Who Is To Blame For A Bad Job Search

Who Is To Blame For A Bad Job Search I was poking around my blog last week and came across this post: Who are the Villains in your Job Search? One of the benefits of having written for almost fourteen years is that I come across stuff Ive written about, and was at one point passionate about, but have since forgotten. Its like I get to relive a bit of that passion. Or, it leaves me scratching my head wondering what they huh?? This villains post sounded jaded. Weird. Its arguable that since I lost my job in 2006 Ive been jaded and weird :p While the post was kind of hard to read, I think the point is still valid. I think the most important part of that post is that you (a) identify the villains, or bad guys, or where you need to place blame, or even triggers, and (b) answer the question in my very last line: how will you resolve your villains? I was recently in a conversation with a close friend about some issues and for every issue we were trying to figure out the root causes. In having those conversations we identified people or situations at the root cause, but at one point realized that it seemed like we were mostly finding someone to blame for something. I think root cause identification is great, and healthy. But it isnt always what you need to do.   Let me put it another way: I have problems. I need to move forward. I can work on root cause identification. But if I spend too much time there, or wallow in that, I dont leave enough time or space to move forward. Sometimes, I need to set my issues aside, set the blame aside, and do what I need to do: marketing, product, management, etc. I have to function. I have to make progress. Otherwise Ill just get caught up in nastiness. In a way, no matter who else the villains are, I can become the biggest villain if I allow them to rob time from me. This is the same for you. If you are in a job search, you can blame your idiot ex-boss for your problems. Or you can pick up the phone and ask someone for an informational interview. If the phone is too scary, send someone an email. Dont let your villains rob your progress. Who Is To Blame For A Bad Job Search I was poking around my blog last week and came across this post: Who are the Villains in your Job Search? One of the benefits of having written for almost fourteen years is that I come across stuff Ive written about, and was at one point passionate about, but have since forgotten. Its like I get to relive a bit of that passion. Or, it leaves me scratching my head wondering what they huh?? This villains post sounded jaded. Weird. Its arguable that since I lost my job in 2006 Ive been jaded and weird :p While the post was kind of hard to read, I think the point is still valid. I think the most important part of that post is that you (a) identify the villains, or bad guys, or where you need to place blame, or even triggers, and (b) answer the question in my very last line: how will you resolve your villains? I was recently in a conversation with a close friend about some issues and for every issue we were trying to figure out the root causes. In having those conversations we identified people or situations at the root cause, but at one point realized that it seemed like we were mostly finding someone to blame for something. I think root cause identification is great, and healthy. But it isnt always what you need to do.   Let me put it another way: I have problems. I need to move forward. I can work on root cause identification. But if I spend too much time there, or wallow in that, I dont leave enough time or space to move forward. Sometimes, I need to set my issues aside, set the blame aside, and do what I need to do: marketing, product, management, etc. I have to function. I have to make progress. Otherwise Ill just get caught up in nastiness. In a way, no matter who else the villains are, I can become the biggest villain if I allow them to rob time from me. This is the same for you. If you are in a job search, you can blame your idiot ex-boss for your problems. Or you can pick up the phone and ask someone for an informational interview. If the phone is too scary, send someone an email. Dont let your villains rob your progress.

The 20 Most In Demand UK Employers According to LinkedIn

The 20 Most In Demand UK Employers According to LinkedIn LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network with more than 238 million members worldwide, this week revealed the second annual ranking of the most attractive employers among its 13 million members in the UK. The results? Well, UK professionals seem to prefer the best of British, with a dollop of American of course. Consumer technology and retail brands dominated the list of the 20 most in-demand employers, as measured by the activity of members on the professional network. Google retained its top spot for a second year, while Apple and John Lewis entered the top five, and Amazon joined the top 20 for the first time. More than half of the companies in the top 10 are headquartered in the UK. Emerging UK trends: Supermarket sweep: of ‘traditional’ retailers, Tesco fell out of the top 20 while MS and John Lewis jumped up the rankings; Amazon joined the top 20 this year and ASOS.com jumped six places Ratings wars: ITV jumped seven places while the BBC dropped down five In the red: Goldman Sachs became the only financial services company to remain in top 20, with Barclays dropping out from last year’s ranking Constructive feedback: while consumer tech and retail brands dominated, construction services firm Carillion and natural resources and engineering consultancy firm Amec joined the top 20 One too many: the sole drinks brand in the 2012 rankings, Diageo, fell out of the top 20 in 2013 David Cohen, senior director of LinkedIn Talent Solutions, EMEA, commented on the rankings, “Employer branding has taken centre stage in the war for talent.  Firms with strong employment brands are enjoying tremendous competitive advantages, among them driving down cost per hire and reducing employee turnover.  These rankings reflect the investment these companies are making in their employer brands.” Here is the full list of the  20 Most inDemand Employers among UK LinkedIn members: Google (-) Apple (+5) BP (+2) Shell (-) John Lewis (+3) Microsoft (-) BBC (-5) HP (+2) Unilever (-6) Marks Spencer (+2) ITV (+7) Burberry (-3) ASOS.com (+6) GlaxoSmithKline (-3) Accenture (-) BAE Systems (+1) Goldman Sachs (-4) Amazon (+16) Carillion (+8) Amec (+24) Taken from the more than three million companies on LinkedIn, the rankings were calculated based on the analysis of the billions of data points between members and companies including weighted member actions, like viewing employee profiles, visiting Company Pages and following companies. For a full list of all the companies in the LinkedIn inDemand rankings, have a look at  www.linkedin.com/indemand PS. If youre thinking wheres LinkedIn on that list? be aware the company was excluded from the rankings for objectivity (which probably means they scored fairly high!). Related: Top 20 Best UK Employers to Work for (by Reed.co.uk)

Guest Post How to Keep Your Unemployed Status from Turning Managers Off

Guest Post How to Keep Your “Unemployed” Status from Turning Managers Off The first week that you started looking for a new position, hiring managers may not have even noticed that you were technically unemployed. And they certainly (hopefully) had the common sense not to hold this against you. But if you’ve been on the market for a few monthsâ€"or yearsâ€"now, things might be a bit different. After about six months, it’s reasonable for hiring managers to question your employment gap. After all, they are making an important decision that should serve the best interests of the company. For the most part, this is nothing personal. It’s a just a necessary and reasonable aspect of due diligence. So how should you answer these questions, and how can you make sure that your unemployed status doesn’t create an unwelcome job search obstacle? First, although it may be difficult to hear, you need to do somethingâ€"anythingâ€"that shows you aren’t sitting on the couch all day. Even if you’re collecting a small or irregular paycheck or doing work that is beneath your qualifications, you need to “work.” This may mean taking a part time job, offering your services for odd jobs, or looking for occasional (or regular) freelance work, consulting positions, or temp jobs. You might even consider volunteering. Employers like to see this on your resume, and this kind of work will keep your hands active and your social skills sharp. This can also expose you to new experiences and contacts you’d otherwise miss. Just don’t give away your time to a company that could easily pay you but chooses not to. 2.   Don’t commit so much time to this this place-holding work that your search for more appropriate positions falls behind. If you have to put your dream job on the back burner for a while, do so, but control the hours you spend working on other things so that you still have enough time and energy to submit applications to more appropriate employers. 3.   If you’ve looked for part time or temporary work and haven’t found any opportunities, that’s okay. Just keep focusing your search on appropriate positions, but widen your definition of appropriate. Be flexible. Push the boundaries of what you want to do, what you can do, how you define your areas of interest and expertise, and the rigidity of your long term-goals. Keep your mind open. You never know when or where the right job might come your way. 4.   If you can afford to, take a course. Take plenty of courses. Steer clear of for-profit degree programs, and by all means read the fine print before you accept any educational debt, but do what you can to keep learning and growing. You can also consider joining a club, a team, an industry organization, or an open source programing project to stay connected to changes in your field. LiveCareer, home to America’s #1 Resume Builder, connects job seekers of all experience levels and career categories to all the tools, resources and insider tips needed to win the job. Connect with us on Google+ and Youtube for even more tips and advice on all things career and resume-related.

The YEC Retooling and Retraining The American Workforce - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

The YEC Retooling and Retraining The American Workforce - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Editor’s Note:   The YEC is an organization that partners with us and authors many blog posts here. The YEC seeks to retool and retrain the American workforce with mentorship from successful startups.   Americas Top Entrepreneurs and Citi Set Out to Mentor the Nations Aspiring Business Owners This Labor Day weekend, the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is taking another important step toward alleviating youth joblessness and underemployment by launching #StartupLab (http://MyStartupLab.com), a free virtual mentorship program presented by Citi that will deploy America’s top young startup founders to retool the current workforce into a more entrepreneurial one. Aspiring entrepreneurs and young people will have unprecedented, direct access to mentorship (both virtual and in-person) through interactive live video chats, how-to content and weekly email lessons. The YEC, an invite-only nonprofit organization, was founded by Scott Gerber in November 2010 to spur more entrepreneurship among Millennials; in less than two years, it has become the most elite membership organization of its kind, with 500-plus successful young entrepreneurs who have collectively generated tens of thousands of jobs and over 1 billion dollars in revenue. Through #StartupLab, young founders, high school and college students and even current business owners are able to access those minds directly. Featured mentors in 2012 include Catherine Cook of MeetMe, Jennifer Fleiss of Rent the Runway, Slava Rubin of Indiegogo, Jason Nazar of DocStoc, Ryan Allis of iContact, Matt Mickiewicz of 99Designs and Rahim Fazal of Involver, to name just a few.  #StartupLab will launch its beta model publicly on Labor Day weekend. The beta program includes a full roster of interactive live video chats (4 per month), weekly email lessons for participants, an eBook club, and access to YEC’s complete library of how-to articles and videos. Organizations also benefit from the ability to request YEC members for their mentorship events across the country. America’s entrepreneurial spirit has always been a key driver of job creation and economic growth, and for 200 years, Citi has strived to enable it,” said Citi Chief Executive Officer Vikram Pandit. “We are proud to support the YEC and this innovative initiative to help take the next generation of entrepreneurs from ambition to achievement. #StartupLab’s beta program will be available to individuals interested in entrepreneurship as well as to the members of various organizations that have signed up for the program including Junior Achievement, Georgetown University, BizWorld, Lemonade Day, George Washington University, MassChallenge, University of Central Florida, North Carolina Rural Center, Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization, Springboard Enterprises, Veterans Affairs Innovation Initiative (VAi2), Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, Startup Weekend, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Venture for America, Kairos Society, Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda,  and dozens of other universities, nonprofits, entrepreneur and small business organizations, government agencies and co-working spaces. Because the program takes just minutes to set up and is built right into an organization’s Facebook Page, it allows entrepreneurship organizations across the country to create stronger online communit ies for their members quickly and effectively at no cost to them. More importantly, through #StartupLab, these organizations can request YEC members for in-person mentorship events as well, giving their membership even more direct access to the top startup minds in the country. “Junior Achievement USA and the Young Entrepreneur Council make powerful partners with the potential to inspire and prepare the next generation of entrepreneurs,” says Jack E. Kosakowski, President and CEO of Junior Achievement USA. “#StartupLab’s approach aligns perfectly with JAs strategy to deliver relevant and contemporary learning to young people to empower them to own their success in todays global economy.” With so many organizations already signed up for the beta program, YEC and Citi anticipate reaching millions of aspiring entrepreneurs in year one alone. Future releases of #StartupLab will include additional programming, including mentorship matching programs, niche-based QA forums, and a comprehensive entrepreneurship wiki. #StartupLab is not the first endeavor of its kind for the YEC. This spring, YEC spearheaded #FixYoungAmerica, a national grassroots campaign and book (fixyoungamericabook.com) that sparked student-led rallies on over 300 college campuses. #FixYoungAmerica shed light on more than 30 government, education and private sector solutions to the youth unemployment crisis that are already helping young Americans start companies and create jobs. “Our goal with #FixYoungAmerica was to shift the national conversation from a one-sided, negative list of complaints to a dialogue about how to embrace the new economy and put young Americans back to work,” says Gerber, YEC’s founder. “Based on our experience, we knew we could help to build a more entrepreneurial America from the ground up. Now, with #StartupLab, we are beginning to realize our vision of helping to rebuild and retool the American workforce. Now that #FYA has helped shift the conversation about joblessness and underemployment, YEC is executing on its mission to foster a more entrepreneurial workforce through the launch of #StartupLab. With so many Americans starting new businesses either to supplement dwindling incomes, or achieve their own version of the American dream  the YEC’s goal is to help organizations directly and inexpensively improve their member’s chances of business success and in doing so, help rebuild the economy.  â€œWe’re excited to work with the YEC to bring the next generation of virtual mentorship to young people far and wide,” says Amy Rosen, President and CEO of Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE). #StartupLab will help support NFTEs long-standing mission to inspire at-risk young people to recognize and pursue entrepreneurial opportunities that, in turn, help them create lasting financial stability.” Author: The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC)  is an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the countrys most promising young entrepreneurs. The YEC promotes entrepreneurship as a solution to youth unemployment and underemployment and provides its members with access to tools, mentorship, and resources that support each stage of a businesss development and growth. For more information or to apply to become a Council member, visit  http://www.theyec.org.

Can You Still Include the About Me Part of a Resume?

Can You Still Include the About Me Part of a Resume?I've been asked if you can still include the 'About Me' part of a resume, because people still ask me that question. I suppose I could start with my basic opinion, which is that a job seeker who includes that part of his or her resume is in some ways asking for trouble. To be fair, that's probably true. However, I still think there are some circumstances when it may be appropriate to include it.The first scenario is when your resume is generic. Say for example that you worked as a factory foreman for several years and then were able to shift over to a position where you are managing a larger number of people. If that's the case, it might be appropriate to include some references that are relevant to your new position, so you don't have to spend time fending off prospects who want to know more about your work experience. They can ask you to include those details in your cover letter. It's unlikely that they will ask you to include yo ur resume, but you can send a sample of your latest job offer with your resume.The second scenario is when your resume is very specific, and you have no qualms about including the 'About Me' part. For example, if you're applying for a position that requires a high school diploma, that may be a good candidate to include your resume in your cover letter. You may be surprised, but employers do generally tend to like people who graduated from college, and are ready to take on their new responsibilities, rather than people who graduated from high school but aren't really capable of handling college workloads. If you attended college and received an associate's degree, this may not be such a good idea, because you'll still need to submit a letter of recommendation and appear for a formal interview. Employers expect you to be well prepared for all the details of the job, and if you have any questions about the job, you may be better off just filling out the paperwork.A third scenario is wh en the cover letter is explaining why you are qualified for the job, and your resume only contains the 'About Me' part. In that case, it may be helpful to send your cover letter to the hiring manager and show them that you are well prepared for the job. If you went to school for the same field and were offered the job, you could also explain that. Of course, your resume is also a good way to demonstrate your ability to handle the job, but it's also a good way to explain why you are qualified for the job.Your resume is a concise summary of the skills and abilities you have acquired over your career. Some applicants skip that part of their resume, thinking that it doesn't really matter. You may think that you're doing your best to convey all the information possible, but many employers look for specific skills and abilities in those resumes.If your resume doesn't provide the employer with all the details necessary to make an informed decision, the best approach may be to include the ' About Me' section. Remember that it is likely that your resume will be used by more than one person - a resume is only as useful as its first reader. That first reader may be your prospective employer, but in addition, he or she may read it again, and over time, those first readers may become your employers.If you decide to include the 'About Me' part of your resume, take care to include a well-written overview, and not just another paragraph on the accomplishments you gained. They may find it helpful to see the 'About Me' part in action and see what the 'About Me' part actually consists of.If your resume does not include the 'About Me' section, you'll probably be creating a lot of bad will towards you. Don't let that happen to you! Include the 'About Me' part on your resume.

Four Ways to Take Your Legal Career to the Next Level - CareerEnlightenment.com

Four Ways to Take Your Legal Career to the Next Level When you first pass the bar, you tend to be dealing with basic issues such as drafting legal documents, billing clients correctly, and following the instructions of your supervising attorney. Initially, these issues can be enough of a struggle, but after a while, you will be ready to take your legal career to the next level.Whether you want to work for a big firm or even start your own, here are some of the best things that you can do to climb up the ladder in your legal career.Supervise Newer AttorneysOne way to catch the eye of your superiors and stand out in your career is to offer to train or review the work of newer attorneys. In addition to the gratification that you’ll get from helping new graduates with their work, you’ll be an associate who’s known for taking the load off senior partners a definite asset to the form. And, the skills that you will develop by offering training and supervision will be very useful for you in the future if you want to manage your own depa rtment or even start your own law firm.Develop Your NicheThe legal field is increasingly specialized, resulting in most lawyers often choosing to develop an expertise in at least one individual area of the law. One of the best ways to do this is to become a Certified Specialist; this is a mark of distinction that lets clients know you have a deeper understanding of your area of law and in addition, allowing you to charge a higher rate than a non-certified lawyer.You can gain certification in a range of practice areas including family law, bankruptcy, estate planning and more. If your chosen area does not allow you to become a certified specialist, you should still consider focusing your practice in this area. Want to Read More Articles Like This One?Sign up here to receive weekly updates from Career Enlightenment, and never miss another powerful job searching tip! SUBSCRIBE! You have Successfully Subscribed!We hate spam too. Unsubscribe any time. Invest in Legal ConsultingWorkin g with a legal consultant can be a great way to take your career to the next level, particularly if your main goal is starting your own successful law practice. A legal consultant will act as your mentor and work closely with you to discuss what you want from your career and help you determine the next best steps in order to reach your goals and objectives. Check out LawBiz to find out more about a legal consulting service to help you get one step closer to running your own firm.Write Legal Blog PostsWriting legal blog posts is a great way to both learn more and establish yourself as an expert in your industry. You can start by writing or co-writing blog posts for your employer’s website and then go on to perhaps starting your own blog where you can showcase your knowledge and experience. The purpose of many blog posts is to provide basic legal knowledge to the general public, so even newer lawyers can do this successfully.When it comes to improving your law career, these are some of the best ways to give yourself a boost to the next step.

Five Benefits of Working Late Hours

Five Benefits of Working Late Hours If your boss told you to work late night hours, most people would decline the offer and prefer to work during the day. It’s really common because people would much prefer to be working when the sun is out as opposed to when it’s dark all over. However, there are a couple of unique advantages to working late-night hours that most people don’t realize. The pay is fantastic for a night shift A lot of people overlook the fact that night shifts pay really well. This is usually because most people don’t enjoy working night shifts, so they need to incentivize it by increasing the salary or hourly pay. You won’t be groggy when the family is around An underestimated benefit of working night shifts is being able to sleep while your kids are at school. Your children will be full of energy even when they come home, so if you time your sleep schedule to wake up when they return, you won’t be groggy and tired when you play with them and help them with their homework. You get more job opportunities Taking on a night shift opens you up to new employment opportunities that wouldn’t be available if you limited yourself to regular working hours. It’s a good idea to remember that working late hours can be taxing on the body, especially if you aren’t used to it yet. So to help you out, we’ve included an infographic below that will teach you all about working night shifts. Image Source: Infographic