Monday, December 30, 2019

Using Twitter for Job Search

Using Twitter for Job Search Using Twitter for Job Search If youre elend using Twitter, youre not alone. Although the social networking site is growing at a rapid pace, it is still far smaller than giants like Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace. And yet it may provide more opportunities for job seekers than any of those sites.To understand why, you first need to understand how Twitter works.What is Twitter?Twitter is often called a micro-blogging site. Basically, it allows users to broadcast messages to the world as long as those messages are 140 characters or shorter. Your messages, known as tweets, are publicly available to anyone (heres my page) but with millions of people tweeting, the real benefit comes from the fact that you can choose who to listen to. In effect, you tune in to another persons Twitter feed and in doing so, you see everything they write.One of the things Ive learned about Twitter is that you cant explain the benefits to someone else in a way thats convincing. I can hear you now why would I want to be on a site where I can only post a few words at a time?All I can say is that once you try it, youll start to see the benefits. I use it to keep up with news sites, to follow industry happenings and to understand job seeker concerns. Others use it to keep up with friends (I havent been able to sell any of my friends or family on using it yet) or for countless other reasons.But I want to talk about how you can use it for your job search.5 Secrets of Using Twitter to Find a Job1. Connect with RecruitersFirst and foremost, Twitter is a social networking site. Like LinkedIn or Facebook, it allows you to make connections with others. However, unlike those two sites, there is no requirement to know the people with whom you connect because on Twitter you dont ask someone to accept you as a connection, you simply hit the follow button and from that point on you see everything they write.And conversation is the lifeblood of Twitter, so you are perfectly fre e to reply to anything you read. This gives you endless opportunities to connect with recruiters and hiring managers in your target industry. It also allows you to listen and learn from the very people you want to attract attention from.To get started making connections, I recommend using either Twellow or Twitter Search to find people you would like to follow. By the way many of these people will follow you back, but some wont. It doesnt matter. You just need the ability to communicate with them.Now you can follow conversations and reply if you have something interesting to say. Even a thank you for this informative post message is welcome. We all like to know that other people are listening to our words of wisdom.2. Listen for OpportunitiesTwitter Search allows you to follow conversations that include keywords you choose. This is an excellent opportunity to passively surf for vacancies as many hiring managers will tweet about their openings.Simply go to Twitter Search, schrift in the key words (for example web design jobs or PR internships) and in the upper right hand corner you will see a button that says feed for this inquiry. Now you can subscribe to the RSS feed using this button and just check the feed a few times a day. Any time your keywords arise in conversation, youll see the tweet in your feedreader and you can instantly respond.I just had a perfect example of this myself when I tweeted that I was looking for a web designer. Several designers instantly responded even though none of them were followers of mine. One of them, David Harry shot me an email explaining that he was tracking Twitter for mentions of SEO and saw my post come up. Im not koranvers if we still need the help, but regardless, he and I are now following each other, Im writing this post and linking to his site, he plans to link back to me and Ive bookmarked his business site should I decide I need his help. Thats a connection that couldnt have been made without Twitter.3. Use Twitt er to tell people that you need a jobRecently Jonelle Marte wrote about this in the Wall Street Journal.Looking for a new job, Alexa Scordato didnt email or call her contacts about possible openings. Instead, she messaged them via the social-networking Web site Twitter.com.Her brief message Hey there Looking for a Social Media job up in Boston. Are you guys doing any entry level hires?Within a week, she had an interview. Within two weeks, she had a job.It must be said that this isnt the norm. You need a good network of followers and some luck for that to happen. But its certainly possible and especially if you have taken the time to research and follow the right people (many of whom will be folllowing you back, remember).For example, if youre seeking a position as a absatzwirtschaft manager for a technology company, and have followed recruiters who specialize in that industry, and hiring managers or employees who currently work at some of your target companies, theres every chance t hat when you say Im looking for a marketing job in a tech company that someone will know of such a vacancy.This is why targeting people to follow is so important. Dont just add people as fast as you can so that your own number of followers increases instead focus on finding people who can help with your search.4. Be impressive add valueWhich brings me to my fourth point. No matter how well you do at attracting followers and making the right connections, no one will want to hire you if your tweets are all about what your kid just did, what youre making for dinner, or how you got smashed at a party last night and couldnt find your way home. Sure, its nice to see the personal side of people as well as the professional, but keep a balance and remember your goal. You want people to want to hire you and that means you need to be impressive and add value.So if youre a marketer, tweet about marketing. Share your ideas, link to your blog posts or blog posts written by other people. Offer t ips and insights. In other words, establish yourself as knowledgeable so that when you do make contact with a recruiter, they are impressed with what they hear from you.If you absolutely must write things you wouldnt want an employer to see, set up a separate account that is private and can only be accessed by people you authorize (this is easily done in settings).5. Communicate well with Your Twitter PageTwitter allows you to write a brief bio describing yourself and to link to one external website. If you have a blog or a personal site, link there (provided the content is professional) If not, link to your LinkedIn profile, or set up a Visual CV. Its important to make sure that people who click on your link find good, solid information about you that will make them want to know more.This is so important. Every time someone follows me, I check out their page to see if I want to follow back. I look at their bio, I look at the content of their tweets and I often click on the link to see where it takes me. An unprofessional image at any of these points can be a real dampener on your job search prospects.In summaryI think Twitter is a wonderful opportunity to connect on a personal level with people you might not otherwise have a chance to reach. Of course, if its important that you keep your job search secret, Twitter wont be a good solution for you, so keep that in mind.These are my 5 tips, but if you have others, please let us know in the comments.

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Erasmus Darwin Leavitt Jr

Erasmus Darwin Leavitt Jr Erasmus Darwin Leavitt Jr Erasmus Darwin Leavitt, Jr.Steam engine titan Erasmus Darwin Leavitt (1836 1916) made history for entwurfing a series of economical, heavy-duty pumping engines for municipal water works and the mining industry. A founding member and past president of ASME, his body of work includes some of the largest engines of his day, revered for their less-is-more design and game-changing operational efficiency.No mechanical engineer has left for our contemplation more impressive monuments of human skill than he, proclaimed the ASME Council on Leavitts death. Without special preliminary and technical instruction, the advantages of which nearly all engineers of the present day possess, he was able to work into the mysteries of the behavior of steam and the properties of materials.A native of Lowell, MA, Leavitt first learned to crack those mysteries during a three-year apprenticeship at the Lowell Machine Shop, followed by a one-year stint at th e famous Corliss Nightingale steam engine works. By 1858, he was supervising the construction of high-end steam engines for maritime applications.At the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and quickly moved into a position of engineering authority over the construction of ships. He remained with the Navy after the war, teaching steam engineering principles at the Naval Academy in Annapolis.He retired from the Navy and began private mechanical engineering practice in 1867.His breakthrough into big-time engineering was his design for a pumping engine at Lynn, MA. Working with George Normal of Newport, RI, he created an engine that incorporated his revolutionary ideas in engine efficiency. Next came a groundbreaking water works project for the city of Lawrence, MA, that paired two Lynn-style engines.These triumphs led to Leavitts long association with the Calumet Hecla Mining Company, where he served as consulting and mechanical engineer from 1874 to 1904. Here he made some of his landmark contributions in the design of heavy machinery for pumping and a range of other civic and industrial uses.The largest engine he built for the firm was aptly dubbed Superior. Designed around an inverted compound beam, its cylinders were 40 in. and 70 in. in diameter with a 6-ft stroke at 60 rpm. The firm used it to hoist drums and air compressors.The Leavitt-Riedler Pumping Engine.One of his signature projects, the 1894 Leavitt-Riedler Pumping Engine in Bostons Chestnut Hill High Service Pumping Station, is an ASME historic mechanical engineering landmark. Its regular operation speed of 50 rpm could pump 25 million gallons of water in a day, attracting national attention as the most efficient pumping engine in the world, according to industry publications of the time. It has been idle since 1928, but is still on display at Bostons Metropolitan Waterworks Museum. It indelibly links Leavitts name to an era in history when the availability of clean, abundant m unicipal water was considered a point of civic pride, and fast-growing cities built water works that doubled as grand public spaces.Leavitts other landmark projects included engines for a cable railway used on the Brooklyn Bridge, mining equipment for contractors in Venezuela, and numerous large water or sewage pumping engines for the cities of Louisville, Boston, Cambridge, and Bedford.Leavitt and his wife Elizabeth lived in Cambridge, MA, where they raised five children. He invested considerable personal energy in supporting nearby institutions such as the Harvard Trust Company, the local YMCA, and a board overseeing the construction of a major bridge project linking west Boston and Cambridge.In addition to an honorary doctorate from Stevens Institute of Technology (its first), he was made an honorary member of ASME in 1915. The honor recognized not only his founding role in the organization but also his successful terms as president and vice president in its critical early years. In ASMEs tribute to Leavitt, his peers applauded his common sense approach to design He did more than any other engineer in this country to establish sound principles and propriety of design. He appreciated the importance of directness and the absence of ornamentation in strictly utilitarian designs, and he firmly believed that beauty in machine design came from propriety.Michael McRae is an independent writer.No mechanical engineer has left for our contemplation more impressive monuments of human skill than he.1916 ASME Council Proclamation

Friday, December 20, 2019

Entertainment and Media Resume Templates 2018s Top Formats

Entertainment and Media Resume Templates 2018s Top FormatsEntertainment and Media Resume Templates - 2018s Top FormatsWhat its Like to Work in the Media Entertainment FieldNo matter what kind of media and entertainment job youre pursuing, your workday will be exciting and unique. Routine is rarely a part of the entertainment field as things change from day to day. You might spend the early part of the day preparing for the wertzuwachs and then the latter part of the day getting the performance perfected. Whether you work as talent or behind the scenes, the entertainment industry is a dynamic and exciting place to work.Benefits of Working in the Media Entertainment Field For starters, youre involved in a career that allows you to be creative. Your wit, writing abilities, eye for cinematography, impersonations, or makeup artistry can land you a job and make you successful. In addition, it can be a career that takes you all over the world, or it can be the kind of career that allows you to get a stable job with a local theater or television production company. As you gain more experience in the entertainment industry, you can expect to command a higher salary. In the entertainment industry, news about your good work travels fast and among many different circles. As you do more, youll find that your opportunities open up and your income increases.Why You Need a Resume Your media and entertainment resume catalogs all of your accomplishments and allows you take credit for the things youve done. In the entertainment industry, an accurate media and entertainment resume is extremely important to your chances of getting the job that you want.Entertainment and Media Resume TemplatesSoundTelevision and RadioGamingEntertainment and Media Resume Questions1. Whats an example of a great entertainment and media resume?Whether you want a job as an animator, costume designer, or photographer, you want a resume that showcases your talents and achievements. Look at any entertai nment and media resume sample to get a sense of proper formatting. You want to create a compelling summary anschauung at the top of the page. Move on to skills, and from there, you can delve into your work experiences. At the bottom of the document, share any education you have related to media and arts.2. How do you write a summary statement for an entertainment and media resume?Your summary statement should look similar to the one provided on the entertainment and media resume sample. Ultimately, you want to convey your personality traits, your deep passions toward the entertainment industry, transferrable strengths, and credentials in the industry. Many employers only spend about 10 seconds reading through a resume before deciding whether to finish it. A detailed summary statement no longer than six sentences may be all you have to convince a hiring manager to give you a chance.3. How do you write about hobbies on your resume?If you want to add hobbies to a resume, be very carefu l about it. You do notlage usually find them on an entertainment and media resume sample. In the event you do decide to include them, make sure all hobbies are relevant to the career you hope to attain. Include a hobbies section toward the end of your resume. Additionally, make it short and sweet. There is no reason to drag out your resume longer than you have to just to mention hobbies. Our resume builder makes it effortless to add new sections.4. Whats the best format for a resume PDF, MS Word, or txt?In general, a txt document would be unacceptable for any entertainment and media resume sample. PDF and MS Word both have their advantages and disadvantages. Most employers will be able to read a PDF file easily, and the formatting will not change if the employer uses a different system. However, MS Word is better if the hiring manager uses an Applicant Tracking System, which is a device that screens resumes for certain keywords.5. What should go in the experience section of your ent ertainment and media resume? You naturally want to include the title of your position, name of the company, and dates you worked there in the experience section, which is the case for every entertainment and media resume sample. However, for the actual bullet points, focus on accomplishments rather than duties. Do not merely state simple tasks you did. Use quantifiable metrics if you can. For instance, you would not want to merely state you have experience taking pictures at weddings. Instead, talk specifically about the number of weddings you worked and the number of pictures you took.How to write an Entertainment and Media Resume1. Start by listing your professional accomplishmentsGrab a separate piece of paper and craft a list of your Entertainment and Media career accomplishments.2. Look at Entertainment and Media resume samples for referenceChoose from our extensive assortment of resume samples to find one that helps you craft your own.3. Craft a compelling header at the top of your Entertainment and Media resumeYour header should include your name, phone number, email address, and personal website (if you have one). Make it professional, but attractive.4. Craft a strong summary statementCraft a short, interesting statement that tells your professional story. Include your accomplishments, skills, and most important areas of expertise.5. Include your skills in a qualifications or areas of expertise sectionProvide a list of your talents in your Entertainment and Media resume. Check the job description to make sure the skills you mentioned align with those the employer wants. distributions-mix it under your summary statement.6. Dive into your work history as a Entertainment and MediaDetail the Entertainment and Media jobs youve previously held. Be sure to include the position you held, the companys name, and the dates you worked.7. Take a deep dive into your Entertainment and Media work historyAdd a list under each job that covers your duties and accomplishm ents. Look over your brainstorm from point 1 to assist with this. Think about the job description as you decide what to include.8. Share your educationThink of the highest degree or diploma you received. Write the name of the degree or diploma you obtained, where you got it, and the year you graduated (or will graduate).

Sunday, December 15, 2019

How to Crush Fears and Get On With Your Job Search

How to Crush Fears and Get On With Your Job SearchHow to Crush Fears and Get On With Your Job SearchA job search can produce a lot of anxiety. Once you get through the preparation process of getting your resume and cover letter together, you still have work to do. Theres applying, networking and interviewing. You may find that, no matter how unhappy you are in your current job, your search keeps getting pushed to the bottom of your to-do list and the needle never moves.See The 8 Stages of a Winning Job Search.You may chalk up the delay to lack of time. But is that really whats going on? Or could it be time to evaluate the mental roadblocks getting in the way? According to Danielle Droitsch, owner of Coaching with Danielle, there are three top mental offenders that hamper a job search Succumbing to fear.Ignoring your strengths.Being disorganized.Heres how to tackle each.Confront and drop fears. Fear, worry and insecurity are natural feelings during a job search for anyone. You may hav e started the search with a lot of enthusiasm that over time turned into disappointment. This is common. Like countless other job seekers, you may be afraid of not being good enough, being too old or being rejected. These feelings present an obstacle to confidence when youre in the thick of a job search.Droitsch warns that fear will fuel inaction and procrastination. It makes people feel less confident in networking and interview situations. Fear will sabotage the entire search process, and can truly impede a job search in such a way that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.How can you confront and drop fear? Droitsch says you should take time to reflect on whats really going on inside, understanding that fears are fears, but not truths. It is sometimes helpful to write out your fears and then rip the paper up. The real trick is knowing that fear will be present in a job search but it does not mean your fears are valid.See 8 Tacky Job Search Faux Pas.Recognize and invest in your s trengths. We often compare ourselves to others rather than focusing on building ourselves up to be the strongest candidate. As you work to overcome your fears, concentrate on figuring out what you bring to your next employer. Think about your successes over the years and acknowledge how these are derived from your talents. Droitsch suggests investing time into knowing and then cultivating your strengths. When you focus on what makes you special, you will not only fuel your job search but also develop a positive attitude, which will help you attract and land opportunities.Think about the following. What do colleagues or clients say about you? You can gather this information from performance appraisals, verbal comments or emails. What do you notice differentiates you from your teammates? Organize and follow through. Droitsch says most job searchers think that if they deserve the job they want, it will come easily. This is simply not the case, and you must drop any assumptions that it should be easy to find work you love. In truth, the search for a new job especially one that you really want will take work and more time than you may think. And it will take being organized, tenacious and committed.While finding work you love is not easy, the reward is worth it. Droitsch says to remember that you are the CEO of your job search. Its up to you to drive that process to closure using good project-management skills.See 8 Important Questions to Ask a Job Interviewer and Yourself.Managing confidence is an important skill to foster regardless of whether youre job searching, since it will help you stay positive, increase your likelihood of success at work and make you more open to opportunities that could come unexpectedly down the road. departure doing so by taking time to celebrate your accomplishments. Take a reflective moment where you simply say quietly to yourself, You worked hard, you earned this. This will give you the confidence to push through future challenges and help you invest in your strengths.Dont let your fears paralyze your job search. Take control of them, acknowledge your strengths and get moving. Its going to take work but if you dont crush your fears, youre not going to move out of the stagnant place youre at.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Awards and Decorations for the Navy

Awards and Decorations for the NavyAwards and Decorations for the NavyAwarded to members of the Armed Forces, including members of Reserve components on active or inactive duty, of the grade of lieutenant commander/major and juniorchefin thereto, for tafelgeschirr performed on or after 1 May 1961. The award shall be given for meritorious service or achievement in a combat or non-combat situation based on sustained performance or specific achievement of a superlative nature, and shall be of such merit as to warrant mora tangible recognition than is possible by a fitness report or performance evaluation, but which does not warrant a Navy and seestreitmacht Corps Commendation Medal or higher. A professional achievement that merits the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal must clearly exceed that which is normally required or expected, considering the individuals grade or rate, training, and experience and be an important contribution of benefit to the United States and the Naval Serv ice.Leadership Achievement that merits the NA must be noteworthy, sustained or for a special achievement, and reflectmost creditably on the efforts of the individual toward the accomplishment of the unit mission. During the Vietnam era the Combat Distinguishing Device was authorized for service subsequent to 17 July 1967 and discontinued in April 1974 it was reauthorized on 17 January 1991. Navy and Marine Combat Action Ribbon Awarded to members of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard (when the Coast Guard or units thereof operate under the control of the Navy) in the grade of captain/colonel and junior thereto, who have actively participated in ground or surface combat. Upon submission of evidence to their commanding officer, partienel who earned the Combat Infantryman Badge or Combat Medical Badge while a member of the U.S. Army may be authorized to wear the CAR. The principal eligibility criterion is that the individual must have participated in a bona fide ground or surfa ce combat firefight or action during which he/she was under enemy fire and his/her performance while under fire was satisfactory. Service in a combat area does not automatically entitle a service member to the CAR. Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal Awarded to members of the Selected Marine Corps Reserve (SMCR) who, effective January 1, 1996, fulfilled designated service requirements within any three-year period of service in the Organized Marine Corps Reserve. For the period 1 July 1925 through 31 December 1995, inclusive, a four-year period of service is required. A Selected Marine Corps Reserve Certificate (MAVMC 10592) will be completed by the commanding officer at the time entitlement is confirmed for presentation to the member concerned. A bronze star 3/16-inch in diameter is worn on the suspension ribbon and ribbon bar to denote subsequent awards. Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal (MCGCM) The eligibility requirements are three years of continuous active service, regula r or Reserve.The MCGCM shall be earned for otherwise qualifying service involving no convictions by courts-martial, or nonjudicial punishment (NJP) under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Article 15, and no lost time by reason of sickness-misconduct or injury-misconduct. A Good Conduct Award Certificate (NAVMC-71) will be completed by the commanding officer at the time entitlement is confirmed for presentation to the member concerned.A 3/16-inch bronze star will be worn on the suspension ribbon and ribbon bar to denote subsequent awards. Navy Good Conduct Medal (NGCM) For three continuous active service as an enlisted person in the Regular Navy or Naval Reserve.Within the required period of active service, the individual must have a clear record (no convictions by courts-martial, no non-judicial punishments (NJP), no lost time by reason of sickness-misconduct, no civil convictions for offenses involving moral turpitude. Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Awarded to personn el of the Armed Forces of the United States participate as members of U.S. military units in a U.S. military operation in whichencounters foreign armed opposition or imminenthostile action by foreign armed forces. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) shall designate operations which qualify for the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.The operations may be U.S. military operationsor U.S. operations in direct support of the United Nations or assistance to friendly foreign nations. The operations may be in foreign territories, adjacent waters, or airspace. Ships and units which are present in an area merely for training purposes are not eligible for the award.They mustbe bonafide members of a unit engaged in the operation or meet one or mora of several criteria for service in support of the operation. Air Medal Individual Award. Awarded to persons who, while serving in any capacity with the Armed Forces of the United States, distinguishes himself/herself by heroic/meritorious achievement w hile participating in an aerial flight under flight orders. A 3/16 inch bronze star is worn to denote first individual award of the Air Medal. Gold stars are worn to denote second and subsequent individual awards of the Air Medal. Strike/Flight Award. Awarded to persons who, while serving in any capacity with the Armed Forces of the United States, distinguish themselves by meritorious achievement while participating in sustained aerial flight operations under flight orders. Bronze numerals are worn to denote the total number of Strike/Flight Awards. Strike/Flight awards can only be approved within the parameters (area, time, etc.) established by the Secretary of the Navy delegated authority of this award is specific in nature and always in writing. The Combat Distinguishing Device may be authorized for single mission Air Medals for valor (heroism) after 4 April 1974. Sea Service Deployment Ribbon General Awarded to anofficer and enlisted personnel of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Each service has distinct criteria that delineate eligibility Navy personnel assigned to Marine Corps units follow Marine Corps policy, and vice versa. SpecificFor Navy and Marine Corps personnel assigned to U.S. (including Hawaii and Alaska) homeported ships/deploying units or Fleet Marine Force (FMF) commands, 12-months accumulated sea duty or duty with FMF which includes at least one 90- consecutive day deployment.For Navy and Marine Corps personnel assigned to overseas homeported ships/deploying units or FMF commands, 12-months accumulated sea duty or duty with the FMF. For those in this category, the 90-day deployment is not required. Changes to deployment patterns to meet operational commitments within fiscal constraints have resulted in the reduction of some service force ships deployment lengths to less than 90 days with an increase in the frequency of deployments. Consequently and effective 18 October 1991, the awarding of the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon to members of units that complete two deployments of at least 80 days each within a given 12-month period is authorized. This change is not retroactive.

Friday, December 6, 2019

The Hidden Treasure of How to End a Resume

The Hidden Treasure of How to End a Resume Instead, a hyperlink to a concise overview of qualifications online could be sufficient to convince a recruiter a candidate might qualify for an interview. A resume headline is among the very first things noticed by recruiters. In some instances, a job posting might attracts a couple of hundred resumes. Exactly like your resume, it ought to be compelling and give the key reasons you ought to be called for an interview. Who Else Wants to Learn About How to End a Resume? The upcoming free resume template is devised in the shape of a brochure. Generally speaking, the structure of the majority of resumes is fairly similar. A sample is able to help you decide what type of content you should include, together with how to format your resume. Our completely free sample may have given you a fantastic idea of the way in which an organized resume looks like. Organize your paper and cause you to resume paint a very good picture of you. For in stance, text version is useful when you must paste your resume into text fields supplied by job websites. You may still attach your titelseite letter in another file, just be sure it matches the content of your cover email. The cover letter is vital. The general guideline is to continue to keep your resume to a single page for each decade of experience you possess but to incorporate no more than twenty years of experience. Resume samples are a beneficial approach to direct your own writing. Branding means being distinctive, and the very best approach to distinguish yourself is to set your personality across on the webpage. How to End a Resume No Longer a Mystery The secret to a customer service role is a good nature and communication abilities. Be certain to mention, too, if youre a certified food handler. Do a little investigating to discover the internal recruiters or HR personnel accountable for processing resumes where you wish to do the job. If you want to do two or three unique things, then build a couple of specific resumes. To maximize your odds of reaching the work interview stage its vital to be sure every portion of your resume and cover letter are up-to-scratch. After that, utilize the words and ideas gleaned from your studying to show recruiters youre conscious of their requirements and can accommodate them. By giving a quote from a supervisor inside your actual new teacher resume, the reader will be in a lokalitt to verify your teaching abilities. Devote another area close to the conclusion of your new teacher resume for expert improvement. How to End a Resume at a Glance First paragraphIntroduce some appropriate background info and provide a concise explanation for why youre the appropriate fit for the position. To finish the package and provide yourself the very best chance of securing the position, it is crucial that you know how to end a cover letter. Or you might have experience with a particular software application which will be used extensively in the position. On the flip side, if youve got a fairly linear or straightforward career path, the space is probably better used for extra bullet points in every single job. Youre going to learn to end a cover letter. Clearly, you understand how to end a cover letter. Now you are aware of how to end a cover letter. The entire cover letter are available here.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Startup Hiring Finding the Not-So-Perfect Candidate - Spark Hire

Startup Hiring Finding the Not-So-Perfect Candidate - Spark HireWhen it comes to your startup, what is more important providing the perfect product the first time around or getting a product to your consumer base as quickly as possible? Believe it or not, your answer to that question can also help you with your startup hiring strategy.Last year, at a recruiting conference, Aki Taha, founder of a hiring-strategy firm called Persona, told George Anders, a Forbes contributor, that just like the product, startups should be looking for candidates who might not look perfect on paper. He went on to explain that many companies make the mistake of creating a long list of characteristics and qualities that theyre looking for in new employees.What they should be doing, he told Forbes, is creating a set of must-have and another set of nice-to-have qualities. Creating a blanket list of traits that company is looking for forces hiring recruiters to meet as many checks on that list as possible. In doing so, they might miss key must-have requirements, opting instead to hire someone because they meet a lot of nice-to-have traits.Taha went on to suggest that the hiring team needs to build an on-target job description that includes a lot of their must-have requirements. With a specific job description, startup hiring recruiters are receiving more targeted applicants and resumes. But, he stresses, its up to startups to create their own must-haves list. They know what they need best, and with that, they need to ask for just that.Anders, in researching his book The Rare Find, found Tahas philosophy to ring true at many other companies. Rather than getting caught up in hiring candidates from top-tier college institutions with high GPAs, they were looking for candidates who had the character traits they desired. He states, Assets such as resilience, quick learning, ingenuity and an eagerness to work on the frontier counted for more than grade-point averages or years of experience.As a startup, your hiring process shouldnt be about who youre bringing onto the team but about what theyre bringing. A college dropout may be better than a Harvard grad. A risk-taker with a few failures might bring more to the table than a candidate who has only seen success after success.Your workplace may look like a band of misfits, but that may be just what your product needs. Essentially, scrap what looks good on paper, and opt for what feels right for your product when it comes to hiring for your startup.What do you think of this not-so-perfect candidate philosophy? Do your job descriptions separate nice-to-have qualities from those that are a must-have? Leave us a response below.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

How to make your writing more interesting

How to make your writing more interestingHow to make your writing more interestingThe title itself almost made me throw up.Being a good researczu sich, though, I clicked through anyway, hoping to be wrong. I was disappointed.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreYepthere is the suggestion my life was crap.Yepthere is the advice about getting up earlier.Yepthere are the mild adjectives and simple sentences.Yepthere is the implication the author is wildly successful.Yepthere is the ask for an schmelzglas addressYepthere is the vomit.The relentless swill of recycled wisdom in the self-help genre, while worthy of ire itself, is not the topic of this post. After all, self-help in itself is fine. Asking for email addresses is fine. Giving advice is fine.Writing with all the poise and grace of a third-grader, though, is not fine.No matter your topic, be it the urgency of the pension crisis, the excretion of the 7-toed tree frog, or yes, even getting up early in the morning in order to live YOUR BEST LIFE(), there are ways to write which do not compel puny, Y List Celebrities like me to throw their breakfast cereal at the wall.So here we go1 MetaphorA metaphor is when you describe a thing which cannot do or be the thing you are actually claiming it is doing or being. (Calm down, English majors. Thats essentially what it is).The sunrosevs.The sun was golden lava pouring over theground.Of course, the sun wasnt REALLY golden lava, unless your fiction story is off to a horrific start. But itbinnenseemedlike that, though, didnt it? It looked like that. As a matter of fact, your brain thought it actually was.Researchers from Emory Universitydiscovered metaphor spreads beyond the language processing center and into the other sensory areas of the brain.Youve been looking for Jedi mind tricks your whole life. Turns out all you had to do was use metaphor.Instead of bashing bad wr iters, lets cheer on a good one.Dan MooresMy Mom is a Movie Starputs on a clinicMy mom is the epitome of cool. Her eyes could cut ice. She bounces on her toes, all muscle and kinetic potential. In her hand she holds a baton that has been lit on fire at both ends. She holds it as casually as others might grip a tennis racket. The New England night yawns out behindher.Can a night yawn? No. Can a eyeball cut ice? No. It doesnt matter. Wefeelwhat Dan is saying.Make sure you go read that whole post.Then have a good cry.Then lets get into2 PacingPacing is when you slowly lead the reader up a long and winding tunnel. You slip and strain to pull them over boulders, hop across gaps, and squeeze through the tiniest crevices. You show them the marks you followed to reach your destination before finally emerging on the very top of a snowy mountain.Then, you push them off the cliff to their death.Think about when you are in a car. When you go 80 miles an hour for more than 60 seconds, you dont e ven feel it anymore. But when you accelerate from 10 to 100, or 100 to 10, you feelit. Some smart author who I forgot and cant findnow.Pacing is the bedrock of good writing. Take a look at your sentences and paragraphs. Are they the saatkorn length? Do you lull your reader to sleep with long, flowing sentences which seem to never end?Stop it.Then start again later.By the way, youll notice my pacing often includes a line break because Im super dramatic like that. Good pacing works in paragraphs too. Take a look at this example from a book Im reading right nowTy BurrsGods Like UsCary Grant, the studio ordnungsprinzips Perfect Man, privately raged against the Academy for not giving him an Oscar and experimented extensively with LSD. Read between the lines of the existing biographies and the mythic love affair of Kate Hepburn and Spencer Tracy turns into a problematic tale of alcoholism, enablement, and emotional cruelty. Im pretty sure Tom Hanks picks hisnose.Long sentence. Long senten ce. Short sentence. Easy, right? For bonus points, Ty Burr uses emotional pacing as well.Longserioussentence. Longserioussentence. Shortfunnysentence.Or take this out of context piece fromSunil RajaramansEverybodys Rich But You. What could have been a bland, self-helpy niche article about contentment as an entrepreneur turns into a fascinating read for all.You know what? Who needs an exit? You dont need more money. Money is only going to add stress to your life. Its not like these people are going to be any happier. What would you do with more money? You are so lean already. You get out of the car. You spend $10 on a cup of cat-shit coffee. Your Lyft cost$17.Capital EfficientFor comparison, here is one terrible and boring way to make the same point as above.If you are looking to make more money, perhaps you should start with more expensive daily purchases*. The New York Times did a study that said much coffee costs an average of $6 over a few days** Cut out coffee to save money and feel morerich***.*Telling people what they SHOULD do scares them**Please stop putting studies in your posts because Mr. Benjamin P. Hardy does it***If this were any more on the nose, we wouldnt even be able to see the rest of your face****.****I know that doesnt make much sense but I think you get it now.3 PersonalityWriting like yourself is when you tell yourownstories, share your own insights, and connect yourownpieces of yourownpuzzle with your own experiences and yourownadvice. Read yourownbooks and watch your own movies and do yourownwork and tell us what you learned.(Was that subtle enough?)Check outDervla McTiernansHow I Knew It Was Time to Quit My JobBattle mode. Old habits. I kept my job at the Commission and wrote at night. My husband stayed in his job, too, though he wanted something different. We kept writing down tasks and ticking them off. Every now and again, we would take a breath and look at each other and try to remember if life had always been like this. Hadnt we been fun, once? Hadnt we laughedmore?We had forgotten how to do anything but work, as if work were the solution to every problem.Do you see what just happened? You read someone elses story and learned something about your own life. Wow Turns out you are pretty smart I guess you dont need to be hand-held through self-improvement after all.Surely there are a million and one ways to go about writing better, but these three are my favoritesmetaphor, pacing, and writing like yourself.Happy writingDont Let your Book LaunchFlopGet my Solo Book Launch Checklist, as well as the swipe files for every single email I sent to help me make $5,000 in the first week of my book launchDownload the goods here for the price of an email address.This article first appeared on Medium.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Decision That Transformed My Confidenceand My Career

The Decision That Transformed My Confidenceand My CareerThe Decision That Transformed My Confidence- and My CareerI will never forget what a man at a bar told me after my college graduation. Cupping a beer bottle, he gave me a hard look and said, Youre perfect- other than those teeth. Doesnt that bother you?Somehow, I eked out a response and told him I didnt need to be perfect. (a.k.a., Of course it bothers me, jerk.)For years, my smile held me back, both in and outside of the office. My teeth were crowded and misaligned, and my canines pointed out enough to look vampy. I constantly covered my mouth when I spoke and never flashed an open smile in photos. If I did without thinking, Id beg friends to take my photos down from Facebook. I had a tight-lipped smile reserved for close family, friends, and colleagues- everyone kept telling me I should really smile. And I always agonized during job interviews that hiring managers would remember not my credentials, poise, and quick responses t o curveball questions- but my teeth.Last month, I finished orthodontic treatment to fix my smile. I couldnt be more in love with the end results, but even a month or two into treatment, Id already noticed an extra boost of confidence from my teeth moving into the right alignment. In fact, in the time I had braces, I powered more business relationships and found more career momentum than ever before, even moving into a management role at work. And immediately after finishing treatment, I landed my dream job (with a smile).Heres the story of how I decided to get braces at 29 years old- and why its the best decision Ive ever made for my career.The DecisionFor years, people always pushed me to get braces (although most of them more diplomatically than the man in the bar), and for years, I put treatment off. I welchesnt a candidate for the clear, nearly unnoticeable aligner treatment systems like Invisalign. The idea of metal braces was terrifying- rezulaufs of Ugly Betty flashed through my head- and I didnt think I could afford the treatment costs.So, I never seriously considered them- until I had considerable wear to my tooth enamel and an occasional chipped tooth because of my overbite. Before getting braces, I talked to my orthodontist, Dr. Charles Wait. I was undecided, and he made me take a real look at how putting off treatment would continue to affect my oral health. Because I had a deep overbite, my teeth would run together, causing irreversible enamel damage. He told me that, by my 50s, my lower teeth would be down to nubs. As I learned, most of us dont realize that crooked teeth or uneven spacing between teeth can actually cause gingivitis, TMJ, or eventual tooth loss.In my case, I decided I owed it not only to my current self, but to my future. I wanted to network like a boss, present and lead meetings with complete confidence, and of course continue moving up the ladder into more challenging roles. Looking ahead, I wanted to see 50-year-old me as a hig h-powered executive, not someone struggling to make it through the corporate world with baggage about her smile and tooth loss. I knew it was time to make my move.Getting StartedSo, what about my concerns? First off, I didnt have to suffer through metal, train-track teeth. Most orthodontists, like mine, now offer cosmetic braces to adult patients. The cosmetic braces I wore actually used a special color-matching technology to blend to the color of my teeth. A matching tooth-colored arch wire and rubber ensembles made my braces basically invisible. Most people didnt notice I had braces immediately, and if they did, they were excited for me or commented with approval or envy, I need those, tooAdditionally, the cost wasnt excessive- in fact, it was easily covered by cutting back on non-necessities and shopping trips. While I opted to pay in full upfront, my doctor offered different billing options, like making small monthly payments.After my consultation, a dental tune-up, and some X-r ays, I had my braces. My orthodontist gave me a rough timeline of a year and a half to two years. I was extra compliant with rubber band wearing and dietary restrictions, (no popcorn, peanut butter, or tragically, red wine). I ended up wearing braces for almost two years, but it was worth every moment. (Plus, it didnt hurt that they made me look younger.)Gaining ConfidenceI knew my smile would be different once the braces were removed, but I was clueless as to how much I would change before even enjoying the final results. I never realized how much I hated my teeth, and when they started aligning after just a month, my confidence doubled.I started becoming the person and the professional Id always wanted to be, navigating social and professional situations with more grit and assurance than ever. I no longer dreaded meetings with my boss or exchanges with colleagues at conferences. When I met with upper management or interfaced with the CEO directly, I didnt have to hold back anymore . Working with outside agencies, publications, and vendors, I quickly built relationships without insecurities about my teeth holding me back.As I became more visible at the company, my smile did, too. I smiled at everyone, bringing more energy into meetings and encounters with the executive team. I was known for my constant smile and positive attitude, which made me approachable, and I was able to build some of the most real and meaningful relationships of my career at that company. I think that, positiv the fact that I was making a visible investment in my quality of life, made me more credible as a leader. It didnt take long in braces for my new tenacity and continued hard work to pay off in the form of a promotion.Days after having the braces removed, I had an interview for my now-current gig. I didnt agonize over my crooked teeth- instead, I pushed my portfolio and knowledge with a permanent smile. I think people know when youre holding back, and for the first time, I didnt. An d it helped me land my dream job.Looking back after finishing my treatment in braces, its hands down the most positive decision Ive ever made for myself. My only regret is not pursuing treatment sooner, but taking action on my own as an adult and paying for treatment was empowering.If youre considering braces- or anything else, for that matter- Id encourage you to think about how it can affect your confidence, your relationships, and your career. For me, it was an investment in my future- and one thats already paid more dividends than I could possibly have imagined.Photo of woman with braces courtesy of Shutterstock.

10 Career Quizzes to Help You Find a New Job for the New Year

10 Career Quizzes to Help You Find a New Job for the New Year 10 Career Quizzes to Help You Find a New Job for the New Year You’ve got big job questions - and these 10 career quizzes and personality tests have the answers. From figuring out what job you’re best suited for to whether you’re a natural-born leader, these quizzes will help you find the perfect new job or career in the new year. This quiz, created by Glassdoor, is all about helping you find a job that works for you. While many quizzes are designed to suss out whether you’d fit a certain job, this quiz is meant to help you see how well a job would fit into your life by looking at what you do and how you spend your time outside the office. If you’re looking for a career change , this quiz is for you. The Myers Briggs Type Indicator quiz is one of the most respected and used personality tests by both career centers and hiring managers- and there’s a reason! This test (or quiz, if you will) helps define how people see and perceive the world, using four psychological functions, including sensation, intuition, feeling, and thinking- four things that can really help you determine what career field and specifically, what job, fit your personality best. Nowadays, it’s not always enough to have a stellar resume and cover letter. To snag your dream job, it’s sometimes also necessary to have a personal brand . But how do you define and exhibit your personal brand best? That’s what this quiz, developed by Glassdoor, was designed to do. It will help you hone your brand- and use it to get a new job or career. Are you considering taking a step up the corporate ladder in your next job? Then this quiz is for you. Designed by Glassdoor, it will help you figure out how ready you are to lead and manage a team or even an office. As it points out, “while being a natural isn’t required to be a good leader, it’s important to know how your competencies line up if being a role model and guide … is your goal.” This quiz will show you where you stand now- and how to grow. According to its website, “the O-Net Interest Profiler can help you find out what your interests are and how they relate to the world of work,” making it a great quiz to take if you’re just starting out in the workforce- or if you’re trying to change your career path. If you’re not happy at work , is it automatically time to find another job? Maybe- or maybe not, and this quiz will help you figure out if you should change things up at your office or change jobs- or careers- entirely. The quiz, created by Glassdoor, looks at many things that could be making you unhappy at work, “from company culture to lack of advancement opportunities to uninspiring management. … No matter what your situation, [it] will help you begin to figure out whether you’re in the wrong job and need to plan an escape, ASAP.” According to its website, “the MAPP (Motivational Appraisal Personal Potential) career assessment is perfect for students, graduates and working adults. You’ll get a wealth of information to help find the right career that matches your unique assessment profile.” When you’re ready to find a new job, it will inevitably be time to update your resume. But what kind of resume is right for you ? This quiz, made by Glassdoor, will help you answer that question- then write a resume that fits your personality and brand best, and get a job. This quiz is a free, psychological assessment to help you “discover how you measure up in the five factors of personality: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.” Knowing these measurements will help you find a job that fits your strongest personality traits- or avoid jobs that won’t align with who you are as a person. Would you move for the right job ? If so, then where would you move? That’s a big question to answer- but this quiz can help you narrow down the right region for you. After you answer a few questions about your lifestyle, professional interests, and preferences, this quiz- created by Glassdoor- will tell you the perfect city for you to find your next position.