Is The Job Search a Numbers Game

Is The Job Search a Numbers Game Yes. And no.  Well, kind of. It depends on what numbers you are talking about.  If you are doing the right things consistently, with purpose and focus, then maybe it can be a numbers game.  If you are doing the wrong things just to hit certain numbers, youll be more frustrated than you can imagine. Alison Doyle has a great post titled Job Searching By the Numbers.  In the post she shares numbers tracked by Caryn.  Here are some examples of  things she tracked: Jobs she applied to, and how the 105 she applied to online worked out Networking, and how many opportunities she got from her network How many she got from staffing agencies, and what happened Spoiler: she accepted one of the two opportunities she found from a staffing agency that found her from LinkedIn. So all of the jobs she found and applied to online, or through her network, led to nothing, but someone found her on LinkedIn and she got and accepted an offer. So was it a numbers game?  Maybe she was only 10% into the number of jobs she should have applied to, or the resumes she sent out?  Maybe she didnt meet enough people in networking, and didnt ask who do you know and ask for introductions The reason Im writing this post is because I think that the job search CAN BE a numbers game, if you are doing the right stuff.  Just like a basketball game the more shots you take towards your own basket, the higher the chances are youll make some.  But if you are shooting at the wrong basket, or who-knows-where, you can rack up 10,000 attempts (shots) and NOT get any closer to winning, or scoring. So the answer to the question, is the job search a numbers game, has to consider what numbers you are considering. Thoughts? Is The Job Search a Numbers Game Yes. And no.  Well, kind of. It depends on what numbers you are talking about.  If you are doing the right things consistently, with purpose and focus, then maybe it can be a numbers game.  If you are doing the wrong things just to hit certain numbers, youll be more frustrated than you can imagine. Alison Doyle has a great post titled Job Searching By the Numbers.  In the post she shares numbers tracked by Caryn.  Here are some examples of  things she tracked: Jobs she applied to, and how the 105 she applied to online worked out Networking, and how many opportunities she got from her network How many she got from staffing agencies, and what happened Spoiler: she accepted one of the two opportunities she found from a staffing agency that found her from LinkedIn. So all of the jobs she found and applied to online, or through her network, led to nothing, but someone found her on LinkedIn and she got and accepted an offer. So was it a numbers game?  Maybe she was only 10% into the number of jobs she should have applied to, or the resumes she sent out?  Maybe she didnt meet enough people in networking, and didnt ask who do you know and ask for introductions The reason Im writing this post is because I think that the job search CAN BE a numbers game, if you are doing the right stuff.  Just like a basketball game the more shots you take towards your own basket, the higher the chances are youll make some.  But if you are shooting at the wrong basket, or who-knows-where, you can rack up 10,000 attempts (shots) and NOT get any closer to winning, or scoring. So the answer to the question, is the job search a numbers game, has to consider what numbers you are considering. Thoughts?

Hire Resume Writing Experts From Yahoo

Hire Resume Writing Experts From YahooYou can also hire the resume writing experts from Yahoo to write the resume for you. If you are not familiar with the online form, you can be assured that your resume will be transferred to the experts for reviewing and assessment. The experts will tell you the necessary tips to create a beautiful, user-friendly resume.There are some things you need to consider when writing a professional resume. There are times when people have mistakes while writing their resumes. Therefore, hiring a resume writing expert from Yahoo is one way of achieving a flawless resume that does not contain errors.If you hire experts from Yahoo, they will give you help in creating a Google Doc or Word document with all the essential information on the resume. You can give your resume to them after which they will complete it. This will reduce the time of the job application process.The fact that the resume writing experts from Yahoo are professionals will enable you to fin ish the job application process within a week. Your resume can be presented at the interview process by using the help of the experts from Yahoo. This will mean that your resume will not be rejected during the process.The most popular resume would be the Cover Letter. The Cover Letter should be completed in a neat manner to be presented to the employer. If you have prepared your resume by hiring experts from Yahoo, you can submit your resume in time and you will get a positive response on the result.It is advisable to hire experts for writing a resume as it gives a professional touch to the resume. The professional resume will give an overall positive look to the job application process. It is suggested to hire experts for writing a resume as it can ensure success in the entire process.In order to create an informative resume, experts from Yahoo will be very helpful. They can come up with impressive resumes that are aimed at the requirements of the employer. The experts from Yahoo a re able to provide professional services on a cost effective basis. However, the charges will depend on the size of the resume you want to create.The experts from Yahoo have many years of experience in this field. They are highly skilled in creating professional resumes. Thus, they are able to offer professional service at reasonable rates.

Did You Win a Grammy Why Not - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Did You Win a Grammy Why Not - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Congratulations to everyone who won. And, congratulations to Kanye West who, persists in believing he is: “The One Who Decides What Is Sufficiently Creative to Win for Album of the Year.” Per the Huffington Post: “Kanye West nearly interrupted Beck after the rock star won Album of the Year over Beyonce. Many outlets including HuffPost Entertainment, assumed Wests improve was a joking reference to when he cut off Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV VMAs.” It wasn’t an act of mirth. Kanye ranted on in all seriousness about his decision-making powers being superior to the voters (who are the majority of all the recording artists in the academy). If you didnt know, “The GRAMMYs are the only peer-presented award to honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position,” per the Grammy.org. All Kanye hijinks aside, why didn’t YOU win? Well, it could be many things. Maybe you didn’t record anything this year. Maybe you did, but you didn’t promote it. Maybe you did, but it was not your best effort. Maybe you did, but no one else thought it was good. I’m not talking to just you musicians. Joan Rivers, God rest her soul, won. She earned her Grammy for “Best Spoken Word Album (includes Poetry, Audio Books Storytelling.)” So why didnt you win? Undoubtedly you did some speaking this year. You told some stories. Maybe you wrote a line or two of prose. Technology couldn’t make it any easier to record and upload to everywhere music or any other sound is heard. So you didn’t win because you didn’t do the work, and you didn’t enter. What is a Grammy anyway? It’s just recognition. So, Im talking to you about a Grammy as a metaphor for what you should be going for, at this point in your career or business. Recognition for you might be a promotion, a salary increase, an investment in your venture, or a new position at a new company. It might be a comment on your blog or post. It might be more followers, friends or fans. However you measure your “Grammy,” you’ve got to be in it, to win it. You probably don’t have an official awards night or two or ten each year, in your company, industry, sport, family or any other sector of your life. But, you’re missing out if you don’t have an awards ceremony every day, for you, by you and with you. Every day, youve got to set aside some time, when you are the focus of your consciousness and congratulation. Put a time on your daily calendar, when you review your accomplishments, your progress, your earnest hard work, or stretch toward a goal. So get yourself a little Kanye going, and be The One Who Decides You Are The Best Decision-Maker of What is Great. Do it everyday. And let winning becoming a habit.

Protect Your Present and Future Freeze Your Eggs

Protect Your Present and Future â€" Freeze Your Eggs Or: it’s a word that often means compromising you can have this or that. Learning to compromise is an important part of interacting with people… but when it comes to your future, do you really want to compromise? Gone are the days when women had to choose between having a family and succeeding in the workplace, pursuing advanced degrees, or waiting for the right romantic partner. Your life is no longer an either/or situation, especially if you consider freezing your eggs. More women than ever are freezing eggs, and there are many reasons why. Maybe you are on the path to becoming a doctor you will be 28 or older by the time you finish training. Will you be able to meet your life partner while doing 36-hour shifts? Maybe, maybe not.   You certainly would have a hard time caring for an infant or child while working those hours. Or, perhaps you want to be a lawyer.  Again, three years and untold hours of studying, followed by potentially grueling hours to make partner at a firm, leaves little time for little else. Perhaps you’re starting your own business.   That’s quick and easy, right? (Hint: It’s not!) Or you could be suiting up for battle against a medical issue like cancer, requiring medicine that could harm your reproductive capabilities. Should any of these examples mean you have to choose between following your path and becoming a mom someday? No! You are strong, capable, and can say “no” to either/or, and “yes” to and. You can live your dreams and still plan for a family later. If you are thinking about freezing your eggs, it’s wise to complete the procedure by the time you are in your early- to mid-30s. This is because you have more eggs when you’re younger, and the eggs are healthier. By age 40, a woman’s chance of getting pregnant with her own eggs drops to less than 10 percent. Freezing your eggs can give you peace of mind, but like many things worth doing, the process does take a bit of effort. After meeting with a reproductive specialist, prepare to become intimately acquainted with your reproductive system.   You will do hormone checks and get an ultrasound to check your ovarian reserve. Then you will need to put aside any qualms about needles, as you will need to inject medications that stimulate your ovaries to produce eggs, medications to prevent the ovaries from releasing the eggs too soon, and then more medications to trigger your body to release them at the right time.   The doctor collects the eggs while you are under anesthesia. Women generally produce between 10 and 20 eggs per cycle, but each person is different. Once the eggs are retrieved, they will be frozen and stored. Clinics that flash-freeze eggs using vitrification are utilizing the most technologically advanced process. Vitrification allows the eggs to reach sub-zero temperatures so quickly that ice crystals don’t form in the eggs’ cellular structures, meaning they have a better chance of thawing without damage. When exploring your fertility options, one must of course take the financial aspect into consideration. The process of freezing your eggs is almost identical to going through in vitro fertilization, except that you hit “pause” part way through and start again later.   Thus, the costs associated with freezing your eggs are similar to undergoing IVF. In fact, one study showed that freezing eggs at age 35 for later use was less expensive in the long run than waiting and doing IVF at age 40. Right now, the idea of starting a family may be a “someday dream.”   Until then, keep doing all the amazing things you do that will inspire your children down the line. Image Source; Image Source; Image Source

Resume Summaries Are Important

Resume Summaries Are ImportantThe purpose of a resume summary generator is to help you create an effective resume as fast as possible. Because there are so many different components that go into an effective resume, it's important to make sure you put in the time to ensure that the individual you are looking for gets noticed.A resume summary generator will be able to fill in the blanks for you. In order to get the best results possible, you need to have your content written by a professional. This will allow you to get a higher level of results as well as giving you more time to focus on the most important things.One of the most important aspects of the resume summary generator is how you present yourself. Your goal is to give employers a good idea of what type of candidate they will be hiring. You should use your summary to let them know how your qualifications are related to their needs.Make sure you present yourself in a positive light and talk about how your past accomplishments and skills match up with the position that you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for a job at a sales company, then use your summary to highlight any special talents or abilities that you have that are specific to this industry. Also, keep in mind that using specific words in your summary will increase the chance of getting a response. So be sure to be concise and to avoid using terms that are too specific.If you have written your resume, but need to find more information, a summary generator can also be used to answer other questions that may be on your mind. Many people find themselves wondering if they will be able to land the job that they want after they submit their application. By having a summary generator that allows you to answer these types of questions, you will have the information that you need to feel confident about your application.Another important aspect of the resume summary generator is to focus on your strengths. One of the most common problems that people face when writing resumes is that they focus too much on their weaknesses. In order to become a more attractive candidate, you need to be able to point out your strengths. If you are very good at organizing things, then highlight that skill.If you are trying to improve a skill, a resume summary generator will be able to help you. If you are seeking to add an area of expertise, then outline your goals. A summary will enable you to highlight your skills and abilities without having to talk about your weaknesses.Using a resume summary generator will allow you to focus on the areas that are of most importance to you. These are all critical elements that should not be overlooked. The sooner you begin to organize your resume, the sooner you will begin to see results.

Breaking the Ice in Interviews can Open Employment Doors

Breaking the Ice in Interviews can Open Employment Doors Breaking the Ice in Interviews can Open Employment Doors Breaking the ice is in an interview difficult. You are nervous. The employer is stressed (likely because they have work backing up due to the staff vacancy). And time is of the essence. Nowhere else is that more crystal clear than in the first moments of an interview the window for breaking the ice and having a real conversation with the prospective company is a sliver of the time you spend with the employer, but the most important piece. Ive written before about the most important part of the interview: before it actually begins. Thats the critical moment where breaking the ice humanizes the conversation before the official, formal interview even begins. But what is the best tips for breaking the ice? Timing is important. Usually, there is a small window from when you are waiting to be taken back to the interview and when you are actually seated where you can set the tone of the conversation by an artfully-managed way for breaking the ice. Remember: always shape the conversation around open-ended conversations, and not straight yes/no answers. Getting someone talking will help you build rapport and take the stiffness / formality out of the conversation. The more rapport you build, the better connection you make, and employers are much more inclined to hire someone they know and like! Here are some topic areas to get you going for breaking the ice: Reference something that happened to you recently. It could be as simple as talking about the weather (sure, humdrum), but if you can fold it into something like, Boy, it sure has been hot lately but in the winter, I am sure well be remembering these days fondly. Have you had a chance to get out and enjoy the summer yet? Refer to a recent news article about the company. It goes without saying that you should do your homework about the company, But anything you can do to connect something you read to translate into scoring points big-time. Example,Boy, I bet its busy around here! I just saw in the business journal yesterday that this company is expanding. How are you doing with all of this excitement? Express your sincere excitement about being at the interview. Theres nothing wrong with being excited to be there. Showing excitement is better than showing nervousness, so channel your energy into a positive emotion. Breaking the ice by saying something along the lines of, Thank you again for meeting with me! I know you are interviewing other candidates, but I am thrilled for the opportunity to discuss with you how I can ______ for your company.  This is going to be a great conversation! For people worried about age discrimination, drop hints about recent activity, either physical or learning. I am an advocate for making your resume as age-neutral as possible so that cant factor into the initial screening process. However, when you walk into the interview, age becomes apparent. To overcome peoples initial knee-jerk reactions to more mature workers, breaking the ice takes a more important role because it can recalibrate expectations from the interviewers. You need to rapidly respond to those stereotypes by breaking the ice to hit them head-on. Example to show physical activity / agility: Im so glad to be here! I dont know about you, but this weekend was glorious, wasnt it? I was out doing a run and realized that we are a lmost into September already, and I thought to myself, wow- where has the summer gone? Another example which demonstrates mental acuity: You know, I am very excited to be speaking with you today. Last week, I was attending a conference on _____, and based on what I know about this opportunity here at your company, I see some really amazing applications of some of the concepts presented. Humor. Proceed with caution. Only if you are a diplomatic humorist should you try to be funny. Some people simply dont respond to humor so appropriate use is strongly cautioned. A quick one-liner is a good way for breaking the ice in an interview. My favorite line is when I am being seated and they point out the chair. I go over to it, pat the seat, and say, Is this the hot seat? I hope it is good and warmed up, because I am ready! Then smile. That usually gets a chuckle, while at the same time conveying confidence and diffusing some of the interview tension. Ask a question. If you can insert a question into the short window before the session officially begins, you can learn a lot and again, build up some of that critical rapport. Be aware that any questions used for breaking the ice definitely need to be smart ones. Dont resort to stupid ones like, How many people work here? you should know that already from your pre-interview research. But thinking strategically and asking targeted questions can help gain additional valuable insights into the interview and set the tone of the discussion. Example: I saw recently that this company won an award as a great place to work. What do you love about your job or working here? Identify an object of interest in the room and mention it. Mundane, yes. It could be a painting, sculpture, award, or something else. But what that does is invites the interviewer to tell a story about the object, which takes the emphasis away from the interview proper and can provide more insights as to the companys culture, history, or priorities. In summary, breaking the ice in an interview can open doors it shows high emotional quotient and demonstrates superb social management skills. So in your next interview, remember to take the lead in breaking the ice, and see where it takes you.

Motivation Monday Come On!

Motivation Monday Come On! Monday is the start of a new week. Lets clean the slate- start from scratch- a big do-over. Whos ready? Today is the first day for a new you. You can be who you want to be and do what you want to do! (Mind over matter kind of stuff!) What do you want to happen this week? Do you want to land a job or land a promotion? It all starts today. No matter how long youve been looking or trying, today is day one! This means youll have to leave behind some stuff. First, no more complaining about the black hole, age-discrimination, the bad economy or anything else out of your control.  Drop the poor me attitude. Second, stop making assumptions. A fresh start requires a fresh outlook, untainted by your past experiences. If you are going to assume anything- assume positive intent. Third, networking isnt a dirty word. It doesnt mean taking from others or asking for favors. You have to give to get. Your List for This Week Lets start with a different kind of to-do list this week. Instead of thinking in terms of what you need to do for YOU, make a list of things you can do for other people. Support an organization that needs help. Visit someone who needs companionship. Forward an interesting article along to someone you know would appreciate it (include a note explaining why.) Say thank you with a smile to every store clerk you encounter. Give someone an unexpected gift (it doesnt have to cost any money, think flowers.) Reach out to someone who you havent spoken to in several years. Only ask about their life! Do something kind for your neighbor; bring in their trash cans, or bring them a treat. Offer to teach someone something you know how to do well. Introduce people you know who would benefit from knowing each other. Share a job lead or company contact name with someone you know who is looking for work. Good luck starting your week with a fresh perspective!