The 5-Day Job Search Blitz! (Pt. 2) Building Your Future Now

The 5-Day Job Search Blitz! (Pt. 2) Building Your Future Now If you started your own 5-day job search blitz good for you! You are in a locked-in mindset and focused on getting a job that you deserve. Even if you have decided on an opportunity that may just be a job that is a huge victory none-the-less. At the end of the day you need to pay the bills and put food on the table. However, you still need to focus on getting a job that you will love. Simply use the tips/steps as showcased in The 5-day Job Search Blitz part 1 article. You dont necessarily have to follow each step but be sure to find what works for you. As you are working at your currently job, continue to hustle and network. Build your contacts! Think in 5-day cycles in your job search. Take weekends off to relax and recharge your battery! Look at Monday through Friday as a chance to connect to people and reveal opportunities. Remember: many jobs arent advertised so it is up to you to network like crazy. Look at the work week as 5 days to do something that will aid in your job search. One evening focus on sending out resumes, take another evening to reach out to pros on LinkedIn, connect with new Facebook Groups on Wednesday and try to go out to networking/events on Thursday and Friday. Make your 5-day job search blitz is fun and set goals for yourself! Image: Geralt

Monday Must-Reads

Monday Must-Reads Im noticing a trend. My favorite posts each week are frequently from the same sites. In other words, send me your favorite blogs! Heres this weeks line up. The theme this week is thinking differently about your career. 1. Considering going back to school? Why acquire more student loans, delay the reality of the work world and struggle through boring homework assignments? Zen Habits says get a library card instead. 2. Why wait until 2010 to start making changes in your life? Make a change now. 3. Are you a recent graduate, a new hire or an intern? Dont be a jack of all trades: Stop saying you can do anything! 4. How many bad ideas have you had this month? If you havent had several, then something is wrong. Eliminate the fear of bad ideas. 5. Are you a transparent leader? You should strive to be. Find out where you stand by reading real-life examples and comparisons by Coach Al Johnson.

10 Tips To Increase Your Email Efficiency

10 Tips To Increase Your Email Efficiency Imagine its 9am Monday morning. Youve just got into work and decide to dedicate your first daily actions to sorting your inbox, clearing the weekends messages and setting yourself up for the week ahead. But by the time you glance up, its 11am youve fallen victim to the productivity trap of inefficient emailing once again. Frustrating and draining, its easy to feel overwhelmed so just how can you boost your email efficiency and cope? 1. Know your way around your inbox Though most business communication relies on email in one form or another, a surprising number of professionals are ignorant of relatively basic inbox management features. From knowing how to set out-of-office responses, establish filters to segment incoming mail, or create folders to archive important mail chains, automated management is the first step towards breaking time-management problems into smaller, simpler chunks. 2. Organise, organise, organise Just as a tidy room equals a tidy mind, a well-managed inbox equals a well-managed schedule. Preventing late, missed and ineffective communications, forming a few basic organisational habits will increase response efficiency, productivity and professionalism. As a starting point, you should make the most of automatic filters, file emails into relevant folders (say, colleagues or clients for search and archive simplicity), make sure contact lists are organised and regularly updated, and synch your inbox with your calendar to easily create events, set reminders and remember tasks. Dont be afraid to delete the things you dont need, and file the things you do it will save much more time and mail space! 3. Monitor for mail mistakes Once youre making the most of email features and are efficiently organised, theres no excuse for shoddy messaging. Showing a mastery of the basics of business email etiquette, double checking for error doesnt take much, but increases the professionalism of communications tenfold, saving hours of time and confusion in re-sent corrections. Before sending, always double check listed recipients (and their inclusion as Bcc or Cc), include a clear, concise subject header, and ensure any attachments fit to yours, and your recipients file upload limits. 4. Keep content concise and clear Efficient emailing garners responses. So to get those responses, consider your audience. Busy professionals will have their own inboxes to manage, so keep mail short, polite, clear and thoroughly proofread to make an impression and get your point across. Most inboxes will do this automatically, but when creating new and lengthy messages, always save the draft. That way, if you go offline or your computer crashes, you wont have wasted thought, effort, or time. 5.Make sure your signatures up-to-date Your email signature forms your virtual personality, giving message recipients a first-impression of who you are. Because of this, professionals should think of signatures like business cards with clear personal and company name/branding, contact details, and social network information/ links. Try not to have too many images, and keep it short for viewing ease on tablets and phones. An effective signature signals capability and inspires trust, so make sure yours is neat, short and sweet, and encourages tweets! 6. Know when to use other formats If youre really overloaded, spend hours waiting for responses and find usual management strategies are ineffective, ask yourself: Is email really the best medium for what Im trying to achieve? Knowing when to transcend to other communication forms picking up the phone, or speaking face-to-face, can avoid lengthy chains of unclear, slow mailing, save time and have greater impact as youre introducing personality and removing the anonymous nature of abstract mailing. 7. Post replies at the top, not the bottom of email chains Losing and confusing messages is a common problem of inefficient mail. But this isnt always a result of poor archiving sometimes its the fault of the sender. Mail is increasingly read on phones and tablets, so to avoid limiting visibility on these devices, and to make overall communications clearer, always post responses at the top of chain messages. This is where the most recent replies normally appear if your response is not immediately visible, it will be ignored. Busy people wont hunt for it! 8. Tackle email responses in chunks Taking a block approach to your inbox depends on the nature of your job and how integral email is to your hourly workload, but you may find increased productivity and efficiency in other tasks, plus higher quality replies if you are uninterrupted. If possible, focus on answering emails at set times, rather than dipping in and out, and half-concentrating. 9. Dont allow your inbox to become a to-do list graveyard Compiling outstanding actions in your inbox counts as creating inbox clutter. Instead of leaving outstanding tasks to fester messily, translate actions from email format into manageable to-dos, and keep your inbox clear. This will make incoming mail much easier to deal with and allow you to track, view and prioritise to-dos simply. Use Google tasks, reminders, project management sites, spreadsheets or even a simple notepad to collate and manage outstanding tasks. 10. Review your subscriptions Do you really need to be signed up to so many newsletter updates, e-casts and notifications? How much of your new mail is automated product promotion that you habitually skip anyway? Regularly invest in some dedicated de-clutter, unsubscribe time to keep your inbox free, relevant and manageable. Make sure you find a way to remove yourself from the subscription lists, or at the very least establish filters so that junk mail bypasses your immediate inbox to be dealt with when you have the time. Dont just delete these messages that wont solve the mail overload problem and youll still be wasting time in deleting them! Remember, great inbox management is the key to successful, productive emailing and reduced-stress environments. So find the time to increase your mail efficiency, and youll find much more time for the rest of your day!

Reader Question How Do I Transition to a Career in Social Media

Reader Question How Do I Transition to a Career in Social Media Will you do a post on what it takes to make a career change and work in  Social Media?   I think there are a lot of ladies out there who are thinking of getting into Social Media but dont know how to make that switch. Thanks!   Deanna Hi Deanna, Thanks so much for your email!  I think youre absolutely right: there are so many ladies who dream of working in social media after heading into a less than thrilling career after college.  I was one of them. First, I highly encourage you to read the post I wrote a few years ago after finally leaving the world of banking to start a career in social media.  It will explain in detail how I personally made the switch.  Long story short, you will have to hustle a lot (and probably for a long time) to make any career change, but especially in social media because its so hot right now. Be prepared to prove yourself in order to achieve this goal. The next thing you should do is figure out how to build your social media track record. What you are personally doing in social media will be crucial when youre interviewing for a role in social media. This is especially true if you dont currently work in any kind of marketing or PR right now.  Your involvement in social media should be a lot more than having a Twitter and Facebook account.  Start your own blog, Tumblr, podcast or even Pinterest community which you strategically brand, grow and test new concepts with.  Compliment your online activities with resume-worthy social media volunteer work (help a charity get setup), teaching social media 101 classes or pursuing additional education on digital marketing.  You will need several live case studies to build your resume and your credibility. If youre not sure what to create a community about or how youll find the time to do it, pick up a copy of Gary Vaynerchucks book Crush It! immediately.  It may change your life like it did mine. This post may require a part two and part three so feel free to ask your follow up questions in the comments section! Good luck, Nicole

Does Job Service Helps With Resumes Writing?

Does Job Service Helps With Resumes Writing?If you need help with resume writing, there are many options available to you. You may have job seekers coming to your business with resumes in hand. While some may have a resume or letter that is well designed and full of relevant information, others may have nothing to offer at all. Here are some tips for job seekers who need help with resume writing.One good idea is to take advantage of the professional services of a resume writing service. While it will cost you money, the finished product can be invaluable. They can guide you through the steps necessary to have the resume you desire.The basics are easy, but creating a simple resume and cover letters that have your best points is the real challenge. In addition, the resumes have to be professionally designed and written to be the best they can be. The formatting and layout are important as well. You will have to have a personal touch on your cover letter and resume as well. This can be difficult when you do not understand a bit about how resumes work.Finding a good writing service can be a great time saver as well. You can use them to design and write a sample resume, a cover letter, or even help with professional writing jobs. This is a valuable service that can save you a lot of time and money, while giving you the help you need with resume writing.While hiring someone to write your resume can help you with resume writing, you may also want to hire someone to prepare the cover letter for you, especially if you have little experience writing a cover letter. When you have someone to write the letter for you, you do not have to know what to say. You can give your best pitch for the position you are applying for and let the other party get back to you once they review the letter.A more helpful service is to hire someone to perform an assessment. Most people who start out as entry level positions have little idea of what they are supposed to say in their resume or co ver letter. By sending someone to do the assessment, you get a second opinion on your application.Job services can provide you with a sample resume and cover letter to get you started. If you are a beginner with resume writing, these samples can help you organize and write a resume that has all the information you want. You may find that you are shocked at how simple the resume is, and how quickly you can get it done.Some service providers are specifically trained to help people with resume writing and with job searching. Take the time to consider this as an option before you choose to hire a service to do it for you. They may be able to help you with resume writing and give you the kind of attention you need in order to get the job you want.

How to Avoid an Out-of-Whack Sleep Cycle When Unemployed

How to Avoid an Out-of-Whack Sleep Cycle When Unemployed 16 Flares 16 Flares It really sucks to have a screwed up sleep cycle.  The stress that results is unreal, and  its actually a common bad habit that forms when people become unemployed.  Some folks will literally hit the snooze button for hours in the morning, and eventually just set their alarms to go off for a later time. Why is this bad? Trains your body to wake up later than when youd need to be up for work Can be detrimental to your diet Hurts job hunting How do you stop this bad habit from forming? Set up phone calls, appointments, or networking breakfasts every morning.  Reach out to people in your industry on  Twitter,  Facebook, and  Linkedin.  Ive found that mostly everyone enjoys connecting offline  for 20-30 minutes with their online connections. If you know you need to wake up around 7AM everyday once you start working, then plan your appointments around 8 or 8:30 each morning.   Its obviously not easy to make something like this happen everyday, but even just a few times a week will keep your body and mind in a more work friendly sleep cycle. What I love about this strategy is that it not only helps train your body to wake early, but also is an effective job search method.  Youll be on the phone with other industry professionals who are either working, looking, or maybe even hiring. Start off slow if it feels overwhelming.  Plan 2-3 calls per week, 4-5 if youre aggressive.  Having something to wake up for will give you a ton of energy, and a reason to wake up.

Fifteen Great People in History Who Never Earned a College Degree - CareerAlley

Fifteen Great People in History Who Never Earned a College Degree - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. C.S. Lewis Are you in a current career rut and wishing you would have gone to or finished college? Earning a college degree can lead to a great career, if approached correctly. However, you shouldnt fret so much about not having your degree, because there are many college graduates who are still having a hard time finding a job, let alone a career. In fact, there are hundreds of successful people in history who never earned a college degree (some didnt even finish high school). Listed below are ten of the greatest people in history who never earned a college degree. Let these people serve as your inspiration during your job search or career planning (and remind you that a college degree isnt the defining factor of success). 1. Bill Gates: Co-founder of Microsoft. Dropped out of college. 2. Henry Ford: Founder of Ford Motor Company. Never graduated high school. 3. John D. Rockefeller: Founder of Standard Oil and renowned philanthropist. Dropped out of high school just two months before graduation. 4. Ansel Adams: Famous photographer who never attended college. 5. Abraham Lincoln: Sixteenth President of the United States. He attended various grammar schools but never graduated from high school. 6. Walt Disney: Founder of Walt Disney Productions and mastermind behind Disneyland and Walt Disney World. He never graduated from high school. 7. Michael Dell: Founder and CEO of Dell, Inc. He dropped out of college. 8. Mark Zuckerberg: Founder of Facebook. Dropped out of college. 9. Steven Spielberg: Movie director and producer. Dropped out of college. 10. S. Daniel Abraham: Founder of Slim-Fast. Never attended college. 11. Jack Crawford Taylor: Founder of Enterprise Rent-a-Car. Dropped out of college to serve in World War II. Worked as a car salesman before opening his car rental company. 12. Wolfgang Puck: Chef and restaurateur. Left school at the age of 14 to become an apprentice at a hotel restaurant in Monaco. 13. William Randolph Hearst: Newspaper publisher and two-term U.S. Representative. He was expelled from Harvard University for bad behavior. 14. Peter Jennings: Accomplished ABC News Journalist. Dropped out of high school. 15. Ted Turner: Founder of CNN and TBS. Was expelled from Brown University for having a girl in his room. All of these people found success by sticking to their guns. They had an idea and a passion for something, and they turned that into a successful career. So, the next time you think that it takes a college degree to move up in this world, think again. Being book smart isnt the only way to attain success and financial wealth. Carrie Oakley is editor and writer for Online Universities. She likes to write articles about many topics of interest, including education and career planning. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search.