How to Avoid Common Mistakes in Writing Resume For Promotion

How to Avoid Common Mistakes in Writing Resume For PromotionThe resume writing guidelines are important because the list of benefits is a vital component of any resume. The person who gets the job is going to check it out and assess its authenticity. If the resume matches with the profile of the potential employer has, the latter may proceed to the next step and hire the applicant. The most important task the reader has to undertake is to ensure that the information in the resume is correct.Some human resource managers have the habit of taking a lot of work. This is something that can lead to confusion. If you have to perform an interview, you cannot afford to take up all the work for yourself. Hence, it is best to follow the guidelines laid down by the human resource managers.One common mistake that the HR managers commit is not factoring in the additional skills that the applicant possesses. You can make use of these skills to enhance your resume for promotion. In addition, it help s in creating an impression that the company values the applicant and has taken an interest in his work performance.The content of the resume should be concise and clear. Any information left out will show an impression that the applicant lacks relevant information. There should not be any superfluous information on the resume. It is also advisable to know the number of years the applicant has been in the organization.There is a small point that some companies like to use a diagram when creating the resume. It is not necessary. You need to be able to write in simple language. Any design that looks complicated and cluttered is going to throw away the credibility of the resume.The HR managers do not want to take up the time in defining the reason for the promotion and the company's work culture. Thus, the person who works with the information needs to come up with it before submitting the resume. The person can also use charts to highlight the points that he wants to bring up in the r esume.The final material that is required is the contacts. You can include them in the cover letter or in the introduction part of the resume. A contact sheet is available in most of the books on resume writing.The third most common mistake is using the language that is generic. If the applicant cannot explain why he was promoted, then it is better to avoid doing so. The recruiter should understand the reason behind the promotion and he or she can then decide whether you should get the job or not.

My Career in Optometry University of Manchester Careers Blog

My Career in Optometry University of Manchester Careers Blog I am an Optometrist currently working for one of the large national chains. Throughout my 10 year career I have worked at over 50 different practices as both an employed and locum optician. In addition to Optometry I also run a successful website called www.treatmentsaver.com which has helped give me some perspective as to both the good and bad things about my career. What is your current role? I currently work as the senior optician in a busy city centre practice. My role involves assessing both the health and vision of all my patients in addition to providing contact lenses as required. How did you get to this point in your career? To study Optometry it is pretty competitive and most universities require at least 3 B grades. For better ranked universities such as Manchester and Cardiff you are likely to need even better results. After completing my A levels I started my 3 year Optometry degree at UMIST (now Manchester university). The course is pretty intense with your performance in every year counting towards your final degree results. After completing your degree you then start your Pre-registration (Pre-Reg) year which basically means you are working under the supervision of a qualified Optometrist. During this year the aim is to put all of things you have learnt at University into practice in the ‘real world’.   You will be assessed throughout the year by examiners to check you are achieving the required standards and you then have to sit your Professional Qualifying Exams (PQE’S) at the end of the year. Once you have passed these you can start applying for jobs. When you initially start practicing you will typically be seeing patients every 30 minutes but with experience this will drop to every 20 minutes. You will improve your contact lens skills as well to the point where you can do all disciplines seamlessly depending on what the patient requires. What are the highs and lows of the job? Highs: The graduate entry salary is high when compared with a lot of other professions. Depending on location you could start on as much as £30,000 which is extremely attractive. With increased experience and speed of testing, most opticians will be earning close to £50,000 after 10 years of practicing. It is important to mention here that wages are lower in areas of saturation and this is particularly the case in Northern Ireland. Working with the general public: Although this can be frustrating at times, it certainly means that no two days are exactly the same. You will also find there is a massive difference working in areas with contrasting socio-economic demographics. Short hours: Opticians typically work 9 â€" 5.30 with few late nights or meetings. Another great thing is that you are unlikely to ever have to do any ‘work related’ tasks at home. No on-going exams: One of the most appealing things about Optometry when compared with other careers such as medicine is that once you have qualified your studying days are effectively behind you! Job satisfaction: Helping someone see for the very first time or detecting a disease that will prevent someone from going blind are just two of the reasons that make the profession extremely satisfying at times. Lows: Predictable: Once you have been qualified for a number of years your day to day job becomes pretty predictable as you are unlikely to encounter any problems that you can’t easily solve. On busy days the job can feel like you are just taking in one patient after another which can be tiring. Poor top salary: Whilst opticians have a great starting salary, £50,000 is generally the maximum you are likely to achieve. Whilst this is a good wage it is considerably less than what dentists and doctors will achieve throughout their careers. Career progression: There isn’t much career progression in Optometry meaning what you do from day one is not that much different to what you will be doing after 10 years. Working Saturdays: Although Optometry is considered a medical career it is also in the retail sector. Consequently Saturdays are the busiest day and you will almost certainly be expected to work them. Litigious profession: Like all medical professions Optometry is becoming more litigious in nature which makes the importance of good conduct and record keeping even greater. All opticians are required to have medical indemnity insurance which is typically provided by the AOP. What about Attitude, Personality Interests? You need to be able to deal with the pressure that comes with keeping to a full clinic. You need to work fast as keeping to a 20 minute clinic is not easy. In addition to this it is important that your patients do not think you are rushing them as this is likely to result in a complaint! You need to have a good bed side manner and personal skills. Patients are trusting you with the health of their eyes and are discussing personal matters with you. You need to be adaptable and open to change as the profession is constantly evolving. If you are going to practice as a locum optician this is especially important as the equipment will vary between clinics. You need to be compassionate and empathetic as at times you will have to deliver bad news to patients who may have irreversibly lost their vision. What advice would you give to someone considering a similar career? Treat your patients as you would want to be treated and don’t forget you are just one cog in the wheel. You need to acknowledge the help and support of your clinical staff as well. Don’t ever see yourself as better than your work colleagues as this will lead to resentment and a bad atmosphere at work. Realise that Optometry can be routine at times but this will allow you to have a full and uninterrupted private life. Life beyond Optometry? I think people need to realise that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side and often the things you thought you didn’t like about your job such as the repetitiveness and lack of career path are often the things you appreciate when you leave! Running my own web business in conjunction with my Optometry career I often find myself moaning at the fact that I have to do work at home and work late! If you are considering a future career beyond Optometry the skills you are likely to have developed by working in practice are good communication, organisation and leadership. These are all qualities that will serve you well in other industries. For those about to embark on a career in Optometry I wish you a long and happy professional life. Tim Harwood All Undergraduate Undergraduate-highlighted job market Options

Unemployment How Is Your State Doing - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Unemployment How Is Your State Doing - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career When choosing a career, whether initially or for a change, there are several basic factors to consider. I wince every time I hear someone  say Do what you love and you will never work another day in your life or Follow your passion because I believe these sayings can cause people to make decisions without considering other, more analytical factors. But, it is true that some consideration of what I call  the touchy-feely factors is reasonable. Ask yourself: How do the profession and industry match with my  values? Will I  feel I am  contributing to the world I  want to see? Will I be using my  higher talents? Will the work itself be stimulating and motivating? Once you have considered these  qualitative factors, people like me will urge you to not forget some of  these quantitative factors: Is it likely you will be able to earn an income to fit the lifestyle you desired? Is there sufficient demand now and likely to be sufficient demand in the future for the profession? Is the industry in an upswing or decline and what are the future prospects? Yet another qualitative factor to consider is the location where you plan to work or run your business. Which brings me to the title of this post How is your state doing in the unemployment category? Obviously, a city or state with low unemployment tends to offer more opportunity. That opportunity can spell the difference between a job and no job. It can spell the difference between having opportunities and having to hang on to a crummy job because there doesnt seem to be anything better. You can keep track of your states unemployment statistics in the  monthly reports of  the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in the U.S. Department of Labor. I could drone on and on about the misleading aspects of employment statistics, but I will spare you for now. Im just going to share one number with you and then give you a list  of how states are doing relative to unemployment. Heres the number: 31.5. This is  the average number of weeks that a person is unemployed as of September, 2014. Thats about 7+ months. The BLS breaks down their monthly unemployment numbers by metropolitan area (MSA). This can be helpful because employment may vary widely between cities within your state. Perhaps  a move not too far from home  might improve your employment odds considerably. Now (finally), here are the state rankings (with unemployment rates)  from best to worst as of September, 2014: 1 NORTH DAKOTA 2.8       2 NEBRASKA 3.6    3 SOUTH DAKOTA 3.6    4 UTAH 3.6   5 VERMONT 4.1    6 HAWAII 4.3    7 MINNESOTA 4.3 8 NEW HAMPSHIRE 4.4   9 IOWA 4.5    10 WYOMING 4.6    11 IDAHO 4.7    12 MONTANA 4.7   13 OKLAHOMA 4.7     14 KANSAS 4.9 15 COLORADO 5.1      16 TEXAS 5.3   17 MAINE 5.6    18  VIRGINIA 5.6    19 WASHINGTON 5.6    20 WISCONSIN 5.6   21 OHIO 5.7 22 INDIANA 5.8    23 LOUISIANA 5.8    24 MASSACHUSETTS 5.8   25 PENNSYLVANIA 5.8    26 ARKANSAS 6.3    27 FLORIDA 6.3 28 MISSOURI 6.3   29 MARYLAND 6.4    30 NEW YORK 6.4   31 SOUTH CAROLINA 6.4    32 DELAWARE 6.5   33 CONNECTICUT 6.6 34 NEW JERSEY 6.6    35 WEST VIRGINIA 6.6    36 ILLINOIS 6.7   37 NEW MEXICO 6.7    38 ALASKA 6.8    39 NORTH CAROLINA 6.8 40 ALABAMA 6.9   41 ARIZONA 7.1    42 KENTUCKY 7.1    43 OREGON 7.2    44 CALIFORNIA 7.4   45 MICHIGAN 7.4    46 TENNESSEE 7.4 47 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 7.6    48 NEVADA 7.6   49 RHODE ISLAND 7.7    50 MISSISSIPPI 7.9    51 GEORGIA 8.1 I live in Atlanta, Georgia, the 9th most populous metropolitan area in the country. Our unemployment rate is only slightly better than that of the state at large and the state ranks dead last. So, heres my point: You need to consider  geography in making your future career decisions. If the grass is greener in a neighboring state or in another city within your current state, you might want to think about it.

Business Lessons Learned From Distance Cyclists - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Business Lessons Learned From Distance Cyclists - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.   Albert Einstein,  letter to his son Eduard, 1930 I thought of that while riding my bicycle.   Einstein, in reference to the Theory of Relativity The recent winner of the Tour de France, Chris Froome said that the toughest part of the race and what set him and his team apart as the dominant force in the 100th tour was being great formidable in all areas of racing, particularly the climbs and time trials.  Not that unlike business owners, competitive cyclists train by setting small obtainable goals for daily rides and increase their endurance for the actual race by gradually increasing miles throughout their training.   The training culminates into preparing them for the actual race day where everything will count in determining which team rushes to the finish line first. Finishing ahead of others and beating their own time is what motivates them. Competitive cyclists set goals for themselves (in terms of distance and times for their ride) and they seldom stop before completing their goal. If a cyclist decides before a ride she’ll be riding for 26, 52, 78, 104 miles, that’s the distance she’ll ride barring an injury that prevents her from completing that goal. The distance she decides to ride may be equated to a project and its deadline: There is a set goal and time in which the cyclists set ahead of his ride to complete the ride.   The same could be true of a diligent and accountable employer, the one who can assign himself a role, set a deadline to finish that’s faster than the average employee and he maintains the driven mindset that he’ll follow through no matter what obstacles are in his path. Marathon cyclists are also known for their endurance:   They are determined to finish and persist through joint pain, cramps, harsh weather, skin irritation, blisters and more to reach the finish line.   Business owners and top employees must also possess endurance. There are times every entrepreneur feels like throwing up his or her hands and saying, this just is too hard or it’s impossible, I’ll never make it.   There’s too many barriers to entry.   And the successful ones never give up!   They endure, persist and eventually come out on top. Marathon cyclists (similar to marathon runners) describe themselves as steady and focused. Always looking for how to improve their performance and to achieve a faster recovery.   Successful business owners must also remain focused on their company’s mission, set realistic yet optimistic goals and model consistency for their employees.   Similarly, the savvy employee will work on projecting an image of being reliable, consistent and someone who will follow through on her commitments. Business owners and employees all benefit from adopting these qualities:   Endurance, focus, commitment to meeting deadlines, increased speed and efficiency, cross training (knowing how their role affects others in their firm to create synergy) and working through difficult spots is all a part of the training regimen that leads to a business’s success. Author: Beth  is Founder and President of Get Hired, LLC.   She advises students on how to bridge the gap from school to career.  Beth is the co-author of  From Diploma to Dream Job: Five Overlooked Steps to a Successful Career.  Her coaching assists students and career changers to successfully match their needs, interests, passions, skills, and personal goals with the needs of a sustainable industry in a sustainable location.  She is a resource for print and online media and offers workshops for University Career Service Departments, Executive Recruiters, Outplacement Services, College Guidance Counselors and College Alumni Associations. See website for more details about Beth’s services  www.fromdiploma2dreamjob.com.  Beth’s Webinar was sponsored by George Washington University’s Career Services Dept. for their worldwide alumni association:  Leverage Your College Diploma.  You can follow Beth on twitter @BethKuhel

How Did You Power Up Your Executive Brand Last Year - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

How Did You Power Up Your Executive Brand Last Year January is the perfect time to reflect, take stock,  evaluate, and record what you did for your brand last year, before you forget the details. If youre job-hunting or planning to be, your most recent brand-reinforcing achievements and contributions can give your personal marketing communications the kind of punch that will make you irresistible to recruiters and hiring decision makers. Reflect on how well you stayed the course with your career and personal goals for last year. Do last years goals align with this years or will you need to map out a new plan to meet your 2010 goals and propel yourself forward? Here are some questions and exercises to prompt your  evaluation:  What were you most proud of accomplishing  â€" 3 or 4 things you did that brought the most value to you and your employer? Transform these high points into career success stories using the C-A-Rs method that you can then use in job interviewing. See my post, How to Leverage C-A-R Storytelling for Executive Branding and Job Search.  What was one defining moment for you? Maybe you accomplished the impossible, against all odds. Maybe it was a learning touchpoint or meeting someone who significantly impacted your career. Maybe it was something that happened in your personal life to make you reconsider whether your job is bringing you the career fulfillment you need and deserve.  Who did you mentor and how did your guidance impact that person, your team, your department, and your company?  What new skills and competencies did you master?  If blogging and other social media involvement were in your 2009 plan, what inroads did you make? See my post, Executive Job Search and Blogging: Perfect Together.  Did you earn any new degrees or credentials, or take relevant training?  How did you expand your network? Did you join any new relevant professional organizations? Did you fully leverage social networks like , Twitter,

Interview with the Author of Job Searching with Social Media For Dummies - CareerEnlightenment.com

Right after that what you mentioned was, you went out to just go to the market and start to meet people. It wasn’t as if you were looking for a position, you were starting to meet people. So in some way, did the fact that they were managing your expectations that there may not be a job for 3-6 months that gave you the feeling that you needed to do something kind of changed your focus a little bit it sounds like?Joshua Waldman:  Yeah it did change my focus and of course I applied for jobs. You have to in order to maintain unemployment benefits, and I did. I walked into job interviews, and you know, frankly I’ll tell you one experience I had.I walked into a job interview and I was so unprepared and so uninterested in this company. I just decided to say yes to everything they asked me. They asked if I had ever sold green construction before, and I answered, “Yea, I like florescent light bulbs,” there was some part of me that was just not interested in working. Part of it was bec ause they said wait for three months before expecting anything to happen. But also when you’re laid off it’s traumatic. It hurts; it was very painful experience, existentially, for me. I would walk into a company and I would like the company for example and then the only thing I could think about was, “Wow, cool company.. I wonder what it would feel like to get laid off from here?”I just wasn’t ready.David Kushan:  Ok. So you get out there and you take the approach of starting to meet people, and your using social media for that. You also talked about how you would meet people and ask how you could help them.What can people who are not as familiar with these tools as you are, what they can start to do and how maybe thy need to look at things a little bit differently because of these tools that are available?Joshua Waldman:  I was at a leadership training a couple of years ago; it was a very small group only seven or eight of us. One of the guys in the room drinks beer, wat ches football, and owns a restoration company. These are folks who cut down huge trees and fix floods and that kind of stuff. You know, big heavy equipment operators. He sort of had this anti-woohoo raidar going on and I told him what I did.I said, “Hey, I help people find jobs using social media.” He started laughing.He said, “Oh really? That has no relevance to me.”So I asked him to tell me about his most recent hire. He said he was trying to find a front desk person; he had three candidates, and Googled one of them. She looked good on a resume, but when I Googled her it turns out she was an exotic dancer in her previous role. So he disqualified her.I asked him, “Tell me again how you don’t use social media in your hiring process?”Everyone does, even if they don’t admit it. Everyone. In fact job rights in 2013 stated that recruiters are now at 94% adoption of social media and all of them plan on spending more time and money using social media to build their teams. It’s ubiquitous to change the name of the game. If you don’t know how to use it strategically you become one of those sorry statistics of people who are winding up in jobs that they don’t really like.David Kushan:  That makes a lot of sense. What would you say from what you see in the market right now or just as you’re looking around at some of the social media tools out there or the networks out there, what are some things that are very easy for people to do that from what you’ve seen they’re just not doing?Joshua Waldman:  Number one is to think about your message first. We have a shinny objects syndrome problem in our society and it’s not this country it’s really the basis of our whole economy, is circled around this fallacy that technology is going to solve our problems and it’s not it never has. If you read some of the futurists and economic commentators back in the fifties and sixties, they were saying the exact same thing that we are saying now. Were running out of energy, technology is causing more expectations on productivity and our quality of life is going down. All of these things circle around this fallacy that we think technology is going to make our lives easier. So when we hear social media is the way to go to advance your careers. The instinct that has been drilled into us since the day we were born is to go and totally use the technology. Just go on LinkedIn and fill out your profile. Go on Facebook and fill out your profile. Start tweeting. The problem with this approach is that you haven’t thought about the strategy yet. So what can happen is you come across as being very flippant to the perception of the recruiter who is looking for very specific things. They have very specific roles they need to fill. If you’re just on there because it’s going to solve your problems, by just being there, you’re not going to get very far.That’s a mistake a lot of people make. What I would suggest you do is slow down a little bit . Accept the reality that you have to be on LinkedIn but it’s not in and of itself the solution. The solution is how you engage in the technology. So think about that message first before you start filling out that profile. What was that one thing you want a recruiter or hiring manager to remember about you? Translate THAT to be consistent across all of your messaging and profiles and posts so that you are on brand and on target.David Kushan:  That’s a great point. I spend a lot of time in talking with people about the things they that they need to do to be viewed as a specialist in the marketplace and when people are out looking of their next full time job or next contract I say to them, it’s not about getting interviews, it’s about getting the ideal position for yourself and would you rather position yourself to get two interviews and have a ninety percent chance of each of the two interviews getting back to you with an offer? Or being somebody that ten companies will inte rview you for but you have a three percent chance at being offered any of the positions.Joshua Waldman:  Exactly. Before, maybe five years ago progress on the job search was how many applications you sent out, how many resumes you sent out. I think these days it’s a different conversation. It’s how many new people have you had conversations with? How on target is your message?David Kushan:  If you were to speak with somebody who maybe listening right now, that isn’t very familiar with what’s out there. Could you share with them a brief overview of each and where they fit into an overall strategy?Joshua Waldman:  Studies are coming out reinforcing that it’s the big three that you really have to be paying attention to and it depends on the perspective. If you’re looking from the recruiting perspective, LinkedIn, Facebook and then twitter are the order of priority. If you’re looking from the job seekers perspective, you’re actually probably going to find better luck on Facebook believe it or not for several key reasons.Number one the sheer size of Facebook. There are so many people using it actively a lot. Now that graph search has been rolled out to everybody, which is where you can use natural language search to go through the entire public record of Facebook’s information on people. So for example if you wanted to find friends of friends who work at Cisco in Hawaii… you could find them with no problem. Then, because they are friends of friends you can ask for that introduction and start having conversations with people. I don’t think we have even begun to brooch the power of facebooks graph search at this point and there’s not a lot of people talking about it. What we know for sure is that companies prefer to have internal referals. Internal referals tend to be more successful candidates. We know internal referals come from employees and then family. Well guess which network has your friends and family? It’s Facebook.I think there’s this weird separation that people have intheir head of personal and professional. That actually never existed before these networks came about. Fifty years ago your friends were from work and your family hired you. SO there was never a separation between your personal and professional and just because these networks have created these false diconomies doesn’t mean we have to fall pray to them. If our friends and our family have always refered us to possible opportunities, then why not take advantage of that and use Facebook for professional networking? What’s wrong with that? As a matter of fact many people do, do that. Something on the border of 18 million Americans have gotten their jobs through the use of facebook. It’s no small number.The next most important is LinkedIn because this is where recruiters hang out. Something like 50% of LinkedIn’s user base are recruiters. So recruiters use LinkedIn like a big database and the cool thing is that the more recruiters you hav e in your network, and the better your profile is, the more you’re likely to show up in search results. So there’s sort of a passive approach to LinkedIn. Look great, have a great profile, have a big network that is strategically grown with recruiters in your industry and your chances of getting discovered go up.That’s a very passive way to approach your job search.You can also approach it much more proactively and use the advanced search features of LinkedIn and find folks who work at companies you do want to work for and then reach out to them for information and interviews.David Kushan:  I just had a thought that popped into my mind. I wanted to say that the comments you made on each of those are excellent and what I took from this is you really talking about a mindset shift that has to occur before the tools can be used, number one and number two, use the tools effectively and that’s the change that’s happening right now. The example that you gave with the person in th e beginning, they are already in social media they just don’t realize it. It’s almost as if they are shying away from a label and being apart of that label.What I tend to find that interesting, being in the business or 20 years, is when I got started the only way you got in touch with somebody was to make a phone call and people were not necessarily overwhelmed by recruiters calling them. Their information wasn’t out there. What I hear a lot of today is these people that are successful and are being identified in the market are feeling a little overwhelmed with how often they’re being reached out to there could be a number of recruiters contacting them. It’s hard for them to determine if they should get back to them or not. Which can be a full time job in itself.So in the conversations that I have with people is how they can narrow that group down into a manageable handful of people that they can have as a resource or a mutually beneficial relationship with.Do you have any advice for how you can be proactive in reaching out to the right recruiters and build relationships with them?I always tell people recruiters have favorites. If we get a position and there’s multiple people a that are qualified for it, were human and were going to reach out to people that we are most comfortable with.Do you have any insight on how people can manage that?Joshua Waldman:  Well first of all wouldn’t most of us love to have that problem? What could be a better sign of career success? That’s one of those problems you would like to have in life.I hear people complain, I talked to a guy this summer who had such a specialization and technical ability that he knows, confidently, that he can walk into any job that he wants. He had a sense of confidence but it was also pretty cocky. First of all my sympathies do not go out to people who have too many recruiters reaching out to them.David Kushan:  (laugh) let me just qualify it a little bit. I think some of the challenge s. You could get reached out to by let’s say, ten recruiters, and not all are equal. Which I have a biased opinion of course. Some have gotten into the business 30 days ago and some have been in the business for 5+ years. It’s a type of business that does have a lot of turn over. So I guess I was looking at the question more as how they can go about identifying who is worth staying in touch with. I understand the point of at east the action is coming to them because they’ve done something right. So how do they make sure that they can be in touch with the right people that can really help I guess if that makes sense.Joshua Waldman: yeah and that comes back into strategy. If you know what companies you want to work for then why would you work with a recruiter if they can just as easily go on LinkedIn and identify an information interview source and start having conversation within five minutes?The proactive approach to LinkedIn isn’t necessarily engaging with recruiters, it’ s engaging with a company.David Kushan: Just to reiterate I didn’t feel slighted at all by that comment. I think the reality is, and this is where I’ll make a comment about my own industry, is that a firm like ours is used by organizations only when they haven’t been able to identify people who are ideal for their roles.So this is all about and why I appreciate you being on our podcast, talking to people who have an idea of where they want to be and help them get there. The recruiting firm isn’t supposed to try to put themselves in the middle of something that’s going to happen already. They’re there at the end of a process to bring value where things haven’t been able to come together on their own.I just thought I would take the opportunity to make that distinction but you know that’s a good point. I think that’s part of the challenge and part of what I was trying to get out of this is sometimes people are a little too passive and wait for it to come to them but h ow do they get proactive about it and again that goes back to the big picture right?Joshua Waldman:  Yeah that’s right. The big picture is that first step, what do you want? Who are you? Who are you going to help?David Kushan:  well of course I think something that changes with social media is it makes it a little easier for people who don’t view themselves as very aggressive per say. I was telling people fifteen years ago, if you know there’s a company you want to work for, pick up the phone and call somebody there. It was almost as if you weren’t allowed to do that like there was some rule written somewhere where you’re not allowed to do that. Today some people just aren’t comfortable picking up the phone and as they viewed it, being so forward. But today with email or websites it’s a little bit easier for a more passive person to at least reach out.Joshua Waldman:  It is easier to reach out and it’s less scary. I just got a book review today from a woman who is an introvert researcher with several books out on quite leadership and I think it’s funny, her review of the book was basically social media helps with introverts who struggle with picking up the phone and talking to new people. An in-mail on LinkedIn allows them to test the waters first and feel better about making that connection.David Kushan:  Well Joshua, you spent a significant amount of time with us today and I appreciate that. Any final comments on the big picture or final thought to leave out listeners with that you think can help them get started?Joshua Waldman:  Well just do something. I think there is this risk of feeling overwhelmed because all the social media experts and technology websites kind of make this into a really big thing and it’s not it’s just a tool like a hammer or a saw. What you’re really doing is just networking. If you’re going to think about it in that terms than you pick the tool that’s appropriate for the kind of networking that you want t o do. So, start with what you want to accomplish then pick the tool. Don’t start with the tool. Realize that you need to network because it will help your career and what’s a network I can use or tool I can use to find someone who is working at that company and then pick that one. That’s how I would approach this and I think that will help alleviate any stress of not knowing where to start.

Freakin (Great POSITIVE Links) Friday Installment 20 - When I Grow Up

Freakin (Great POSITIVE Links) Friday Installment 20 - When I Grow Up If a breakfast fairy is not the epitomy of positivity, I dont know what is. Bring one to your home via waterbears etsy shop. Yes, Im eschewing the traditional form of Freakin (Great Links) Friday in honor of Positivity Week. While Ive compiled a list of blogs I love right here, I wanted to point out the dozen or so that I visit every day. Whether its their beautiful artwork, inspiring words, brilliant ideas or overall hilarity, I love visiting with these gals: Small Notebook White Hot Truth a beautiful ripple effect Old Soul Ink Starshyne Productions The Bloggess Kelly Rae Roberts decor 8 pecannoot design is mine Magnificent Marvelous Women wish jar Things We Forget LifeRemix In my quest to find all links positive this week, I wanted to share some new gems that you might enjoy: My Inspiration Lounge makes it easier for you to be inspired, find balance, pursue your passions make an impact in the world. They even have a portal for booze! HelpOthers.com is a portal dedicated to small acts of kindness Kindred is a new site from Holly of Decor 8 Heather of Creature Comforts. Ill let Heather describe this site, but Ill tell you off the bat that Ill be signign up for the forum making it a regular stop! Dont miss the free downloadable Gratitude Cards made by Holly herself. The Smile Tribe has formed with the mission of sincerely smiling at strangers! I remember being in VA with a friend years ago, and an old man greeted us with a big Hello on the street, and my friend said Hello right back. When I asked if she knew him, she said no. The jaded NY that I am, I assumed he was trying to pick us up! My friend reassured me that Its what people do in small towns. It is?! Well, if its not, I guess thats what The Smile Tribe is for! The Bright Side Project promises to bring you a little metaphorical sunshine every day, to help you stop for a second and remember life is (still) beautiful and there is goodness in the world. Amen. kind over matter asks, Have you ever left something beautiful for a stranger to find, have you ever found something beautiful yourself? We want to see it. And you want to see this gorgeous blog. The HumanKind Project is the online version of paying it forward. Share your act of kindness, and read about the kindness that others have done. Operation NICE reminds you that a little NICE goes a long way. And here are others that contributed to Positivity Week: Jeremie Miller of Sunday Night Success Carolyn Rubenstein of a beautiful ripple effect bought   these Positivity Cards , and is leaving them around Boston this weekend! Cant wait to see the pics she takes. And did I mention her angelic, generous nature?   She bought a set for me too? Ill share our pics with you next week! While Positivity Week will continue until Sunday, and the usual installments will be up next week, Ill be working the Schedule function since Ill be taking a long 4-day weekend that doesnt end until Tuesday! Yay, road trips Beantown family friends adorableness. I cant wait. You can see all of the Freakin (Great Links) Friday installments here.