Looking for a New Job Time To Get Out of the House!

Looking for a New Job Time To Get Out of the House! We recently had a chat with the great blogger, author and speaker Tim Tyrell-Smith. In this interview,  Tim and I discuss the importance of personal branding and blogging, go through the main pitfalls to avoid in looking for jobs, and give top strategy tips for anyones career. Tims top three tips to job seekers are: Get out of the house! As tempting as it sounds, dont spend all day long on your computer: get out there! Knowing who you are. Have a strong personal brand and find ways to be memorable! Be strategic. Dont be impulsive, figure out what you are going to do and put together a plan. You can connect with Tim on twitter at Tims Strategy. Feel free to share your thoughts on the interview below. And dont miss the interview we did Tim some time ago (yes same picture but some other ideas in there) at How To Network Like Crazy! Interview with Tim Tyrell-Smith.

13 Physical Gestures That Are Immediate Business Turnoffs - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

13 Physical Gestures That Are Immediate Business Turnoffs - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career What is one physical gesture (hand gestures, etc.) that turns you off when meeting other businesspeople and why? The following answers are provided by members of  Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s  most  promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched  StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses. 1. No Eye Contact When people look away from you during a conversation, it seems that they are trying to say many things to you. First subconscious things include: being uninterested in what you have to say, being unauthentic, or being distracted. Making eye contact can create that connection and strong first impression of sincerity. Kenny Nguyen,  Big Fish Presentations 2. Having Their Hands in Their Pockets A person seems uninviting when their hands are firmly placed in their pockets. It seems too bothersome for  most  to ask for a handshake at that point, and it also demonstrates a lack of security about oneself. Smart business people would be better off stuffing their pockets with their phone, wallet and keys so they cant possibly hide their fists there while out at a meeting or when networking. Firas Kittaneh,  Amerisleep 3. Using Air Quotes I cant stand it when people make air quotes with their hands. Its just not necessary in any context. Josh Weiss,  Bluegala 4. The Bro-hug I understand why we bro-hug.  Its a compromise between a traditional handshake and a hug.  Theres a time, a place and a relationship to bro-hug. And that time is not the first (or second or third) meeting. Dont make the first move on the bro-hug. Dont force it.  Just let it happen naturally. Adam Stillman,  SparkReel 5. Looking at My Name Tag Whenever Im at an event and have a name  tag on, Im always turned off whenever someones eyes immediately dart to my title. It makes me wonder if they would still value me if my title were different. Ben Lyon,  Kopo Kopo, Inc. 6. Biting Their Nails I don’t like it when I see people biting their nails. If I’ve shaken their hands, it makes me feel like I need to run to the restroom to wash up.  Most  people bite their nails without thinking, but it’s really a big turnoff when you’ve just met. Robert De Los Santos,  Sky High Party Rentals 7. Touching Their Face I get super turned off when people hold their hand to their face for an extended period of time. Is your head in your hands because Im boring you? Are you covering your mouth because youre about to snee oh, wait, a minute later your hand is still there? Why exactly? Are you hiding something? Your subconscious hand-face activity is making me question why we are working together! Leigh Rowan,  Growan Co 8. A Limp Handshake You cant be serious about us working together if you seal it with a limp handshake. Theres no reciprocation in that, and it gives a first impression of weakness and poor upbringing. There should be no variations on the handshake either no multiple shakes or bringing it in for a hug. Eye contact, repeat the name and keep it firm, but not tight. So simple and so important. Michael Portman,  Birds Barbershop 9. Crossing Their Arms The gesture makes an executive or senior manager look as if they are pouting or not happy with life.  It also gives the impression of not being engaged, as if what you have to say is less than interesting. You want to convey a sense of openness the arm cross says otherwise. Joseph DiTomaso,  AllTheRooms 10. The Fist Bump I am so sick of people trying to be overly playful by using a fist bump in networking situations. It always makes me feel like Im in a frat house rather than a convention hall or a business meeting. Rob Fulton,  Exponential Black 11. Looking at Their Phone Unfortunately, FOMO extends to the business world as well. Nothing is quite as irksome  as  when a business contact finds it necessary to compulsively check their phone for texts or  emails. My  advice? Do them the courtesy of giving your complete attention. Leave your phone in your pocket where it belongs. You can always check your email later. Amit Kumar,  CardSpring 12. Getting Too Close When I meet someone for the first time and they do not acknowledge personal boundaries to provide for some space in between us as we get to know one another on a professional level, it not only turns me off, but makes me feel very uncomfortable. It immediately makes me wonder how they would be in business dealings, and if they would overwhelm me by not  giving me some space. Steven Le Vine,  grapevine pr 13. Ignoring Junior Team Members in Meetings Its always a red flag for me when Im in a meeting with someone who ignores people around the table who he/she views as junior or subordinate. A good idea can come from anywhere, regardless of position or tenure. When I see someone treat others with disrespect, whether its very subtle or more overt, Im immediately less interested in working with that person. Brittany Hodak,  ZinePak Featured Photo

6 Commuter Crimes Were ALL Guilty of

6 Commuter Crimes Were ALL Guilty of Be careful its a jungle out  there. When it comes to using public transport, its every man and woman for themselves.  Travelling  to and from work is a repetitive experience that can really  bring out the worst in people. Its like the gift that keeps on taking.   Unless youre of the rare breed of human that can fall asleep in public,  its easy to get lost in your own thoughts and start noticing just how annoying your fellow passengers are.  You cant help but analyse everyone around you, silently judging  them (very harshly) for doing things that, if youre honest, youve probably  done too. 1. Staring  at people When someone else does it: Can you help them with something?  Its so rude to stare and they are making you feel uncomfortable with their lengthy gaze. They could look at their phone, a book, poster maps or advertisements. However they have chosen you, and even though you want nothing less than to  encourage them, you cant help but check if they are still doing it, which they are and now youve just made eye contact (again). When you do  it: You like that girls shoes. You also like the way she has braided her hair, can you do it like that? Maybe you will try that tomorrow. As for that guy over there does he know that his shirt is crushed? Why people do not iron their clothes is completely beyond you. Ooh! Finally that man  is finished with his newspaper, my turn! Well it would be if he didnt rest it on his lap, of no use to anyone. Great. How inconsiderate. 2. Advertising  symptoms of a  cold When someone else does it: They are putting your immune system  at risk  and you simply wont have it. You cant afford to be struck down by a cold right now. They cough again, then follow it with  a sneeze and you make sure you look at them with daggers in your eyes so they know that what they are doing is not okay. When you do  it: Poor you, it is so hard being unwell and having to go through the daily motions. You shouldnt even be going into work but you are so dedicated to your job  and nothing  can  jeopardise that  big presentation. When you cough it hurts, and youve also just run out of tissues which means you have to keep on sniffing. You sound like youre crying, which you are on the inside. Today is going to be a hard day and its like no one around you cares, that healthy-looking lady didnt even offer you her seat. 3. Losing footing When someone else does it: Its not that hard to hold on to the support rails. Stop and start, stop and start every journey is the same. How can they not be prepared for this? They want to  play on their phone but they  shouldnt be allowed because they cant handle the sudden movements. They ram into you, and your body stops them from  falling over. You have saved them from getting hurt  and therefore you are a hero, while they are just a nuisance. When you do  it: This driver is absolutely vicious! Are they trying to make you fall over? You  fly into the person next to you because  the brakes were slammed with no prior  warning. You shake your head with embarrassment to let the other passengers know youre not happy with the the way the vehicle is being operated. It happens again, and this time your  hands spasm  to find the nearest rail and you  lose the email you were midway through composing on your phone. 4. Having a loud conversation When someone else does it: Nothing they are saying concerns you and quite frankly you shouldnt have to listen to how crazy last Fridays work  drinks got. You dont care for their stories. You dont care if Sarah ended up crying because Bradley told her he likes Jennifer more than her. You especially dont want to hear about their  kids being sick after eating bad takeaway.  Have some decorum, people. When you do it: You are so happy to have a friend to travel with. You know what this means. STORY TIME! Youve been waiting to talk about  how crazy after-work drinks got last Friday Sarah even started crying because she found out Bradley and Jennifer are practically officially dating. You also describe in vivid detail just how bad your kids stomachs have been lately, everything that goes down is coming back up at the moment, it must be a bug they picked up at school. Before you know it youve reached your destination. Quickest trip ever! 5. Walking in a disorderly  fashion When someone else does it: Selfish and ignorant.  Who do they think they are? The world doesnt revolve around them yet they dart straight in front of you like its okay to just cut you off without warning. And  it isnt. When you do  it: Move everyone!  Youve got places to be, people to see! People appear to be walking at snails pace and its just so inconsiderate. You feel like a cattle prodder without a voice or prodding stick (if only). Can they not see you are in a rush? You erratically change your speed, making swift sideways moves into the gaps. You hover closely behind those who are fast enough for you, and overtake them the moment they show signs of fatigue. 6. Squeezing into a packed carriage When someone else does it: There is clearly no room here yet they hurl themselves into the crowded coach like its a mosh pit and full body contact with strangers is acceptable at 9am. They are so impatient, there will be another on its way in a few minutes, just wait. WAIT. When you do  it: You are late for a meeting and you have to get onto this bus or train if its the last thing you ever do. You take a few paces backwards, rub the ground with one foot like a bull at a gate and launch yourself inside at the last minute. You knock a few people in the process and passengers  go down like dominos, but it doesnt matter because you are Batman and you have made it. Speaking of making it, youve just made it to the end of this article. What do you think the most annoying public transport behaviour  is? Image: Shutterstock

Where Did the Ideas Go Marla Gottschalk

Where Did the Ideas Go Marla Gottschalk It is a question heard around the world. Where did all of those great ideas really go? Like you, I find it intrinsically satisfying to share ideas that can improve how we carry out our work. But, while this exchange of ideas is a fundamental component of knowledge work â€" bringing those ideas to life can prove challenging. Many of us have the opportunity to share ideas; whether in team meetings, off-site conferences or brainstorming sessions. But, what really happens to all of those promising ideas once collected? While we place great emphasis on innovation in todays world of work â€" the fact remains that many worthy ideas will never see the light of day. I would venture to say that many organizations have a back-log of great ideas, languishing untouched and undeveloped. Ultimately, we likely do a good job of generating ideas. But utilizing them effectively â€" well that can be quite a different story. Forward progress is just as much about managing the ideas we generate, than any other element in the dynamic. Many worthy ideas fail to become reality, because we fail to utilize a process robust enough to properly select and implement them effectively. In many cases, we are stymied as to how to wade through that mountain of collected ideas. One key problem is the tendency to view idea management as a spontaneously occurring event â€" when in fact, we need to employ a winning process to ensure success. A few topics to consider: Build trust. In the cultural scheme, if there isnt an adequate level of trust within the working team, it is nearly impossible to evaluate ideas effectively. To begin evaluating ideas, the stage has to be set for an open and honest discussion. If we are wary of bucking authority and voicing all sides of the story, we can land in trouble. Pixar calls this cultural element the Braintrust â€" the notion of offering an unvarnished opinion to move idea development along effectively. Complete a postmortem. Carefully consider worthy ideas that never reached their full potential â€" what caused this to happen? Was the idea not properly communicated? Inadequately defined roles in the field? Lack of data concerning value? Use this information strategically, going forward. Connect ideas with mission vision. An idea floating in the stratosphere can have little meaning to the work your organization completes. So, offer context, to properly identify idea potential. Attempt to connect an idea with desired end-states that align with company mission and vision. How can the idea provide a route to valued goals? Narrow the field. At some point we have to focus on the ideas that are worthy enough to devote valuable time and resources. For that to occur, you must develop selection criteria relevant to your team and the situation at hand. (For example, ideas that meet an urgent need or those with the greatest potential to impact customers.) Without these criteria, you cannot move forward. (See other selection techniques here.) Dont look for a single winner. One trouble we encounter with idea management, we tend to narrow the focus quite quickly to one path â€" when its likely there is more than one great idea circulating. One idea really does not have to win? You can often combine ideas, to enhance product development or service improvement. Capture potential value. To drive your idea home, take the time to draft a business case which adds dimension and clearly outlines future cost and benefit. As discussed by Microsoft, this can serve as an integral step in the evaluation process. Find an owner. Yes, just like people, ideas need guidance and care to develop fully. So identify an owner â€" and make this choice by aligning with interests and passion. Offer the role to a team member who believes in the idea, and can envision its potential. Give things time. Great ideas have the potential to turn the normal state of affairs upside down and trigger a powerful emotional response. As discussed here, ideas need to be fully digested before we can act on them effectively. Take this into consideration when planning any implementation phase. A little patience may be entirely in order. What at strategies are you utilizing to manage ideas and bring more of them into the fold? Weigh in here. Dr. Marla Gottschalk is an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist and workplace strategist. She also writes at Linkedin.

Diversity the number one priority for employers in 2018 - Debut

Diversity the number one priority for employers in 2018 - Debut Its getting to the time that employers the world over dread. The difficult choice of deciding which of the thousands of phenomenal young people applying to them is going to make their intake. Theyve been doing it for years and it doesnt get any easier. Why not? Well, just as the different generations of would-be graduate employees change, so does the world. This leads employers to having to prioritise different things in order to suit the needs of their business. These are the kind of decisions that are noted in LinkedIns Global Recruitment Trends report, the 2018 edition of which dropped this week. It looks at new recruitment challenges for businesses worldwide and what means theyre going to use to combat them. There were a couple of very interesting findings in it, but we think this one takes the cake. Diversity is being looked at as the top priority for recruiters in 2018 This years Global Recruitment Trends report named diversity as the number one issue which recruitment will be concerned with. Over 8,800 recruiters and hiring managers from 39 countries were questioned, and 82% of UK hiring managers named it as the key trend impacting how they hire. In addition, diversity is now seen by employers as something that directly correlates with improved culture (78%) and a boosted company performance (62%). Honestly, this attitude cant come at a better time, with many companies still hitting several obstacles with regards to diversity and inclusion. The report claims that a quarter (25%) of global hiring managers struggle to find diverse candidates to interview, while 27% find it difficult to retain diverse talent that theyve hired. And lets not forget that staggering statistic that there are more CEOs called David in the US than female CEOs. Despite all this, the benefits of having a diverse team are clear. Clear Company states that generally speaking, racially diverse teams out perform teams that arent diverse by a whopping 35%. Equally, bilingual employees earn 10% more revenue per capita and gender diversity in teams is said to bring in a staggering 41% more revenue. Its clear then, that the box-ticking culture behind diverse recruitment needs to end. And luckily, according to LinkedIns report, it seems as though the worlds best employers are finally starting to realise this. That can only spell good news for 2018s graduate intake, particularly those for traditionally marginalised groups. Lets hope this trend continues and this is the year that we see palpable results. Connect with Debut on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for more careers insights.

Phone Phobia

Phone Phobia Photo credit: nicolasnova via Foter.com / CC BY-NC   Phone Phobia. There.   Its out there now. I feel better Oh, you want more? Okay.   Heres the thing. In our email, text, Facebook world, people dont talk. They textsometimes. They are so caught up in themselves and their problems, they forget about youthe customer. Id heard that often the first vendor to answer the phone or call a prospect back gets the business. Wow! Is it really that bad? Yes, it is. Heres some of my new mantras for success.   Forget about perfection. Show up. Show up close to on time. Answer the phone.   Or call someone back quickly. Care. Do the expected (it is the new version of unexpected). Now I really never thought it would be this bad.   But I see it day in and day out.   Employees who demonstrate through their actions that they dont think that working is a requirement but something that should fit around their schedule.   No, it isnt everyone.   But it sure makes what used to be the average worker start to   look like a superstar. But what really shocked me was business people whose livelihood depends on giving decent customer service.   Not awesome, just okay. But when youre dealing with a very important transaction.   A life altering one.   And you get half-baked emails and textsonly after you pester them for an updaterather than a phone call.   Really? And when you do talk to them on the phone or though the electronic phone thingys messaging center, they act like you they are doing you a favor by even talking to you.   And when negotiating a deal on your behalf, the other party seems to get more representation than you. But then you see their communications with the other partys representative and it is equally pathetic.   Quick snippets without any true communication or insight. And it really made me see the value of a decent salesperson.   Someone to guide you and help you make a decision in an area you arent   already an expert. So what is this rant really about? It is about how just being mediocre is the new normal.   But by being excellent, there truly is no competition.   And you can corner the market. Just something to consider as youre mapping out your career or business future. Have you experienced something similar?   Comment below and share this with your social followers.   Or do it the old fashioned way and call me.   I promise if it goes to voicemail (yes, Ill send you to voicemail if I havent preprogrammed your number into my phonethis is 2017!) I will call you back. ??

Writing the Best Cover Letter and Resume - Get to Know How to Write Cover Letters and Resumes

Writing the Best Cover Letter and Resume - Get to Know How to Write Cover Letters and ResumesWriting the best cover letter and resume is one of the most important things that you need to do to improve your chances of landing a job. The right resume and the wrong letter can land you in a dumpster.Resumes are not meant to be used as spam letters to send out to hundreds of companies in your area. Rather, it is a tool to allow you to make your case for why you deserve a new job. Without a cover letter, you will be nothing more than a number.There are hundreds of different letter that you can send out. It is not necessary to send out a resume for every job you apply for. Many employers know that they have too many applicants on their list and have stopped reading resumes. Therefore, only use your resume as a way to begin a dialogue with an employer.Your resume should tell them about yourself, where you went to school, what kind of work experience you have, and the skills you have that wou ld be of benefit to them. You should also be able to discuss why you deserve a new job in such a way that you don't sound like you are trying to get hired for a job you already have. A great cover letter makes your prospective employer want to hire you.You must remember that you are not writing a resume. You are writing an introduction. A great letter will help set you apart from all of the other candidates that come in looking for jobs. That is why you need to write your letter like you would write a great resume.You should know that the first paragraph of your letter should detail exactly what you have to offer a company, and then you should give them a summary of what your qualifications are. If you fail to do this, then you may as well just stick to your resume.The second paragraph of your great letter should focus on how you can make the employer want to hire you. This information is not just going to be a review of your skills. It needs to be something that shows the employer that you can make the transition to their business easier and help you move up to the next level in their company.Finally, at the end of your letter, you need to give them a summary of why you deserve a new job. You should also provide a bit of information about why you will be better than the person who came before you at your previous position.