Are You Bleeding

Are You Bleeding I was going to post about the new release of the Job Journal, a premium feature we announced last week (this was released on Saturday, by the way, a couple of days early). I was also going to announce that today is the official day that my LinkedIn book gets shipped (there are already five reviews on Amazon.com, and more blogger reviews). But theres something that I cant get out of my head, so todays post has nothing to do with me Last year, in my job search, I was talking to a close friend who had excellent experience in HR. He was my main contact for a few intranet applications I built, so we had gotten to know one another quite well. After talking with him about my job search he said to me something like: Dont let recruiters smell blood. They can smell it from a mile away. I knew what he was saying. I was in a pathetic place and Im sure I was smelling wounded, the kind of wounded that recruiters and hiring managers stay away from. It inspired me to write a post, which is one of my favorites. Recently, on an e-mail list that Im on, Ive seen a few people that have this bloody smell. Some are in a job search, others arent. But they all have two things in common: They smell like blood. And everyone can smell it. They think they are venting, or being realists about a sucky situation. They repel people with this smell. Do you like being around whiners, compainers and negative people all day? You can only handle so much until its a total turn-off. Recruiters, HR and hiring managers arent the only ones that can smell blood. Your family can smell blood. Coworkers can smell blood. Customers can smell blood. Vendors can smell blood. Peers, subordinates, bosses, heck, even your pet dog can smell blood! You get the point. Im not saying to ignore your wounds, or that you cant go through a mourning process. But you need to get to a point where you dont smell wounded, and you dont repel people. If you are having problems moving forward, whether its with a job search, or in your business, or with company promotions, maybe you should find out if you are repelling people. And then figure out what you need to do to stop repelling people. Easy? No. Necessary? Yes. Are You Bleeding I was going to post about the new release of the Job Journal, a premium feature we announced last week (this was released on Saturday, by the way, a couple of days early). I was also going to announce that today is the official day that my LinkedIn book gets shipped (there are already five reviews on Amazon.com, and more blogger reviews). But theres something that I cant get out of my head, so todays post has nothing to do with me Last year, in my job search, I was talking to a close friend who had excellent experience in HR. He was my main contact for a few intranet applications I built, so we had gotten to know one another quite well. After talking with him about my job search he said to me something like: Dont let recruiters smell blood. They can smell it from a mile away. I knew what he was saying. I was in a pathetic place and Im sure I was smelling wounded, the kind of wounded that recruiters and hiring managers stay away from. It inspired me to write a post, which is one of my favorites. Recently, on an e-mail list that Im on, Ive seen a few people that have this bloody smell. Some are in a job search, others arent. But they all have two things in common: They smell like blood. And everyone can smell it. They think they are venting, or being realists about a sucky situation. They repel people with this smell. Do you like being around whiners, compainers and negative people all day? You can only handle so much until its a total turn-off. Recruiters, HR and hiring managers arent the only ones that can smell blood. Your family can smell blood. Coworkers can smell blood. Customers can smell blood. Vendors can smell blood. Peers, subordinates, bosses, heck, even your pet dog can smell blood! You get the point. Im not saying to ignore your wounds, or that you cant go through a mourning process. But you need to get to a point where you dont smell wounded, and you dont repel people. If you are having problems moving forward, whether its with a job search, or in your business, or with company promotions, maybe you should find out if you are repelling people. And then figure out what you need to do to stop repelling people. Easy? No. Necessary? Yes. Are You Bleeding I was going to post about the new release of the Job Journal, a premium feature we announced last week (this was released on Saturday, by the way, a couple of days early). I was also going to announce that today is the official day that my LinkedIn book gets shipped (there are already five reviews on Amazon.com, and more blogger reviews). But theres something that I cant get out of my head, so todays post has nothing to do with me Last year, in my job search, I was talking to a close friend who had excellent experience in HR. He was my main contact for a few intranet applications I built, so we had gotten to know one another quite well. After talking with him about my job search he said to me something like: Dont let recruiters smell blood. They can smell it from a mile away. I knew what he was saying. I was in a pathetic place and Im sure I was smelling wounded, the kind of wounded that recruiters and hiring managers stay away from. It inspired me to write a post, which is one of my favorites. Recently, on an e-mail list that Im on, Ive seen a few people that have this bloody smell. Some are in a job search, others arent. But they all have two things in common: They smell like blood. And everyone can smell it. They think they are venting, or being realists about a sucky situation. They repel people with this smell. Do you like being around whiners, compainers and negative people all day? You can only handle so much until its a total turn-off. Recruiters, HR and hiring managers arent the only ones that can smell blood. Your family can smell blood. Coworkers can smell blood. Customers can smell blood. Vendors can smell blood. Peers, subordinates, bosses, heck, even your pet dog can smell blood! You get the point. Im not saying to ignore your wounds, or that you cant go through a mourning process. But you need to get to a point where you dont smell wounded, and you dont repel people. If you are having problems moving forward, whether its with a job search, or in your business, or with company promotions, maybe you should find out if you are repelling people. And then figure out what you need to do to stop repelling people. Easy? No. Necessary? Yes. Are You Bleeding I was going to post about the new release of the Job Journal, a premium feature we announced last week (this was released on Saturday, by the way, a couple of days early). I was also going to announce that today is the official day that my LinkedIn book gets shipped (there are already five reviews on Amazon.com, and more blogger reviews). But theres something that I cant get out of my head, so todays post has nothing to do with me Last year, in my job search, I was talking to a close friend who had excellent experience in HR. He was my main contact for a few intranet applications I built, so we had gotten to know one another quite well. After talking with him about my job search he said to me something like: Dont let recruiters smell blood. They can smell it from a mile away. I knew what he was saying. I was in a pathetic place and Im sure I was smelling wounded, the kind of wounded that recruiters and hiring managers stay away from. It inspired me to write a post, which is one of my favorites. Recently, on an e-mail list that Im on, Ive seen a few people that have this bloody smell. Some are in a job search, others arent. But they all have two things in common: They smell like blood. And everyone can smell it. They think they are venting, or being realists about a sucky situation. They repel people with this smell. Do you like being around whiners, compainers and negative people all day? You can only handle so much until its a total turn-off. Recruiters, HR and hiring managers arent the only ones that can smell blood. Your family can smell blood. Coworkers can smell blood. Customers can smell blood. Vendors can smell blood. Peers, subordinates, bosses, heck, even your pet dog can smell blood! You get the point. Im not saying to ignore your wounds, or that you cant go through a mourning process. But you need to get to a point where you dont smell wounded, and you dont repel people. If you are having problems moving forward, whether its with a job search, or in your business, or with company promotions, maybe you should find out if you are repelling people. And then figure out what you need to do to stop repelling people. Easy? No. Necessary? Yes.

Yeah, The Girls Like The Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auctions, Too! -

Yeah, The Girls Like The Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auctions, Too! - I admit it.   Ive always liked sparkly and shiny things.   While that usually interprets to some new jewelry or rainbow-inducing crystals, Im also just like most Americans.   Totally in love with my car!   And ever since I was a teenager Ive been entranced by those big, powerful machines.    Along the way, Ive owned a few.   A Corvette.   More than one Nissan 300ZX.   And even a classic Boss 302 Mustang.   So when the opportunity came around to (finally) make it to one of the world famous Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auctions, how could I possibly resist?   No disappointment here, and if youre anywhere in the neighborhood of the 2019 Barrett-Jackson auctions, and you like cars as much as I do, Id highly recommend you attend. Theres some highlights of the Las Vegas auction that took place September 27 through 29 below.   But before you think its all just crazy guys and their rides, check out this statistic: The annual return on investment for classic cars is 14.2% since 2005. Where else can you make that kind of money AND have all the fun of owning one of these beauties? Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas 2018 First and foremost, of course, are the cars.   Not sure what I was expecting, but when I walked into the exhibition hall and saw all those gorgeous cars, Im sure my eyes got big as saucers.   Hundreds of them.   Every color, every brand, from the oddly silly classic to factory limited production machines putting out 800+ horsepower.   It took heaps of willpower to keep myself from getting a bidding number and trying to bring one home! Heres a sample of some classic muscle cars And if youre a movie buff, how about Eleanor from Gone In 60 Seconds? Of course, its not all about raw power.   For the off-road fans, there was a generous selection of highly-modified Jeep and other rock crawlers, including this monster But Wait Theres More! The auction itself is hypnotic.   I guess thats the idea behind that melodic bid calling of the professional auctioneer.   The combined elements of competitive bidders, and a bit of lustful wanting, and its pretty easy to start raising your hand to join in.   Heres a sample ? (YouTube video via This and That) When you need a break from drooling over all the cars (does that happen?), you can wander around the automotive-related vendors, grab a snack, or even try your hand behind the wheel, courtesy of Dodge.   I had a standout favorite in the vendor area, because, well, more shiny objects! Artist Scotty Ziegler creates some stunning automotive art.   He calls it tastefully edgy.    Id call it classy with a bit of sassy.   With the high-intensity lighting in the convention center, the pics I took would not do justice to his work.   So heres one from his website. Mark Your Calendar! The next Barrett-Jackson is in Scottsdale, Arizona in January.   What better excuse to escape the winter blues than heading to the sunny Southwest and enjoying more metal eye candy than you ever imagined!

The Dangers of Not Having an Emergency Fund

The Dangers of Not Having an Emergency Fund What do you do when you get a paycheck? Do you pay yourself first? Do you run to the mall? Do you pay your bills and end up with very little to save? Picture this scenario: A few years ago, I was bring home six figure income. Its hard to imagine that someone with that income was living paycheck to paycheck, but thats exactly what I was doing. I had a closet full of beautiful shoes and handbags, but very little else to show for it. I went on vacation and when I got back, I came home to a flood in my apartment and my brand new wood floors were ruined. Apparently a pipe had exploded and while I was away, the leak had ruined my entire living room and was making its way to the bedroom. The leak was my responsibility and the condo board wasnt touching it. Id just blown almost all the money I had saved up on a vacation and was literally waiting for my next paycheck. Guess what happened next nothing. I couldnt afford to replace the floors, so I had no choice but to get the wood floor ripped out (the entire apartment) and walked around on unfinished floors for 5 months before got in new wood floors. Coming home was a very depressing scene. I learned a very valuable lesson Emergency funds are a must Not having an emergency fund is like driving without insurance. If I had stashed away an emergency fund that I wouldnt touch unless it really was an emergency, I would have been walking on new floors in a matter of days. An emergency fund isnt just for things like that, think of all the people who never expected to get laid off from their jobs. Those who, due to an accident or illness, are ruined financially. Here are a few easy tips to get started. 1) How big should it be? Most say that you should save about three months worth of living expenses. I would recommend aiming for six months. If you lose your job in todays market, it can take six months or more to find a new job. The last thing you want to do is get desperate and take a job you hate. 2) Open a separate Account Its best not to include it with your other savings. It will just get confusing it you do. If youre saving for a vacation or a wedding, have a separate account for that. I opened a new bank account strictly for my emergency fund and didnt make it accessible through an ATM. That way, if I really needed to access it, I had time to think about if the severity of the emergency first. 3) Start off my small and stay consistent You dont have to save half of your paycheck. Even saving 5% of your paycheck is perfectly fine. It has to be a manageable amount every month. If your income fluctuates, save a percentage rather than a specific amount. The key here is to stay consistent. Savings only grow if you continue to save, so no matter the situation, save that amount every month. 4) Think hard before you using it A sale does not constitute dipping into your savings account. Neither does a needed vacation after a stressful period in your life. This emergency fund should be used for a loss of income or a financial disaster. The joy of having an emergency fund is the peace of mind it gives you. Just imagine the beauty of having an emergency fund that is a year or more of your expenses? Do you have an emergency fund? How many months of living expenses would you like saved in your emergency fund?

Direct Sellers Content and Credibility - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Direct Sellers â€" Content and Credibility - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Direct Sellers, your company already briefed, trained, and provided you with the materials that you need in order to sell your products. So, what can you do to be able to sell your products as fast and efficiently as possible?  What can you do to reach out and network more, establish trust quicker, host more and recruit more? Sampling is the best way to sell your product â€" it gives the opportunity to “try it out.” It’s the same with building credibility and trust.   People need to sample your character and competence.   Just like a product would be hard to sell if you are not familiar with it â€" so goes the same with you and your brand â€" how can you share your selling points if you yourself don’t know them?   Know your selling points and find ways your customers and recruits will benefit from connecting with you.  Once you’ve figured it out, you will be selling, or a better word â€" presenting â€" yourself more confidently. This is what your people not only want to see but need to know. Credibility. Translating your personal brand selling points One place rapidly growing to meet up and sample who you are, are online social platforms.  Create a business account on social media sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Make sure to know your company’s guidelines about establishing an account. Once you have an account, invest time in keeping your site active. Put up all the information about your product and your company. People will want to learn more about the company you are selling for. Then you can start inviting subscribers to your site. Add your first degree friends, then start adding second and third degree friends. Attract subscribers by providing your own brand’s selling points along with those of the company and product line. It is easy to create an account but it is a challenge to make your subscribers stay interested. This is why it is important to keep content flowing from your account. You want to drive traffic to your account because the more subscribers you have, the more chances you have of finding someone who is a good match as a customer, recruit, or a link to someone who is a good match. Tips to drive traffic to your social media site Content â€" in maintaining a site, your content will play a major part in marketing you and your product and generate traffic. Create articles that are related to you, your company and your product. Lean towards the helpful tone rather than the selling one. You can also get content that is related to your product from other sites just don’t forget to cite your sources. Add variety to the content that you post on your social media site. One way of being creative is adding a PowerPoint presentation to your site. Get an article and highlight the points and make a presentation out of it. Your subscribers will definitely want to see bullets, graphs, and stats every once in a while. Using PowerPoint will also give you a chance to be creative with color, text, and effects. You can upload your presentations and share them easily by using Slideshare. A lot of businesses are actually utilizing this online tool because it is free, easy to use and very accessible. No need to open file attachments to watch a presentation just a link and your subscribers are ready to gain something new. There are many ways to be creative using presentations. Utilize this and you will not have a hard time adding variety to your content. Status Updates â€" social media sites allow you to update your status. Use this space to spread the word on the latest on your business. Broadcast if you just posted new content and add a short description as a teaser. When your customers see this in their feeds and find the teaser interesting, they can easily clickthrough. You also get the chance to be shared if subscribers find your content helpful and interesting. Your personal brand in action Your credibility will reflect when you talk to your customers. And nothing speaks with more volume about your brand that actual action.    It’s often said people need to” know, like and trust you” before they do business with you. It’s that “know and like” part that helps develop credibility so they will trust to share with you their needs and recommendations. Part of that credibility development is knowing, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you are knowledgeable about your product and opportunity, and most importantly, that you present yourself with a confidence that comes from knowing how what makes you unique contributes and how that contributes significantly to your business. Author: Maria Elena Duron, is managing editor of the Personal Branding Blog, CEO (chief engagement officer) of buzz2bucks.com â€" a word of mouth marketing firm and Director of Client Communities of Momentum Factor-focused on the direct selling industry.   She helps create connection, credibility, community and cha-ching through mobile marketing and social commerce around your brand. She is co-founder of #brandchat a weekly Twitter chat focused on every aspect of branding.

Electronic Resume Tips

Electronic Resume TipsAn electronic resume is all about promoting the resume in a new way. It is made up of many details which can be important for a job applicant to note down. This kind of electronic resume will not only be able to speed up the process but will also make it easy for you search and submit resumes of similar nature.The electronic resume is just like the paper one except for the fact that it is stored on a laptop or a desktop computer. You can fill it up once and keep on sending them out to hundreds of companies without ever having to lift a finger. This makes it a lot easier to keep track of resumes.When it comes to the printing of an electronic resume, the information is either done from an online database or via a program called Microsoft Word that helps the computer compiles the information into an electronic document. Once the information is compiled, you can either leave it as is or modify it. Once you modify it, you will have a permanent record of the informati on that was previously sent to you. The other type of resume that is called the traditional resume is generally kept in the files and then scanned into the electronic version which is sent.For the electronic resume to be suitable for the job market, it has to be formatted properly. You can use the internet as a resource to find free templates for the resume which you can then modify as necessary. However, if you want to customize the electronic version yourself, you need to be careful in doing so as this could prove to be difficult. This is due to the fact that the information has to be formatted properly to be effective and the formatting can be tricky.This is a great resource for your resume if you have already written a well-researched and well-written resume that you are happy with. However, if you need to tweak it slightly, this is also possible as long as you have the patience and do not make major changes that will take away from the importance of the information. Even the el ectronic version is usually just a modification of the standard format of the resume.If you have a special skill or qualification which you think would be of great use to the company, then it is good to highlight that special feature as an addendum to the electronic resume. However, the electronic resume is more than just highlighting special points. It should be well structured and professionally designed to be more professional.Also, the electronic resume is important to employers as they can easily scan through the resume instead of reading each and every word. The reason why employers like to scan over a printed version is that it is slower than the internet version and there is a chance that they will miss out on important information. If you are going to hire a resume writer, you may want to get your resume into a PDF format instead of just writing the information on a piece of paper.An electronic resume is a very helpful tool that can help an employer decide whether to take a look at your application or not. If your resume is not in a standard format, then it might not be as effective as you hoped it would be. Make sure that you do your best to make it professional by using a professional looking format for your electronic resume.

New Career Directions for Veterans - CareerAlley

New Career Directions for Veterans - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Over the long term, Americas military veterans tend to have an advantage over their non-veteran counterparts in the U.S. job market. In fact, employment data indicates that veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces largely experiencelower rates of unemploymentover the course of their entire working lives than those in the general population. Even though the initial transition to civilian employment can be difficult, most industries prize the skills learned through military service, including dedication, perseverance, and advanced technical abilities. As a veteran, one of the top priorities in switching from military to civilian life is finding gainful employment without jeopardizing your finances. One route is to obtain an added degree or certification Tweet This Financing A Second Career As a veteran, one of the top priorities in switching from military to civilian life is finding gainful employment without jeopardizing your finances. One route is to obtain an added degree or certification: thanks to the GI Bill, many government schemes will fund educationalexpenses to former servicemen so that they can obtain further schooling. Veterans are also ofteneligible for specialized service loansthat can help fund the expenses of launching a new enterprise or paying living expenses before gaining full-time employment. Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash Skilled Trades In The Tech Sector According to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than5 million jobs in information technologyare expected to be added globally by 2027. Many vets can apply the skills they gained serving their country to a career in tech, such as working as a solar panel technician or aircraft mechanic. There is also a growing demand for workers in transportation, which range from delivery driving to controlling air traffic. For veterans interested in cybersecurity, careers in information analysis protect against cyber attacks and other threats to the infrastructure of an organization. Many tech-based military roles are rooted in similar principles of digital security, which gives veterans an edge over other competitors on the market. In fact, the Department of Homeland Security offers free cybersecurity training for veterans, which enables a quicker elevation into careers for the federal government. Healthcare Opportunities Careers in healthcare are especially applicable to veterans who worked in infirmaries or health-related positions tending to soldiers wounded on the job. Naturally, a career in healthcare requires added education, but even veterans with no prior background in healthcare can obtain a degree in two years or less. The U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps each offer employment opportunities for veteran healthcare professionals to work as civilians upon retirement from their military service. Veterans often benefit from working for the Department of Defense in a civilian capacity, as the atmosphere is thought to enable a smoother transition into the workplace surrounded by fellow veterans for team-building. Veterans can build upon their technical skills gained in the military, but they can also start a new career altogether. Regardless of the duration of time since active service, the skills gained through serving in the military enable a wide set of prospective careers based on technical superiority and interest. Even if the process of finding gainful employment is at times slow, the opportunities for veterans looking to expand into a new career are practically limitless. Whether youre moving from a military desk job or an infantry position, your military career has provided you with a strong foundation to transition back to life as a civilian. Use the available resources to help consolidate your hard work into a well-deserved civilian position. 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 find the opportunities that help you grow your best career. 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

How companies can survive the baby boomer brain drain

How companies can survive the baby boomer brain drain The most senior engineer/accountant/practitioner in the department is retiring today. Co-workers wish her well, buy her lunch, sign her humorous greeting card… and jot down her phone number for the moments in the near future they will need her help. They hope she’ll answer when they call because if she doesn’t, they’ll be sunk. Such anxious departures happen 10,000 times a day, according to the Pew Research Center. The result of this baby boomer retirement surge? A massive brain drain that threatens to destabilize American business. Many companies are unprepared for the challenge. A recent study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reveals that less than 40 percent of employers have taken action to address the imminent loss of detailed know-how. Adding even well-trained millennials to the workforce may not be enough to restore the balance when your company is hemorrhaging its veteran employees. We’re not talking the stuff of dust-collecting procedure manuals. Dorothy Leonard, a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, says there is a big difference between information and knowledge. Information is something you can get from Google. Knowledge is the critically-important stuff in your head that has never been written down. And companies often fail to retain it. It is critical that longtime workers transfer the knowledge they’ve gained from decades of experience to employees who will be taking on their responsibilities. Leonard calls it “tacit knowledge.” Unlike a checklist or a binder full of procedures or reports, this knowledge is hard to identify and even harder to pass on. It’s a particular focus at Duke Energy, the nation’s largest regulated utility, says Melissa Moran, the nuclear group’s manager of strategic workforce planning. Moran estimates that 46 percent of employees in the nuclear division will be eligible to retire within five years. Duke has launched multiple initiatives to help transfer what seasoned workers just know to what younger workers must know. For instance, the company developed a board game called Megawatt Fever to help young engineers better understand an energy industry that has not seen a new nuclear facility come on line in nearly 20 years but where experience in maintenance is critical. Lee Causey, a senior nuclear engineer with the North Carolina-based utility, designed the Monopoly-inspired game with teammate Brad Black to address the cultural shifts in the energy industry. The game teaches the impact of fuel, taxes, costs, and other factors in electricity generation, giving young engineers a CEO’s view and encouraging them to learn more about the industry. Moran also asked nuclear managers to develop and submit knowledge-transfer plans for team members nearing retirement. Plan tactics include shooting videos to walk/talk newer hires through complex procedures. Of course, this video archive has the added value of being useful in training future employees. Duke, like many other companies, also pairs longtime employees with newcomers as mentors. According to Moran, such shadowing often results in surfacing “nuances,” those small actions that help get the job done but may not ever be mentioned. That information is used to enhance and improve existing technical illustrations and instructions. Duke has a lot of company when it comes to ensuring smooth generational knowledge transfer. Other big players are taking similar steps. General Motors uses an internal mentor portal to connect older and younger workers. So far, the finance department has been the biggest winner, with retiring workers schooling youngsters on the often arcane world of GM accounting. Employees have the option of tailoring their search for a mentor by details like job title or education, and senior staffers interested in mentoring can seek out mentees. Michelin North America uses phased retirements to encourage senior employees to train younger workers for specialized roles when they are at work, and to give junior staff the opportunity to be hands-on when their experienced counterparts are away enjoying their part-time retirement. In the end, businesses must be prepared for this mega-generation to retire after decades of experience. Businesses can start by analyzing their workforce to understand the scope of the problem, and then implement programs to capture and pass on the tacit knowledge that is critical to their future success, and that of their younger employees. Join Dana Manciagli’s Job Search Master Class right now and immediately access the most comprehensive job search system currently available!