How to Optimise Your Chance of Being Headhunted

How to Optimise Your Chance of Being Headhunted You never know when an amazing career opportunity might be on the horizon and therefore making yourself visible to headhunters is essential for ensuring  you dont miss out. Luckily, by  investing a bit of time into making yourself know in the industry and forming a personal brand for yourself, you can keep yourself firmly on the radar and will be getting a phone call about your dream job in no time. Here are a few areas that you can focus on to improve your chances of being spotted by a headhunter. Good luck! Maintain your LinkedIn profile: Over the recent years, LinkedIn has become an invaluable tool for executive search firms, providing thousands of potential candidates at their  fingertips and it can be equally as beneficial from the candidates point of view too. If youd like to be in for the chance of being head-hunted it is essential that you keep your LinkedIn profile up to date. The summary box is particularly important and is worth taking the time to fill  out properly. By using keywords to describe what it is you do and have experience in, you optimise your likelihood  of appearing in peoples searches.  The same can be done by including descriptions of each of your previous job roles and adding your skills to the bottom of your profile  will also help to maximise your visibility. Not only this, more and more employers will now check out your LinkedIn profile upon receiving your application, so make sure it paints you in the best possible light and emphasises your relevant skills, for your best chance of success. Your CV: It never hurts to keep one eye on the job market and therefore it is always useful to make sure that your CV is well constructed and up to date. You may wish to send your CV to recruitment firms in order to be considered when new roles come in, but distribute it  with caution. Firms who work on a retained basis will only forward your CV with your permission, however  agencies who work on a contingency (success only) basis arent quite as strict and may choose to send it out at their will. Before sending your CV to a recruitment firm, it is important  that you have proofread it thoroughly, to ensure that there are not any spelling or grammatical errors and that it reads well, as a poorly written CV speaks volumes. Its best to avoid creating a general CV; tailoring it to your industry and making your ambitions clear is much more effective and demonstrates your commitment. Create useful contacts: You know the saying its not what you know, its who you know? Well its kind of true. When it comes to filling a role, the head-hunters first point of call will always be people they know and contacts that they have made, before turning to alternative sources such as LinkedIn.  This being said, identifying consultants in your industry and connecting with them on LinkedIn or Twitter will help to get yourself know. Interacting with them about common interests can help to create a professional relationship and place yourself on their radar. Building contacts shouldnt be done solely online, however; attending networking events will give you the opportunity to meet recruitment professionals in your industry. Be sure to exchange details and put the effort into  maintaining these relationships, or youre at risk of being forgotten. Build a personal brand: If you want to stand out from the crowd, building a personal brand for yourself is extremely useful. Identify your most valuable attributes and skills and concentrate  on making them the focus of your public image. Building yourself a presence on social media or at events can help to develop your personal brand, by connecting with people and building relationships. Be supportive and willing to help, as by lending others a helping hand, they may be able to return the favour in the future when you need it. You can also make use of social media to portray yourself in exactly the way that you would like to be seen by others, by sharing your thoughts and opinions for discussion. Adding a photo to your profiles will make it more personal and will make people feel like they know you. RELEVANT: How To Act When Headhunters Call You

Online Classes to Boost Your Skills

Online Classes to Boost Your Skills Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'Vuhat4-eRsptaXDZ9jCbcw',sig:'XKjPmkrW9ZPuYbj9gHP--uE2cihTXA8zC5-Z_aU6xh0=',w:'507px',h:'338px',items:'143071328',caption: false ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); Ive written about online classes before, which are a cost-effective and available anywhere way to boost your skills, brush up on software, and continue your quest for lifelong learning. Thanks to the career experts at The Muse, here are a few more to add to your catalog. Click here for the original post. 1. ALISON ALISON has a large range of free, comprehensive classes on financial literacy, personal and soft skills, digital skills, entrepreneurship and then some. It targets all kinds of learners, from professionals and managers to teachers and freelancers. 2. Udemy Udemy has plenty to offer for the learner on a budget, from completely free courses taught by experts, professors, entrepreneurs, and professionals, to frequent discounts and class specials. In addition to classes in tech, business, and marketing, you can also explore options in productivity, health, hobbies, and lifestyle. 3. Coursera If you want to receive a college education without the high cost of tuition, Coursera is the best stop. This website offers amazing courses in all kinds of fields, from professional development to psychology, history, and literatureâ€"all created and taught by professors at top institutions nationally and across the globe. Their universities include Princeton, Johns Hopkins, Stanford, and plenty more. 4. edX Just like Coursera, edX offers anyone, anywhere the chance to take university classes in various departmentsâ€"and get certified. Some of their big partners include Harvard, Berkeley, Dartmouth, Georgetown, and the University of Chicago (and that’s not all!). 5. Udacity Udacity focuses on software development, offering free courses in programming, data science, and web development. The website also offers a nanodegree program for individuals who want to master a skillset or pursue a full-time career in tech. 6. Lynda By subscribing to Lynda, you’ll have access to thousands of courses in business, design, art, education, and tech. And it offers a free 10-day trial so you can test the waters! 7. General Assembly General Assembly offers both online and in-person classes, as well as full-time and part-time options. It focuses mainly on digital skills, covering subjects such as digital marketing, iOS and Android development, data analytics, and JavaScript. 8. Skillshare Skillshare provides “bite-sized” classes to learners who only have 15 minutes a day. It has over 500 free classes and several thousand premium classes to choose from in topics such as film, writing, tech, lifestyle, and more. 9. LearnSmart LearnSmart’s orientated toward career development, which is why it’s a great place to learn about IT and security, project management, Office, HR, and business. 10. Codecademy Codecademy wants to teach you how to, well, codeâ€"and for free. It covers all kinds of programming, including JavaScript, Ruby, HTML, CSS, and Python. 11. Pluralsight After subscribing to Pluralsight (or using its free trial!), you’ll be able to explore classes in software, 3D development, VFX, design, game design, web design, and CAD software. 12. Adobe TV Not sure how to use Photoshop or InDesign? Don’t worry, Adobe TV will walk you through all its programs with tutorials, manuals, and more. 13. FutureLearn FutureLearn’s completely free, with classes taught by universities and special organizations. Its big topics are business and management, creative arts, law, health, politics, science, digital skills, sports and leisure, and teaching.

13 Time Management Habits of Successful Women - Classy Career Girl

13 Time Management Habits of Successful Women You arent going to find or create your dream career if you feel like there is not enough time in the day. In order to be able to master your next career transition, you have to be able to master your life right now.  That starts with good time management habits. First, we will help you master your time and productivity so your calendar and to-do list actually make you happy, not stressed. These time strategies I am teaching you will change your life, just like they did for me. These are the principles I live by and try my best to implement every day! 13 Time Management Habits of Successful Women 1. If You Don’t Have a Plan, Your Calendar Will Control You   One of the biggest time management mistakes is just doing whatever comes your  way instead of having exact times when you will do certain things in your week. Discipline and planning are required if you want to achieve your career goals. This is why I have a weekly review session where I review what I am doing each day of the next week and everything is scheduled into my calendar. 2. Set Boundaries  for Social Media, Family Time, Personal Time I find that most of my clients do not take the time to enjoy life and be present. I know I have been guilty of not taking a break from the internet and always being tied to my phone. Now I carefully guard my Sundays for family time and try my hardest as well to have times when we turn off computers as a family and don’t talk about work (which is not easy when you and your husband work together!!). It’s so important to realize what your priorities are and to guard that time as much as possible. 3. Categorize Your Time: Focus Time, Administrative Time, Sacred Time One of the most important time management habits is to categorize your time. Write down all the tasks you do at work and then circle the tasks that really are going to get you promoted, give you raises, or make you HAPPY at work if you are an employee, or income producing activities like sales calls and partnership conversations if you are an entrepreneur. That is for focus time blocks on your calendar. Try to make entire days of this focus work if possible. Then set aside time for administrative stuff, which  are items you just have to do whether you like them or not but they don’t necessarily focus on the results  of your job or business and don’t always lead to quick successes. Finally, sacred time needs to have a spot on your calendar for personal time, hobbies, and family, etc.  Planning sacred things into your schedule will make you more effective in your career. 4. Batch as if Your Life Depends on It Batching  is when you group similar tasks into blocks of time.   During this time you have no distractions.  Did you know that every time you are distracted, it takes 15 minutes to regain complete focus again? Examples are only looking at emails or social media at certain times of the day.  Setting a timer, shutting off distractions and only working on your dream business or job searching efforts. I also recommend batching errands, meal planning, meetings, laundry, or personal appointments. 5. Your Calendar Doesn’t Control You If you havent read The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks yet, I highly recommend it. What Gay Hendricks says in this book is this idea behind Einstein time. This is where you are in charge of your time. You are where time comes from. You can make as much of it as you want. I want you to shift your thinking to this Einstein time, where you experience a major surge in your productivity, creativity, and enjoyment. This shift takes place the moment you embrace one profoundly simple truth and that is you are where time comes from. So say to yourself right now, “I acknowledge that I am the source of my time.” And your stress will disappear the moment you accept that  and you really claim ownership of it. 6. Discipline  is Required to Achieve Your Career Goals I have to continually remind myself of this when I want to sleep in or go to bed during a big time in my career or business. This is what will separate you from the rest. It doesn’t require that much time, it’s just some time and that is where your discipline comes into play. 7. Practice the Pareto The Pareto Principle states that 20%  of your input creates  80%  of your results. Focus on the  20%  that will get you the results you want.  That means you must really focus on what is working when launching your dream career or business. You need to focus on the 20% of what is going to make the difference to save time and get faster results. 80% of what you are doing right now could be a waste of time. Here are some examples…. 80% of job leads are found through networking. The top 20% of your resume  is the most important section. The  first 1-2 minutes  of your interviews are the most important. If you are an entrepreneur, figure out which 20% of your time produces 80% of your business results,  then you can spend more time on those activities and less time on others. Identify the characteristics of the top 20% of your customers  (who represent 80% of your sales). Then, you can find more  customers  like them and grow your sales and profits. 8. Free Up Your Time Because your career goals are SO IMPORTANT right now and are really going to determine the rest of your future and happiness, you need to be very focused and selfish with your time management. Just because your sister wants you to babysit and you are unemployed does not mean that you can babysit. Your full-time job needs to be job searching or growing your business! 9. Make a Morning Ritual The biggest mistake that I see made over and over is waking up and checking email. I know I did this too when I was  at my day job. It really ruined my entire day especially when I worked with people on the east coast who had been sending work emails for hours. No one should have to wake up like that! Now my morning routine consists of journaling, meditating, listening to affirmations, reviewing my vision board and goals, reading, praying, and exercising. This has completely changed my life and my outlook on the day ahead. 10.  Find Your Best Time Not everyone can jump out of bed in the mornings and get to work. Not everyone can do his or her best work from 1 am-4 am.   When are you the most focused?   Morning, afternoon, or night? Don’t spend your BEST TIME watching television. Spend your best time focusing on what is the most important to you right now â€" job searching, launching your business and getting your career unstuck. 11. Wake Up Earlier The more  decisions  you make in the day, the less energy  you have for your passions, your dreams, and your goals.  Make the best decisions and do your best work on launching your dream career or business  first thing  in the morning! 12. Limit Your Priorities When it comes to time management habits, I recommend only focusing on ONE THING  at a time. It’s time to make a list of everything you need to get done this week. Then, I want you to prioritize this list in order of importance. I find that instead of making a to-do list with 20 things I need to get done each DAY, it’s much easier to make a priority list of six things I need to get done each WEEK. Then, I don’t move to #2 until #1 is done and I actually get all my tasks done for the week. When was the last time you can say that you finished all of your tasks for the week?  Your priorities should be the tasks that will make the biggest difference  in your job search or launching your dream business. 13.  Plan Your Weekly Review How do I plan out my week for success so I am not stressed? I go into Monday knowing exactly what I am going to do for the week. My biggest time management secret is my Friday afternoon weekly review. Here’s my routine: Step 1: Clean up last week. Clear out email inbox. Clean up, organize and get ready to start fresh next week. Step 2: Create my to-do focus list for next week with the top 6 things I need to get done for the next week prioritized as to what will help me move my career and business forward. Step 3: Knock out all administrative items that aren’t on my top six priority list FAST. These are tasks I don’t want to be doing throughout the week that are just going to be taking up my time when I should be focused on more priority items. Remember to take baby steps! You dont need to implement all time management tips tomorrow. Take it slow and you will become a productivity rock star and decrease your stress in no time! (P.S. This related post is epic: How to Simplify Your Life  to Grow Your Business)

Why Creative Use of Space Makes Your Work Environment More Agile

Why Creative Use of Space Makes Your Work Environment More Agile Creative ideas for making work environments increasingly agile are evolving all the time. We are seeing clients enhancing their workspace and contributing to their employer relations both in the creation of brand new offices, but also by injecting new ideas into current spaces. Introducing agility to a workplace doesn’t have to mean a complete redesign, massive budgets or waiting until the time comes to move to new premises. Research shows that as much as 60 percent of traditional office space can be unused on any given day. This means many businesses will have the opportunity to consider how wasted space could be better used, and sometimes the most innovative ideas come from no budget at all. What are agile work environments? Agile workspaces are designed to give employees flexibility about where and how they work. They feature a range of different spaces, allowing employees to work where they feel most productive and inspired, or which most suits the task they need to complete. It is a move away from the traditional office layout, where employees spend the vast majority of each and every working day at the same desk. Types of flexible space options include; private working and phone areas, breakout spaces for collaboration and brainstorming, casual and formal meeting areas, a choice of traditional desks or alternative sofas, beanbags or standing desks and open plan seating areas where people from all different departments and levels can sit together. Plus, spaces to eat, relax, have fun and socialise during the working day. What are the business benefits? There are many potential benefits to creating agiler working environments. Bringing employees together in more open and collaborative spaces can help to improve communication across the business. This can encourage innovation, increase leadership visibility and set the tone for a company culture which will get the best from your workspace. It can benefit the bottom line by increasing productivity and have a positive impact on employee wellbeing; increasing engagement and reducing sickness absence. We all know that sitting at a desk for too long is not suitable for our physical or mental health and a agiler working environment can encourage people to get up and move around, take proper breaks and socialise more. The workplace environment is also a critical factor in determining an employer brand which will attract and retain high calibre employees. Agile spaces are proving especially popular among organisations looking to recruit talented millennials, as this type of working environment is particularly attractive to this generation. Key considerations There isn’t a one size fits all approach to creating an agile work environment, consideration needs to be given to what will be a good fit for each organisation, its culture and business needs. Agile workspaces tend to work well in businesses where there is already a positive approach to flexible working and a focus on results achieved rather than time spent in the office. Employees may not be leaving the building, but if there is a historical culture of presenteeism, they could still be concerned about ‘being seen to be doing their work’ if they are not sat at their specific desk. Organisations which already adopt flexible working practices are also more likely to have the technology in place which will support working from different spaces around the office. If making creative changes to the work environment will mean the business is moving away from an extremely traditional layout and working practices, careful consideration needs to be given to the impact this could have on employees. As with any element of change, it is likely to cause concerns among staff, whether it is worries about the potential loss of their personal desk space, fears about using new technology or concerns about how this will affect day-to-day life and the office culture they are accustomed to. Make sure there is leadership buy-in for any potential creative changes, so senior colleagues can lead by example and talk positively about what is being done and how they hope it will benefit everyone. Involve employees in the process and ask for their ideas and feedback. They can help you to identify the types of spaces which would be most appreciated and make a difference to them. They are best placed to share what they think the current environment may be lacking, whether it is a vibrant and stimulating area for brainstorming or a quiet space where employees can choose to work if they want to focus with minimal distractions. For example, one of our clients asked employees how they would like to see a spare training room being used. A staff committee was given a budget to kit it out, and now the team has a space to break away from their desks and take proper breaks, with a pool table, drinks fridge and bean bags.

Benefits of Using Professional Resume Writing Services in Houston

Benefits of Using Professional Resume Writing Services in HoustonThe professional resume writing services in Houston will help you create a brilliant resume. This service is a great choice if you want to move up the corporate ladder, get a new job or simply want to learn how to write a resume that makes the best impression. Professional resume writing services Houston is an outstanding service that will help you get your resume completed and ready for submission.Resume writing services Houston provide experts in the fields of corporate and business resume writing. They are well versed in writing a resume that is full of keywords so that it is able to grab the attention of recruiters who need to read your resume. The advantage of having a skilled professional to write a resume is that you do not have to worry about grammar and spelling mistakes, as these professionals know exactly how to write a resume. They understand how important it is to get your resume read by professionals who u se the most modern ways of searching resumes.A good resume also helps you when you are applying for a new job. When your resume is good, it shows that you are a hard worker and are passionate about your work. This is a very good signal to prospective employers that you are capable of doing the job well and you would be a very good fit for the job.Professional resume writing services also make a good impression with your potential employer. Your resume is part of the first impression that your potential employer will get of you. By using a professional resume writing service, your potential employer will feel that you are serious about getting the job, which would probably lead to a job offer from the first day you meet them.By using professional resume writing services in Houston, you also have the opportunity to impress your family and friends with your fresh new resume. As mentioned above, the success of your job search is directly tied to the quality of your resume. Therefore, if you give your potential employer the chance to read your resume, they will know exactly what you can bring to the table for the job. By creating a professional resume using professional resume writing services in Houston, you will prove to your employer that you are someone who will contribute to the company in any way possible.If you use professional resume writing services in Houston to help you write your resume, you will have the opportunity to highlight various important factors about yourself and about your job. You will be able to create a vivid picture of yourself to your prospective employer. By writing about your strengths and learning points, you will be able to communicate your own talents and knowledge about the position you are applying for.By working with professional resume writing services in Houston, you will be able to customize your resume to meet the needs of the job that you are applying for. Professional resume writing services Houston have the ability to prov ide you with a document that reflects the most current information about you. You will be able to enhance your chances of getting the job by providing a unique document that reflects your personal qualifications.Because of the advantages listed above, you should look into hiring professional resume writing services in Houston to help you create a new resume. Hiring the services of an expert will ensure that you will get a job and will be able to put your skills to the test.

First Impressions Matter! Heres How to Make a Great One - Sterling Career Concepts

First Impressions Matter! Heres How to Make a Great One First Impressions Matter! Heres How to Make a Great One Everyone knows that money doesn’t equal happiness. However, it does make having, doing, and going to the places that bring you happiness much easier. That being said, having a job that generates the income you are looking for and deserve is easily one of the most important things in life. Whether you choose to work a standard 9-to-5 in an office building or have a career where you set your own hours or places of employmentâ€"getting the job is always the first step. Here are a few tips and strategies that you can take advantage of to help you make a positive first impression in any interview situation. Plan Ahead You always want to set yourself up for success. On that note, make sure that youre prepared for your interview or meeting by paying attention to the little details. Research: Make sure you know more about the company than just the name. Being able to answer questions knowledgeably and having interesting stats or info about the company can make you stand out among the other candidates. Prepare: Practice answering common interview questions. Have several answers prepared and have them well-rehearsed, but make sure that your delivery is still fluid and natural. Attire: The best thing you can do is to always dress for the job you want, not the job you have or even the job you might be interviewing for. This rule applies to your clothes, grooming and everything else about your appearance. If your goal is CFO, dress the part even if you are interviewing for the mail room. Vehicle: It may sound silly, but make sure you wash and detail your car. You never know who you might run into in the parking lot! Interview Time Nonverbal communication accounts for anywhere between 55 and 93 percent of total communication, according to research conducted by Dr. Albert Mehrabian of UCLA. What does that mean? Well, the simple truth is that the words you say are only a very small part of what youre actually communicating. Make sure that your physical demeanor matches what you say. In other words, if you declare that you are excited to be there, you better not be slouching back in your chair. Remember that first impressions are formed within the first 7  to 10 seconds upon meeting someone. This means that usually before you even have a chance to say much more than hello and your name, they have already formed an opinion. Don’t fear, though. There are some things you can do to help your situation: smile, lean forward, keep eye contact and offer a firm and confident handshake. Doing these simple things will always help you stand out favorably. Follow Up Don’t forget to follow through! Highly desirable jobs can often have dozens of people applying for the position. One of the best ways to make sure you are remembered is to do some follow-up. This can be as easy as writing an e-mail thanking them for the opportunity. But to really stand out, think about going the extra step by sending a small note.  You can plan ahead so  that it arrives at the end of the day that you interviewed on in case they are making a quick decision. This can also help you on the off-chance that you don’t get that particular job. A good company is always looking for forward-thinking individuals that can take their company to the next level.

Summary Sunday Success and Survival

Summary Sunday Success and Survival  Success and Survival This weeks round up of posts is geared towards getting you thinking, hopefully, outside of your comfort zone!  Success and Survival Thoughts 4 Friday Be Indispensable from Millennial CEO I started reading Millennial CEO because Daniel Newman is also a co-founder of 12Most which I really enjoy.   Please go check it out if you havent already. Daniel Newman says in this post: Here are four questions that you need to be able to answer with YES if you want to go from currently employed to forever employable. Are you always looking for ways to be better at what you do? Do you take initiative to solve problems? Do you embrace learning opportunities? Are you willing to embrace change? This post has great points that explain why these questions are critical to you over the long-haul.     By the way, can you answer YES to all these?   Let me ask you this question- Tell me about a time you recently embraced change and what you learned from the experience? Confidence is a Numbers Game from HBR by Jodi Glickman Glickmans post is geared towards women, howeve, it applies to anyone and everyone!   Glickman says: Heres where I think women get it wrong: we are perpetually rounding down, where, by all rules of mathematics, we should be rounding up. And that slight miscalculation has huge repercussions in our professional lives. What have you rounded down during your career or last job?   Did it work for you or against you? A Brain on Persistence by Ellen Weber If youve ever not followed through on something, you have to read this!   It explains how your brain works and what you can do to train your brain! Weber says: Persistence comes from five principles that factor in the brain’s staying power. These include:  targeting expected outcomes; critical first days; outsourcing detailed steps; tackling barriers; encouraging yourself and others. To Get You Thinking People Who Suck Dont Know They Suck from Cost of Work An HR professional writing about work, leadership, HR and sacrifices, Chris Fields tells it like it is! Love that!   One of the best points in Fields post is this: Well the  same rules apply to performance. Most people that do not perform well, don’t realize it. After an interview the candidate can’t tell how they performed and most times the bad ones think that they nailed it. Many people can’t take constructive criticism, but if you can, it can really help you to become better at whatever it is you suck at. Believe it or not,  you aren’t that great. You probably aren’t the smartest person that you know, or at least you shouldn’t be. Hang out and learn from other people it will help you to suck less. This is a healthy reminder for us all! What is it that you dont know you suck at? 5 Predictions about the Future of Careers and Workplace in 2012 from TNLT Written by Lance Haun, based on his interview with  Dr. Tracey Wilen-Daugenti of the Apollo Research Institute. These are 5 REAL ways the workforce is changing! Continuous employment: Multiple jobs and employers Tiny but mighty: Small businesses and self-employment will drive job creation Women rising: Working women will impact the marketplace Education matters: Lifelong learning will be vital to career success Showing up for work: Face time will become a precious commodity Go read the full post or better yet, listen to the interview! Get Hired: No resume, No Interview, No Joke by Nick Corcodilos (Ask the Headhunter) I have totally loved Nick for a long time!   Read this post- the entire thing! Heres how it starts off.   Corcodilis says: Stupid hiring practices are not a philosophical problem. This is a structural problem that’s destroying our economy from the inside out. Now, here is his solution for job seekers (he says cut out the middlemen) : Pick three companies or managers you really, really want to work for because they are the shining lights in their industry. Then describe (briefly) three problems or challenges each company really needs someone to tackle. This has been one of the most fun summaries Ive put together in a while!   I hope you liked it. Post a comment or you can check out all my other Summary Sunday posts in the archives.