Saturday, May 30, 2020

How to Help Graduates Develop a Professional Mindset

How to Help Graduates Develop a Professional Mindset There is a discord between what employers are looking for and what grads have on offer. In a Hay Group study of 450 business leaders and 450 recent graduates based in India, the US, and China, a massive 76% of business leaders reported that entry-level workers and recent grads are not ready for their jobs. Having endured years of university studies, these graduates are intelligent, passionate, ambitious and know their way around technology. So why arent employers happy with their skills? Turns out  business leaders are looking for soft skills such as empathy, resilience, collaboration, self-discipline and clear communication. Most graduates believe that soft skills get in the way of doing their jobs well and that their tech skills are more valuable than their soft skills.  Leaders, on the other hand believe that soft skills help you advance faster, tech skills are a necessity but soft skills really make you shine and deliver a better commercial impact. Solutions: Promote self-regulation; acceptance of uncertainty and change Teach time-management; introduce specific time management methods Create a mentor program; help graduates get a big picture perspective Learn more in the infographic below by Daniel Goleman: Featured image: Shutterstock

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Resume Templates Free Downloads

Resume Templates Free DownloadsYou can use resume templates free download, to improve your job search. Resume templates help you to have a neat, professional-looking resume that will showcase your educational accomplishments and work experience, if any.Using an appropriate resume is key to landing the job. You have to write a great one in order to get the interview. Resume templates allow you to create a customized resume for your specific needs.Resume templates are online resources where you can find many samples of resumes. You can browse through different samples and pick the one that you think would look the best on your job application.Free resume templates also come with sample cover letters and professional keywords that you can use in your job search. These are necessary so that you can get the attention of employers.Resume templates are free, so you don't have to spend your money. There are many sites that offer these types of templates for free download. In fact, there are many templates available on these sites, and you can choose which one suits you the best.But if you want to take this process a step further, you can create your own resume. This is a great way to create a professional looking resume for your own requirements. It's not expensive to create your own template because you don't have to pay anything.This type of resource is helpful in making your career transition smooth and easy. They will save you time and make your job search much easier.You can use resume templates to improve your job search and resume templates are free, so they are worth your time. They can help you land the job of your dreams.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

How to Evaluate and Negotiate a New Job Offer - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How to Evaluate and Negotiate a New Job Offer - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career You finally got the offer you have been waiting for! However, the salary is below what you are expecting. Now what? Should you accept the offer or reject it? How are you going to evaluate it? Read below and find the answers. First of all, you should not evaluate the offer based only on salary information. The salary is important for many people, but you should also look for other benefits, such as how many paid holidays you will get per year or if you can work remotely some days during the work week or if you are getting any perks, for example, a gym membership discount or other discounts from other businesses such as phone-bill discounts or electronic-equipment discounts or travel discounts. You should then evaluate the offer as a whole package. If the salary in the offer is below your expectations, you can always call the company and ask whether the offer is negotiable.  I know many people do not like negotiating but sometimes you need to do it for your own stake. Then, the company will tell you whether it’s negotiable. If it is not negotiable, you can always compare the offer with your previous salary or with industry standards to explain to the company why you want to negotiate your salary and why you think you are worth more. Or you can cite labor statistics. You can say, “I looked up the labor statistics and they show that people earn X dollars for this kind of position, so can you please match your offer with what is listed here to be fair value.’’ However, don’t forget that companies have specified budgets for their hires, so even though you try to negotiate with them, it may not always work, but still it is worth trying. If the offer is not open to negotiation and you are not happy with it, then it’s up to you to decide if you are going to take it or not. But as I stated, salary information shouldn’t be the only criterion on which to base your decision, and you should always look at it as a whole package. Still, if you are not going to be happy working with a salary under your expectations, then maybe you should move on and keep on interviewing. You can also ask when they would review your performance for a raise, because companies sometimes do six-month reviews. If a six-month review is available and the company tells you at that stage that it is happy with your performance, you may get a promotion or an increase in your salary. However, some companies may not do a review for a pay increase for up to two years, so you should ask when you can get a raise if you accept this offer and what is the average percentage for raises within the company. Author: Ceren Cubukcu  is a top 5 bestselling author of  Make Your American Dream A Reality: How to Find a Job as an International Student in the United States.  She recently founded her consulting business to help more international students find jobs in the US in addition to her self-service digital event ticketing platform,  Etkinlik Fabrikam  (My Event Factory), to be able to offer her webinars in her home country. You can follow her via  Facebook  or contact her via  www.cerencubukcu.com/contact.

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

An Empty Nest Makes Focusing On Work Easier! - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

An Empty Nest Makes Focusing On Work Easier! - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Most parents would agree that while having children is great, its also the most demanding job of all. Even healthy children require a tremendous amount of time and energy to raise, and caring for children requires constant sacrifices. This isnt an argument for or against having children but rather a reality check for what goes into managing life once children are in the picture. Bringing up baby to adult translates to countless hours devoted to caring, loving, encouraging, nursing, supporting, educating and disciplining ones kids. Raising kids involve many sleepless nights, may it be with teething or colicky babies or teenagers who are out late with friends on a Saturday night. And then theres dealing with the flu season, ear aches, runny noses and  squelching tantrums from rebellious toddlers that also requires parents ongoing attention; as does breaking up squabbles among siblings and luring finicky eaters to try new foods in order to balance their diets. Creating fun and memorable experiences for ones kids also requires time and energy; helping with homework, insuring enrollment and participation in after school activities and camps, planning birthday parties and  family outings, attending teachers conferences, packing for camp, labeling cloths (as well as doing the laundry after a month away at camp); these are just some of the wonderful duties parents assume while raising their children. And then many parents at some point must deal with rowdy teenagers (either yours or someone elses), teaching your kids how to fight back against bullying and then driving school. All of these experiences merely scratch the surface for what parents do for their kids and this doesnt include all the worrying that goes into each stage of their development. Parental responsibilities are the most ongoing and time consuming during the first eighteen years of a childs life when the role of a parent is 24/7 and then some. That being said, the time left for developing a new career is a huge challenge for even the most disciplined, motivated workers; and if one isnt already set in his/her career, s/he might be a tad overwhelmed by trying to tackle raising a family with forging a new career. For those fortunate few who have a tremendous support system to help with childcare, their task of forging a new career is much easier.  But even these parents often struggle with the lingering question, What am I missing when Im not at home and am I sacrificing something important in life that Ill regret later if I work full time? i.e. being with my kids for their first x or their first y? Though many parents succeed working full time while raising kids, no one Ive ever met does it without admitting the pressures are enormous (even with a great support system) and that there are constant trade offs. The reality is, you cant be there for your kids all the time and be there for your boss or your business all the time. Something has to give. Its a personal decision one needs to make and its often wrought with emotions about whats the right choice and truthfully thats different for every family. One should realize that its not an all or nothing choice. That is, dont assume because you havent worked full-time before or because you worked for someone else while you raised your kids that your career trajectory is fixed. There is always room for change and growth in ones career and for many that might be easier once the kids have left the nest! Its my opinion (based on having worked part-time while raising my children and now having more freedom to work full-time) that one of the best times to launch a new career (if you want it to be free of guilt and apprehension about what you might be missing) is when you become an empty nester. Thats right folks. Were expected to live longer so the AARP segment, Life reimagined picked up on this and spotlights mid lifers starting over. Its not only because the economy tanked that people are seeking employment into their 50s, 60s and even 70s!  Its because people are living longer and want to do something meaningful with their lives. Empty nesters have the time, the wisdom and the energy to devote to their work like never before in their lives. Theyre typically not as anxious to find a spouse (as they were in their twenties and thirties) and they have a new appreciation for life after having so much time devoted to their family. Of course not everyone has the luxury to decide when theyll launch a new career. For many in todays challenging economy, there is no option of staying home even with flextime. Full time employment is a necessity for lots of people in order to pay the bills. But for those who have opted to work part-time, flex-time or stay home with their kids and hope to return someday to the workforce, you might look forward to your forties and fifties to actualize your career goals. Launching a career later in life comes with its own trials and challenges: Youll be competing with a young, technologically savvy workforce who are high energy and highly ambitious.  You might need to retrain, and it could take time to refresh your skills. For those of you who have taken time off from your career or project youll be in this situation someday, dont make the mistake of completely disconnecting from the working world!  Keep your network by staying involved with associations and philanthropy. Find ways to volunteer so you maintain your skills or take classes so you acquire new skills that could be transferrable to a job later; and start brainstorming about what you could do to make a contribution at work as early as possible, say when your youngest enters the eighth grade. If you plan to return to your profession be sure to stay on top of the credit hours youll need to maintain your professional license. Stay active on  your social networks such as Twitter and LinkedIn by posting content that showcases (and shares) your expertise. Your activity in social media lets your contacts know what youre doing professionally so when it comes time to reach out for a job, youre at the starting gate ready to launch! So for those employers who wonder whether or not you should consider hiring an empty nester dont wonder anymore. If theyre a respectable, healthy person with skills and a good reputation seize the opportunity. They could be your next top talent!

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Tips for Writing a Resume For Attorneys

Tips for Writing a Resume For AttorneysWriting a resume for attorneys is not that much different from writing resumes for other professionals. You will find the basic format for the resume is similar. The only difference is that your attorney will be hired based on experience and not education. If you are seeking employment with a legal company, you need to make sure that you know the specific information that you need to include in your resume.The first thing you should do when writing a resume for attorneys is to find out what experience you have in the field. You should make sure that you put down every job you have held that is related to the type of attorney that you are seeking employment with. This could include any experience in a law firm, private practice, criminal defense, or ancillary services. Also, some employers are more open to hiring people with prior experience than others.When it comes to educational attainment, the majority of the jobs that attorneys hold have som e kind of formal education. The degree of formal education is different with each state. Make sure that your educational background includes everything necessary to begin your career as an attorney. This may include a high school diploma, a GED, or any college courses you completed that pertain to law.After gathering all of your educational background, you should then get down to the important details regarding your prior employment. This includes details such as your job title, type of job, and any specialized training or experience you had in the job. While these details are important, make sure that you also make a note of the specific tasks you performed for your employer.You can use this information as a way to show your abilities as an individual and as a person that the employer is more likely to hire if he or she sees specific examples of your talents. The specific examples of your skills should be within the job description of the position you are applying for.You can use y our previous employment as a way to provide examples of your qualifications. You can use past positions to show that you have a specific set of skills that make you a valuable employee. However, you do not want to be so detailed that you are giving away your skills. You can go over the specifics of your previous jobs in your resume but do not go into too much detail.If you are currently employed as an attorney and have a current position, you will have to update your information. Just like anything else, there are job openings. When you have the information necessary to fill the open position, you should give that information in your resume as well.The best way to learn how to write a resume for attorneys is to find an experienced attorney and work with him or her to develop a resume that can attract a law firm to you. The experience of the attorney can help to guide you in making sure that you are getting all of the information on your resume listed correctly. This is the key to wr iting a successful resume.

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

The Importance of Saying Thank You

The Importance of Saying Thank You Thank you to those of you who nominated me for Live with Regis Kellys Radio Co-Host For a Day. Monday August 9th 9am is when the top 10 nominees will be announced on the show. If/when Im in that group, voting begins and runs until 9pm ET Wed Aug 11th. I will send reminders as the date approaches.While I hope to move onto the next round, I realized that Ive already received so much from so many of you. Thank you to those who told me Id be a great fit for show. Your testimonials touched my heart. It was scary to put myself out there as Im not a contest person per se but hearing your kind words made it all worth it. Thank you to those who took the time I know the nomination process was arduous.I will keep you posted on whether I move onto the next step or not but already youve reminded me how important it is to thank those who help us. It made me think if anyone has helped you, they would LOVE to hear about it. Believe me.Write an email, send a letter, make a call. They would appreci ate knowing theyre appreciated. You can even thank them now, here by commenting below. Share your story of someone whos helped you and thank them for getting you to where you are today.Consider this me getting the ball rolling by thanking all of you for your support! (Photo courtesy of Woodleywonderworks)

Friday, May 8, 2020

3 Simple Ways To Beat Your Competition In The Job Market - CareerAlley

3 Simple Ways To Beat Your Competition In The Job Market - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. It doesnt matter whether you are fresh out of college and looking for your first position or whether you are in the throes of middle management seeking your next leap up the career ladder, there will be a time when you need to compete. Other candidates will also apply for the same roles that you have your heart set on. Why should you be offered the job over them? You may have the same qualifications, similar experiences and equally polished resumes. You need to think outside the box to give you the edge and help any potential new employer see your worth. Take a look at these three simple ways you can beat your competition in the job market. The key to gaining a well-paid job in todays competitive marketplace is to have a number of in-demand skills that you excel in and to be able to demonstrate your passion in these areas. Tweet This Upskill Just because you achieved an exceptional final grade from your college degree a decade ago doesnt mean you will automatically be the finest senior leader. Employers dont tend to look at your examination results from when you were fresh out of college. They are more concerned with your current professional development. You need to exploit all of those many in-house training courses you have attended, the workshops you have led and the postgraduate civil engineering degree you studied online and in your own time while working. Showing this commitment to lifelong learning, continually improving your own skillset and remaining relevant within your chosen industry will see you head and shoulders above your competition when any potential employer is perusing applications. Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash Much like in school, studying a company youre eyeing will pay off in the end. Trust us! And even if youre a last-minute crammer (hello, all nighters), every moment of studying will help you in your job search. glassdoor.com Experience If you have worked in the same job in the same building for the same employer for the past decade, you have shown great loyalty. For a new potential employer, this could also ring alarm bells of complacency. It pays to try and get a varied and dynamic range of work experiences that enable you to work in different departments, take on different responsibilities and utilize different methodologies. You might even want to see a bit of the world and work internationally. During this time you may be able to learn a new language; always an asset when it comes to your career. Taking the plunge and heading abroad shows bravery, resilience and a willingness to be flexible all attributes that potential employers love. Photo by Helloquence on Unsplash Applications When applying for a new position, dont fall into the trap of sending the same cover letter or personal statement for each role. Employers can spot generic templates a mile off and, as every position will be different, so should the application. Do your research, show your knowledge of the company you wish to apply for in your application and explain how you will be an asset to the company, not the other way around. Sell yourself but dont meander down the road of untruths. Draw attention to your experience, your achievements and your positive attributes. Photo by Florian Klauer on Unsplash When you seek out new employment, make sure you maintain a positive attitude towards the job application process. Follow this advice and you will be head and shoulders above your competition and will soon find your dream job. 96 Great Interview Questions to Ask Before You Hire Price: $12.29 Buy Now from Amazon We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. Last Updated: March 2, 2020 What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to identify and land your dream job. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search