions of the class instead of participating when a male partner isnt available for example), then class disruption should be minimal.On the other hand, inviting this student to stay with the club beyond the first quarter would pose a hardship since he wouldnt be able to contribute fully as a more senior club member.Impact to the studentThe student in question is enrolled in our club for school credit, and it is too late for him to drop the class this quarter. Thus by leaving now he would receive a failing or incomplete grade for this particular class.The DecisionAfter analyzing several options, our team decided to allow the student to finish the quarter as a club participant. We communicated that he would own the responsibility to communicate his situation and sit out of activities as needed. We agreed that observing the class instead of participating during these times would not impact his attendance or his grade. And we let him know that in order to progress in the club beyond the first quarter, he would need to interact with female students.As you seek talent to fill your jobs, you may come across similar situations where, due to religion, a candidate cant fully participate in all aspects of the job the way it has been previously done. Although employment laws offer some flexibility to companies to hire candidates who are able and willing to complete the work, by thinking through all of the possible options, you can often find a solution that is fair and respectful to the employee, the workplace, and the company.