Personal Brands LinkedIn the Network to Watch - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Brands LinkedIn the Network to Watch - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career It’s the leading online networking site for the modern professional, and has proven very valuable to providing professionals from all sectors with a platform to connect, interact and share information. With a growing user base, LinkedIn has had to make changes over the years in order to improve user experience and enable companies and individuals maximize on their connections. As someone looking to make the most of their brand (personal or company) interactions, you have to pay attention to the changes. If you are looking to catch up on the changes, here is a review of the features that the serious network has included (and removed) in the past year. Relocation of status updates With this change, users can no longer post their status updates on their profiles. The ability to update now resides on the home screen (for individual users) or the company page. This move was meant to encourage more users to visit the home page, something LinkedIn noticed many avoided. Also, for your network to see your status updates, they have to be logged into their home screen when you update. It might be a little inconveniencing, but you have Twitter and FB to handle status updates anyways. Introduction of LinkedIn Contacts This new feature enables you to organize, tag and save your contacts from one location. With LinkedIn Contacts, you can bring together all your contacts from your LinkedIn network, emails, and address books. The feature is currently on a limited release basis: available only to users of the English version of the site. Global release is slated for later in the year. You should know that once you opt for the Contacts feature, you reverting to the older system is impossible. It does make life easier though, seeing as you can also view the contacts who have yet to accept your connection requests. Removal of email filters Previously, you were able to send emails to your connections within a certain industry by selecting their email addresses. That ability is gone now, replaced by one where you have to tag your contacts in order to send emails. A limit of 50 people is imposed for doing this, which has not pleased a good number of LinkedIn users. However, LinkedIn’s point of view is that it doesn’t want the platform to be used for mass mailing. LinkedIn Publishing platform Simply connecting with other companies and professionals isn’t enough. To stand out from the crowd, the need to establish yourself as a thought leader is crucial, and with the rollout of a Publishing Platform feature, you can do just that. With this feature, you can write longer blog posts that capture your professional insights and share them with your network. Posts become part of your profile, which helps when connections view your skills and experience. The publishing feature has yet to be rolled out to all members, and currently is offered to a select number (around 25,000 members) that have to apply for early access. Applying for early access is possible on the LinkedIn site, with an email sent to the user if the application is approved. The benefits of being able to publish content on LinkedIn are enormous. For a personal brand, this is an opportunity to establish your status as a thought leader, and provide insights your connections can’t get anywhere else. For a business, the Publishing Platform is perfect for providing meaningful content to an audience that will be looking for more than just the occasional status update. The Content Index Score To keep track of how well the content that brands publish on the platform fares, LinkedIn introduced the Content Index Score. Brands will be assigned scores to “gauge the effectiveness of their posts to company pages, their branded groups, posts by company ‘influencers’ who are part of LinkedIn’s publishing program, employee posts, and ‘sponsored updates’ ads that appear in users’ streams,” according to Cotton Delo, who’s done a great job reviewing the index score system. This feature is intended for brands that craft LinkedIn campaigns to reach and advertise to users. For such a brand to maximize on its campaign, it will have to make changes such as increasing the frequency of posts, publishing higher quality content, or buy sponsored updates to increase reach: methods that boost the brand’s content index score. The score will enable brands to see how well their content reaches their target audience; how well the brand performs across the entire LinkedIn network; and much closer to home, how a brand’s advertising performs in relation to its competition. LinkedIn Pulse Originally, LinkedIn Pulse was available on RSS readers for LinkedIn users accessing the site through smartphones. Now, it is the default news page, and displays all relevant posts by LinkedIn influencers as well as those from other companies and networks. With Pulse, you can keep up to date with the latest in your industry, and can customize the feature to display only the stories and posts that you find relevant. Removal of Products and Services tab The Product and Services tab was part of the Company Pages feature; one that allowed businesses the opportunity to highlight their products and services. Each product or service had to be accessed through this tab, and customers would be able to post their feedback. However, effective April 14, 2014, the Products and Services function ceased to exist. While companies that featured their products and services will feel the loss, LinkedIn is replacing that with a new feature called the Showcase Pages.   Showcase Pages Showcase Pages work well for individual brands, so if you have multiple products and services, you can set up an individual page for each offering. The idea behind this feature is that clients can access updates to only the products they like on these pages, as opposed to viewing everything on the company home page. If you are a brand that targets different client groups, this works in your favor. You can customize each Showcase page to cater and appeal to each group’s needs. Showcase pages become a small extension of your overall brand. You can design each individual page differently and post updates as you like. There’s no limit to the number of Showcase pages you can come up with, though more than ten pages requires you to contact LinkedIn for approval. The challenge with Showcase pages is getting followers to opt in on their own. Here, you can’t “add” people, they have to choose to do so willingly. This requires you to come up with creative and appealing pages, in terms of both visuals and text, in order to boost engagement. Consistency and clear messaging are your friends in this department, as is clearly defining your target market. Groups This one is not really a new feature but a suggestion to boost your branding endeavors, especially personal brands. Find groups that cater to your interests. There are bound to be a few groups you can relate to, and where you can contribute. Start one if you can, though this means constantly engaging with followers to keep them interested. Being active in groups is what benefits your brand, and often leads to growing your network. Expect a few more changes to LinkedIn as the year rolls on, but for the time being, these were the major ones you should be updated on. They are all implemented towards helping brands increase engagement, and in the case of Showcase pages, enable companies give more visibility to their products and services. Dedi Grigoroiu / Shutterstock.com

The Challenges and Strategies of Changing Industries [Updated] - Career Pivot

The Challenges and Strategies of Changing Industries [Updated] - Career Pivot Changing Industries Many of you are or should be thinking of changing industries. Creative destruction is wreaking havoc on so many industries that if you are not looking â€" you should be. I have written multiple posts on the need to be vigilant: Living in a “Career Disaster Area” at the Age of 65 Surviving Creative Destruction in the 2nd Half of Life Has Your Job Been SMACed? If not Yet, It Will! Beware Automation and Robots Will Sabotage Your Career Are you actively looking at changing industries but find that you’re running into a lot of roadblocks? If so, you are not alone. Several years ago, I had a client who was a PMP certified project manager. He had a lot of project management experience managing IT projects, but he wanted to transition to the healthcare industry. I arranged for him to meet the COO of a rapidly-expanding healthcare provider. The COO told him that his credentials were impressive, but he had no healthcare experience. The COO said they really should not care that he had no healthcare experience, but … they will. Skill Sets Whether you are a project manager, product manager, business analyst, or any other position, you will likely have two sets of skills: Business skills Industry skills Which is the most important? Your business skills! Which will the hiring authorities care most about? Your industry skills! This why changing industries is so difficult. Listen to the most recent episode If you think that this is not fair then you are right! You might be saying, “These folks are not any good at interviewing candidates”and you would be correct! A good project manager should be able to manage any project. A good business analyst should be able to work in any industry. There should be peace on earth and goodwill towards men! There should be no wars! Well, there I go again. I am using the “S”wordâ€"”should.” Employers today are frequently looking for the purple cow candidateâ€"or a candidate that likely does not exist. They want a candidate that has both business and industry skills. If they have to compromise, most will lean on industry skills. Strategies for Changing Industries Whether you like it or not, when changing industries, you will need to show that you have some industry experience. If you have no industry experience you will have to demonstrate that your current industry maps to new or adjacent industries. Let me give you some examples: Create a Blog and Interview People in the Target Industry. In 2015, I told the story ofDaniel Elizalde. Daniel wanted to make the shift to the Smart Grid industry. He created a blog where he published monthly interviews with experts in the smart grid industry. Daniel very methodically interviewed experts that he could learn from, and after 18 months he found he had developed some “street cred”. Managers at companies that were on Daniel’s target list of companies were reading his blog and were now willing to talk with him about future opportunities. Check out Daniel’s story in the post Changing Industries to Smart Grid. Rebrand Yourself via a Blog, Videos, and Whitepapers This is what Alexander Buschekdid when he wanted to become a digital transformation thought leader. Alexander created the Digital Transformation Blogto demonstrate that he knew his stuff.He wrote the whitepaperYour Existing IT Strategy Won’t Work Why SMBs have to rethink their IT strategy and embrace Digital Transformationand published it on his blog. He then spent much of the holiday season in late 2016, creating videos around all of the facets of digital transformation. Alexander had a lot of fun doing this but I suspect he drove his wife a bit crazy creating a mini-video studio in their house. The blog, videos, and whitepapers clearly demonstrated his expertise and from that came numerous opportunities to speak at industry conferences. A good example of this was hisSpeech at IIoT Talk Conference in Berlin. From the blog, Alexander was able to move from being a CIO for a valve manufacturer in the oil and gas industry to being a CIO at a high-tech hardware company where he will be able to implement digital transformation strategies. Look for Alexander’s story on the Repurpose Your Career Podcast in early April of 2018. Publish LinkedIn Publisher Posts on Topics Related to the Target Industry Write about relevant topics that you have researched thoroughly. Make sure you get someone in the target industry to review them before you publish. The advantage of writing LinkedIn Publisher posts is they will be seen on your LinkedIn profile. When a recruiter or hiring manager find your LinkedIn profile, they will see that you have published and, thus, have demonstrated your knowledge of the industry. Other Options to Build Credibility When changing industries you can demonstrate expertise by commenting on blog posts and social media where you will be seen by others in the target industry. Make sure and target individuals that could be good connectors to the companies on your target list. This is a slow, tedious process, and it will take a while to be noticed. I would also suggest that you attend industry conferences and make sure to interact with individuals from your target companies. Get as much face time with individuals who can either help you get to the next step. This was part of Alexander Buschek’s strategy to rebrand himself as a Digital Transformation thought leader. Alexander was able to meet executives at numerous companies that allowed him to get both speaking engagements at industry events and introductions to hiring managers at target companies. Demonstrate Your Industry Expertise on Platforms You Control When changing industries, you will need to demonstrate your industry expertise. You may notice that the concrete examples I gave you were from individuals who created their own platforms that they controlled. You can do demonstrate your expertise on platforms like LinkedIn or Medium but you do not own these platforms and therefore, they can change overnight outside of your control. You need to plan on demonstrating your industry expertise if you are changing industries. Do this before your existing industry goes away! Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

What is happiness at work - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

What is happiness at work - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Arbejdsgl?de We Scandinavians have an advantage over the rest of the world: We have a word for happiness at work. In Danish (my native language) the word is arbejdsgl?de, and while that quite rightly looks utterly unpronounceable to the rest of the world, it?s a concept that is deeply ingrained in Scandinavian work culture and one that most Nordic businesses focus on to some degree. Its also one reason why Scandinavian companies do so well and contributes to the success of companies like NOKIA, IKEA, Oticon (the worlds leading producer of hearing aids), Carlsberg, Ericsson etc Arbejdsgl?de translates into English simply as work-happiness, and its that feeling you get when you: Enjoy what you do Do good work and feel proud of it Work with nice people Know that what you do is important Are appreciated for your work Take responsibility Have fun at work Are motivated and energized Feel that you kick butt Most of us already know that feeling. Weve been there some of the time or even most of the time in our work lives. The question is: How do we get there some more. And in case youre wondering, arbejdsgl?de is pronounced something like ah-bites-gleh-the. So what is it, then? What exactly is happiness at work? This question seems like a good place to start, and Ive been working long and hard to come up with a definition of happiness at work, precisely because so many people ask me just that. Working with clients, big and small, private and public, got me closer and closer to the answer, and after long deliberations I came up with what I believe is a concise, spot-on definition. This will amaze you. Are you ready? Here it is: Happiness at work is: A feeling of happiness derived from work Boggles the mind, doesnt it? In fact, out of the three questions mentioned in the introduction (What? Why? How), What? is the least interesting because it turns out time after time, that though people may not have a pre-agreed dictionary definition of happiness at work, most people know when they are happy at work ? and especially when theyre not. This makes a definition less crucial. The thing is, happiness at work is an emotion. It comes from inside of you, and like all other emotions it is difficult to define, but inescapable once its present. Or not present. Can you define love or anger? Its tricky. But when youre feeling love or anger, youre acutely aware of it, regardless of the lack of a formal definition. Happy is as happy does So while it may not matter much what happiness at work is, it matters immensely what it does to people ? or what its absence does. And fortunately its easy to say some things about what happines at work does to people. People who are happy at work generally: Like the work they do Like the people they work with Feel energetic Are motivated Look forward to going to work Trust each other Go the extra mile Conversely, people who are unhapy (or simply not happy) at work often: Are cynical Dont care about co-workers Dread work Feel tired Dont trust co-workers Do only as much as they have to So while we may not be able to define happiness at work, we can still say some things about it. Happiness at work is different for everyone (picture of Allan and Soren) Heres Allan and Soren. Theyre both males in their 30s and work for the same advertising agency. They have similar backgrounds, but what makes them happy at work is wildly different. Allan enjoys working closely with others, Soren prefers working alone Allan hates writing reports, Soren loves it Allan likes lots of new challenges, Soren prefers predicability Allan likes risk, Soren tends to avoid it Allan hates having to focus on only one project, Soren loves it While there are definitely some things that make most people happy at work, we need to remember that happiness at work is different for everyone. One persons happiness at work can be anothers living hell. Thats why happiness at work means treating everybody differently! Happiness at work is infectious Its downright contagious. One determinedly happy employee can lift the spirits of an entire department. One happy executive can spread a positive mood in the whole organization. The bad news is that unhappiness spreads itself faster than happiness, probably because humans are conditioned by evolutionary pressures to be more atuned to negative emotions. This makes fear and anger in the workplace more contagious than happiness, meaning businesses must work actively to spread happiess instead. Happiness at work is long-term It?s never about blowing off work that must be done, in order to have fun and be happy instead. It?s not just about being happy here and now it?s happiness for today and tomorrow and next year and 10 years from now. Happiness at work is an invitation I have a coworker who takes it upon herself to act as the happiness police and it has had the result of creating an antagonistic attitude towards positive thining! I had to calm down one team member who was genuinely insulted by her attempts, because by constantly goading him to be happier she very much implied that his current life just wasn?t happy enough (and thus, the implication was, not worthwhile). Having someone try to control your ?happiness??? can be a very unpleasant experience indeed! You cant force people to be happy! Its that simple. The more you try to convince or pressure people to be happy at work, the less happy they will be. People generally respond to emotional pressure by reacting oppositely. Which means that trying to force happiness on people will actually make them less happy! If you purposely or inadvertently create a mood at work where its right to be happy and wrong not to be, people will actively react against that. You may even risk making happiness at work a dirty word ? something to be ridiculed and actively resisted. Thats why happiness at work is an invitation. You can open the door, and invite people in ? but you cant push them through the door against their will. The more you try, the more they will cling to the door jamb, kicking and screaming. Happiness at work is not eternal The IT support department at the medical company Leo Pharma are a critical part of the organization. If theyre not picking up the phones, Leos 4.000 employees have nowhere to go with their IT-related questions. To ensure that the phones are always manned, a huge whiteboard with a space for each support-worker shows whos on call at any time. The IT department realizes, that people have good and bad days, so they set up a simple policy: When employees get in in the morning, they can place a green or a red magnetic tag next to their name. Green means Im having a good day, a red marker means Im having a bad day. So if a co-worker storms in the door without saying good morning, places at red marker next to his name, and sits at his desk scowling at his computer, you dont have to wonder was it something I said? This policy does two things for the department: It makes it visible who is having a good or a bad day, and people with red markers are given a little space and leeway. If somebody puts up a red marker every day for a week this becomes visible, and steps can be taken to help that person. It makes it legal to have a bad day. We all have bad days, but if you have to hide it and pretend to be chipper, it takes longer to get out of the bad mood. You cant be happy at work every day. No matter how much you love your job, theres still going to be bad days. And its always OK to have a bad day at work. Its just that if you have more of the bad than the good days at work, then maybe its time to consider what that does to you, and what you can do about it Happiness at work is not pervasive Its almost impossible to find a job, where every single aspect makes you happy. There will always be some boring tasks. Some co-workers you dont like. Some unpleasant customers. Happiness at work is not about eliminating all the bad stuff from your job. Its about being happy at work even though all of these things are present. About building your skills to handle the bad stuff, and to create more and more good experiences at work. Happiness at work is not about being ecstatic One of the very first Happy at Work Workshops I did was for the Scandinavian logistics department of a large American car manufacturer. At the end of the workshop, I asked the participants to share their thoughts and one gentleman in his 50s stood up to speak. He was formally dressed in a suit and tie (the only one in the group) and with his gray hair and glasses he looked every bit the accountant. Which in fact he was. Hed been very quiet throughout of the workshop, but now he stood up to adress the group. He paused for a moment. ?I want all of you to know,??? he said in a somber voice, ?that Im not as unhappy as I look.??? The room erupted in laughter. The serious face, the somber voice, the quiet demeanor and the formal manner ? thats how this man looked when he was happy at work. Happiness at work does not necessarily mean running around ecstatically all day long. You can sit at your desk, quietly doing you work, and be discreetly happy. You can be sitting in a hectic meeting arguing forcefully for your point of view and be happy. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Federal Resume Writing

Federal Resume WritingFederal resume writing is not an easy task and can sometimes be tricky. However, it is one of the most rewarding jobs in today's world with an international outlook on talent exchanges and the business networking opportunities that they present.In order to achieve federal resume writing success, the writer must first realize that their goal must not be purely monetary. If this is the case, the writer will be seeking job opportunities that pay handsomely without regard to their position and qualifications.Writing federal resume is a competitive task because the competition is stiff among the talent pools that are present in the world today. Such pool of talent includes applicants from all nations in the world, whether they are high school students or older persons, professionals or retired persons. It is only by writing the federal resume for each of them that the writer can be assured of finding a well-paying job and one that will also be preferred by their pros pective employers.One should also practice using important tips on writing federal resume. These tips should focus on helping the writer to achieve the desired objective of successfully generating a good resume. The tips can be learned through close observation of successful writers who are often found practicing in the internet.The first tip on writing federal resume is to ensure that the writer uses a grammar checker on the paper before making any other changes to it. This helps to prevent misspellings, grammatical errors and other typographical mistakes.The second tip on writing federal resume is to ensure that the writers use proper spacing between words. Space is crucial in federal resume writing because such spacing will help to make the material seem more readable.The third tip on writing federal resume is to ensure that the resume is clear, concise and complete. Alayman may take longer time to decipher a document when the work is difficult to understand. In the same way, com plex writing skills may be lost if the document is short of the right information.The fourth tip on writing federal resume is to keep the tone of the material pleasant. This ensures that the writer gets across the message with great ease.

How to Use Google Doc Resume Templates

How to Use Google Doc Resume TemplatesFor a busy executive, putting together a resume is one of the hardest jobs in the world. You need to do it in such a way that it looks professional and goes along with your current job title, but at the same time you have to make the information meaningful and up to date. This article looks at some effective tips for using Google Doc Resume Templates.The first thing you should do is create an outline of your career and basic information. This can be as simple as a title and as complex as a project overview. You should include the names of your clients and contact details so you can tell people what you did for them. It should also include any special skills or qualifications that are relevant to the job you are applying for. Do this for every job that comes up.You can use Google Doc Resume Templates for this because they give you all the formatting features you need to put all the important information into the right place. There are built-in for matting options, which make it easy to insert your header and footer, and your title. You can also find a lot of free formatting options on the internet.After you have formatted your document in Google Doc, you can begin writing your content. Make sure you include your contact details and a summary of your qualifications, as well as key achievements and accomplishments. If you can think of any other things that will make you stand out from the crowd, then do this as well.Finally, once you have finished formatting your document, you can begin submitting it to Google Doc. Remember to update your file with any new work experience, jobs or experience you have completed since you first submitted it. It is also important to keep track of your CV updates, as these can sometimes get lost in the mix of other files.The next time you apply for a job, you will not have to worry about submitting the same document to Google Doc again. Your resume is all formatted and ready to go!Although Google D oc templates for resumes have come a long way since they were first released, they still offer you the flexibility that you need to make your resume stand out from the crowd. They help you create a professional looking document, while still giving you the formatting options you need to make it unique. And most importantly, they give you the control that is important for those times when you cannot wait to see if the employer is interested in you!

The Importance of Resume Writing for Accounting Jobs

The Importance of Resume Writing for Accounting Jobs Type of Resume Writing for Accounting Jobs For example, if you have a substantial employment gap since your final position, you might want to use a functional resume rather than a chronological one. Transportation jobs involve a lot of responsibility and your resume will want to reflect you can take care of that. Also show you're a well-rounded worker. As soon as it's almost a given that any prospective applicant will have accounting program experience, you still need to list all the relevant applications on your bookkeeping resume. As shown by a research, accounting industry will grow at a faster-than-average speed. Computer skills on resumes are becoming more and more essential for accountants. In 7 minutes, you're know precisely how to compose a job-winning accounting resume. Bookkeeping and accounting are jobs that are simple to reveal your value. In that situation, you can require a bookkeeper resume instead. Acco unting is quite a wide term that covers various sorts of jobs and duties. Accounting and finance managers are going to want to see your technical understanding. Writing a strong application is a challenging procedure and we would like to make it simpler. Utilizing accounting resume templates will assist you in a lot of means. When meeting with anyone connected with the application procedure, it's important to dress and behave professionally. The hiring process is now automated with using ATS systems. Writing a resume for employment in the art industry can be difficult. In addition, should you're attempting to locate a job which is outside your present-day specialty, you will need to TARGET your resume to prove to the hiring manager you have the skills to do the job. If you're looking for a job as an account executive, your resume needs to demonstrate you have the wisdom and experience essential to advise clients and manage finances. In addition, you can look for accounts receivable jobs on Monster. Accountants are highly demanded in quite a few fields, and writing a resume summary statement will be able to help you highlight your particular career experiences in a manner that's meaningful for the particular accounting job which you desire. Our applicant utilizes exact numbers to clearly show her value, and that is certain to catch a hiring manager's interest. Your summary has to be concise, but nonetheless, it also needs to provide enough info to pique readers' interest. Resumes contain lots of information, or so the summary section gives focus and directs a hiring manager's attention to the most relevant parts of information about you before they decide whether to present your resume their complete attention. You're probably a single degree of separation from a person who can offer expert design tips. Understanding how to tailor your resume will obviously offer you an advantage. Where to Find Resume Writing for Accounting Jobs In any event, you will need to appraise your experience during the internship. Instead, you also need to think about your years of experience. Be certain that you specifically tackle the specific job and position within the particular field you're applying for. As a new graduate it's wise to begin your resume with education instead of part time work experience. Therefore, in an attempt to retain talent and keep competitive, companies are prepared to pay more. Fortunately, TopResume's professional resume writers are here in order to help. It's also important to think about the type of work you genuinely wish to be hired to do. Remember the men and women you will be competing with for the jobs you desire.

How Business Etiquette Can Make Or Break Your Career - Work It Daily

How Business Etiquette Can Make Or Break Your Career - Work It Daily *Free* Webinar - Sign up NOW! Join us as Crista Tharp, Wedding Planning Expert, author of A Beginner's Guide to Business Etiquette, and one of the Midwest's most sought after event planners shares Business Etiquette that can make or break your career. This FREE training session is packed with simple, actionable, and crucial up-to-date information on the latest business etiquette trends. Don't 'et a simple mistake cost you business or your job! One lucky attendee will receive a FREE copy of A Beginner's Guide to Etiquette at the end of the session. Must be there live to win! Just a snippet of what you will learn includes: How to make a great first impression The correct way to make an introduction Current Electronic Communication etiquette How to use your cell phone and tablet without offending anyone How to practice proper social Networking Etiquette How to follow correct table manners and conduct business over meals Plus a QA at the end Name: Email: Where: CAREEREALISM When: Wednesday, August 7, 2013 at 1 PM (EST) NOTE: If you can't make the live broadcast, no worries! Everyone who signs up will receive a recording of the webinar. Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!