Saturday, May 30, 2020

Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom The Right Way to Make Connections on LinkedIn

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom The Right Way to Make Connections on LinkedIn LinkedIn, which years ago was known as Facebook for old people, is now the top social network for professionals. It boasts more than 200 million users and is used by the majority of the Fortune 100. If you’re not on it every day, you need to be. And there are some tricks to making connections on LinkedIn. When I was new to the business world, you had to attend in-person networking events to meet anyone. But then, along came the marvelous invention of LinkedIn, and suddenly you can interface with an exponentially larger number of contacts in a fraction of the time. There is, however, a right way and a wrong way to meet new contacts on LinkedIn. Here are a few dos and don’ts. Don’t wait for people to find you. Although this will happen eventually, it’s much more efficient to proactively connect with people by searching for former colleagues and business associates (the search function is on the top of every page). When you start typing a person’s name, a list of potential connections appears. You can also find connections by perusing the “People You May Know” section, as well as your current connections’ profiles. For more where this came from, have a look at the full post at the FlexJobs blog.

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

3 Small Business Improvements That Keep Employees Happy and Productive

3 Small Business Improvements That Keep Employees Happy and Productive Owning a business comes with a lot of expenses, but some expenses are more important than others. Sure, it’s important to pay your utility bills and pay for any services you need to keep your company operating each day, but there are also things you should purchase to help improve employee morale and retention. After all, a workplace with happy, safe employees is a productive workplace. When you’re ready to make some changes, consider these things. Create a Safe Workplace The safety of your employees should always be a top priority, especially if you have employees going to and from the parking lot at night. At the very least, you need to have plans for emergency evacuation, fire and carbon monoxide alarm systems, and plans in place to keep your employees safe in the event of a natural disaster. You should also consider: Hiring a security guard Installing an electronic lock system that requires employees to use their employee ID to enter the building Install panic alarms in the parking lot in case of emergency Hire a contractor, like Aftec, to install a preset concrete fence around the property â€" it provides added security and lasts longer than a traditional chain-link fence. Improve Your Work Environment Your office atmosphere affects the mood of everyone working there. If you have an office filled with muted grays and blues â€" colors that resemble a dreary winter sky â€" it creates a somber mood. If you want to increase productivity, you need to get rid of the dreary decor. You need to create a workspace that actually makes people want to come to work. When you’re ready to redecorate, some things to consider include: Painting the walls a cheerful or bright color â€" try a medium shade of yellow, a bright aqua, or orange. Display modern wall art filled with fun, energetic colors. Get rid of the boring cubicles and transform the main work area into an open workspace that encourages collaboration. Level up your break room by decorating it as you would a living room. This way, it becomes a place your employees enjoy using when they need to recharge a bit. Also, stock it with healthy snacks and water bottles â€" sugary snacks and junk food cause  afternoon fatigue. Create quiet work zones for your employees to use when they need absolute silence. This allows them to get away from the louder main work area when they really need to focus on a project. Create an Employee Benefits Package Many employees appreciate benefits, especially healthcare. However, it’s often difficult for small businesses to match the benefits packages employees receive when working for larger corporations. To get the best rates on health, dental, and vision insurance for your employees, get several different quotes. Also, check with the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) network in your state to determine whether your state offers affordable employer-sponsored health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). For example, New York State has the Small Business Options Program (SBOP). It allows employers to offer health insurance to their employees under ACA so the insurance is more affordable and you still receive your employer tax credits, which aren’t offered if your employees purchase their insurance through the individual exchange. Also, instead of trying to create a benefits package that mirrors ones offered by larger corporations, get creative. Consider creating a package that includes benefits like: Flexible work schedules The option to work from home Performance bonuses Flexible vacation schedules Also, consider holding regular contests for your employees based on their performance â€" quality or productivity levels. You can also consider offering free lunch and/or snacks to your employees. While things like these don’t seem like much, they are small things that show your employees how much you appreciate them â€" and employees that feel appreciated, tend to stick around. The fact is, if you want to maximize your employees’ productivity and increase your company’s employee retention, you need your employees to feel happy, energized, safe, and appreciated. So create a list of the improvements you feel align with your business, and make the necessary changes as your budget allows.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

10 Creative Ways to Make More Money - Classy Career Girl

10 Creative Ways to Make More Money You know the feeling. You look at your budget and have that terrible feeling that funds are getting low and you absolutely have to make more money  in your business this month to survive. What you are doing now just isnt working. It might just be time to step away from your computer and start some other creative strategies to get the cash flowing again in your business. Take a deep breath and dive into these  creative ways to start getting your mindset ready again to receive the cash that is coming your way. Here are 10 Creative Ways to Make More Money in Your Business: 1. Upgrade Your Life I want you to start acting as if you are a wealthy person now. Treat yourself to little things that make you feel rich. Maybe it’s getting a manicure or treating yourself to a step up in your wine selection. Maybe it’s going to a hairdresser who is a little more expensive but makes you look amazing when you walk out the door. You don’t need a ton of money for this. These are just simple things so you can do to start upgrading your lifestyle and feel like you are already rich. What are some simple ways you can upgrade your life? 2. Get Rid of Your Money Blocks Some of your money blocks are years, even decades, old but they can be cleared. Your task this week is to write down all of the negative thoughts you have about money and let them go.  3.  Start Tracking Every Dollar Your exercise is to every day write down all of the money that comes into your life. Big or small. Track it and feel good about it. Like attracts like, so the more you are thankful for what you have, the more you will receive.  4.  Don’t Resent Money Don’t be jealous or resentful of other people who make more  money. There is money everywhere, and there is enough for everyone. Someone once told me after I put down a $20 bill to buy some gum, “You are rich!” I said immediately, “Oh no I am not!” I thought about what I had just said, and I was rejecting money. He was telling me that I am rich and I am! 5. Ask For More What do you want to earn? Now, let’s multiply that by three and give you a real dream! I often talk to new business owners, and they are afraid to tell me their income goal. When I finally pull it out of them, I tell them they could do three times better than that! You are worth more than you think, and I want you to think about charging the value you bring to your clients. The more you charge, the higher type of clients you will have. Those are the people you want to work with anyways. No more bartering or discounting. 6. Be Generous. Give! According to Dan Kennedy, a great marketing expert, the hole that you give through and you invest  through is the same hole you  receive through. Make sure that you are giving and investing. Practice being generous. Give your time, give your money. Pick a non-profit you are passionate about and volunteer. Increase the amount you tithe to your church.  The more you give to others and spend on others, the more will flow to you too. Remember, money circulates. Money is always moving. Money is a tool. 7. Affirmations Write these down. Repeat these daily. Add them to your vision board. Money comes to me in unforeseen ways. Every day my income increases whether I am working, playing, or sleeping. People love to pay me money for what I most enjoy doing. I am making positive choices about what I do with my money. My bills are paid, my dreams are coming true! 8. Gratitude Your Way To Wealth Give up the guilt. Be thankful for learning experiences. I once was $80,000 in debt and I have a foreclosure on my record. But am I ever thankful for those learning experiences! I worked my butt off to get out of debt and be able to build up my savings for my future freedom! What guilt do you have about your money? Give it up and be thankful for it instead! [RELATED: 5 Examples of Gratitude to Inspire You] 9. De-clutter Your Life Clear Your Tolerations What are you tolerating? It’s time to make a long list and start taking care of that dry cleaning lying around or your messy office. De-cluttering your office and home gives you a huge energy boost. It brings new money and opportunities into your life. Look around you. Is it messy or organized? Is there room to bring more into your life?   Free up your energy to be able to make more money. You have to be more aware and clear to see the opportunities that will lead you to more clients, money, and projects. Make sure you clear your money files too! 10. Surround Yourself With Positive  Wealth Minded People This is a no-brainer. Being around people who love life and are doing great things with their money is SO motivating! But hearing about other people’s college loans and credit card bills can be depressing. Stick with the people who make you dream for more. I would love to hear in the comments what creative ways do you use to make more money in your business? Please share!

Monday, May 18, 2020

7 Youre Always On - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding 24/7 Youre Always On - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career As the number of users exponentially grows on social networks, the demand for every single person to have their own air time increases. We will constantly have to work harder to become known and remembered now and in the future. If I dont see your face online every day, then I forget about you when Im looking to hire. Facebook is about to approach 500 million users, while Twitter has over 200 million, LinkedIn has over 70 million, and there are approximately 150 million blogs.   If you add the amount of blog posts published per day, plus the amount of traditional news articles published, and then add social updates, your brain will start hurting. There is so much noise right now, so the competition for attention is becoming very challenging for most people. We are always on and have to always be out there promoting our brands. The demise of one-off promotional campaigns If a celebrity appears on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, they are there to promote their movie, their latest CD or even a book they just got published. No celebrity goes on that show without having something to sell. When it comes to your career, you cant afford to have these one-off promotional campaigns like celebrities do. You have to constantly be out there talking to people, showing your name and face, and adding some type of value to serve your audience. You simply cant afford to be forgotten, especially in a world of endless choices. What this means to you is that you have to consistently publish content through all of your distribution systems. That way, people will notice you, remember you, and when they have a business problem or an open position, you will be the top-of-mind brand. Face time 2.0 In the workplace, face time means that your management sees your actual face in the office on a reoccurring basis. To management, this means that your not only present at work, but youre being social at work, which is a skill that is praised in most political workplaces. Face time is quickly transitioning to the online medium, especially with the rise of remote workforces. The only difference is that the online world is public, so you can actually send the wrong message to management, without even thinking about it. If they see that youre on Facebook for ten hours a day, you arent as social media specialist, then it looks bad. The new Apple iPhone has the ability to do video conferencing between iPhone 4s. Aside from Skype, UStream, and other available technologies, the new iPhone has broken geographic boundaries. Of course, if youre physically in your managers presence, that will count more than seeing them through your phone. What these technologies do is to bring you closer to the people that control the fate of your career. By doing this, you have more career opportunities because your management will have a stronger connection to you. Reputation management and privacy I think Mark Zuckerberg may be right with his end of privacy announcement a while ago. To prove his hypothesis, a new research study just came out that says that 77% of Americans arent concerned about privacy. Also, very few people disabled their Facebook pages when they changed users settings without consent. Do we really care about privacy? Will we have a choice weather to care about it or not? We need to be on 24/7 and our social stream has to be seen by our network.This does mean that you should be professional with every message you publish though. A lot of careless people have already been fired because of their online presence. Remember that if people dont have access to your streams, they have access to other peoples streams, which means you suffer a competitive disadvantage. Your turn How much face time are you getting? What are your concerns will being out there 24/7?

Friday, May 15, 2020

Help Writing a Government Resume

Help Writing a Government ResumeThere are a number of ways in which you can go about getting help writing a government resume. The first thing you need to do is to write a short story, a series of lines on how you will be differentiating yourself from the competition. Here are a few ideas for starting a story.'I am excited about joining the next company I hear about.' 'I am very well-trained in the management program at my company.' 'I would like to use my business and management skills in order to make more money.' The idea here is that they tell you that they will give you a chance, and you will prove yourself worthy of working there. That confidence is what really makes you stand out from other applicants.Next up is your description of the customer satisfaction. It should tell them what you can offer, what you know, and how well you can help. Once you have your description of yourself written down, you should then have someone else look it over. Then your writer or editor can give it the perfect edit.When you are done, you are going to want to start attaching your resume to a cover letter. This is going to be the letter that goes to the person who is going to interview you. If your personality is not that convincing, it is time to think about having some work done on it.You need to have all of your facts checked, including anything in your resume that is not true. It is important to be as detailed as possible and be careful about stating the same things over again. This could be considered plagiarism, so you need to be careful.You need to also be able to show that you have both the education and experience that are required for the position you are applying for. Your application should also be formatted correctly. This means that you must have all of the information that is required for your resume. Your employers will be very particular about this part of your application.Once you have all of this in place, it is time to try and find something that you know that will go with your resume. There are many pieces of software that are available on the Internet. Some of these are free, while others cost a small fee.Remember, you will always be looking for ways to improve your government resumes. Just remember to be creative when you begin to design your resume. A little bit of creativity is essential if you are going to impress your potential employer.

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

The 8 Most Damaging Ways People Let Themselves Down Every Day - Kathy Caprino

The 8 Most Damaging Ways People Let Themselves Down Every Day Part of Kathy Caprinos series Braving Up To Build Your Best Life   As I enter my second decade of helping people build happier lives and livelihoods, I continually see that our professional successes and failures, and our crushed hopes, have everything to do with what we believe about ourselves internally, and how we’ve come to operate in the world and navigate through our challenges. People tend to see outer circumstances beyond their control as the culprit for their dissatisfaction and disappointment in life and work, thwarting them at every turn. But in reality, it’s our inner experience that drives our outer one.  My research has shown that when people are not sufficiently clear (about who they are and what they are capable of), or confident and courageous enough, they fail at achieving their dreams and goals, and let themselves down on a daily basis. Below are the eight  most damaging ways people fail themselves every day: You don’t speak up for yourself. The vast majority of people who are deeply dissatisfied with their lives, work and relationships suffer from one core challenge: an inability to speak up authoritatively and clearly for what they want and what they deserve. In my work with  adult children of narcissists, for instance, what’s emerged is a powerful trend around their not being able to make sense of or evaluate rationally what they want, or take a bold stand on it. But this challenge isn’t reserved only for those who’ve experienced narcissism growing up; it’s also apparent in thousands of women and men around the world who feel guilty or selfish (or unworthy) if they think about pursuing what they want most deeply. Tip:  Commit today to having the  one  most important conversation  in your life that is begging to be had, that will pave the way for asking for what you want and deserve, and getting it. You don’t take the time to understand what you’re feeling or what you want. Life is grueling for many today, with zero time to unplug, relax, and be quiet and calm within ourselves. We’re running, chasing, and striving, without giving ourselves the chance to just  be. Sadly, when we stop being alone and quiet with ourselves, when we’ve neglected building a relationship with the most important person in our life (ourselves), and when we don’t take the essential time to shut out all the chatter, noise and competition of today’s hyper-connected world, we lose our ability to hear the stirrings of our soul, and the our deepest longings for our lives. Tip: Every day, without fail, take just five  minutes to sit with yourself without distraction or disturbance, and breathe deeply. Watch and listen to what emerges for you. You don’t let go of the relationships that hurt you. I remember when I was in my late 20’s, it began to occur to me that I had a few “friendships’ that weren’t friendly at all, but were very hurtful. My “friends” were cruel, biting, grasping and selfish, and I’d had enough. I remember committing to doing the tough work of “purging” from my life people who just couldn’t give, or be kind or loving. It was tough, and sad, but I did it, and it was a life-changer. I then started to be more careful who I let into my inner circle and trusted. So many of the people I work with are engaged in relationships that are demeaning, devaluing, abusive or unhealthy. Why do we enter into these relationships? Most often it’s because we hook into them unconsciously because don’t feel we deserve beautiful love and support. Many have never had it as children, so they don’t know what love, care, and compassion truly looks and feels like. Tip:  This week, take a good, long look at all your relationships. Are they loving, healthy, happy? Do they serve and support you or are you the one doing all the work in the relationship? Do they help you achieve your highest potential and growth and allow you to have your deepest needs and wants met? If not, do something bold about it. Where you can, purge out of your life those people who chronically hurt and demean you. You don’t know how you’re special, important and valuable. The vast majority of people I meet can’t answer these pivotal questions: • How are you special? • What important gifts, talents and abilities do you have that you love to use? • What types of outcomes in the world do you love to support? • How do you stand out in the world? • What are your deepest, core values and how are you honoring those in your life and work? • What matters most to you in life, and why is that important? • When youre 90 looking back, what do you want to make sure youve contributed, achieved and created? In our society, we’re not taught to understand ourselves deeply, or even dare to look at how we’re special and valuable. Many are raised to think that exploring these questions means were self-absorbed or narcissistic, but it’s simply not true. Every person on this planet  is  special, valuable and important. But you can’t leverage your unique value and gifts if you’re not even aware of them. Tip:  Answer the questions above as honestly as possible (take my free Career Path Self-Assessment to gain more awareness of who you really are and what makes your talents special and important in the world). Then  brave up  to leverage your skills and talents that you love to use, to make a difference in the world. If you can’t answer these questions, get help from people who love, respect and value you, to help you see how you’re special and unique. You don’t believe you deserve a happier life or livelihood. People who make  a positive difference in the world  and experience happiness, gratitude and success in their lives believe they deserve happiness. What we believe will come to be.  And those who feel undeserving of joy and success make themselves “right” and never achieve it. The experiences we have in our childhoods and families of origin teach us either to feel we are worthy, loved and appreciated, or the opposite. Sadly, many thousands of people were raised to feel unworthy and undeserving. Tip:  Think back on the lessons you were taught about yourself by your parents and throughout your childhood. Were you encouraged to see yourself as worthy of love, happiness and success? Were you told you are beautiful, talented, smart, competent, valued, and important? Or were you told you are nothing and won’t amount to anything because you deserve to fail and others have more than you? If those were your messages, it’s time to engage in healing and revising your core beliefs about yourself. You’ve stopped stretching and dreaming. We’ve all read 100 times that  stretching outside your comfort zone  is critical to your success and happiness. Ginni Rometty, CEO of IBM, has said “Growth and comfort do not co-exist.” But how many people are truly stretching in their lives? I see every day people who are stuck doing work they hate, in relationships and endeavors that limit them, but they’re afraid to stretch beyond these limitations. And they’ve stopped dreaming. They have bought into a  million damaging excuses  for why they can’t have what they want in their lives, and why their most compelling visions are just absurd fantasies. Tip:  Start stretching and dreaming again. Do one bold thing this week that will allow you to remember what it feels like to be brave, and do something scary and thrilling. Get used to getting in the cage with your fears and walking toward the unknown. As Ive learned in my own personal life, nothing outside yourself is safe and secure â€" it’s in expanding who you are internally, and building your courage to deal with the unknown, that will make your world safer and more secure. You let your anxieties and upsets turn into hate, blame and resentment. There’s a great deal of hate in the world today, and  according to recent studies, that hate is mounting. Many people turn to hate and blame because they can’t manage their own anxieties and fears. They feel vulnerable and deeply afraid, and they find that intolerable.  As social researcher  Brené Brown  has so eloquently said,  blame is a way to discharge pain and discomfort. And as international bestselling author, mystic and spiritual leader  Lorna Byrne  shared in our powerful live webinar recently, Hate poisons us. We hate others when we don’t love ourselves enough.” Tip:  If you feel wracked with hate, blame and resentment, especially in these anxious times in our country, it’s time to look at your own anxieties and fears, and get help to manage them more effectively. And it’s time to learn to love yourself more deeply. When you do, there is no more room for hate. You’ve forgotten what you’re capable of. Finally, we let ourselves down when we forget what we’re capable of.  If you’re stuck in an unfulfilling life or career, you’ve lost sight of what you’re truly able to do, create and achieve.  There are reasons why we forget, including toxic relationships, bad bosses who tear us down, life lessons that we misread, dashed dreams that bring us to our knees. But when you get back in touch with more hope for the future, and commit yourself to becoming more powerful, life will change. Tip:  Find someone who can be a mentor or accountability partner to help you see the future vision of you before it’s hatched.”  As Einstein said, “We can’t solve a problem on the level of consciousness that created it.” Shift your consciousness by getting empowering and uplifting help from someone who believes in you and won’t let you take “no” for answer about your own life. For more info, check out my resources on  kathycaprino.com, my  YouTube videos, TEDx Talk “Time to Brave Up,” and my new personal and career growth  programs. ShareShare The 8 Most Damaging Ways People Let Themselves Down Every Day

Friday, May 8, 2020

Building Maintaining Your Network for Job Searches - CareerAlley

Building Maintaining Your Network for Job Searches - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often. Mark Twain The way to find a job is changing and it is becoming more and more important to have a solid network to help you land a job. You are more likely to get an interview if you have a recommendation or an in at the company. With networking is becoming even more important, you will need to make building and maintaining your network a priority. You can expand your network through your friends and your parents, but you also need to make sure that you are worth the recommendations that you are asking for. Recommendations will not get you the job on their own, your experience, professional interviews and stellar job history are necessary as well. Building Your Network Take the time to make a list of your friends, family current/former coworkers for your network list. If you want to build your network, you also need to make an effort to meet at least one new person at each event that you attend from classes in school, to a business meeting or a job conference. The bigger the event the more you should try to meet. As you build your network, you need to make real connections, not just exchange business cards. It is easier to offer a reference or make a recommendation if you can speak about some of the skills of the person in question. When someone makes a recommendation for you, they are putting their[easyazon_link asin=1118338596 locale=US new_window=default nofollow=default tag=caree07-20 add_to_cart=default cloaking=default localization=default popups=default]reputation[/easyazon_link] on the line as well. You can build a better relationship with an acquaintance through social media and future interactions. More on Networking Utilizing all Social Networking Outlets for Your Job Search Maintaining Your Network As you build your network, you need to work on maintain the contacts you have made. You can do this by keeping in touch with an email every now and then or by making sure you stop by the business or greet them at each conference you attend together. Alumni associations and activities make it easier to maintain the contacts you cultivated while you were in college and professional organizations offer the same benefits to you. Make sure you stay active in these types of organizations. You should also make sure that you keep a positive and professional outlook when you are dealing with anyone. Your negative attitude may cause your relationships to become weaker over time. Even after you have landed a great job, you should work on keeping your contacts active since you may need them when you are looking for a job in the future. It also gives you the opportunity to return the favor in the future. Utilizing Your Network Finally you need to utilize your network in a way that allows people to make recommendations without putting too much pressure on them if they are uncomfortable in doing so. Make sure your LinkedIn account is active and updated. Add your contacts to your Google+ and Facebook accounts. Spread the word that you are looking for a job or that you are interested in applying to a specific company. The people you have networked with can recommend you to their human resources department or let you know about jobs they hear about before they are posted. This will give you a chance to prepare for the interviews. Finally be sure that you return the favor for the people in your network. Make recommendations when you can and let people know about available positions that may be a good match. About the Author: Charissa Newark is the resident blogger and the editor for AccountingDegree.net. After graduating from the University of Maryland with a B.S. in English in 2005 and unable to find a 9-5, Charissa began freelance writing and doing research for various websites. A few of the current topics she is researching includes accounting online degree and bachelors degree in accounting. This is a Guest post. We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Job Search job title, keywords, company, location jobs by