Seeing the Opportunity in a Crisis

Seeing the Opportunity in a Crisis Seeing the Opportunity in a Crisis Six years ago I was laid off. Actually, as the VP of HR, I laid myself off but thats semantics. The end result was that I didnt have a job.At first I did the usual. I sent my resume to headhunters, contacted my network, and applied to a few posted positions. But this time my heart wasnt in it. This was the third time in 5 years that I had lost my job through no fault of my own. The first time, my employer shut down its US office. Then my next employer moved from New York City to San Diego less than a year after I joined them. I didnt want to move so I found myself looking again. Now my new company was sliding towards bankruptcy and once again I was on the market. It was especially hard to take for me because I had stayed with my first employer for 13 years Now it seemed I couldnt even get my feet under the desk before it was time to move on.And thats when I decided to stop looking for a job and make my own. I was t ired of being at other peoples mercy. At least if I was going to fail, I wanted it to be my fault. And if I was going to make my own job, it had to be something I really enjoyed and something I knew I would be good at. Thats how I settled on resume writing I love writing, I have always been good at strategizing, and as a former HR exec, I knew exactly what made a resume work. And so Blue Sky Resumes was born and I left the corporate world behind me forever.Jason Alba has a similar story. After being laid off in 2006, Jason started to look for another job in IT and business strategy. Finding that he needed a distributions-mix to organize his job search information, he developed his own database. Then, as he learned the importance of networking, he expanded the system so that it also stored his networking contact information. From that purely practical starting point, Jason wound up developing and marketing Jibber Jobber, a full job search and relationship management system. Like me, hes also gone on to write books and he frequently speaks about job search and networking at conferences and events across the country.I havent asked Jason, but I bet hes glad that lay-off happened. I certainly am.Thats not to say that the entrepreneurial life is for everyone you may hate the idea of starting your own business. Its just to say that there are often other options. Ive know people who have made complete career changes after being laid off. Ive known others who have decided to take a step down the corporate ladder. One person went to work for a non-profit. Another moved across the country and started again. Hearing that you are about to lose your job is terribly upsetting especially in this economy but theres no doubt that sometimes a layoff can actually be an opportunity.How about you? Has bad news ever turned out to be a good thing for you? If so, tell us in the comments. I know other readers going through worrying times would appreciate hearing your story.

How video can help humanize your recruiting

How video can help humanize your recruitingHow video can help humanize your recruitingHow video can help humanize your recruitingHeres something you know all too well To reel in top talent, you need to bedrngnis just capture their attentionyouve got todazzle them. And these days, dazzling means a lot more than just bulleted job descriptions.One powerful way to do this is by using video to enhance your companys job postings, employer branding and recruitment efforts.Video lets recruitersshow, as well as tell, which is one way tocapture the hearts and minds of top candidates. And according to 2019 State of the Candidate Survey, 80% of Americans agree that a video of a recruitertalking about a role as part of a job ad would help them better understand a job opportunity.Video content is a part of how we take in information today, says Meghan M. Biro, founder of TalentCulture, a workplace culture and HR strategy group. Not having videos just decreases a companys potential appeal and abili ty to grab its audiencein this case, potential applicants.Consider this A recent survey from Statista found that 85% of U.S. web users watch video across devices, and job seekers are no exception. Millennials and generation Z job seekers are particularly receptive to videos, says Kevin Grossman, president of the Talent Board, a non-profit focused on promoting quality candidate experiences.In addition, video software company Wistia recently saw a 2.6x increase in time spent on Web pages with video than without. Visitors spent, on average, 7 minutes and 21 seconds on pages with video, compared to only 2 minutes and 48 seconds on pages without video.But its more than about getting more eyeballs on your career site or job description. The real benefit of video is that it brings your job, your company and its people to life.This helps candidates make better decisions about whether your position is the right fit for them, helping them to self-select. And that means more time for you to do what you do best hire great talent.Before you take the next step and add video to your recruitment strategy, consider these best practices to help put your companys best foot forwardKeep it briefYes, you want your videos to feel real and relatable, but keep your audience engaged, your videos must be concise. Grossman says 1 to 3 minutes is ideal. Its short, but people have short attention spans, he points out. If its longer than 5 minutes, youre probably going to lose your audience.As Biro puts it, No one wants to sit through the equivalent of a Drivers Ed video when theyre racing through job portals or squeezing a job search into a busy day.Keep it realAuthenticity is key, particularly in todays zeitgeist, where a lack of authenticity is a big strike against your company, says Bruce Tulgan, author of Its Okay to Manage Your Boss The Step-by-Step Program for Making the Best of Your Most Important Relationship at Work.Your videos have to be on-brand, and they must accurately reflect your companys mission and core values.Grossman says companies should not use actors to portray employees, nor should you aim to create something polished or corporate feeling. Thats the opposite if what candidates want to see.Biro agreesAuthentic means you dont have an outside director who doesnt know your company at all come in and create a video that has nothing to do with your company, she says. Authentic means also showing the people who work theretheir personalities, their work behaviorsand letting them speak.Dont slick it up and make it look like a packaged mythological version of your organization, Biro adds. Show the real office, try to show aspects of the real culture, and truly convey what your organization feels like, looks like, and works like.Keep it shiny, but not too shinyWant the good news about video? You dont need a lot of expensive equipment to create great video content, says HR consultant Tim Sackett. Some of the best employment videos on the planet are done on an iPhone, he says.In fact, Studios, Monsterssoon-to-be-released app that lets recruiters record, edit and post videos post job descriptions, uses an iPhone. No fancy camera needed.Hackett does suggest investing in a professional lighting and sound system for your companys videos.The magic of great video isnt necessarily a better camera, but great lighting and clear sound, he explains. After all, you want candidates to clearly see and hear the message youre trying to convey.Keep it actionableVideo isnt just another shiny new object, just there as a branding tool on your career site. To make your videos most effective, youll want to make sure that your story and/or script follows this tried-and-true formulaFirst, start with a hook, something compelling that makes the viewer want to see more. Maybe its an unexpected question, maybe a little-known fact about your company or the job, maybe its just something lighthearted and fun that shows that recruiters are people too.Next, be sure t o include the Whats in it for me? section. This is where you outline the details of whatever youre trying to convey. This is the meat of your video. It could be the details of a particular job description, or it might share highlights of the workplace culture you want viewers to appreciate.And finally, you always need a CTA. Tell your viewer to do something after theyve watched. Maybe you want them to check out the open jobs on your site. Maybe youd like them to submit a resume or contact a specific recruiter. After all, as funny or beautifully shot as your video is, what you really want is to get people to act.

How to fit mindfulness meditation into a busy work day

How to fit mindfulness meditation into a busy work dayHow to fit mindfulness meditation into a busy work dayEver feel like youre just going through the motions at a million miles an hour, all day, every day? Wake up, go to work, go home, rinse and repeat.Using mindfulness meditation can help you slow down in a variety of ways - youll physically sit still while easing your racing mind. Here are four ways to fit this practice into a packed work day.Find a quiet space to sit in the officeAlthough it might be difficult, youll want to find a place where you cant be interrupted by others for a few minutes. So do what you can to get away from your nagging boss and/or obnoxiouscoworkers who get under your skin.Otherwise, youll probably be bombarded by a wave of the usual requests as you try to get clarity at the moment. So give yourself the space you need instead.Use your headphones and set phone remindersHeadphones can really come in handy, especially when using a program with instructions during a guided meditation. This way, you wont have to turn on the program in a quiet space, where others can hear what youre up to.In terms of setting reminders, make sure you pick a time that you know youll have access to your phone so youll see the meditation notification(s) you set.But whether youre using the Calm app, Headspace or something similar, youll be happy with the way it breaks up your daily, hectic routine.Be mindful on your daily commuteThere are a bunch of different ways to do this, like taking everything that you see in without casting it in a negative or positive light, listening to some tunes, being nice to the people around you and using social media in a specific way.Your commute may be long, but that doesnt mean it cant be both productive and healthy for you. You deserve to give back to yourself, whether its before or after the workday has come and gone.Meditate quietly when you get homeIf you cant fit in any meditation during a crazy work day, wait until you get home and can get some time to yourself. When you get there, go into a quiet space alone and zero in on your breathing.Just dont expect to be a mindfulness whiz right off the bat. This practice takes repetition. Also keep in mind that the more you practice, the more centered youre bound to feel over time.

I Can Clearly Do The Job, So Why Cant I Get Hired

I Can Clearly Do The Job, So Why Cant I Get HiredI Can Clearly Do The Job, So Why Cant I Get HiredIm feeling a bit frustrated and definitely demoralized at this point. 6 times in the past few months, I have been told I am overqualified. This last time, they didnt give me the Sales Director role because I dont have specific sales experience in the specific field this company is in. Now, the role beneath that is Sales Manager, and for that, they told me Im overqualified. I can clearly do these jobs, so why am I bedrngnis getting hired?Its confounding when you know good and well you can do the job, but keep on running into the overqualified brick wall. After all, overqualified, does include the concept of being qualified, so, from the jobseekers perspective, whats the issue?Since its not within your control to change what the employers going to do, lets concentrate on the mistakes you can avoid so you dont get smacked with the overqualified label every time you turn around, and instead move through the interview process and hear the offers you need.Mistake 1 Applying For All Sorts of Jobs With The Same CompanyThis is where keeping your options open (which seems like a good idea) can actually backfire on you in a major way. Fundamentally, you have one core area of expertise. Expertise means that which you master and that which is your favorite. You can be good at plenty of things that dont necessarily make your heart thing. However, there is something you do that you are excellent at professionally-speaking, and that you love to do all day long thats what you want to present to the employer.Then, as hard as it is, let the opportunities that dont match your expertise float on by. I realize its counterintuitive to not go for nearly anything and everything. However just because you can do it because you offer other areas of skill, doesnt mean you should do it. Everything is not for you. Additionally, the organization is not going to look upon you favorably when you c laim to have skill sets that differ with every way the wind blows. Mistake 2 Applying For Jobs Inconsistent With Your Background Or ExperienceRelated to mistake 1, this happens when you come across roles that you read and feel you could do, so you go ahead and apply. In your mind, of course you can execute those duties. However, the problem is theres a wide mismatch between what the job ad says and what your resume says. The prospective employer can only read your resume they cant read your mind.The onus is on you to speak the employers language. Break down that ad and zoom in on the main 3-4 tasks the person who gets that job needs to actually come in and do in order to get paid every 2 weeks. Doing so forces you to focus on whats core to the job. If the ad is calling for a Sales Director, 1 line of the ad may say, Drive revenue growth across an assigned territory. Another line of the ad may say, Demonstrate solid organizational skills. The mistake that happens too often is when j obseekers highlight their organizational skills on their resume being organized is not really what the employer is going to cut you a check for every 2 weeks. What will get you attention is demonstrating in the written word not just thinking in your mind where you have increased revenue growth.Mistake 3 Applying For Jobs Online And Making That 100% Of Your Job Search StrategyThe online job boards are not the finish line. If the lions share of your strategy is to see whats online, then apply and submit, (or worse yet, quick apply) then youre doing what, literally, 98% of the jobseekers who are competing with you are also doing.The job boards are the starting line. Jump off from there. Before you apply for an opportunity, use LinkedIn advanced search to identify a decision maker in the organization to reach out to. Apply and directly glaubenszeugnis the person at the same time.Put your thinking cap on. If one company in an industry is hiring, find out what other companies are in th at same industry sector. You dont find this out through the ads, necessarily, because not every company is advertising. The unadvertised job market is a treasure trove of opportunity for you. The popular label is the hidden job market. But its not hidden at all. You already have the key to unlock it. It just requires more thought than applying and submitting 100 times every week.Step off the job boards into some other places on the Internet, for example, Google news, which aggregates news media stories from across the nation, and presents those to you in reverse-chronological order from as recently as 45 seconds ago. Type in the anthroponym of a company youve thought about or heard of remember, regardless of whether theres an ad to find out whats going on with the organization today. They may be working on something or about to launch something where your particular brand of core expertise can come into play.Overqualified and age dont have to go hand-in-hand. People over 50 and 60 get hired week in and week out, frequently hearing multiple offers and being in the very strong position of having the option to choose which employers suits them best. We walk you through the exact steps in How To Get Hired In HALF The Time Join the free training so you can stop just having your resume sucked into the black hole, get in front of the real decision maker, and demonstrate why you are the best person for them to hire.

What the In-Crowd Wont Tell You About What Does a Resume Look like

What the In-Crowd Wont Tell You About What Does a Resume Look like The Chronicles of What Does a Resume Look like Youre prepared to spell out the reason you feel they would be a superb reference and you might even comprehend some distinct details to really convince them. Very best scenario scenario it gets you a job you dont understand how to do. The candidate demonstrates how theyll be helpful to the organization instead of just an objective or summary of what theyve done. Dont be afraid to comment the following in the event you wish to connect further The Meaning of What Does a Resume Look like Possessing a very clear and professional resume is important in the medical field. Sooner or later, youll still require solid resume content to actually sell yourself to employers. When you take a look at the list of schools you wish to attend, make certain you find the minimum GRE score required. Understanding how to tailor your resume will obviously offer you an advantage. Emp loyers care much mora about your successes, and the way you are able to mirror them at their company. To submit an application for a position for a phlebotomist, you must have a resume that gives employers an insight on how they wont regret hiring you. If youre attempting to acquire work in accounting or finance you require averystrong resume. 1 advantage for employers to internet resumes is the substantial cost saving in comparison to traditional hiring methods. Now look at your information technology resume. It is possible to either put the skills section in a sidebar on your resume, just like it is possible to see in the example above or place them in the principal body if you have sufficient room. Im a bit old school once it regards the appearance of the resume, but very 2019 when it regards content. Just pay some attention to the formatting such that the whole information is suitably arranged and is readily readable. Whether or not you take advantage of a CV or resume, you should thoroughly edit your document. Resume writing isnt simple, and there are a number of distinct opinions on the best way to do it. Ensure your resume is attractive, make certain its related to the job, make certain youve got traditional format and be certain to use terminology that paints you as a valuable contributor to the corporation. One of your principal goals with writing a resume is to create the document simple to read. What Does a Resume Look like Options The majority of the applicants neglect to do so, but most of recruiters doing their search, searching for some skills, and just then contact you, clarifying some info. Moreover, a resume that isnt ATS-compliant is not likely to ever be selected as a match, irrespective of the candidates actual qualifications for a job. Youll find 4 unique kinds of resumes, and all them emphasize varied capabilities. Your resume must demonstrate that youve got the capability to transfer the skills which youve developed in your previous experiences into your new career. Writing a resume is really rather hard. Writing a strong application is a challenging procedure and we would like to make it simpler. Fantastic resumes show as opposed to tell. Writing a resume for employment in the art industry can be difficult. What Does What Does a Resume Look like Mean? Be certain to highlight people skills and that you understand how to close a deal. In a CV, by way of example, if youre asking for work in education, you may want to place your teaching experience at the summit of your CV. If you want to acquire your resume to attain your intended employer then please read the below closely, and dont hesitate to give us a call if you want more advice. As soon as an employer is experiencing a hoard of resumes, he will probably choose the ones which LOOK finest before starting to read.

Who Is Lying to Us About Adjectives for Resume?

Who Is Lying to Us About Adjectives for Resume? Though some adjectives may describe more than 1 sort of love, other adjectives are only acceptable for a single sort of love. The majority of the words it is possible to use for this are observed in the Effectiveness category of our list. Happy adjectives are excellent for describing jubilant circumstances. Evidently, there are much too many worthwhile adjectives to include within this brief format. Organizational skills incorporate many different skills like leadership skills, communication, superior teamwork and a lot more. Presentation ought to be clean and clear. Dont use narrative language. Resumes need not incorporate an entire job history. Employers may wish to know the level ofcommunication skills youve got and how well you work with other people. They will likely be sifting through a lot of resumes, so its no use being subtle. qualifikation employers often want to understand what you accomplished in your prior posi tions. Plenty of job seekers are scared to talk about their social networking accounts with recruiters and hiring managers. Companies think their workplace is stressful and would like to make certain job seekers can deal with the stress, he explains. If youre asking for a management position it is essential that your resume contains a well written objective. Resumes shouldnt be detailed. Conclusion Your resume speaks the words that you couldnot utter before the interview procedure. Utilizing a qualifications summary may be precisely what you should help set yours apart Problems have to be regarded as significant challenges, not quick and easy things that you can do in a couple of minutes. If you end up lingering through the descriptive language, then odds are that you went too far. Odds are, they wont expend the effort. Its possible to bolster your odds of surviving the ATS process by including those adjectives also. The area of management needs a range of certain skills. Have a look at the expert experience section of our how to compose a resume guide, and you will be up to speed very quickly Its particularly important if writing your work experience. Make sure youre highlighting the most relevant and topical experience essential for the position.Every word you are using in your resume must grab the interest of a possible employer. Resume Language The crucial words and phrases you select for your resume and cover letter is able to help you catch the interest of a possible employer. Whether your resume is already online or still in paper form, its likely to wind up in a database sooner or later and you have to make certain it comes up in the most suitable searches. Depending on the recommendation of our expert sources, here are a couple of broad sorts of skills your resume could include, together with unique methods to express them. The third kind is the combinational kind of resume which as the name hints at, borrows features from both of the o ther kinds. Ultimately, you are going to end up with a fairly complete collection of keywords that are related to the job and your suitability for it. Our experts have made an extensive collection of all of the best resume adjectivesas well as a guide on the best way to use them effectively. They have created a comprehensive list of all the best resume adjectives, as well as a guide on how to use them effectively. The impression you make it from the second instance is quite a bit more powerful. The thing to keep in mind is that you simply have to discover the perfect descriptive terms to bring added flare to your descriptions. As an example, a controlling partie may have trouble asking for assistance. The key issue is to make certain you use clear and strong adjectives to convey your abilities and accomplishments.

4 Tips to Stay Productive This Summer Season

4 Tips to Stay Productive This Summer Season The summer season is in full swing, but are you ready to tackle it effectively this year? Weve all undoubtedly felt the increasing temperatures outside, but what about the heat that tends to rise inside the office? You know, that sluggish feeling as the suns rays peek through the office window, beckoning you to ditch the cubicle and come outside? It can be pretty tempting to call in sick or repeatedly use your personal days as the warm weather and the many activities that come with it appeal to your senses much more than sitting behind your computer in an office building for eight hours. Achieving balance over these summer months is paramount so that youre fully present at home and at work no one desires to feel overwhelmed with work when its a beautiful summer day outside, nor should a worker catch a case of summer fever and ditch the office to piste b y the pool all day. Sometimes it can be hard to know where to draw the lines and what steps to take to get there. So to help balance work and play as the temperature (and out of office fun levels) increases, below are a few tips that could help you figure out your priorities and how to manage them. Hopefully, the following four tips can aid you in achieving a balanced schedule and mindset, both in the workplace and at homeDont overcommit. Although its hard to say no to anyone or anything especially as summer activities increase, its even harder fulfilling many obligations at this hectic time. You cant be everything to everyone, and if you try, you will end up burning yourself out before you even begin to enjoy the warmer weather. And, if you dont balance your obligations now, youll either have to catch up on work when you begin feeling better and return to the office or feel unfulfilled because you didnt spend time with loved ones doing summer activities.Take control of your workloa d. Are there any projects you can delegate to other gruppe members? Can you hold off on starting any new projects until the summers end? Figure out what projects are most important to complete before you check out of the office for a vacation and prioritize those items with your team so that everyone is on the saatkorn page. That way, there wont be any miscommunication on what needs to be worked on and everyone has a laser focus on getting certain projects done until the summer is over.Create mini goals for yourself. Work can become overwhelming with a flurry of requests for things that must be accomplished, especially before a planned vacation or even summer company event or initiative. You can feel a great deal of pressure to complete all of your tasks before you begin to take care of your personal obligations this summer season.To keep from feeling swamped, break up your tasks into small goals that you can accomplish every day. Do you need to finish an end-of quarter report for y our supervisor? Divide the report into small, manageable chunks that you can complete daily so that the entire report is done before the end of the quarter or summer term. Need to reach a sales goal before the summers end or pending time off? Figure out how many transactions you need to make from now until you leave the office, and create a daily sales target. By making small goals that you can easily accomplish, you can track your progress at home and at work and get everything done by your deadline. Feeling a sense of achievement and checking off your list at work can actually reduce your stress level and create a sense of momentum that can carry over to your personal to-dos.Remember to communicate your schedule. If you plan to be out of the office for an extended period of time, remember to let your manager and team know and remind them on your last day. If youve blocked time on your schedule to check in at any point during your vacation, share that with them as well. Its importa nt for your team to know when they can contact you and when they cant. Its also important for you because it allows you to have time away from the office, not just physically but mentally, too. This same tip can also apply to your personal life.Enjoy the summer season by slowing down. It may seem like the end of the world if you dont get everything done. But, if you slow down, you can eliminate bringing stress into the office once your vacation is over (and the summer has ended). Be careful about trying to wrap up too much at work at one time. Take your time finishing up your work tasks so you dont make mistakes that could be costly, both in time and money, down the road. Be available to your colleagues when youre out of the office, but dont feel like you have to be connected 24/7 to your email or your phone for updates from work.Committing to less can result in more time to enjoy the summer season. Enjoy the time with your loved ones. Take a few minutes to reflect on the year so fa r, and determine how to make the remainder of 2014 even better. By slowing down, you can truly savor the gifts and spirit of the summer season and feel refreshed and ready to go once your vacation is over.A special thank you to Sandy Mazur of Spherion Staffing Services for contributing to this article.