Whats new in my world

Whats new in my world I really try to stay away from these kinds of update posts for various reasons, but I feel like my blogging has been too sporadic over the last year or two.  So here are some updates on what we are working on: Im not travelling as much as I used to When my LinkedIn book came out I was on the road quite a bit, and in demand.  Since there are probably close to 50 books on LinkedIn now that has changed.  Ive had many requests to speak for free, or when people find out there is a fee, they find their cousin or some local social media expert to come in Im told those guys will do it for a free lunch.  More power to them.   Pros and cons of not travelling as much. I miss my new friends in my favorite places, including Maryland/Virginia, Minneapolis, Silicon Valley and East Bay, and Phoenix (what am I forgetting?). Also, I have never marketed myself as a professional speaker, so I didnt maintain a pipeline of potential gigs.  My professional speaker friends do a lot of marketing and can be on the road a lot, but Ive always just kind of sat back and waited for the calls to come in.  That dried up as more and more people entered the social marketing space. Im doing a lot of video recording and webinars I feel like Im always working on yet another video deadline, and I see no end in sight. I need to redo all of my JibberJobber videos, and finish the fourth edition of the LinkedIn for Job Seekers video.  Ive also been doing career management courses for Pluralsight, catering to IT professionals.  My hope is to build them a world-class career center video library. Its been fun but each course is really a huge undertaking.  Considering how many hours I would be on the road for one presentation (or a week of presentations), I kind of prefer this alternative I get to see my family more, and no hotel bed is better than my own bed JibberJobber is moving forward in important ways I have two developers and a QA professional working for JibberJobber, and we continue to have a ton of projects were working on.  Certain metrics have improved greatly over the last year, and were working on design and user processes (UI/UX) like never before.  Its hard to manage the this would be a cool/useful feature! and we need to go back and clean up some stuff and we need this to be more intuitive.  Intuitive means simple, but the stuff JibberJobber helps with is not necessarily simple.  Making the very complex very simple is not very easy.  But thats the challenge weve signed up for! My books are always on my mind I need to update the LinkedIn book, the Facebook book just got a massive upgrade, and it feels SO GOOD to have the 51 Alternative to a Real Job book done! I wish I had more time to market each of them.  The messages are excellent and needed, I just need another 24 hours each day!  I have a few others in mind, and am thinking about giving the ebook market a serious run.  Well see if I can fit that into my list of priorities.  Ive just finished a course on authoring books for Pluralsight and its really on my mind. I might schedule another live webinar, but Im kind of nervous As a reference, I had an awesome webinar on January 17th this year.  The next morning I was on the operating table having an emergency surgery. If I schedule another webinar, will I only be jinxing myself?  Really, Im not superstitious but  After all of this research, though, I think Im positioned to give a KILLER webinar on writing and marketing a book. There is money to made as an author, and what it does for your brand is amazing.  I might decide to do that. I should schedule it for January 17th just to spit in the face of superstition I have also been writing somewhat regularly on my 51 Alternatives to a New Job blog, as well as my LinkedIn blog, and sometimes on my Jason Alba blog but its been a big time management battle this year. So thats whats going on in my world.  What did I miss?  What can you tell me about whats going on in your world? Whats new in my world I really try to stay away from these kinds of update posts for various reasons, but I feel like my blogging has been too sporadic over the last year or two.  So here are some updates on what we are working on: Im not travelling as much as I used to When my LinkedIn book came out I was on the road quite a bit, and in demand.  Since there are probably close to 50 books on LinkedIn now that has changed.  Ive had many requests to speak for free, or when people find out there is a fee, they find their cousin or some local social media expert to come in Im told those guys will do it for a free lunch.  More power to them.   Pros and cons of not travelling as much. I miss my new friends in my favorite places, including Maryland/Virginia, Minneapolis, Silicon Valley and East Bay, and Phoenix (what am I forgetting?). Also, I have never marketed myself as a professional speaker, so I didnt maintain a pipeline of potential gigs.  My professional speaker friends do a lot of marketing and can be on the road a lot, but Ive always just kind of sat back and waited for the calls to come in.  That dried up as more and more people entered the social marketing space. Im doing a lot of video recording and webinars I feel like Im always working on yet another video deadline, and I see no end in sight. I need to redo all of my JibberJobber videos, and finish the fourth edition of the LinkedIn for Job Seekers video.  Ive also been doing career management courses for Pluralsight, catering to IT professionals.  My hope is to build them a world-class career center video library. Its been fun but each course is really a huge undertaking.  Considering how many hours I would be on the road for one presentation (or a week of presentations), I kind of prefer this alternative I get to see my family more, and no hotel bed is better than my own bed JibberJobber is moving forward in important ways I have two developers and a QA professional working for JibberJobber, and we continue to have a ton of projects were working on.  Certain metrics have improved greatly over the last year, and were working on design and user processes (UI/UX) like never before.  Its hard to manage the this would be a cool/useful feature! and we need to go back and clean up some stuff and we need this to be more intuitive.  Intuitive means simple, but the stuff JibberJobber helps with is not necessarily simple.  Making the very complex very simple is not very easy.  But thats the challenge weve signed up for! My books are always on my mind I need to update the LinkedIn book, the Facebook book just got a massive upgrade, and it feels SO GOOD to have the 51 Alternative to a Real Job book done! I wish I had more time to market each of them.  The messages are excellent and needed, I just need another 24 hours each day!  I have a few others in mind, and am thinking about giving the ebook market a serious run.  Well see if I can fit that into my list of priorities.  Ive just finished a course on authoring books for Pluralsight and its really on my mind. I might schedule another live webinar, but Im kind of nervous As a reference, I had an awesome webinar on January 17th this year.  The next morning I was on the operating table having an emergency surgery. If I schedule another webinar, will I only be jinxing myself?  Really, Im not superstitious but  After all of this research, though, I think Im positioned to give a KILLER webinar on writing and marketing a book. There is money to made as an author, and what it does for your brand is amazing.  I might decide to do that. I should schedule it for January 17th just to spit in the face of superstition I have also been writing somewhat regularly on my 51 Alternatives to a New Job blog, as well as my LinkedIn blog, and sometimes on my Jason Alba blog but its been a big time management battle this year. So thats whats going on in my world.  What did I miss?  What can you tell me about whats going on in your world?

Top 10 Ways to Impress in an Interview

Top 10 Ways to Impress in an Interview Your CV  may land you an interview, but its how you come across in the interview process that will really determine whether you land the role or not. The interview is your chance to really sell yourself and let your personality shine through. Its important to be memorable, so be sure to answer in a way that will make you stand out from the crowd and demonstrate that you are a cut above the rest. On top of providing well thought out responses to anything you may be asked, its also essential for you to present yourself smartly and confidently. Everything from the way you dress on the day, to the body language  you use, will contribute to the impression you give off. To be sure that you make the  best first impression possible at an interview, here are 10 tips that you should follow, courtesy of Armstrong Appointments. 1. Be prepared: Its important that you have done your homework before attending the interview, so make sure you research what exactly the company does and what the role you are interviewing for entails. Its also good to know who your interviewer is and what their role is in the company. 2. Dress smartly: Although people say you shouldnt judge a book by its cover, its likely that a lot of people do to some extent and the way you present yourself for an interview can often reflect your general attitude towards the job. So make sure you present yourself smartly and dress your best  to prove that you are serious about landing the role. 3. Be punctual: Turning up late will only reflect badly on you, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get there. If you are not familiar with the location, plan your route ahead of the day, or even do a practice journey so you know where youre going and how much time you need to give yourself. Arriving 15 minutes early is recommended as it shows youre dedicated and have good time management skills. 4. Turn your phone off: It wouldnt look very professional if your phone were to go off mid-interview, so make sure you have switched it off before going in to avoid disturbances or distractions. 5. Give a firm handshake: A firm handshake will demonstrate confidence, however dont go overboard,  there is a happy medium between a limp handshake and one that could potentially leave your interviewer with an injury! 6. Flash a smile: Dont underestimate the power of being friendly. By smiling and making eye contact, you will come across as more approachable and it will help to make a connection with your interviewer. 7. Control your body language: Body language is important in an interview, as it can give away a lot about how you are feeling. Make sure you sit up straight and maintain eye contact, as it will prove that you are interested and your full focus is on your interviewer. Slouching or glancing around the room can indicate a lack of interest and your interviewer may not think you are serious about the job. 8. Take  notes: Jot down everything that you think may be important in your interview. Not only is it good reference for you after the interview, but it will show that you are paying attention to everything your interviewer is saying and have a genuine interest in the role. 9. Bring  a copy of your CV: Although its likely that your interviewer will have a copy of your resume to hand for the interview, its a good idea to take up-to-date copies of your CV with you, for yourself and your interviewer. You can then refer to it throughout your interview, when discussing previous experiences and achievements. 10. Ask questions: An interview should be a two way exchange, so its essential that you ask questions of your own. Prepare a list of questions before you go, as well as asking questions that pop into your head throughout the  conversation. Top image: Shutterstock RELATED: 5 Essential Tips for Interview Success

Essay Writing Tips for Beginners

Essay Writing Tips for Beginners Students are required to write an essay at some point in their life. They have to comply with course requirements, write personal statements, present their research and others. It forms part of their academic career, yet it is so amazing that many students still lack a basic understanding of how to write and complete a proper paper. Writing is a skill developed through practice. Beginners may find that there are lots of frustrating points in academic writing. You would run out of words to write or find it hard to grasp the right words to express your thoughts. You also worry about your grammar, punctuation, and flow. But with every essay you complete, you become more confident in writing your next. The first one is always the hardest because of your hesitations. Here are a few tips for beginners to get you started with your first essays. Do Your Research For your essays to matter, it should be well researched and not just a bunch of blabber without facts to back it up. You start your essay writing journey by doing some research and taking note of your findings. It will prove that you have sufficient knowledge of your topic and you can present factual evidence when your work scrutinized. For starters, you cannot write about something when you do not know anything about it. You can practice writing by discussing the data you have gathered through your research. List Your Ideas for Brainstorming Brainstorming is a kind of design collection for different purposes. Many writers who feel at lost for words simply list ideas or phrases from which they can derive sentences from. You can record ideas without restraint. Then, when you become more critical, you can eliminate those that are not relevant to your topic. You may be surprised with some ideas that you can list from a single sitting. It will be easier to proceed with your essay when you have something to start from. Analyze Your Ideas When you have a great list of ideas on your topics, you should analyze them and see which one fits your essay. You don’t need to elaborate on each one of the ideas you listed so choose and examine the best ones from your list. These will contribute to the weight and depth of your paper. Create an Outline of Your Thoughts An essay outline serves as a foundation for your writing. The content and flow of your work based on the outline you have created. So make sure that you have correctly positioned your thoughts to flow smoothly as you write. Place your thesis statement or argument at the start, and this will be followed by the information you derived from your research. Organize your thoughts so that it will all of your ideas pertain and point towards your argument, yet make it flexible as well so that you can adjust as you go on with your writing. Make Adjustments on Your Thesis Statement Along the line, you will learn that essays are written to adhere to guidelines and answer a thesis statement or your “argument.” Your essay will be a showcase of your skill in proving your point or argument. You can start your article with an explicit thesis statement and research facts and data on this, but as you move forward, you can continually adjust your account according to your opinion and the substance of your essay. Introduction, Body and Conclusion Some writers are more comfortable writing on the main body or explaining the primary information of the essay with the facts they have gathered and followed by the end before they start with the introduction. For some the introduction probably is the hardest to draft because you need to write the complete package of your paper in a couple of sentences and present it with flair to pique the interest of the reader. Editing and Proofreading Editing and proofreading your essay after days of writing and laboring can be a little too much especially for beginners. You can ask friends, mentors or pay someone to help you edit and check your work for readability and make sure that it is error free. With a little practice, you will soon realize that you are getting good at writing your essays and ready to face all writing requirements of your course. You can find more essay writing tips at online. Professional guidelines will improve your academic writing skills.

5 Steps to Outshine Your Competition In a Job Interview - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

5 Steps to Outshine Your Competition In a Job Interview - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career An interview is a business transaction wherein the objective of the hiring manager (the person who has the authority to hire) is to make a selection among job candidates called in for interviews. A candidate has two challenges: first, to convince the hiring manager that he is the ideal candidate for the position, and second, to outshine the others (i.e., the competition for the job). Following are several suggestions. First, prepare for the interview by working with a seasoned interview coach. An interview coach can practice with you certain mock-interviewing techniques, thereby helping you to not only answer difficult interview questions but also recognize traps and avoid saying the wrong things. As an interview coach, I need no less than five hours to get someone ready for the big test. If the result is to get the job, then the fee paid for such a service is merely a drop in the bucket. Second, prepare your SARBs: situation/action/result/benefit. These are short vignettes about your experience, describing for the interviewer how you solved problems on the job and the results and benefits to employers. They are the tools you bring with you to the interview. If presented well, the examples will convince the hiring manager you’re the right person for the job. Third, research the company. Spend some time in the public library investigating as much as you can about the company. You cannot overdo this aspect of the job search, and neither should you underestimate the importance of showing the interviewer you understandon either a macro- or micro levelthe issues the company faces.   Knowing details about the company improves the “cultural fit-factor”. Fourth, use your personal connections via LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to discover as much information as you can about the people you’re going to interview with. While doing that, attempt to find something in common with them. This is very important, because people are known to hire candidates with whom they can build a relationship even during the interview process. And fifth and last but not less important, make sure the position you’re interviewing for aligns with your own needs and desires. Consider your skills and attributes and traits. Evaluate the organization’s work environment, the commute, the compensation, and the benefits. Pay attention to your gut feeling. If it feels good, make sure you clearly show your enthusiasm. This is what the hiring manager wants to “buy.”

The Four Levels of Language Proficiency in English Resume Writing

The Four Levels of Language Proficiency in English Resume WritingLevels of language proficiency in English resume writing are the four different levels of language proficiency. They all have been designed to meet the specific job requirements of employers. Many people use the term 'levels' as shorthand for degrees, though these may be equivalent.The four levels of language proficiency are writing proficiency, speaking proficiency, reading proficiency and listening proficiency. Each level of proficiency is associated with specific written materials and sometimes other levels of language proficiency. Let's look at each one.The writing proficiency level is simply the ability to read and write good English. Most people who write professionally require this level of proficiency, since they write regularly and are familiar with the language. Some employers prefer to hire an applicant with a higher level of writing proficiency. Even if your resume does not require this level of proficiency, it would be a plus if you can write well.The speaking proficiency level is simply the ability to speak properly in the English language. You can speak fairly well if you do not exceed the professional speaking range. For most people who only occasionally use English as their primary language, this level of language proficiency will suffice. If you often use English as your first language or you are able to speak better English than other native speakers, then this level of proficiency is needed by employers.The reading proficiency level is a shorthand for the ability to read written materials in good English. You should be able to recognize and identify the correct terms in a passage and to have a decent understanding of the format of a paragraph. It is important to be able to accurately interpret the data in a sentence, because many employers require this level of proficiency. Even if your resume does not require this level of language proficiency, it would be a plus if you can re ad well. It is also a plus if you have read the same books that are on your resume.Language proficiency is the ability to speak, read and write fluently in English. The word 'fluency' is a bit misleading, however, because it means that the applicant is able to deliver his or her speech and reading in a clear, fluent manner. This requires training and practice. Language proficiency is not the same as speaking, reading or writing fluency.The writing and speaking and reading fluency have different meanings. It is usually the case that a person can vary among these levels, but in general, each level is associated with skill, knowledge and experience. It is possible to be very well known for being an excellent reader, speaker and writer. However, if you cannot apply the skills you learned from intensive and ongoing training to your resume writing, it is unlikely that the employer will see you as a high quality candidate.Some people may claim that they have one level of language proficien cy, when they really have several levels. Because of this, the levels of language proficiency in English resume writing are an important tool to use to identify if an applicant is ready for the job.

How Should Your Business Handle Customer Service

How Should Your Business Handle Customer Service There are many things that go into making a great company, a good product, a well-designed marketing strategy, dedicated employees etc. However, one aspect that is often overlooked, is the value a good customer service can bring to your business. In fact, many small businesses choose to completely neglect it and focus on other things they deem more important. In order to see just how much impact customer service can really have when it comes to improving your business, let’s take a look at how your business should handle customer service. The pros of a customer service For a small business, every customer counts. This means that you can’t afford to lose any loyal customers to your competition. On top of this, recent years have shown that one of the most effective ways to grow your business is to sell more to current customers. The only way to successfully achieve both of these things is to invest in high-quality customer service. Providing a platform on which your customers can ask for help, as well as voice their concerns, will make them feel appreciated and cared for, making it a lot more likely that they will stick with your business. This will also help you define and convey your brand image and company values to your customers, forming public opinion of your company as one that really puts their customers in the first place. The other big and often unappreciated value customer service can bring to your business is the way in which it can help you gather and track customer opinions about your business. Having this source of constant feedback will prove invaluable, as it will allow you to know which aspects of your business may need to change or improve. If used to its full potential, this information will give you the competitive edge you need to grow and rise above your competition. Choosing the right type of customer service With the lack of funding you most likely have to deal with as a small business, it can be hard to encompass all of the different channels of customer service within your business. Because of this, choosing the right one to invest in is crucial. The first thing you should consider is what assets you possess can be used to your advantage. For example, if you already have a well-established social media presence, integrating customer service through it can help you save a lot of money. On top of this, a big advantage social media has is that most of the support you are offering will be public, and everyone will be able to see it. This will allow you to maximize your efficiency, but also to affirm to everyone that your business cares for its customers. Phone calls are another popular channel of customer support, as many people today still prefer human interaction when asking for assistance. And, while it may require a somewhat larger investment in order to get a proper call centre going, it will definitely be worth the price. There are many modern tools that can help you along the way, like 1800 numbers and key performance indicators (KPIs), that will ensure your call centre is operating at full capacity. Finally, live chat is channel of customer service with rising popularity. Unlike other online-based ways to help your customers, live chats are unique because they allow people to go into greater details on what their problems are, as well as ask follow-up questions. This allows them to easily fix their issues which increases the overall satisfaction they have with your business. Another benefit of live chats is that the time customers have to wait in order to receive help is minimal, as they basically only need to be patient until a chat slot to become available. Adapting customer service to your business As your business starts to grow and develop, the chances are it will begin to outgrow the capacity of your current customer service. Once that time arrives, an important question you should be asking yourself is: whether or not it’s time for you to outsource it? There are many reasons to outsource customer service. However, the most important one is that there is no need for you to actively spend money on it when others can do it for you with lower expenses and more efficiently. In order to see if this is the case, the first thing you should do is to take a deeper look at the performances of your current customer service, and with them in mind decide whether or not it’s time to outsource. If you believe the time is right, a good idea would be to define the goals and expectations you have from your customer service. This will help you set a clear target to aim at and aid you in the search for an appropriate partner. The most important thing to remember here is that at the end of the day you should diligently take note of the feedback you are receiving from your customers, as their opinions will be the ones that really matter. In conclusion, it’s important to remember that customer service isn’t just another unimportant cost of doing business. It is instead a key element of it, which will if done correctly, give your business the advantage it needs in order to succeed and set itself apart.

Video Executive Job Search Top Mistake #3 of 6 -- Crappy Preparation

Video Executive Job Search Top Mistake #3 of 6 -- Crappy Preparation Executive Job Search Top Mistake #3 of 6 Crappy Preparation Executives, you have so many skills and experiences, but your preparation for networking, applying and interviewing are, well, pathetic. You can stand out just by doing better homework than the next candidate. Im Dana Manciagli, author of Cut the Crap, Get a Job! and here are some real examples of crappy preparation: During an HR or recruiter screening: They ask you what you know about the company and you say Not much or Well, there is so much on the internet but I didnt know what to read in particular until we spoke. The listener hears: I didnt do any research on your company. During a networking event, the association president asks you Why are you interested in the XYZ Company? and you respond because I think they can use my help, leveraging my skills in finance. The president hears: I think Im just that good and any company should hire me and win. There are so many more, but more helpful might be to share the three main categories of preparation you must do during the job search process: How to do research: Take notes! Organize what you learn into categories and write short bullet-points that help you remember key concepts. When to do research: Prepare before every encounter, regardless of how small an event: phone screen, phone interview, informational networking meeting, through interview. What to research: (3 types of content, minimally) The company, the division, competitors, market, recent speeches, and recent news. People: Try to find out the names of the people you are about to meet with. Read their profile on LinkedIn or other social networking profiles, search for anything theyve written professionally. You vs. the Job. Prepare a brilliant answer to Why are you the best candidate for this job? Prepare the top 3 reasons why you are the best candidate. State your value to THEM. They are the customer, you are the product. Best of luck!