Use these Strategies to Bypass Gatekeepers - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Use these Strategies to Bypass Gatekeepers - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Finding acceptable ways to get around gatekeepers is a hot topic for both salespeople and entrepreneurs. Saddled with the need to continually contact new prospective clients only to not be able to get through is highly frustrating. It takes time away from meeting with clients and implementing sales. Even with diplomacy, the common experience is having both email and phone calls ignored. The question has become, have the phone and email become old school? The desire is to find a direct route for getting through to decision makers on the initial contact. Time efficiency is always a necessity. Creativity turns prospecting into opportunity and new clients. Social Media is Quick and Effective The initial contact is to be short, friendly and respectful. This may easily be accomplished with usage of the social media platforms. Twitter This platform is the most efficient method for prospecting. Seek out those tweets that have you pause to take the message in. When you see this type of message, let the person know you enjoyed it and state why that is so. Scan down your home page to find: Beautiful pictures Inspiring quotes Helpful insights Visit that person’s profile page to read further tweets. Gain a better idea if you have something in common and whether there is potential to work together. Consider following that person.  Search for the same person’s profile on LinkedIn. LinkedIn In two minutes or less you will get an abbreviated synopsis of their work history. This lends further insight as to whether you feel a synergy with the person and their work. Ask to connect on LinkedIn. State that you first found them on Twitter. Their tweet caught your attention and motivated you to learn more on LinkedIn. Paint the picture of what you have in common and ask if they might like to exchange messaging or have a live conversation. Twitter + LinkedIn Using these two sites as a one-two step approach has proven to be highly successful. Even better than dialing the phone or emailing one person, by connecting online, you are are then automatically connected to them and their followings. Now possibilities begin to expand organically. Leverage Opportunities Returning back to Twitter, make it a habit to review the notifications received. Re-tweet the Tweets you like. This encourages reciprocity from those people to do the same for you. Now your tweets will be seen by their followers as well. Demonstrate Professionalism Review the two sites twice a day for messages. Responding in a timely manner gives indication of your professionalism. Just as you want speedy and concise replies, do the same for those you message. Proceeding in this manner will place your personal brand in a very favorable light. It is almost a guarantee that by the end of the year, unexpected opportunities will become yours. Sales Tips Experiment with ways in which to connect with people. Prior to connecting research their work history. Seek out something of interest or a similarity between the two of you. Briefly explain in your initial message what caught your attention. Ask to connect. Offer to share their updates. Ask if they would like to talk by phone or Skype. Determine if there are potential collaborative projects ahead. Listen carefully for introductions to be made. Ask if there is anything else you might contribute. Inquire if they would like to set up an official meeting. Following these guidelines will lead you to the Smooth Sale!

Why You Should Hire a Professional Resume Writer

Why You Should Hire a Professional Resume WriterThere are many people who cannot go beyond the first paragraph of their resume, because the body is written from the eyes of an employee to potential employers. As a result, the content of your resume needs to be highly relevant and be written with the employment seeker in mind. The proper way to do this is to hire an expert resume writer who will be able to produce the perfect resume for you, even if it's to be sent from afar.If you happen to be a college graduate or you have just graduated from college, you can still improve your chances of getting hired by hiring the services of a resume writer from the Fort Bragg, Fayetteville NC area. There are companies that specialize in hiring these professionals for their customers, and you can contact them to make sure that they offer what you need. Here are some reasons why you should consider using these services:* The writer will make sure that your resume will be used correctly. Resume wri ters will review your resume to make sure that it will be understandable, and it will always be clear about the purpose of the content. This means that your employer will not get confused about the content and will have no problem reading it, or any sense of confusion or inconsistency.* Resume writers have been trained in several subjects so that they will be able to write about these subjects well. They have knowledge of business, the Internet, and many other fields, so that you can be sure that you will be in good hands. They will also know how to use these subjects well in your content, so that you can expect to get the most from your efforts.* The writer will work on your information, so that you can get a lot of content into the same amount of space. This will make your resume look good and will get your employer to want to read it. It will also be more user-friendly and easy to read.* The writer will work on your resume from top to bottom, so that you can feel confident that a ll your content is effective. This is especially important for a resume that is used by multiple people at different locations. The individual who created your resume will know exactly how it will be used in different places and will ensure that you will get what you want.* The writer will also work on your resume from one career field to another. A professional will know what your actual goals are in a particular career field and will be able to produce a resume that will make you stand out from the others. Your resume will be tailored specifically to make you stand out from the crowd.* The resume writer will always ensure that your resume will contain accurate information about your background. The writer will take the time to understand what you are trying to say and why, so that you can get the most out of your resume. This will make your potential employer curious about your experience, and your resume will be successful, because it will be tailored to make your employer want t o read it.

What to Include in Your Resume for a Retail Job

What to Include in Your Resume for a Retail JobIf you have a record of success in a previous job, you can easily tap into this experience for the resume of a retail job. One of the most important elements of a resume is to be able to highlight your personal qualities that are necessary for the position.It is very difficult to highlight personal experience when applying for a retail job, but if you are qualified to do the job, then you may be entitled to a benefit of experience. When trying to determine how much experience is needed for the job, remember that the requirements for the retail store position may not have changed since you last worked in the retail industry. For example, you will most likely be required to work as an on-the-floor associate during the first two weeks after you start working.The most important part of the resume is to discuss your ability to accomplish the tasks required of the retail position you are applying for. Keep in mind that the retail job is more a bout selling than being trained or having technical skills. Therefore, the amount of time and experience you have is far more important than simply showing you are qualified.There are many types of resumes available to write, but none are as effective or as professional writing as a resume designed by someone who has experience in the industry. Some of the most common types of resume formats include the three-ring binder, custom job envelopes, and the electronic format. Each of these formats allows for more professional writing than the generic resume template offered at many websites.Every potential employee, regardless of education level, should be aware of the steps required for a well-formatted resume for a retail job. Any professional resume should include the following information:Write your resume in a manner that will maximize your potential for success in a retail job. Using a custom formatted document can help to guide you through the process of creating the perfect resume . Each of the sections should contain information that will show what it is that you are best suited for and also what skills you have.You should also remember that in order to be considered for a job in the retail industry, you must have a job before you can be considered for a job. However, if you have a well-written resume, it can help to convince your current employer that you will be able to succeed in the new position you are interviewing for. A well-written resume will be one of the most important components of your interview.Remember that a retail job is one that requires you to sell products or services to the public. As long as you take the time to write a great resume, it can help to make you stand out from other applicants.

Ask Dana In the interview - How to have the dreaded salary conversation

Ask Dana In the interview - How to have the dreaded salary conversation Job Salary Conversation Question: In an interview, how do I handle questions related to salary? I’m afraid of sharing information that may knock me out of the running. Answer from Dana: There are two types of salary questions the interviewer could ask: What is your current (or most recent) salary? Answer this question honestly â€" the hiring company will be able to validate later. However, make sure to break your prior compensation into base salary and bonus. If they want you, they want to know how they can construct a competitive compensation package. What is your desired salary? Whatever you do, avoid answering with a number. Why? Too low, and they’ll offer you a salary that’s lower than market value. Too high and they’ll think you’re over-qualified or that you won’t be happy in the position after six months. Bottom line, the hiring company will say “we can’t afford him/her.” Here are some answers to always have in your hip pocket for this question: I am confident that will offer a competitive compensation package, so I don’t have one number in mind. I don’t have a specific goal in mind, as I understand compensation packages come in all shapes and sizes. If they push you and say, “we really want a target from you,” I still recommend repeating, “I wish I could give you one, but my goal is a combination of the right company with a market-competitive compensation package, and I’m very excited about his opportunity.” Now, for the salary question you want to ask them: “What is the salary for this position?” DON’T. I Repeat: DON’T DO IT! It doesn’t matter how far along you are in the interview process, who you are interviewing with (including HR), or how badly you think you need to know. Never, ever, ever ask anything related to your finances. This includes: “Is there a stock plan?” “Is there a bonus?” “What is the commission structure (sales)?” “What is the salary range?” Why? Because you will receive their salary proposal when you get job offer â€" and then its time to negotiate. If you do ask, you can appear cocky and presumptuous, and it raises suspicious about your priorities (even though they know money is important to everyone). I look at an interview like real estate: There’s only a fixed amount of property (or time with the interviewer) and you want to maximize that real estate by ensuring every move is helping rather than hurting your chances. So make sure that you ask questions, too. Here are some of my favorite questions to ask in an interview. I’m very self-motivated. How will you measure my success in this position after one full year? It’s very important for me to meet as many team members as possible in the first 30 days. How will you recommend I do that? What are the top three skills or experiences you are looking for that may not be mentioned in the job description? Which characteristics stand out in your top performers? I’m a perfectionist in some areas. What are the aspects of this position that absolutely require precision? What do you find most creative about what you do? (Replace “creative” with another positive skill of the position.) Now, ask yourself: Do you want to “waste” a question on your compensation? Or do you want to ask several of the above questions?

Productive Things to do When Bored at Work

Productive Things to do When Bored at Work Jump To: Organize the Aftermath Prepare for the Next Onslaught Improve Something Spend Time Networking Build Your Company Culture Get to Know Your Boss Expand Your Knowledge Base Start a Work-Book Club Exercise Your Brain by Writing Build Your Brand Be an Understudy Build a How-To Guide for Your Job Teach Volunteer Take a Walk Desk Yoga and Meditation Take Off Not every moment of work is full of productivity. Regardless of the industry, there are always upswings and down-cycles during office time. There’s more to do, however, than scroll through Facebook or Snapchat a friend when looking for things to do when bored at work. When your work is hitting a down-cycle â€" and all your other duties have been done â€" consider these things to do when bored at work to keep you busy. Some of them may even help your career. Stay Sane by Finding Things to Do When Bored at Work The truth is, slow time is great for office morale, especially if you and your team use it wisely. Here are 17 productive things to do when bored at work, which will help you engage with peers and create a better work place. 1. Organize the Aftermath Busy time usually means papers flying everywhere with the whole team trying to keep up with the work in front of them. Keeping things in proper place and order is likely impossible when you’re extremely busy. Slow times, though, are perfect opportunities to reorganize after the rush. Declutter your workspace and organize the files on your desktop â€" both actual and virtual. An uncluttered space means an uncluttered head. 2. Prepare for the Next Onslaught You may be experiencing downtime, but it won’t last. Take the quiet time ahead to prepare for your next peak of activity. Preparations can include making sure the copier is stocked with ink and paper and that your software has been updated across all devices. It can also mean planning for the upcoming days and projects. If there’s something up ahead that you can get started on now, jump right in. 3. Improve Something There’s always a process you wish would be improved. Now’s the time to stop grumbling and do something about it! Sit down and explore the process or procedure and find a few ways to improve upon it. Create a plan and take it to your boss. This not only is something productive to do when bored at work, but maybe you can be the one to put it into action. 4. Spend Time Networking It’s easy to spend time on social media hanging out with your friends. It’s a little more challenging to start making connections outside of your social media sites. Instead of posting another pic on Instagram, treat your Linkedin profile like Twitter and really engage with your connections. Or, try attending a few events or joining local groups. The groups don’t have to be professional in nature for you to benefit. Pursuing hobbies also helps boost your career in many ways, so take up what interests you and develop your skills. It won’t take long before you start making new friends and new connections, which could lead to new opportunities. 5. Build Your Company Culture Looking for something useful to do when bored at work? How about building relationships with coworkers? This is a great way to improve culture and even reduce stress. Take your downtime as an opportunity to get to know your coworkers. Go out to lunch with an officemate and spend some time discussing life outside of work. If you’re heading up a team, take them out to lunch or consider having small conferences to learn new skills over lunch. It will help during periods of collaboration as well. 6. Get to Know Your Boss Don’t stop at your colleagues. Get to know your boss as well. If both you and your higher ups are experiencing a slower-than-usual work period, offer to take your boss out to lunch or just include them in a morning coffee run. You don’t have to be best friends, but building relationships with your superiors helps you see them as people instead of rule-makers. It also helps them see you more clearly and fully and understand what your goals are and how they can help you achieve them. 7. Expand Your Knowledge Base No one is ever finished learning. Look for ways to expand industry knowledge â€" read articles in your field or look for webinars that relate to what’s hot and how it relates to your job. Encourage a colleague to join in and see how you can take your new knowledge and apply it to your job. 8. Start a Work-Book Club Book clubs sound like great ideas, but when it gets down to actually reading and then talking about a book, it’s hard to make time for it. If you start a book club at work that involves books in your field, the dynamics change. It’s no longer leisure time, but time spent with co-workers becoming better in your industry. Stay up-to-date on current industry work and engage with coworkers by taking time to read books together. You will not only learn a lot, but you will also improve your relationships with your coworkers when looking for things to do when bored at work. 9. Exercise Your Brain by Writing You don’t have to be Hemingway to get started, but writing when you have spare time is a great way to accomplish many things. Free-write to clear your mind and start the day with a fresh slate, or start a blog that engages those in your company and your field. Consider writing your company’s social media messages for upcoming days or weeks when you know things will get busier. 10. Build Your Brand Take your down time and put it to good use building your personal brand. Add the course you took to improve industry skills to your resume or update your job titles and dates. Integrate those changes into your LinkedIn resume and update your profile while you’re at it. Give it a total overhaul with a new headshot, updated sections and added links to your work. If you’re still bored after that, consider building a personal website to show off your work and accomplishments. If/when the time comes to find a new job, you’ll be ready. In the meantime, you’ll have a professional brand to help grow your name and network. 11. Be an Understudy It never hurts to know how to do the job of more than one person, and down-time is the perfect time to learn from colleagues. Ask if anyone else is having a lull in their work and wants to do some cross-training or mentoring. You can offer to be their point of contact when they’re away as an added incentive. When you help out when another is sick or overloaded, you help your co-worker and your company, but it also may be a help to you down the road by increasing your skillset in the event of a takeover or layoffs. 12. Build a How-To Guide for Your Job Whether it’s for someone to step in when you move up the ladder or just the basics for how to fill your shoes while you are on vacation or recovering at home on a sick day, a how-to guide is a smart thing to have around. It will mean you won’t get panicked phone calls when you’re trying to finally take a break, and it can make for a smoother transition when you are ready to hand over the reins. 13. Teach One of the best ways to grow your knowledge, and your brand, is to share what you know and develop others. Whether you become a mentor, start a course, workshop or seminar, or just share your tips in an article for your team, teaching is a great use of your down-time. If there are no new team members to take under your wing, consider asking for an intern or new employee. You can train them in your work, freeing up your time to work on bigger and more inspiring projects. 14. Volunteer You may not have much to do, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t work to be done. Volunteer to spearhead a new project or to help an overloaded coworker. They’ll appreciate your initiative and you’ll gain some experience in another department. 15. Take a Walk Moving your body is crucial to keeping your mind active. If you know there will be a free few minutes, grab a buddy and walk around the building or around the block. Getting your blood flowing will ensure your mind is prepared when the day does start to pick up. Listening to music during the walk can be a pick-me-up as well. If it’s not nice out, try one of these 10 ways to stay active at work or 25 deskercise ideas to get you moving at your desk. Or, take it down a notch with yoga and meditation. 16. Desk Yoga and Meditation Quieting your mind is good for your soul, as the nearly 10 percent of Americans who practice yoga can attest. If you can incorporate some physicality into your breathing, it may ease physical tensions from sitting at a desk for hours at a time. Learn some desk yoga for your mind, body and to prepare for busier days. 17. Take Off If there’s really nothing for you to do, and you just aren’t feeling it, take a day off. Give yourself the day to relax or get things done at home and come back to work feeling refreshed and ready to take on new challenges. Be on the Boredom Offensive Time â€" whether it’s at home or at your desk at work â€" is a gift. Treat it like the offering it is and use it wisely. You’ll never have that time back, so appreciate it when it’s available. What are your most efficient uses of time when looking for productive things to do when bored at work? Tell us in the comments, and keep up with other ways to stay sane at work by subscribing to the Punched Clocks newsletter. Let’s make workplace boredom fun â€" and, more importantly, useful. #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; width:100%;} /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */ Join over 625 readers! Get expert career advice sent straight to your inbox!

Motivate Your Friends With Classifieds Tips

Motivate Your Friends With Classifieds TipsIn order to motivate your people in the workplace, you need to write very detailed and specific goal statements. The goals are something that everyone wants, and very few can achieve. If you can figure out a way to get them into their heads by using goal statements that they can understand and follow, you will have a much easier time motivating your people.Using specific goals in your job search can be difficult for some people to do. For example, if you are trying to get your friends to take you on a vacation, how are you going to encourage them to do this? You may say, 'If you get invited to go out with me, please tell all your friends!' There is a way to motivate people using specific goals.With specific goal statements you can make it clear to your people what they are expected to do and what they are not expected to do. You can say something like, 'If you want to get invited to a vacation, you have to write an essay about why you are ex cited about taking the vacation.'This simple goal statement has the effect of asking your friends to produce something that they will be excited about writing for a specific reason. Of course you can also use a different goal statement for each friend so that the expectation level does not get too high or too low.In your resume goal statements you can also make it clear to your people that they should work hard to complete these goals. There are many ways to motivate your people through these goal statements.One way to make sure that they don't shoot themselves in the foot is to actually pay them for writing essays. You can go online and buy a hard copy book that has essays that you can either ask for or you can order from an organization. You can actually get paid to write papers.These are two simple goal statements that you can use to help you motivate your friends and get them moving towards their goal of getting you fired. These simple steps are great ways to motivate and direct your people to meet the expectations you have for them.

How to Be a Star at Work

How to Be a Star at Work The recent passage of Labor Day is a good reminder to think about your career. After a slower summer, it’s back-to-work season. This is also the perfect time to plan out your career activity for the upcoming year. Here is a month-by-month guide that can help make sure you shine at the office, and set you up for future raises, promotions and job changes: September: Coordinate your calendars With school and after-school activities back on, parents again have to worry about double booking. Even if you don’t have kids, the fall season is when many professional associations turn up the programming. Block out professional and personal commitments that you know of now so that you don’t overschedule. October: Plan your end-of-year push It’s the last quarter of the year. Check your year-end goals to see what the priorities are for these last three months. Also, check deadlines for submitting year-end reviews and/ or budget requests for next year. November: Pick your benefits At many companies, November is the month when employees need to elect their health coverage and other benefits options for the year. Don’t assume your current selections will just carry overâ€"with rising costs, your company very likely has changed the choices. Benefits are a career perk, but they are also a career tool: Taking care of yourself means you have more to give on the job. December: Reconnect with your contacts. The holiday season means more professional and social get-togethers. Take advantage of this time to catch up with people you don’t regularly see, in a relaxed and festive environment. Even if you don’t talk about work (and you probably shouldn’t!) you rekindle the connection and open the door to schedule a later meeting where you can put work on the agenda. January: Pick your career resolutions As you select your New Year’s resolutions, think about some related to your career to include. Is this the year you increase your management responsibility? Is this the year you pick up a new skill? Is this the year you change industries? If you’re happily employed, look at your company’s goals for the year and plan out how you are going to orient your work toward these specific goals. February: Take a cue from Valentine’s Day No, I don’t mean start dating someone at work! I simply mean focus on bringing loveâ€"or enjoyment or passionâ€"back into your work. Make a list of your favorite clients, colleagues, projects, and day-to-day responsibilities. How can you plan your day to include more interaction with these people or projects? March: Get your financial house in order Ideally, tax planning is a year-round event. But the typical working professional files only once in April. So start getting your paperwork together in early March and use this as a chance to review the rest of your finances. A solid financial foundation supports your career by giving you confidence (e.g., to ask for more management responsibility), allowing you to make investments in yourself (e.g., to pay for classes to pick up a new skill) and enabling you to take risks (e.g., to allow you a cushion as you change industries). April: Spring clean your workspace Don’t just spring clean your house. Organize your desk and your work files. Finally read (or discard) those company memos and newsletters. Renew or remove subscriptions to trade publications and memberships to trade groups. While you’re combing through key documents, look out for testimonials and other evidence of work results and happy clients and colleagues. May: Catch up on relationships Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are just around the corner. As you tend to your personal relationships, remember to take some time out to nurture your professional ones. Block out time to see professional contactsâ€"friends and mentors, from inside and outside your company and industry. It’s been several months since the holiday networking season, so now is a good time to get in touch. If you don’t proactively schedule catch-up time during the year, you’ll forget. June: Do a mid-year review Even if your company does not have an official review process, give yourself one. Revisit the goals you set in January: Are you on track? Gather evidence of wins you can share with your bossâ€"use the testimonials you found from your April spring cleaning! Make a plan for how you will use the remaining months of the year to build on what’s working and to refine what is not. July: Do a mid-year review, part 2 Now look out longer-termâ€"past this year, past this job. Do you know what’s next for you in two, five, or 10 years? By asking yourself this question at least once a year, you give space for bigger ideas to pop up. At the very least, update your resume and online profile as a way of auditing your career to dateâ€"a good annual habit to get into. August: Take a vacation Americans tend to forego their vacationsâ€"to the detriment of their productivity and work-life balance. If you haven’t already, take a break before the calendar resets again in September. Caroline Ceniza-Levine is co-founder of SixFigureStart ®career coaching. She has worked with professionals from American Express, Condé Nast, Gilt, Goldman Sachs, Google, McKinsey, and other leading firms. She’s also a stand-up comic. This column will appear weekly. Read more from Caroline Ceniza-Levine: 5 Ways You’re Sabotaging Yourself in Job Interviews How to Cold Call Your Way to a New Job Three Easy Résumé Fixes to Help You Make a Career Change Make Sure Your Next Raise is Bigger than 3% How to Network in Just 5 Minutes a Day How Making a Friend in HR Can Help Your Career 10 Easy Ways to Make Yourself More Hireable Your Career is Your Biggest Asset. 5 Ways to Protect It