LinkedIn Connections Are Not The End Goal

LinkedIn Connections Are Not The End Goal I have gotten thousands of invitations to connect over the years.  Mainly this is because I have a pretty public persona, from starting JibberJobber, and then writing the book on LinkedIn. I have spoken across the US and have done many webinars to global audiences.  So people send me invitations which I dont have a problem with. What I do have a problem with is the idea that getting a connection on LinkedIn seems to be the end goal. In my LinkedIn trainings Ive suggested that once you start a relationship with someone, you DO NOT ask them to connect with you on LinkedIn yet.  Why?  Because connecting on LinkedIn, many times, means were done communicating.  Its the end.  I have reached my goal, I have won. Think about it how many times have you connected with someone on LinkedIn, and then you never hear from them again?  How many times have you had a good conversation with someone, then invited them to LinkedIn, and then stopped communicating with them? Ive seen this too many times.  So my suggestion is to build the relationship more, and eventually connect but make it clear that you are interested in the relationship a lot more than a somewhat meaningless connection on social media. Go back to Fridays post, about getting beyond superficial.  If you have a superficial relationship, and you connect, you havent really moved beyond superficial. too many times, this end goal is a dead end. LinkedIn Connections Are Not The End Goal I have gotten thousands of invitations to connect over the years.  Mainly this is because I have a pretty public persona, from starting JibberJobber, and then writing the book on LinkedIn. I have spoken across the US and have done many webinars to global audiences.  So people send me invitations which I dont have a problem with. What I do have a problem with is the idea that getting a connection on LinkedIn seems to be the end goal. In my LinkedIn trainings Ive suggested that once you start a relationship with someone, you DO NOT ask them to connect with you on LinkedIn yet.  Why?  Because connecting on LinkedIn, many times, means were done communicating.  Its the end.  I have reached my goal, I have won. Think about it how many times have you connected with someone on LinkedIn, and then you never hear from them again?  How many times have you had a good conversation with someone, then invited them to LinkedIn, and then stopped communicating with them? Ive seen this too many times.  So my suggestion is to build the relationship more, and eventually connect but make it clear that you are interested in the relationship a lot more than a somewhat meaningless connection on social media. Go back to Fridays post, about getting beyond superficial.  If you have a superficial relationship, and you connect, you havent really moved beyond superficial. too many times, this end goal is a dead end. LinkedIn Connections Are Not The End Goal I have gotten thousands of invitations to connect over the years.  Mainly this is because I have a pretty public persona, from starting JibberJobber, and then writing the book on LinkedIn. I have spoken across the US and have done many webinars to global audiences.  So people send me invitations which I dont have a problem with. What I do have a problem with is the idea that getting a connection on LinkedIn seems to be the end goal. In my LinkedIn trainings Ive suggested that once you start a relationship with someone, you DO NOT ask them to connect with you on LinkedIn yet.  Why?  Because connecting on LinkedIn, many times, means were done communicating.  Its the end.  I have reached my goal, I have won. Think about it how many times have you connected with someone on LinkedIn, and then you never hear from them again?  How many times have you had a good conversation with someone, then invited them to LinkedIn, and then stopped communicating with them? Ive seen this too many times.  So my suggestion is to build the relationship more, and eventually connect but make it clear that you are interested in the relationship a lot more than a somewhat meaningless connection on social media. Go back to Fridays post, about getting beyond superficial.  If you have a superficial relationship, and you connect, you havent really moved beyond superficial. too many times, this end goal is a dead end.

The Fall of Privacy and the Rise of the Numerati - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

The Fall of Privacy and the Rise of the Numerati - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career I typically dont blog on Sundays but this is an exception. Privacy is an important subject, especially when information is created about us everyday, sometimes without our consent. What happens when companys learn so much about us that they call our every move? What happens when everything in the world is so public that there is no hiding? Well today I speak with Steven Baker, who is one of the beloved traditional journalists who loves social media. He wrote a piece in BusinessWeek after researching for it using Twitter (genius). His new book is called The Numerati and it takes a fascinating look at how mathematicians and other technical analysts are predicting our every move. The Numerati is a very interesting book title and the cover is exceptional, relative to most books I read. Can you explain why your face is digitized and how that reflects the name of the book? The idea is that the we produce loads of tiny details about our lives-what we buy, what we click online, where we go with our cell phones. These bits of data travel on networks, and if someone were to piece them together, in a sort of mosaic, we would each pop into view. The only people who can do this, who can find us in the rivers of data we produce, are the mathematicians, engineers and computer scientists that I call the Numerati. Since the book is about how they piece us together, from our data, and predict our behavior as shoppers, workers, patients, potential terrorists, etc., it seems appropriate to me that the face on the cover would be made up of tiny numbers. What happens to all the data we produce on a daily basis? Where does it go and does it help improve our lives, invade our privacy or both? The data we produce on a daily basis makes its way through networks into giant data centers. The biggest ones, run by companies such as Google and Microsoft, are known as clouds. You might be interested to know that they keep multiple copies of lots of data, including your correspondence on G-mail. Having multiple copies spread around the world speeds up the service and insures against data loss when servers crashas they often do. If you look at it broadly, the analysis of our data gives them a detailed picture of each one of us, and it permits them to provide us with customized service. Sometimes this will be welcome. Customized medicine and health care could dramatically improve our lives. Targeted media and advertising would mean that wed see things were more likely to find interesting and relevant. Supermarkets that analyze our data could offer us bargains on the foods we actually want to eat. But there is plenty of room for abuse. Some of the customized service will feel creepy. Sometimes theyll get it wrong. And some companies could use it to extract higher prices from us, or to deny us services (like health insurance) How are you using the ideas behind your book to find the appropriate audience that would actually purchase the book? My publisher, Houghton Mifflin, has launched a behavioral targeting campaign. Its very similar to one I describe in the book. Over the next six weeks, the behavioral advertising division of AOL, Platform-A, will analyze the Web-surfing patterns of the people who click on Numerati ads, and they will try to build profiles of the most promising group of shoppersand then hit them with about 7 million ads. This is not a big campaign. And the idea is to use it to gather insights about the market. Ill be blogging about the process on TheNumerati.net. I should add that the Web surfers that are followed in this campaign are entirely anonymous. None of us know their names, genders, or addresses. Theyre simply patterns of Web surfing. Your book talks about how people are collecting data about us and trying to manipulate our lives. Can this be stopped? Do we have any control? We have control. We can pay with cash, stop carrying cell phones, erase cookies on our computers, etc. But I think that a smarter path is to understand the risks and benefits, and to take advantage of these services prudently. There are lots of benefits, as I mentioned above. What are a few ways the Numerati are retrieving our information and using it? Theyre harvesting our data in the work place. And at some companies, including IBM, theyre using this information to deploy the workers more efficiently. (An excerpt of the book detailing what IBM is up to ran as a cover on BusinessWeek at the end of August.) Theyre also trying to model and predict us as shoppers. This fall, political Numerati will be placing us into new behavioral tribes, based on consumer and demographic data, to target us as promising potential supporters for John McCain or Barack Obama. And researchers at the National Security Agency are sifting through our data trying to find the potential terrorists among us. Are you a Numerati? What makes someone a Numerati? No, Im not one of the Numerati. Id say to be a member of that elite group, you have to make your living by analyzing data, one way or another. What are the positives and negatives for having Numerati in our world? Id say its mostly positive. Id say many of the advances in science and medicine in the next century will come through the analysis of our data. Its a lot more efficient, for example, to do medical research with computerized data than to fiddle around with test tubes. That means the Numerati will be front and center. One of the sources in my book, a young computer scientist named Jack Einhorn, got my attention when he predicted: The next Jonas Salk will be a mathematician, not a doctor. - Stephen L. Baker is the author of The Numerati and is a senior writer at BusinessWeek, covering technology. Previously he was a Paris correspondent. Baker joined BusinessWeek in March, 1987, as manager of the Mexico City bureau, where he was responsible for covering Mexico and Latin America. He was named Pittsburgh bureau manager in 1992. Before BusinessWeek, Baker was a reporter for the El Paso Herald-Post. Prior to that, he was chief economic reporter for The Daily Journal in Caracas, Venezuela. Baker holds a bachelors degree from the University of Wisconsin and a masters from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

30 Second Screening Will Your Résumé Survive

30 Second Screening Will Your Résumé Survive Anecdotal evidence consistently suggests that many recruiters and hiring managers spend less than 30 seconds on the first reading. Will a Summary or Profile section help your résumé to cut through? I hear many opinions both for and against the idea of including a Summary or Profile section at the beginning of a résumé. Some recruiters say they ignore them because they are usually fluffy motherhood statements that add no real substance to the document. In most cases I would agree with that, because the Summary is often a rather bland, generic section containing rather tired over-used résumé-speak. On the other hand, if well written, the Summary (I personally prefer to call it a Profile) can be a powerful way to get the reader’s attention and differentiate yourself from other candidates. This should help to sustain a high “strike rate” surviving the usually brutally brief first screening. There is plenty of good material around on what the Summary should include â€" hard skills, soft skills, range and depth of experience, industry background, key strengths and so forth. No argument with any of that but if you are not careful it can end up looking a bit generic, just like other people with a similar background. All this adds up to a “ho hum” reaction from your target reader and a real possibility that they will assume the rest of the résumé is of limited interest and only skim read it. So what can you do to  grab ‘em and hold ‘em? The 2-line value proposition Take a leaf out of the book of professional marketers and develop a crisp, differentiated brand statement that clearly articulates your value proposition in no more than two lines. Think of well-known brands. Copywriters communicate the core message of the brand and its main attributes instantly. They know that on a billboard, in a magazine advert or on TV, they have only a few seconds â€" in some cases less than a second â€" to grab and hold your attention. What if you took the same approach to the first two lines of your resume? Take some time to think through what it is that really sets you apart. You may have more material to draw on than you think. For example: Review 360 degree feedback and performance reviews you have had and look for the positive commentary and strong results Reflect on what your referees will say about your strengths and personality What do you think you are known for (positively of course!) in your organisation and even within your industry? Think through the evidence for how you have delivered value in your career; focus on the most recent 5 years Try to articulate what motivates you deeply; what’s really important to you, professionally Work on weaving this crucial information into a 2-line statement that clearly indicates how you will add value in a new role and organisation. Be prepared to draft, edit and re-write several times â€" it’s worth it. Look out for another post in which I will try to show some examples of bland versus powerful 2-line value propositions. Related: What You Ought to Know About Resume Writing.

Ode to the backup plan

Ode to the backup plan The idea that someone will stay at one company for a whole career went out the window more than a decade ago. Now most people will have more than eight jobs between the time theyre 18 and 32 years old. To Baby Boomers, this is a shift in thinking, but for those of us who came after them, its business as usual. In keeping with my fellow Gen-Xers, I changed jobs ten times in the ten years just after college. And I adapted well to the Internet economy where star players switched jobs every year or so to gain those (now incredible) 25% raises. But at this point, I have to confess that I feel a little worn out. At first, the free-agent no-one-owns-me attitude seemed great with all that flexibility, room to move up, the brand of you rah-rah. But the reality of a free-agent nation is hard. Friendships made at work are generally short term because the jobs are short term. Frequent insurance changes mean frequent changes in doctors. And there are too many times when the gaps between full-time jobs for free agent hunters are too big for a savings account to bear. At this point, the free agent nation feels alienating, unstable, and financially risky. I long for a company that I can stay at for the next fifteen or twenty years even though I know the odds of that happening are slim. It wont happen because most companies that have jobs that last forever take forever to make any other changes also: Slow and boring. Gen-Xers and Ys expect more from careers than any workforce in history. Fun, flexible jobs with new challenges around each bend are the typical goal, and like my peers, I am prepared to give up stability in exchange for that. But I feel like maybe things need to be more calibrated. I have lived through layoffs, dot-com bankruptcies, and terrible economies. And I have lost jobs because of my own stupidity, too; pushing too hard on a good boss for more flexibility than was reasonable. All these situations have added up to constant, low-grade worry that I have no idea where Ill be five years from now. I spend a lot of time figuring out how to keep this worry from overpowering me. I have a five-year and ten-year plan for my personal life and my career. That helps a little because even though my career is not predictable, I have a steady vision for where Im aiming to be, so I can adjust my tactics to accommodate both unexpected opportunities and unexpected setbacks. But the thing that really has helped me succeed in the free agent universe is that I am always working on two or three ways to reach my career goals. I have found that putting all my eggs in one basket is too much pressure I become too scared to take action on anything, because I start feeling like every phone call, every meeting, means so much. Keeping a few eggs in my basket is like job insurance. I am never sure what will work out, but something always seems to go well when I have a few options. For example, when I was running my own software company I wrote articles on the side. And I also taught college courses. I didnt know what would come of any of that. As it turns out, the teaching never amounted to much. But the writing took off after 9/11 when my software market fell apart. Now most of my income comes from a book contract. But I continue with lots of freelance projects because I never know what avenue Ill end up taking to get to my long-term goals. I admit that I also peruse help wanted ads. I dont think Id take a corporate job now, but in a free agent nation, I wouldnt rule anything out. Having a long-term vision for my career gets me excited about the possibilities in my life, but having a backup plan keeps me from going nuts over the lack of stability in the workforce of the new millennium.

6 graduate jobs abroad you can get with your language degree

6 graduate jobs abroad you can get with your language degree Having a second language to your name is an impressive notch on your CV, as well as a great way of having secret conversations about people without them realising. But if you want to put your skills to better use than teaching your mates foreign swear words at pre-drinks,  youre probably considering a graduate job (well done and welcome to adulthood). Having a second language will open up a whole host of career options that others may not necessarily be able to access. Top of the list is the ability to work abroad more easily. Yes, anyone can up sticks and get a job in a foreign clime, but a lack of language skills can be a major barrier. If you have a fluency in another language, theres no better way of putting it to use than completely immersing yourself in a foreign culture and living abroad. Translator Ok, so I know what youre thinking, being a translator doesnt necessarily involve moving abroad. Translating documents can be done pretty much anywhere, and can be quite a solitary practise. But thats the beauty of the business; most translators work freelance, picking and choosing their own hours, with the freedom to travel wherever and whenever they wish. You may have spent the past few years of your degree translating documents in exam conditions, but getting paid to do it is a whole different game.  You could be working across a variety of different professions, from science to business, law to education. Pay varies widely from project to project, but usually it pays well. Competent translators, especially in certain languages, are in high demand.  Youll need a sharp attention to detail, and the ability to get to grips with challenging technical terms. Tour guide When you think of a tour guide you might imagine those people wandering around with an umbrella in the air trying to lead a group of camera-clutching tourists through a busy sightseeing spot. And although of course those people do exist, there are literally loads of unusual tour guide opportunities out there. You could be camping in the Sahara desert, guiding people through the mountains of China or teaching people about communist Russia. Youll need to be able to respond effectively to emergencies, manage the smooth running of events, communicate efficiently with guests, liaise with external companies and develop an specialist knowledge of a specific location or attraction. The work often isnt the most lucrative, with an average starting salary of £15,000- £20,000 plus board and lodging. The work is also largely seasonal, so you should expect a few quiet months but also long hours in busy periods. But to really immerse yourself in a foreign culture, with a fun, fast paced and people-orientated job, this is the perfect role. Interpreter You could work as an interpreter at global conferences, events or within big businesses, helping to provide effective communication between speakers of different languages. Youll have to be able to think quickly and translate on the spot though. At some events you could be translating literally as someone speaks, with your words being broadcast through headsets to the audience. Its challenging stuff  but the perfect way to put your language skills to good use, especially if youre fluent in a language thats considered rare. A lot of interpreters are freelance, but you could be earning £30- £60 an hour depending on the language in question and your experience, and therell be plenty of opportunity to travel. Teacher Working as an English-language teacher abroad is one of the easier ways to get employment in a different country, with lots of schemes and programmes around to help you get that first role. Youll be working in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign language) and there is a large demand the world-over for these services, whether its for young children or professional adults. Your responsibilities will largely be the same as a typical teacher, involving lesson planning, creating resources, organising events and activities. Starting salaries range from £15,000- £25,000, but with a few years experience under your belt you could be moving up to around £40,000. And theres nothing more rewarding that seeing your students language skills grow under your guidance. Diplomat Fancy taking to the world stage and solving some of the worlds biggest challenges as a diplomat? Its a competitive business to get into, and can be incredibly challenging, but what could be more rewarding than working to change the course of history? You could be getting stuck into projects such as conflict resolution and counter terrorism, human rights issues or climate change. Youll be using your language skills to improve communication between nations and drive change. Salaries start at around £25,000 and can range up to £45,000 after substantial experience, and youll need to apply through the Civil Service, who will allocate you to an embassy abroad. Airline cabin crew Language skills arent necessary for a role as an airline cabin crew assistant, but will certainly boost your chances of securing a job. Although the role is hard work, with long hours and a high degree of professionalism expected, youll be able to jet set around the world and you often get free or heavily discounted flights for personal use. As a cabin crew assistant youll have to deal with customers, ensuring their safety and comfort for the duration of the flight. For certain busy routes which attract a range of nationalities, having the language skills to be able to interact with people from different countries will be a great bonus. Salaries vary depending on the airline, but expect a starting salary of around £15,000- £20,000. With fluency in a foreign language, the opportunities to work abroad are endless, and living and working in a foreign country is an incredible experience. Besides, if youre keen to keep your language skills at a high standard (Im sad to say my A* in GCSE French has boiled down to Bonjour and Au revoir), working abroad is the perfect way to keep those language cogs well oiled.

Benefiting from Benefits - CareerAlley

Benefiting from Benefits - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Searching for the right career isnt just about finding a job that you are suited to its also about finding an environment that suits you, an organization that suits you, and benefits that suit you. When it comes to benefits, what you can expect will generally depend on your level of experience and your chosen field of work. Many organizations realize that in order to attract a higher standard of employee, it is essential to provide a higher standard of employee benefits. Better benefits can mean happier workers, higher morale, and higher productivity. As you enter the workplace, there may be certain benefits available to you as standard, some benefits you may have to work your way up to, and some will be offered as a bonus for doing well. So, what should you be looking out for when searching for your perfect career? Group Insurance One of the most popular employee benefit programs is group insurance (offered by companies such as Apia Insurance). This will normally include life insurance, health cover, dental cover, and a range of other insurances. It can be an opt-in program, where sometimes the employer will pay the premiums, and sometimes the cost will be split between employer and employee. In order to take full advantage of this benefit, be sure to find out as much information as possible. Find out what is covered and what is not, and how much the policy will pay out when needed. Sometimes group insurance does not offer enough cover, in which case, it can be a good idea to purchase further cover from an independent provider. Income Protection Income protection can help to provide regular payments in lieu of a salary if you are unable to work due to illness or injury. Again, the level of cover will differ according to the provider, so be sure to find out how much cover you have. You may need to get further cover if your employer is not offering enough. Vacation Most organizations provide permanent employees with a certain number of paid days of vacation per year. On top of that, you may be able to take unpaid days off. Also find out if you will get paid extra for working public holidays if required. Sick Leave Again, most organizations offer a certain number of paid sick days per year. Depending on the employer, you may have to provide a medical certificate in order to get paid for days off sick. Retirement Plans Check out the retirement plans on offer to see if they give you what you need. Think about what you want out of your retirement, and whether the investment opportunities on offer are right for you. Profit Sharing Many organizations will give employees a chance to share in the success of the company. For listed companies, this will often come in the form of employee shares. If you work for a profitable company, this can be a great investment. Company Car Company cars were once offered much more freely than they are today. If you have a sales job, or one that directly involves traveling, then a company car may well be on the cards. If not, you may have to be fairly high up in the organization before they give you a car. Free or Subsidized Meals Another popular work perk is free or subsidized meals. This may mean cheaper meals in the cafeteria, food vouchers to use within the work complex, or free breakfast, snacks, tea and coffee in the break room. While it may not sound like much, this can really save you money day-to-day. Gym Membership If you have a sedentary job then you may want to blow the cobwebs off after work in the gym. Many jobs now offer discounted or free gym membership to workers to allow them to blow off steam and get the blood flowing to the brain. 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. Visit me on Facebook

Using A Resume Formatting Template

Using A Resume Formatting TemplateA resume formatting template is a tool that you can use to help you create an effective resume. You do not need to have a degree in order to craft a good job application. You just need to be well informed and aware of the basics of creating a good job application.One of the best things that you can do is to take some time to learn the tricks and techniques that are used by other people to make their own resume. By going online and looking at their examples you will be able to see how they have used a resume formatting template to make a really professional looking job application. This can help you put your own skills and abilities into the way that you highlight your accomplishments on your application. The most important thing is to know how the individual you are about to apply to your job has learned the skills that you have.Some employers are going to ask for a lot of information. They may want to know the names of your family, if you have any c hildren or siblings that are currently in school or finished high school. They may also want to know about your hobbies, sports teams and your interests. If you are good at art or music then the employer is likely to be interested in what you are good at and will want to see examples of that.Another thing that they will probably want to know is how experienced you are in the field that you are applying for and that is why you should include at least two of the following on your resume: leadership positions, leadership training, community involvement, volunteer work or programs, volunteer service or leadership roles and etc. They are all essential things to include on a resume. You can also include technical skills such as specialized software or computer skills, but be sure to list these under skills that were acquired outside of school.If you have received awards or accolades that you think the employer will be interested in, you can also include them under academic achievements. Y ou can also list your professional affiliations under this section but keep in mind that many employers prefer individuals who are self-employed, self-employed individuals.Do not forget to give a good example of a cover letter to include with your resume. It is your opportunity to show your current employers that you are someone who can make a very good impression on them when they read your resume. Good letter examples can be found on the internet so you should feel free to download one and use it to craft your cover letter.When you are ready to submit your resume, make sure that you follow the steps outlined in the resume formatting template you downloaded. This is your opportunity to stand out from the crowd and show the hiring manager that you are the right person for the job.Now that you know how to use a resume formatting template to create a resume that you will use to be successful during the application process, make sure that you get started right away. By taking the time to learn about the basics of resume and cover letter construction, you will be well on your way to creating a great resume.