Friday, May 29, 2020

How Social Media Can Get Or Lose You A Job [INFOGRAPHIC]

How Social Media Can Get Or Lose You A Job [INFOGRAPHIC] This infographic (courtesy of Smarterer)  outlines how a social profile can help you land OR lose you a job. Have you ever got a job through social media? Let us know in the comments below! Takeaways: 73% of companies have found a new hire through a social network. 78% of recruiters react negatively to potential employees doing illegal drugs. Recruiters want to see membership of professional organisations or examples of volunteering. The best way to get hired is to get a referral! Religious and political posts are seen negatively by some recruiters. RELATED: Why not see our post on how to use Smarterer for personal branding?

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Digital Branding For The Job Seeker Part 2 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Digital Branding For The Job Seeker Part 2 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career In 1999, four Internet visionaries sat down and formulated 95 theses (referring to Martin Luther’s manifesto which gave rise to the Protestant Reformation) which accurately predicted the vast changes the web would bring to companies, markets and consumers. Now referred to as the Cluetrain Manifesto, the then heavily scrutinized paper declared that the consumer would no longer settle for faceless information. We want access to your corporate information, to your plans and strategies, your best thinking, your genuine knowledge. We will not settle for the 4-color brochure, for web sites…(which are) lacking any substance.” In 2015, a similar change will take place regarding employer priorities and subsequently will greatly impact the majority of American job seekers. Hiring managers are getting smarter and they expect their employees to be smarter as well. More than ever, they are finding that traditional resumes are often unreliable because they allow a potential hire to unrealistically inflate their abilities without having to prove their claims. Often, by the time they figure out that the individual inflated their areas of expertise, they are already hired and subsequently fired. They have also conveyed to our recruiters that they now consider resumes to be full of vague, generic and useless terminology. While LinkedIn is better, it still tells a partial story at best. The Ever-changing Needs of Employers Our sales and marketing recruiters believe that as the needs of employers change, so must the approach and knowledge of job seekers. These alterations are and will continue to be most drastically seen in small and mid-size companies. While sales and marketing divisions in large organizations are becoming less intertwined, the opposite is true for America’s smaller firms. The smaller a business, the less they can afford outsourced web marketing help and, thus will require and pay more for diversified web skills from their sales teams. We predict by mid next year, knowledge of content management systems will cease to be a luxury and will become a necessity for job seekers who wish to be marketable to more desirable companies. How to Show Instead of Just Tell 5 years ago, job seekers didn’t want anything coming up when a hiring manager or recruiter Googled their name. The more anonymous, the better. Going forward, the opposite will be true. Lately, our recruiters are seeing significantly more weight being given to online resources related to a particular job seeker due to the fact that they instantaneously prove or disprove the validity of claims made on a resume. Job seekers who can validate their resume with online examples are much more likely to be interviewed and hired. Conversely, if a sales representative claims that they are an expert on their topic, though have only a LinkedIn profile to prove it, a potential disconnect exists between claims and reality. While formulating a digital presence is a lot of work, we suggest that you begin small and focus on creating a career and professional blog. This website can serve as a resume, a writing sample, a visual and personalized depiction of who you are, it can display your knowledge, help make a name for yourself and it can showcase your creative ability. It can do so all in one fell swoop. Moreover, as you evolve as a professional, the site can as well. This is not to mention that having your own website gives you the freedom of design, the flexibility of content topics and the voice you want. In the next installment, we’ll discuss how to register and lay out the basic design of your professional blog.

Friday, May 22, 2020

Try These 7 Tips for Building a Personal Network - Classy Career Girl

Try These 7 Tips for Building a Personal Network Networking leads to great opportunities. If youre looking to climb the ladder, switch careers, or make connections to grow your current career, networking will play a large role. Often its not about the experience or schooling you have, but rather who you know. You dont have to be a schmoozer or the life of the party to build a personal network. Here are seven tips to help you build your network without becoming someone you arent. Try These 7 Tips for Building a Personal Network 1. Start with Social Media LinkedIn is one of the most powerful ways to build your network in todays digital world. Start by optimizing your profile. Youre probably thinking, what the heck does it mean to optimize yourself? Start with a good picture. Try to make it as professional as possible or at least give off the vibe you want other people to get from you. So on LinkedIn, they give you a ranking, from good to great to all-star. All-star is your goal. For example, Anna Runyan (our CEO here at CCG) is an all-star rank on LinkedIn. How do you get to all-star, youre probably wondering? Well. Once youve created a great profile, make sure people know who you are (but dont avenge your enemy and scream soon everyone will know my name!!!! It will scare them). Make your LinkedIn headline stand out and grab attention. Then, fill in all your past and current work experience (like a resume) and start connecting with people. 500 connections are when you will become a true all-star. You can connect with old classmates, co-workers, and many others on LinkedIn. Of course, you can use Facebook and other social media sites to help build your network. However, LinkedIn is the most professional and preferred when it comes to the business world. 2. Focus on People That Fit With Your Goals It doesnt make sense to network with doctors when youre a librarian. Of course, you shouldnt exclude anybody from your personal network, but you want to add people that might help you get to where you are going. You should also focus on people you can help, too. When you build a personal network full of people you can help and who can help you, it creates win/win situations. These situations only strengthen the relationship and make it easier to reach your goals. 3. Give First When networking, you should always be willing to give before you receive. This will help you to build support from your network and they will be grateful for your help. Its easier to return the favor when youve been helped by someone in the past. Be careful with how you approach old connections after a long time if you have a favor to ask. Unconvincing attempts to butter people up before asking for something will put them off and irritate them. 4. Reconnect Often If you dont reconnect with those in your personal network, they may feel like youve used them. Make sure you reconnect when the opportunity arises. Its easy to reconnect by sending birthday cards, holiday cards, a quick message on LinkedIn, Facebook etc. or shooting someone a text if you havent talked to them in a while. [RELATED: How to Double Your Network in Four Weeks] 5. Use Meetup.com and EventBrite.com The right resources can really help you build your personal network. Meetup.com and EventBrite.com will show you events and groups in your area you can get involved in. The best part is that these events and groups are all geared toward common interests! 6. Connect Others You dont have to be the one connecting for business reasons with everybody in your personal network. Instead, you can introduce one person you know to someone else you know if you think they could benefit from each other. As a connector, you are building rapport with two or more people at a time, which is great for building your personal network. 7. Start a Networking Group While you can easily join networking groups on Meetup.com or Facebook or other sites, you can also create your own. If you cant find the right group for you, maybe creating a new one is the right way to go. Then, when others join, youll be the one in charge and theyll turn to you for help, which gives you someone you can turn to for help when you need it. Building a personal network will help you in so many ways! It can be a great way to find the right people when you want to move from one career to another or just to further your current career. You never know where a personal relationship will go in the long run.

Monday, May 18, 2020

What Are The Different Types of Recruitment Recruitment Agencies

What Are The Different Types of Recruitment Recruitment Agencies A recruitment agency helps a person find an appropriate job, whether he is working or currently unemployed. There are usually many positions in an industry which may be overlooked or neglected by an inexperienced candidate. A recruitment agency helps you to find such positions according to your qualifications, interests and skills. Usually, a recruitment agency charges a fee to its client company whenever a candidate is hired. However, some recruitment agencies working on commission basis may also charge the candidate. In order to avail the services of a recruitment agency, you have to register yourself with the company. There are many different types of recruitment agencies. It does not matter if you are looking for an electronics recruitment agency or an IT recruitment agency. In order to choose the right one to get an appropriate job, it is important that you know the basics of each different type of recruitment agency. In this article, we will tell you about the different types of recruitment agencies. Different Types of Recruitment Agencies   1) Contingency based Agencies Traditionally, contingency based agencies are known as employment agencies. They work with client companies to find suitable candidates by matching a candidate’s qualifications and skills with the company’s requirements. Once the criteria matches, a short interview is conducted followed by a reference or background check. Some employment agencies charge a flat fee to the client company, while others ask for a percentage of the candidate’s first salary. In most cases, the candidates serve a probationary period and the agency is only paid once the candidate successfully serves the probationary period. Contingency based agencies are usually famous for administrative jobs. 2) Retained Search agencies Retained agencies usually handle senior level positions in an industry. These agencies are also known as executive search firms. The fee that a client company pays to a retained search agency is non refundable and a part of it is paid in advance for doing a retained search in order to fill a position. The remaining amount is paid once the client company hires an employee. A retained search agency finds candidates to meet the criteria mentioned by the client company. 3) Temp Agency   A temp agency is also known as a staffing agency. It usually hires employees or candidates to fill temporary positions in an organization. Due to seasonal increases or an employee leaving the organization on a temporary basis like maternity leave, temp agencies provide candidates who work for that specific period of time. Usually, the client company pays an hourly rate for the candidate it hires. The temp agency will have to pay the candidate’s wages, benefits etc. Temp agencies act as a bridge between temporary jobs and full time employment. 4) Niche Recruiting Agency Such a recruitment agency is responsible for hiring skilled candidates who are specialized in a certain discipline. Electronics recruitment  agencies or Aeronautics recruitment agencies are some example that comes under this category. A niche recruitment agency ensures that a candidate is highly skilled and perfectly matches the criteria of a client company.

Friday, May 15, 2020

5 Amazing Tips for Networking in Non-Sleazy Way

5 Amazing Tips for Networking in Non-Sleazy Way Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comNetworking is a word which is on the lips of just about anyone in every industry. And it’s not surprising, because networking can be extremely beneficial to your career, as well as your personal life, Who you know is just as important as what you know in this day and age.Having the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the most influential and successful people in your niche is not only an incredible learning experience, but also a chance to kickstart your business.However, networking is not easy to pull off, in case you don’t want to come off as sleazy and dishonest. Of course all parties involved are looking to get something out of it, which makes all of your efforts to appear genuine somewhat awkward, especially if you don’t know what you are doing.evalAnd in case you are an introvert, networking is probably something you dread, unlike your extrovert peers, which feel right at home. But, even though extroverts thrive in a social setting, introv erts have an ace up their sleeve, according to Emma Brown, manager at EdugeeksClub:“Introverts are more open to networking if they are in a familiar environment. Also, they have a slight advantage when it comes to online communication, because they are masters of the written word. Finally, their inherent ability to listen to others provides them with the edge over their extroverts colleagues.”Regardless of your sensibilities, our guide on networking will help you expand your network of contacts, without feeling bad about it.1. Network in a Familiar EnvironmentEven though networking events are the best place to meet other people, you are not going to feel like attending if you are an introvert. This is where extroverts have the upper hand. But, you can find other networking opportunities in places where you already feel comfortable.By choosing your own environment, you will be more likely to talk to someone new and socialize, not to mention more relaxed and confident. But what ab out those instances where you won’t be able to choose the setting which you prefer?The answer lies within habits or small routines which you can rely on once you find yourself in an unfamiliar environment. Have you ever noticed the way you tend to check your phone in a situation like that? Well, the good news is, everyone does the same thing.Sure, it’s a habit, but there is some science behind it. Habits allow our brain to perform certain actions automatically, which frees up its resources to deal with other things, like networking, for example.evalIt doesn’t take long before you start feeling uncomfortable again, but it might buy you just enough time to relax and warm to those around you.2. Be PreparedThe reason why people, especially introverts, are uncomfortable with networking is because they are afraid they will say something inappropriate, and then embarrass themselves in front of the crowd. While it may not be the most logical reasoning, it can still have a very real ef fect on you.The solution would be to prepare yourself and run through some of the scenarios inside your head.As strange as it sounds, it is actually a great exercise, because you get to practice guiding your conversation, as well as anticipating potential questions and answers coming from the person you are talking to. Try and imagine who else is going to be there, which shouldn’t be too difficult if you are an introvert, and inside your head most of the time.evalAnother thing you can do is to arrive there early. We’ve already mentioned the effect your environment can have on you. Provide yourself with enough time to start feeling comfortable.And when the time comes to have a conversation with someone, don’t feel obligated to take in part in conversations you don’t want to, or make promises you are not going to keep. Be genuine and give your word only if you intend to keep it.3. Set Your Networking GoalYou will be able to get a lot more out of your networking efforts if you have goal in the first, instead of networking aimlessly and waiting to see where it takes you.Consider the following example: you want to earn your first million in the next 10 years. That will be your goal. Then start thinking of smaller goals which might lead up to that, such as the actions you need to take in the next five years. Then come with a goal you need to fulfill in the next 12 months.And you can get even more specific, and set a 90-day goal. For example, the first step might be to create to create your blog and social media accounts through which you will promote your online business.Then focus on making your first sale, or converting the first 100 leads into customers. After that, you can come up with a list of people you need to get in touch with in order to grow your company, and so on.4. Meet the Right PeopleAnother integral component for success, aside from having a goal, is getting in touch with the right people that will help you get to where you want to go. And t he best thing about it is, they might already be among your contacts, or they might have someone in their own network which might be able to help.For example, you college mentors and professors will easily make the list, thanks to their extensive experience and knowledge.Influencers inside your niche can help you build your reputation and get expose you to a much wider audience. And sometimes the people which can help you the most aren’t industry experts. Your clients can spread the word about your service or product, and promote your brand.evalIf you are looking to expand your business, you will need to find investors which are willing to finance your ideas, so look for them, as well.Finally, there are those people which are called superconnectors. More information about them in the following paragraph.5. Connect Superconnectors with Each OtherSuperconnectors have a large network of contacts, and if you manage to get on their good side, they will be able to connect you to just ab out anyone. Their role is even more important considering the fierce competition, which can make it hard for you and your business to stand out.And things get even better if you have two superconnectors in your network, because then you have the option of introducing them to one another. You are not going to benefit from it right away, because they are simply two people which you already know.However, because all superconnectors share similar traits, they will get along great and enjoy the benefits of each other’s networks. It won’t be long before they start returning the favors because they are givers. That’s one of the things that makes them superconnectors.evalConclusionThe best thing you can do when it comes to networking is to treat your relationship with your contact as a friendship. That doesn’t mean you should hang out, but it does mean not rushing things, and waiting for things to develop naturally. Nurture your relationship, give and receive, and follow up every on ce in a while. It’s genuine, yet it will produce results.