100 Great Second-Act Career Resources

100 Great Second-Act Career Resources This list of 100+ great resources is for boomers (and others) interested in fun, flexible and fulfilling second-act careers. There are lots of other best-of career lists out there, but as far as I know, this is the first and only one to focus on flexible, part-time and entrepreneurial options. So if youre done with the big job and are eager to profit from your passions on a part-time basis, this is the list for you. Start with these sites NextAvenue.org  (PBS site for people over 50): Yes, I  write about retirement, work and purpose this site. But even if I didnt, Id still enthusiastically recommend it.  The site publishes new content every day, so be sure to sign up for their newsletter to stay in the loop. AARP  AARP has a surprisingly large library of career-related info specifically for people over 50. Definitely worth a visit. Get Inspired Theres nothing like a good success story to rev-up your career reinvention success. Here are several sites with stories sure to  inspire: AARP.org  Stories (and videos) of people who reinvented their careers after age 50 and found deeper joy and satisfaction as a result. Second Act Stories  As the name suggests, this terrific podcast  tells the stories, and lessons learned, of people who’ve have made major changes in their lives to pursue more rewarding second acts. New episodes come online  every two weeks. Side Hustle School:  I’m a devoted fan of Side-Hustle School, a daily podcast that spotlights a wide array of entrepreneurial pursuits. Each episode includes  links to  helpful resources and tools, as well as smart advice on running a business. JonathanFields.com  I admire Jonathan Fields work, especially his  Good Life Project (GLP)  a video series featuring in-depth conversations with acclaimed artists, entrepreneurs and influencers. Liveyourlegend.net  Although this site is skewed to a younger demographic, I still think youll benefit from the advice, resources and inspirational profiles shared here by Chelsea Dinsmore and her team. NewYorkCityWoman.com  This site has inspiring articles about women over 50 reinventing their lives andcareers. TED.com  TED talk videos feature thousands of the world’s most inspirational speakers on a wide range of topics, including many thought-provoking second-act stories. Explore Entrepreneurial Possibilities If youre not sure what type of businesses are out there, these sites  will help you to explore a variety of intriguing entrepreneurial pursuits and  possibilities. Entrepreneur.com  The online home of Entrepreneur magazine offers entrepreneurial advice, as well as plentiful information and resources for people interested in franchising. FabJob.com  FabJob guides and  online certificate programs  are a great resource for learning in-depth “how-to” information about a variety of entrepreneurial  options everything from  How to Become a Cake Decorator   to  How to Become a Celebrity Assistant  to  How to Become a Mystery Writer. JoyfullyJobless.com  This is the website of Barbara Winters, author of one of my favorite books  Making  a Living Without a Job and creator of the info-packed Winning Ways newsletter. The site is filled with helpful ideas and inspiration for people who want a more flexible second act. 50 Business Ideas People Are Actually Making Money From  Fabulous post loaded with  possible second-act business ideas. Find Entrepreneurial Training and Assistance Starting a new business can be a daunting task: What zoning regulations apply to your situation? Whats the best legal format for your business? How can you best market your services on a shoestring budget? These resources will help you to answer those questions â€" and launch, manage and grow your venture. SCORE  A nonprofit with more than 340 chapters nationwide, SCORE is dedicated to helping people start and grow small businesses webinars, in-person training programs, and  free consultations with experienced professionals who serve as mentors to budding entrepreneurs. I wrote about SCORE in this post for Next Avenue: How to Become a SCORE Small Business Mentor. The  U.S. Small Business Administration  is an excellent resource  for anyone wanting to start, grow or manage a business.   The Kaufmann Foundation runs a  FastTrac program  for both new and experienced entrepreneurs (in-person and online). Bizstarters.com  Coaching, services and information for boomer entrepreneurs. PivotPlanet.com   Whether youre thinking of becoming a baker, beekeeper or kids clothing designer (or pretty much anything else), PivotPlanet.com is the best place to find advisors and mentors who can answer your questions about all types of entrepreneurial options. Senior Planet NYC  offers a range of free 5- and 10-week digital technology courses at their  Exploration Center for people age 60 and up. And  Senior Planet has a 10-week Startup! Course, which runs for 90 minutes twice a week. Courses: The world of online education is continually growing and evolving. As a starting point, you might enjoy this guide about how online programs work. It covers the similarities and differences between vocational and career schools and 4-year universities. There are tips to help choose the right program and info about the different career paths opened up by various programs. Other helpful sections include the one about Massive Open Online Courses (what they are and their benefits) and another about financial aid and scholarships for online learners. A few online programs of interest: Gothamwriters.com  Gotham Writers’ Workshop is the leading creative writing school in New York City and they now offer a number of their courses online. If you’re interested in learning about the craft and business of writing, this is the site for you. Lynda.com  is now part of Linkedin Learning. For a small monthly fee (first month is free),  members receive unlimited access to a vast library of video tutorials covering topics like CAD, 3-D animation, social media marketing, photography, film making, app development, web graphics and more. Some libraries offer free access to Lynda.com, so be sure to check with your local library. MOOCs are  Massively Open Online Courses offered to everyone by some of the world’s top colleges and institutions, including Harvard, MIT, The Smithsonian and Google. The big three MOOC platforms, Coursera, Udacity, and edX, now offer users official recognition for their paid courses, and in some cases, even academic credit. CreativeLIVE  Classes for creative entrepreneurs with titles like  Unlock the Power of Pinterest, Make Your Website Work for You, Starting a Business over 40  and  Social Media Bootcamp. The initial live broadcast of the class is free and then the recorded class can be accessed for a small fee. Look for Flexible Gigs and P/T Jobs Interested in finding freelance, work-from-home and flexible jobs online? Before starting your search, be sure to check out  SideHusl.com (I recently wrote about this site for NextAvenue.org).  Its  the single best site for anyone  looking to earn extra income from a  side gig. Cautionary note:  Unfortunately, there are unsavory operators in this space, so when evaluating job postings, please remember the adage, If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Do your homework, exercise caution and be a smart consumer! Behance.com  An online marketplace where creatives (photographers, graphic designers, illustrators, etc.) can showcase their work and search for jobs and freelance opportunities. BackDoorJobs.com  Short-term job postings (teach abroad, farm jobs, wilderness therapy ventures, etc.) located in the US and overseas. CoolWorks.com  A terrific site for seasonal and summer job listings at cool places like resorts, ski attractions, and the National Parks. Direct Sales Association If youre interested in working for a home party or direct sales company this is  a great place to begin your research. FlexProfessionals  Staffing company serving the Washington, D.C. metro area that fills part-time, flexible and project-based needs. FlexJobs.com  Jobs and articles/advice for people who want to work on a flexible basis. There is a small membership fee to access their job listings. Freelance Writing Jobs  A  freelance writing community featuring daily job leads, articles and plenty of commiseration. Guru.com  Opportunities for freelancers in over 160 professional categories including website design, programming, graphic design, business consulting, and administrative support. LocalSolo.com As the name suggests, LocalSolo.com was created to help companies and freelancers who prefer to work face-to-face, but there are now remote job listings as well for tech professionals, content providers, designers, marketers and many others. MediaBistro.com  Excellent site for  anyone who creates or works with content, or who is a non-creative professional working in a creative industry. Their job board has both full-time and freelance gigs and they have a wonderful training section covering all types of media and content-related careers. Ratracerebellion.com  Work-from-home jobs and opportunities. Excellent free newsletter. Virtual Vocations.com  is a site solely for telecommuting jobs  and since the work-from-home space is notorious for scams, Virtual Vocations employs three teams to screen each job before it is approved and doesn’t post fee-based, solely commission-based or “start your own business” opportunities.  The site offers free and paid memberships. Explore Temp and Contract Firms In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of contract firms that place professionals into temporary, executive-on-demand and contract assignments. Here is a sampling of options: Aquent  Project opportunities for professionals in the digital, creative and marketing fields. Arise Virtual Solutions  Work-from-home jobs in customer service, sales and technology support to major Fortune 500 companies. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, The companys goal is to have older Americans make up 35% of its network of 25,000 contractors, up from a current 20%. Patina Solutions  Opportunities for professionals with 25+ years of experience who want to work in project-based roles. Assignments cover a wide assortment of industries and business functions. Tatum Interim executive firm  that contracts out CEOs, CFOs, CIOs and other finance and accounting executives. The Flexwork for Women Alliance  A  comprehensive list of national and regional firms helping women find flexible work. YourEncore.com This site matches seasoned talent with top companies in the life sciences, medical devices, and consumer goods  industries. Assignments can last from a few days to over a year and compensation is determined by factors including project type, skills required and marketplace standards. Get Help with the Boomer Job Search Looking for a job when youre over 50 can be a real challenge these sites can help: CareerPivot.com  offers smart career change and job-search advice aimed at people over 50. The site also features a wonderful podcast series on Repurposing Your Career. Job-Hunt.org  One of the best overall job search sites on the web, with special sections devoted to mid-life job search and lifestyle-friendly careers. Mary Eileen Williams  The author of  Land the Job You Love: 10 Surefire Strategies for Jobseekers Over 50  provides very useful job search advice on her site, Feisty Side of 50. Over 50 and Unemployed  Outstanding 5-part series from AARP that examines a variety of work options including part-time work, consulting, entrepreneurship and project work. RetirementJobs.com  A job site specifically for people over 50. Read a Second-Act Career Book: Here are several articles where I recommend second-act career books: 10 Books To Help You Create a Great Semi-Retirement Five Books to Gift People Who Want to Work After Retirement Want to Work During Retirement? 9 Books to Read Now Build a Profitable Blog These resources are for people interested in learning how to create profitable blogs and other types of online businesses that can be run from anywhere in the world (Tahiti anyone?) LocationRebel.com  Sean Ogle writes about building a business you can run from anywhere. Problogger.net  Outstanding resource (probably my favorite site about blogging). It also lists freelance blogging opportunities. Fizzle.co  My other favorite site about blogging. Run by Corbett Barr, Chase Reeves and Caleb Wojcik, these guys are the real deal. The Suitcase Entrepreneur  The founder of the site, Natalie Sisson, runs her business while traveling the world. Her book, The Suitcase Entrepreneur, is chock-full of helpful advice and resources. TropicalMBA.com  Another site that  helps people  build profitable location independent businesses. Find a 50+ Community It can be tough to make a go of a second-act without the support of other people going through the same transition at the same time. While the following sites arent technically career sites, their content is tailored to people over 50 (unfortunately, both of these are geared for women, sorry guys!): Sixty and Me  An online community and website of 40,000+  women over sixty. Amazing collection of insightful content. The Transition Network  The Transition Network has chapters throughout the US. It  is an inclusive community of professional women, 50+, whose changing life situations lead them to seek new connections, resources and opportunities. Great Sites for People Who Love Arts and Crafts The Craft and Hobby Association  An international association that hosts two industry expos, ongoing training programs and offers a full-suite of purchasable benefits (health, life, long-term care etc.). Craftsy.com  If you love to make crafts, or you want to figure out a craft you can make and sell, youll love these online crafting classes and videos. Etsy  The world’s largest online marketplace for crafters, Etsy also has an impressive educational and community component to their site.   Festival Network Online  With over 22,000 event listings, this is a terrific resource for people who want to sell their crafts at art shows and fairs (or perform at music festivals). How Artists Make Money  An inspirational series from the wonderful folks at NPR that profiles successful artists, including poets, painters and musicians. Food Lovers GoodFoodJobs.com  This  tasty site lists full-time and flexible jobs, as well as internship opportunities, in a variety of food-related fields.  Be sure to also check out the many entertaining second-act profiles on the site. New England Food Safety Consortium  Helpful listing of  food-related business sites (you don’t need to live in New England to take advantage of them). SpecialtyFood.com  The Specialty Food Association caters to food artisans, importers and entrepreneurs. Non-Profits and Volunteering Encore.org  This is a fabulous resource for people over 50 interested in helping the greater good. Among their many offerings, Encore sponsors a  fellowship program that matches skilled professionals with at least 15 years of experience with high impact assignments at nonprofits.   Bridgespan Group:  An excellent  site for executives looking to “cross the bridge” into the non-profit arena. Commongood Careers  is a retained search firm serving the nonprofit industry. Executive Service Corps  is a nationwide network of nonprofit consulting organizations. Volunteers assist organizations with strategic planning, improving board effectiveness, coaching CEO’s, marketing and business planning. Foundation Center  The Foundation Center operates research, education, and training programs designed to advance knowledge of philanthropy at every level. Idealist.org  has a database of over 80,000 nonprofit organizations and a nonprofit jobs board. Pointsoflight.org connects volunteers to opportunities in communities throughout the US ReServe.org    ReServe connects  retirees with part-time work at nonprofits. Best for those who want to help organizations strapped for funds and resources, since the pay offered is quite low (about $10 an hour). RSVP is run by the US government and  is one of the largest volunteer networks in the nation for people 55 and over. Volunteermatch.org An excellent online service that matches volunteers to meaningful volunteer opportunities. Pets American Kennel Club has certification and training for people interested in becoming breeders and dog show judges. American Pet Products Association  is a must-visit site for anyone interested in learning more about producing, selling or marketing pet products. Association of Pet Dog Trainers  and the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers  sell  resources for people interested in becoming a dog trainer. Pet franchise options: There are an ever increasing number of pet franchises, ranging from grooming franchises to doggie daycare services to pet waste removal services. Publishing and Writing Writers Digest: Widely regarded as the #1 resource for writers, this is a one-stop-shop for information about conferences, writer’s communities and advice on how to monetize your writing. The Well-Fed Writer: Advice, resources and training for people interested in writing for the business and corporate markets. The Write Life: A very helpful site for writers eager to learn how to thrive in the digital world. I especially like this post 100 Best Websites for Writers in 2020. How to Become a Novelist in Your Second Career: This is an article I wrote for NextAvenue.org that shares tips and resources for aspiring novelists. Make a Living Writing: As the name implies, this site will help you learn how to profit from your writing skills. Rachelle Gardner:  Great advice for anyone looking to learn more about the publishing industry topics include how to write a winning book proposal, how to get a book cover designed and how to land a literary agent. Travel Modern-Day Nomads: Site for those who want to work while traveling the world. Peace Corps 50: Hard is it may be to believe, 7% of Peace Corps volunteers are over age 50. Learn more about their offerings for people over 50 here. Another great site for finding out what life is like for older Peace Corp volunteers is Notexactlyretired.com, (written by my brother David Jarmul). Transitions Abroad:  Articles and resources for people interested in working abroad and teaching english overseas. Travel Writing 2.0: Advice and resources if you want to earn a living as a travel writer. Did you find this list useful? If you like it, please be sure to sign-up for our bi-monthly newsletter so you can stay  continually informed about helpful second-act resources. Related articles that you might also enjoy: How to Find Flexible and Work From Home Jobs in Retirement: 17+ Helpful Resources 10 Best Career Sites for Boomers (From the Forbes Top 100 List) Want a Second-Act Career as a Writer? 10 Resources You Cant Afford to Miss 10 Resources to Help Launch Your Second-Act Career in 2018 How Not to Be a Starving Artist: 6 Great Resources for Creative Types

Interview 7 Coaching Questions for the Relational Coaches

Interview 7 Coaching Questions for the Relational Coaches In a previous post, “Why Breaking Up With My Therapist Was The Best Thing For My Mental Health”, I explored how therapy initially helped me and mentioned the differences between coaching and therapy. To expand on the popular coaching approach, I interviewed Relational Coaches Poppy and Geoff Spencer. Their objective is to guide couples and individuals to develop achievable, measurable strategies for their relational goals. They help you to evaluate your choices and take important steps tailored just for your life. 1           How is coaching different than therapy? Coaching is results oriented and therapy is process oriented. Clients who work with us often feel stuck yet they have a strong desire to move forward. They are open to change yet unsure of how to get there. We like to say that working with a therapist is like working with an archeologist, and working with a relational coach is like working with an architect. Of course we work with our clients to help them understand their past, yet we always have goals and steps in place to get them to move forward. We work confidentially from a non-judgmental platform. 2           What kind of circumstance would preempt someone to contact Relational Coaches? Clients come to us when they have recognized that theyre stuck and have listened to that inner voice that tells them they want to change something in their life. Some call on us to get working strategies to help them begin, fix or end a relationship. We help them understand how to tap into their inner courage. A few examples Getting through break-ups, divorce We have clients who work with us to help them navigate through a break-up; we help them understand the grief process from that and help them to reframe challenging thoughts and behaviors. If there are children involved, our specialty in divorce and parenting coaching helps to soothe their concerns on how to navigate the process as smoothly as possible. Better at work We also have clients who desire professional coaching in their workplace. We help them to understand how to assertively communicate among colleagues. Myers-Briggs certified, we facilitate the very useful Myers Briggs instrument for them to understand their own personality type preference and how it interacts with others. 3           Describe some of the interpersonal relationship consistencies or trends you have noticed in the past year and what are the implications if any? Transitional space: that murky, nebulous, quick-sandy spot where there is no sure footing. Our clients almost always experience transitional space â€"the in-between, no mans land, the unknown. In limbo, where all of us have been in at one time or another. We help them to understand it, and â€"as counterintuitive as it sounds â€"embrace it. We have also seen relationships challenged with other few common themes: lack of personal accountability, substance abuse that unravels the relationship, and poor communication skills to problem solve. The implications are that many couples fall prey to the 50% divorce rate. Some of our clients have sought out therapy and rehab in addition to coaching. These couples have agreed to make their relationship work. 4           What is one of your coaching sessions like? In our F2F, 50-minute Skype session or 50-minute phone call, we first share with our clients what we do in our coaching sessions. We explain our roles as coaches. We help them gain an understanding of what they perceive the challenges are and what actions they believe they will take. We both offer questions and share our thoughts; having a male and female perspective is one of the unique values we bring to our clients. When a client is stuck, as is often the case, we redirect him or her to their stated goal. We may have to help them to whittle down the bigger goal and help them to create baby goals for today or tomorrow. 5           Is there “homework”? We always ask clients to re-visit their goals, ask them to self-evaluate how they think they managed their goals. If they need time to think about something, we ask them to create a short list of things theyre willing to do to make the changes theyve stated they want to make. 6           How did Relational Coaches Start? [Poppy] As a registered art therapist, psychology professor, parenting coach and certified coach, I teamed up with my husband, Geoff, a speaker, marketing and sales professional, to create Relational Coaches. Also as writers, we understand the complexities in communication in relationships. Through the writing of our fictional memoir (to be published in 2016), we’ve uncovered the implicit understanding of what makes marriages work and what can lead to their downfall. 7           What’s next? Well be publishing our book this year along with a tool we created and trademarked to help our clients understand the emotional transitions that take place in their relationships. You can learn more about coaching and Relational Coaches on their website. Columnist Archive

Do You Look The Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Do You Look The Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Every Wednesday I moderate #brandchat a high velocity twitter chat that happens weekly all around the subject of brands and branding.   David Sandusky and I co-founded the chat two years ago. Who knew that every week for two years we would be here with a library of tidbits, resources and some stellar thought leaders! Every chat we discuss four different brand related questions. The chat is only an hour so you must be fast and on be on your toes (or rather be ready with fast fingers!) Recently we chatted about image management and brand management.   Some people thought they were one in the same so we BRANDidos (a term of endearment given to those who chat on #brandchat) decided to take the question on!   In the comment section below, I would love to hear your thoughts.     And, if you ever want to become a BRANDido .becoming one is just one Wednesday chat away. Q1: Where do you draw the distinction between Personal Branding and Image Management? #brandchat neilmckenzphoto: Q1: I put image mgmt more in the realm of pr, advertising, dress, makeup and of course great photos. #brandchat parissab: a1: interlinked. dont know when they wouldnt be the same thing. perhaps semantics here. #brandchat CASUDI: A1.Would Personal Image management (superficial) B how others see U, Personal Branding How U R (substance)? #brandchat JosephRosenfeld: Q1: In Holly-weird, and elsewhere if there is a crisis image management is almost always about structuring the right PR #brandchat LoisMarketing: #brandchat A1 Yes, agree with @parissab intertwined. Personal brand at the core MyWebCareer: Q1 Image mngmt as how others perceive you, personal branding what you want them to know about you. #brandchat eBrandingMe: Your image is part of your personal brand, there isnt necessarily a distinction, but an overlap #brandchat MikeBaltus: Q1 arent they two different marketing mindsets? Or do they flux in the grey area #brandchat DavidSandusky: Q1 brand is always so marketing activity and image has no line #brandchat ReneeCossman: Q1: I agree with @CASUDI. And would add that branding is the foundation. #brandchat kathydodd: Q1: I think that there is some overlap image would probably go more with PR vs. brand is more mktg. #brandchat iangertler: @DavidSandusky @brandchat A1: Distinction btw Image Management depends on the individual. Varies at times. #brandchat JosephRosenfeld: Q1: Since I do both, I prefer to start with PB work as the framework of image management. Know ones authenticity, not fake it. #brandchat LadySlomski: Totally agree that personal branding is more substance, more about authenticity. Who you are from the core. #brandchat ArielDeNeyPR: Q1. Personal branding is a portion of image branding. They compliment one another #brandchat MichelleMMM: Q1 i do both image and brand hope work speaks for itself. on the social web the distinction is becoming increasingly blurred #brandchat neilmckenzphoto: Q1: Image mgmt is a subset of personal brand sadly for some all they have is an image #brandchat midnitepromo: @brandchat A1. the line is drawn between my client being a personal service provider or my client being a B2B provider. #brandchat MyWebCareer: Q1 Image mngmt is also about maintaining the personal brand youve established #brandchat DavidSandusky: @IanGertler Q1 or do you mean difference in how one chooses to self-promote, which is different than brand mngt #brandchat LoisMarketing: #brandchat A1 Seriously designer gown comes into play when solid personal brand is not there. You can only play dress up for so long .. midnitepromo: @brandchat A1. The 2 are in correlation but can be used in retrospect of complete opposite sides of the service scopes. #brandchat ArielDeNeyPR: Q1. Personal branding is the shaping of the authenticity of a brand while Image branding is the creation of the presentation #brandchat PowerHouseMktg: Q1: @kathydodd Definitely some overlap image how youre perceived. Brand is more about how you want to be seen #brandchat #brandchat iangertler: @DavidSandusky re: Q1 difference in how one chooses to self-promote, which is different than brand mngt #brandchat @ times. No set formula. parissab: a1 cant have image without pers brand to back it up. dependent. #brandchat JosephRosenfeld: Q1: In a real world situation, my prof. clients hire me to help shape how they are perceived. Their image is the 1st impression #brandchat midnitepromo: A1. Personal branding is more prevalent in building ones distinction and presence within a competitive market #brandchat JosephRosenfeld: Q1: So b/c they perceive the 1st impression as being top of mind, PB isnt always valued as much right away. I have to show value #brandchat midnitepromo: A1. While image management is primarily my focus when presence, branding and market share has already been obtained #brandchat JosephRosenfeld: Q1: And encourage slowing down the process so they can get the full value of both PB and image work, because they do go together. #brandchat iangertler: @ArielDeNeyPR Q1. Yes! Take the stars on the #Grammys. Image branding is for the show. Personal branding is connecting with fans. #brandchat Your turn! Author: Maria Elena Duron, is managing editor of the Personal Branding Blog and is also the CEO (chief engagement officer) of buzz2bucks.com â€" a word of mouth marketing firm. She helps create connection, credibility, community and cha-ching through mobile marketing and social commerce around your brand. She is co-founder of #brandchat a weekly twitter chat focused on every aspect of branding.

Land That Interview 3 Creative Different Resume Ideas

Land That Interview 3 Creative Different Resume Ideas A creative resume can mean the difference between landing your dream job and receiving yet another rejection letter. Taking into consideration the sheer number of applications employers are forced to sift through, there simply has to be something about your resume that stands out from the crowd. But first, lets talk about a few things to avoid when you are trying to stand out in a sea of resumes. Jokes that might not work well without context, misspellings, and grainy photos will not help you stand out. In-person applications should avoid scented paper, glitter, or ink that smears when dry. Remember, you want to stand out, but for a good reason! Here are some creative ideas to ensure your resume doesn’t get passed over. Land That Interview: 3 Creative Different Resume Ideas 1. Eye-Catching Resume Designs (or Templates!) A visually appealing resume can greatly increase your chances of securing employment. If an employer can see that time and effort has gone into the appearance of your resume, it gives the impression you actually care about the advertised position. Whether you choose to feature eye-catching fonts and colors or a strikingly minimalistic design, there are a variety of different ways to give your resume some creative flair.  If design isnt your strong suite, try finding a resume template you can use. 2. Show Off Your Portfolio If you think you have what it takes to excel in a new role, why not prove it? Including a portfolio in your resume can demonstrate your capabilities far more effectively than just listing your employment history. You should be proud of your work and take any opportunity to demonstrate your skills and experience. Depending on the nature of your profession, presenting evidence of your abilities can be done in a variety of ways. For example, a tradesperson could include photos of houses they have helped build, and a teacher could feature their lesson plans. A resume with a portfolio included has the potential to separate your application from the rest of the pack and strengthen your chances of progressing to the next round of the recruitment process. 3. Include Testimony Another creative way of adding to your resume’s uniqueness is to include written testimony from past employers or clients. Every job application should contain the contact details of at least three professional referees, but if your former supervisors and co-workers are willing to vouch for your capabilities, why not take advantage of their favorable opinions? By featuring a letter from someone who can confirm you are as qualified as your resume claims, recruiters will have extra motivation to proceed with your application. The testimony doesn’t need to be lengthy; just a few short paragraphs detailing your strengths should be more than enough to convince potential employers of your value as a potential member of their team. Bonus Resume Idea:  High-Quality Paper Although many job applications are submitted online, in person applications give you an additional chance to stand out. Paper that is slightly thicker than regular computer paper and slightly off white will stand out in a stack of boring resumes. Keep in mind, it doesnt need to be $20 a sheet, just slightly thicker and nicer than standard printer paper. Final Thoughts on Resume Design Regardless of how great your interviewing skills are, in order to make it through the first stage of any recruitment process, your resume should be able to capture the attention of potential employers with its originality and creative flair. Do you have any advice on how to make your resume more creative? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

How to Get the Best LinkedIn Recommendations - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

How to Get the Best Recommendations Why are recommendations so important? The true measure of your executive brand and promise of value to  future employers is reflected in what those who know your work the best â€" co-workers, peers, top management, team members, customers, etc. â€" have to say about you. Executive recruiters and hiring authorities routinely source talent through search. They’re attracted to candidates who have quality recommendations on their profiles. If you have no recommendations, they may question the value you offer and  skip over you. And,  at least 3 recommendations are required (among other criteria) before   considers your profile 100% complete,  giving your profile  a much better chance of landing high in searches. Best tip to get the best recommendations? Write good recommendations to get good recommendations. Two bonuses when you use this strategy: 1. Your recommendations of others include a link to your profile,  extending your footprint on . Hiring authorities checking out the person you recommended will click over to your profile if you are someone of interest to them. 2. Recommendations that you write and the ones written for you show up in network updates for you and for the people you recommended, keeping your brand top of mind with  both  networks.   A few cautions: Only ask for recommendations from people who will give you a good recommendation. Dont strive for quantity over quality. Only give recommendations to people you can honestly praise. Social media authority Chris Brogan noted in his recent post on Recommendation Tips: I’ll say this once: if you recommend someone and can’t really vouch for their work, you’re just setting your own reputation up for a blow. Don’t do it . . . I’ll never recommend someone whose work I don’t know enough about. Avoid obviously contrived recommendations, ones that look like they were written just for the sake of reciprocating (Ill write one for you, if you write one for me.). They will probably backfire. Recruiters are good at sniffing these out, and they can harm you and diminish your value. Dont demand a reciprocal recommendation. Give the same kinds of recommendations you hope to receive. When writing recommendations Brogan suggests: Lead with the strongest thing you can say about the person. Gerry is a clutch player in the world of project management. If you can’t say anything particularly strong, you might reconsider whether you’d recommend them. What are the best recommendations? Assuming you have clarity on what jobs, industry, and audience you’re targeting, and your profile reflects this, you should seek recommendations that will hit home with your target audience and  align with the  qualifications and qualities they’re seeking. It’s okay to help people write a recommendation for you, if they’re willing, by letting them know what kind of information you’re looking for. Asking them questions such as these should help them compose a paragraph or two: 1. What do you feel are my top strengths and skills that have most benefitted the company? 2. In what ways did I add value to the team and to the company? 3. What things did you know you could always rely on me to deliver? 4. In what ways have I helped you do your job? Better yet, you may want to provide them with suggested verbiage and an actual example of the kind of recommendation you’re looking for. This would give them a foundation to work from and improve upon. Related posts: Executive Personal Branding and Your Profile FREE e-Book : Best Tactic for Undercover Executive Job Search Power Your Executive Personal Brand with Groups Stalled Executive Job Search? Get Busy on and Twitter 00 0

Podcast about motivation - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Podcast about motivation - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog There is a lot of talk about motivation in the workplace these days. Both from managers complaining that their employees arent motivated and from employees complaining that their managers dont know what makes them tick. And frankly, its no wonder, because there are some fundamental misconceptions about motivation in the business world. There are four different kinds of motivation, only one of them works, and businesses and managers rely almost exclusively on the three that dont. That is the topic of my first podcast, which you can download here. Its 23 minutes long and will take up 7 Mb on your computer. Please let me know what you think. Is the sound OK? The content? What do you like about it? What can I do better? What great podcasts should I listen to, and get inspiration from? This is my first podcast, but all the cool kids haveem and I wanted one too :o) Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Best Cheap Resume Writing Services

Best Cheap Resume Writing ServicesThere are many companies that provide the best cheap resume writing services but finding one that will be able to meet your needs can be difficult. The problem is that all of these services are not the same, and sometimes they're so far apart in price and quality that it would be hard to make a decision on which one to choose. Here are some ways to help you determine which service is right for you.First, consider the actual cost of the service. Companies that have a lot of creative and practical writers often tend to offer more affordable prices than those that don't. However, keep in mind that your resume isn't going to be as professional looking without any attention to detail. Therefore, if you're willing to pay a little more, it could be well worth it in the long run.Look at the creative side of the writing. These companies have years of experience with all different types of resume and cover letter templates. They can come up with their own uniq ue template that can save you time and make the process of writing your resume less time consuming. Many of these services will also offer personalized templates, making them even more desirable to customers.Not only do the templates to make the entire writing process easier, but they also eliminate the key aspect of writing that many people are afraid of: running out of ideas. It is important that you have ideas for everything you need to include on your resume, but it's much easier to brainstorm on the regular paper that comes with your resume. These types of services will give you the paper that you need but will also include plenty of other supplies to further your resume writing process.Another key aspect of hiring such a company is the quality of the paper that they write your resume on. The last thing you want to have happen is to get your resume rejected because it doesn't conform to the template. If the company doesn't care about the quality of the paper that they write you r resume on, then you'll want to look elsewhere.Always make sure that the company you're considering using for your cheap resume writing services actually delivers on their promises. To avoid any surprises, it is best to go to a site that has done this kind of work before. If you go to a website that has received good reviews, it is likely that they have the experience needed to deliver a high quality product. On the other hand, if you go to a site that has poor reviews, you should be wary of what you're getting.Remember that not all of the services are created equal. You want to know that you are dealing with a company that can be trusted and one that can give you the quality paper that you need. Since no two companies are alike, choosing one to use is a very difficult task. Keep these tips in mind and you will find a company that will meet your needs.As long as you are willing to pay a bit more, a service that offers the best cheap resume writing services is worth it. It can make the difference between someone being hired and someone being passed over. It can make the difference between someone being hired and someone being passed over.