7 Ways Youre Killing Your Career on Facebook

7 Ways Youre Killing Your Career on Facebook Alright, so maybe you know by now that you shouldn’t be posting pics of last night’s epic party to your Facebook page (as admittedly impressive as your keg stands may be). And maybe you know to avoid posting any overshares, as much as we’d all love to know the precise contours and coloration of that burrito you puked up after last night’s epic party. But just because you’ve managed to successfully navigate around the most heinous of Facebook pitfalls, doesn’t mean you’re not still damaging your career on Facebook. Here are 7 more key career Facebook fails to look out for and a number of solutions for optimizing your page: 1) Posting negative  status updates whilst at work: Whether you’re friends with your coworkers and boss or not, posting status updates while at work is a major no, as it shows that you’re off-task. (And yes, your boss knows what you’re doing when you’re staring down at the smartphone you mistakenly think you’ve effectively hidden in your lap. And if they don’t, the conclusions can’t be any more favorable). If you are friends with work people, then it’s especially key to avoid complaining about your job online or your co-workers online, lest you unleash a cascade of social media drama. Complaining about work can even be detrimental to any job searches you might be doing, as negative public posts about your workplace won’t exactly get your potential new employers excited to bring you on board just so that they can receive the same treatment. So keep it positive, avoid talking about work politics, and for the love of all that is holy, stay off of Facebook during work hours. READ MORE: The Top Social Media Fails â€" at Work! 2) Using the same e-mail address with Facebook and job applications: More often than not, when you apply for a job, your application goes directly to a manager’s email inbox at your desired company. Thing is, if that company uses an email plugin called Rapportive (and many of them do), the plugin will automatically pull all social media data associated with the address you used to apply in order to create a much more rich profile for you. That means that any of the data you’ve entered for your Facebook account is automatically sent to employers, whether you want it to be or not. So, do yourself a favor and apply to jobs using a different email address than you used to sign up for Facebook. 3) Liking everything you see: While it’s good to be supportive, liking everything you see on Facebook makes it seem like you’ve got a little too much time on your hands. Again, this is problematic when you’re friends with co-workers or your boss, as it might make you appear off-task on the job. However, even if you’re doing all of that liking on your personal time, it can still communicate the wrong message about you. Your boss, for instance, might think that means you have plenty of free time for working late hours, since you would only going home to get on Facebook anyways. It also might seem to them like you’re not doing enough to enrich your life outside of work, whether that’s embarking on a travel adventure or taking a continuing education course directly related to your career. Overall, it’s a good idea to think before you like. 4) Not locking down on your privacy settings: Of course, locking down your privacy settings is essential, both in terms of keeping your current job and when it comes to finding a new one. Unfortunately, last year’s switch to graph search means that you can no longer make your profile totally hidden. However, you can still go to the About section of your profile and manually set guidelines for who you want to see what. Additionally, it’s a good idea to create a list for your co-workers so you can exclude them from any posts you think might prove too controversial. You can also change the settings so that co-workers can’t see anything you’re tagged in. 5) Choosing an  awful profile pic: Again, you’re probably savvy enough to discern why that photo of you getting wild on spring break of junior year isn’t a great snapshot to choose as your profile pic. But apparently, even an appropriate but poor quality grainy, out of focus, dark, etc. pic can inhibit your chances of landing a good job. While you needn’t go for a boring LinkedIn style photo, when you’re actively looking for a job, it’s best to stick with a high resolution photo shot from the chest up. Doing so will not only make you look professional but will also help you appear trustworthy. 6) Posting about controversial issues: As passionate as you may be about abortion and gun control, posting about polarizing issues like this is the quickest way to alienate employers who disagree with you all the more so if you engage in angry debate. Yes, it’s clearly illegal to discriminate against you based on these views, but employers are bound to have at least subconscious (if not openly conscious) biases, and you wouldn’t want that to affect your hiring. The one exception to this rule is when the controversial matter at hand has to do with your industry. In that case, posting an articulate and well-researched opinion can actually help you build expertise. That said, phrasing should still be respectful, both in the post itself and in the comments that follow. 7) Concentrating  all of your social media efforts on Facebook: If all of your news goes straight to Facebook, it’s time to consider branching out. When used the right way, social media can be an even more powerful networking tool than, well, networking. Joining interest groups on LinkedIn and following people strategically on Twitter are both great ways to meet movers and shakers in your industry and show people what you know and do through commenting. Social media is also a great place to share your expert content, and further establish your reputation. The more sites you’re active on, the more findable you’ll be via keywords that are crucial to your industry. Just remember to treat each platform as a unique entity, providing relevant content accordingly. The takeaway: When you’re not careful, Facebook can easily derail your career. But it can also make your career, too just as long as you operate strategically on the platform. So tighten up those security settings, put on your positive attitude and make the most of the tools available to you. But seriously, take down those Cancun photos before you get fired. Author: Beverley Reinemann is a freelance writer and blogger who spent three years travelling and working in Australia and New Zealand. Now back in London she splits her time between travelling, running her blog  and her job in online marketing at Distilled.

Admissions Resume Writing Software

Admissions Resume Writing SoftwareAdmission resume writing is an important component of the admissions process. It is a time consuming and intricate task which requires a good set of skills to successfully finish it. Admission resume writing software is an effective and easy-to-use program that you can use to write your very own admission resume.For starters, there are several features that make admission resume writing software so useful. The most obvious and attractive feature is its powerful and robust resume writer. You have a wide range of options when it comes to the writing style, the format, the content, and the features.If you are working on the admission resume for the first time, then it would be best to opt for a template. In this way, you will be able to familiarize yourself with the various features of the software and also become familiar with the structure of the resume before the job interview. This will ensure that you will not have any difficulty at the interview a nd also prepare you for the main event.Although, you may have been working on your admission resume for a long time, you can always create a fresh one at any point of time. All you need to do is to access the latest version of the software and modify the contents according to your needs. You can download an updated version of the application which comes with great new features to make your admission resume come to life.If you have already created a new template and want to change some of the content, all you need to do is to go through your entry entries one by one and evaluate your entry entries according to the type of work you do. Once you have found the entries that are most relevant and that you have included in your admission resume, then you can rework or revise the content according to your requirements.If you want to modify the admission resume you have created, you can take the help of the informative and helpful tutorial that comes with the software. This can help you to achieve greater insights and understandings about admission resume writing. Moreover, you can also read some sample resumes that come with the application, so that you can incorporate them in your own applications and increase your chances of getting the job.Moreover, you should consider doing a research and do a little study of the job that you are applying for and also do some pre-job interview training if you want to stand out and impress your interviewer and get the job. The training and pre-interview preparation can help you do the interview with the confidence that you deserve.When you have written your admission resume, you can now make use of the many features that are available in the application. For instance, you can add the job history to the admissions resume, change the entries, or modify the content according to your requirements. This will help you keep track of the details and statistics that are required for your application.

Tips for Writing a Succinct Brand Bio - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Tips for Writing a Succinct Brand Bio - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career I have to provide a bio for a guest post and Im stuck. What types of accomplishments or positions are worth mentioning in a limited amount of space (and what should I drop)? The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC),  an invite-only organization comprised of the worlds most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses. 1. How You Give Back Experience teaching and mentoring communicate that you care about a broader ecosystem whether that be the startup world or a local community and youre sufficiently along in your career that others are interested in learning from you. If you dont do either of these, now may be a good time to start! John Rood, Next Step Test Preparation 2. The Core Point of Your Brand If you could summarize all of your accomplishments, goals and abilities into one line, what would that look like? This should be the first sentence of your bio. From there, you can expand it to include your current position and list the areas in which you are an expert. I always find it good to include a personal touch with a short bio as well. Lawrence Watkins, Great Black Speakers 3. A Link to Your Companys Website The key is to keep it short so people will actually read it. Include what you feel is your greatest professional accomplishment and your most recent position. Also, dont forget to link to your companys website! Evrim Oralkan, Travertine Mart 4. What Defines You What are you most proud of that demonstrates who you are at your heart? A short bio is not a resume. What youve accomplished is irrelevant. What makes you matter now that invites people into the essence of who you are. Share that. Corey Blake, Round Table Companies 5. What Makes You Stand Out Because your bio will always be compared against others, you should focus on what makes you stand out from the crowd. Mention the things that confirm your expertise in the domain you brand yourself with, and mention things that will enable a reader to engage with you in a useful way (i.e., your most recent position and what you are looking to connect for). Christopher Pruijsen, Sterio.me 6. Who You Are and What Youve Done You have to provide credibility. Otherwise, people might not take what you say at face value. Its always good to put a short description of what you do, who youve worked with and any awards or accolades youve received. Andy Karuza, Brandbuddee 7. What Will Be Interesting to the Audience If youre guest posting on another site, look at the site and see who its primary audience is. Then, figure out what will likely be most interesting and engaging to them. For example, if Im guest posting on an app review site, Ill always mention that I was turned into a character in an iPhone app. Get to know the audience, and then write specifically to them. Relevance is key! Erin Blaskie, Next Dev Media 8. A Brief Overview of Relevant Achievements Make a brief mention of your educational achievements and any professional accomplishments relevant to the website youre posting to. Keep it to two or three sentences at the most. Leave out anything personal unless its requested. Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance 9. A Call to Action Forget the typical bio; instead, use the space for a call to action for your product or service. Service businesses can offer a piece of useful content related to the problem they solve, such as a free report or video series. Product businesses can direct readers to get a free sample or can offer a deal on their first order. Laura Roeder, LKR Social Media 10. Impressive Accomplishments and a Humorous Touch I always appreciate a little humor when a speaker is being introduced. Start off with your title and company, cite one or two impressive accomplishments and finish with a personal, humorous touch. For example: Joe is a freelance creative director and product designer in San Francisco. Hes led projects for clients like Nike, Nixon and Adobe. He has an addiction to mobile devices and fine IPAs. Jared Brown, Hubstaff Featured Image Attribution

Ten Unconventional Job Search Tips Strategies

Ten Unconventional Job Search Tips Strategies Are you actively seeking a job? Has your search been long, difficult, and frustrating? In unconventional economic times, conventional thinking may actually be limiting all of the doors that could be opening for you. Here is some advice intended to help your efforts in landing a position, courtesy of  www.goldmanmccormick.com  . 1. Never send your resume and cover letter to the HR department. Make a connection with the CEO In this economy, human resources departments are already inundated with more resumes than they can handle. Even if you are qualified, you can still get passed over. Instead, try sending your resume and a personalized cover letter directly to the CEO. The CEO is the most important person in the company and an important person to have on your side. If you impress the CEO, he or she will likely forward your resume to HR, helping you stand out and change how the HR department will view you during the interview. However, if you cant reach the CEO (or if he or she is in a different state), youre best bet is to contact the top manager of the company at whatever location you are applying to. The most important thing is to make a direct connection with upper management as they are the ones who offer the best chance of offering you a job. 2. Stop sending Word resumes as a file attachment. Sometimes they get caught in email spam filters. Youre better off pasting your resume in the base of the email so it can be read from a smartphone. 3. Cover letters should be brief (two short paragraphs at most) and personalized. Be specific in the cover letter. Tell the company what youd like to do for them and what exactly you offer. Present your big ideas. The more detailed you are, the more youll stand out. If takes you more time to crank out letters, so be it. Generic cover letters than land on our desks are never read and quickly discarded. 4. Create an Online Resume through WordPress. Its free, and it will make you stand out from thousands of other job seekers. Your Online Resumes should have these tabs: home, resume, testimonials, contact. Some people are very visual and when you show that youre much more than just words on a resume, you open possibility of connecting with them on many other levels. As far as testimonials on your site go, ask your previous managers and/or co-workers for a statement thats about a paragraph in length. If a CEO or HR person goes to your Online Resume and sees four to six solid letters of endorsement, youll impress them and may even save them time in checking your references. A Web resume is also fantastic because you can easily paste the link in a brief cover letter. 5. During the interview bring your enthusiasm and ideas Research the company you are being interviewed with, know their vision, and offer ideas ways how you can bring value to them. Have the mindset that youre not just a person applying for a job vacancy but, that you are a rich asset that the company should (and needs to) acquire. 6. Write a hand written thank you card after the interview. Its a really nice touch and will make you stand out as people rarely do this. 7. Dont ever friend the boss on Facebook pre-employment after you get hired Yes we mentioned making a personal connection with the CEO earlier however, keep Facebook out of it. If you choose to friend your boss, youre giving them access to elements of your personal life and they may choose to not to hire you or promote you (after  hiring you) based on this. Never give your boss the opportunity to judge you for anything beyond how well you do your job. 8. Dont take it personally if a company doesnt hire you. Brush it off and move on. If, during the interview, you presented yourself honestly and gave them every reason in the world why hiring you would be a great decision, theres little else you could do. Feel good that you got the interview and learn from the experience. 9. Read books and self educate Read as many books as you can about the industry you want to work in and continue to self educate even when the phone isnt ringing for job interviews. By doing this, you are not only preparing yourself to hit the ground running in your next job but, you are training your mind to not accept limits or a career ceiling. 10. Go into business for yourself If you know you have amazing skills, a strong work ethic, and the ability to provide excellent service, you should consider starting your own business. In the US, small businesses provide 55% of all jobs and 66% of all net new jobs since the 1970s. Starting your own business puts you in total control of your career destiny and earning capacity. Running a small business, you dont have to wait around someone else to appreciate your talents and give you a raise youll get a raise naturally based on how successful you are. We wish all of you the best of luck in your job search. Also, our company is hiring right now. So if youre seeking a position, please direct all of your correspondence to: [emailprotected] - Mark Goldman Ryan McCormick are co-founders of Goldman McCormick Public Relations (www.goldmanmccormick.com), a New York based media relations agency. Images: Main  Tax Credits

How to Improve Your Resume With Upwork Resume Writing Services

How to Improve Your Resume With Upwork Resume Writing ServicesAs with any other service, using Upwork resume writing services can add a professional and highly beneficial touch to your resume. Here's why they are so effective: Upwork is not like Craigslist, a free online marketplace for jobs that don't pay a cent. Instead, it is an independent online labor marketplace where freelancers and freelancer owners can post their resume and get bids from other freelancers for a price.The easiest way to explain freelancing is to explain how a reactor works. When a property owner sells a house to a realtor, it is the property owner who put down a down payment and agree to a contract with the realtor, but it is the realtor who gets the profit.Now, a freelancer might choose to work as a home business owner or even a home cleaner. But as a freelancer, they still get paid by the hour. With Upwork resume writing services, the owner of the job gets a bid from someone who may have been bidding on the same job. If they offer a lower rate, they might ask the freelancer to write his/her own section on the client's resume.It also makes sense to use online freelance workers to write the section on your resume where you will mention the different jobs you've done. With a background in certain fields, you will have better odds of landing a better paying job if you list them.Be careful when listing all of your jobs on your resume. You want to make sure that you don't list jobs that may be perceived as being repetitive, such as one of these resumes. Just be sure to list them all on your resume.However, listing the work that you've done on your client's resume can help your chances of getting that particular client a job. Even if you have only listed part of your portfolio or submitted it online, sometimes hiring managers will use it in some way. If they like your work and think you can do the job, they may give you a call to discuss your potential.Most importantly, your portfolio should reflect a professional appearance. While it is great to show your skills by being creative with them, you want to look like a professional. Be sure to put your name on all of your projects, list any publications or awards you have received, and have your portfolio photos professionally taken and stored away somewhere.Once you've had experience with a number of freelance work, keep in mind that even if you have worked with only one company that pays you, you can always use it as a reference to another employer. As long as you are hired and shown to be a professional, then you should have no problem finding a new job.

Dont Achieve the Peter Principle in Your Career

Don’t Achieve the “Peter Principle” in Your Career Don’t Achieve the “Peter Principle” in Your Career The Peter Principle. It’s a real thing. Don’t know what it is? Basically, it is the concept that people get promoted to the highest level of their own incompetence. In simple terms, you could be the top sales person who gets promoted to director of sales as a reward… because you are doing so awesome in sales. Chaos then ensues as when you screw everything up because you suck at managing people. Sales you can do. Managing you cannot. Congratulations: You have just met the Peter Principle. Unfortunately, the Peter Principle happens a lot in the workplace.   Bosses want to promote top performers, and career-minded people want to move up the ladder. But sometimes, the collision between what people want / expect isn’t necessarily the right thing to do. Smart-minded companies will prevent the Peter Principle from happening by finding ways to litmus-test people who are top at their jobs to see if they can equally perform well in management roles or by being promoted. But what happens if YOU are the problem? How do you avoid becoming the Peter Principle Problem? Here are some tips to make sure you are part of the solution: Focus on what you do best. Know your limits of what you do well.   If the boss is slapping you on the back and saying that you are doing a great job and wants to move you up a level, this is the time to honestly ask yourself: Do I want to manage people? Do I have what it takes? Can I do a good job in this role? Do I feel comfortable in this role? Don’t be afraid to turn down a promotion. If it doesn’t feel right, it isn’t. Turning down a promotion that puts you into a role where you aren’t doing your best isn’t a bad thing. You can frame it up this way: “I am very flattered that you think so much of my job performance, but moving me up into a management role would not serve the company’s best interests. I do better at the role I’m in currently, but perhaps we can find another way I can improve my contributions to the company.” Suggest other career options that are better suited to your abilities. Speaking of those roles, perhaps you can continue your career growth in a different tangent. Expanding the scope or responsibility of your role to foster professional development might be a great solution for both you and the employer. Train to move past your management weaknesses. Maybe becoming a better manager might mean taking classes on how to support, coach, and mentor teams.   Acquiring these skills may make the difference in how well you perform in this role. Request or seek a mentor. Before assuming a new management role, finding someone who can show you how it is done can build your proficiency and comfort level in a higher position. Identifying someone that you admire and emulating their style is a great path to being the best manager you could be. The Peter Principle can be avoided; taking active steps to find workarounds to being a solution rather than the problem is part of how workplaces can stay pleasant and productive.

How a hybrid laptop can amp up your career

How a hybrid laptop can amp up your career How a hybrid laptop can amp up your career The shopping season is upon us! So whats on your holiday wish list this year? While visions of sugarplums are dancing, Ill bet tucked in that list is a new job, a promotion, or growth for your business. Its also the time to take a close look at the tools and technology that can take your career or business to the next level. Theres still time to add something to that wish list. Well, I purchased a powerful tool that will help propel my business as I continue to help others propel their careers. I have great respect for the power of the right technology; my years at Microsoft taught me that! So when I see a tool that has all the new features that are a must for todays business professional, I have to share my enthusiasm. I thought its time to cut back on carrying around multiple devices while getting upgraded to the latest technology. The HPs Envy x2 a detachable PCâ€" a tablet and notebook in one â€" with every bell and whistle you could want. Now, there are a lot of great devices out there for the holidays, so select one that is right for you. If a new job or promotion is at the top of your wish list, heres why you need the very best technology you can get your hands on to kick your job search into high gear in 2016. Tip 1: Stay agile. Note, I said agile, not mobile. While Im a fan of using mobile tech in the job search, lets face it, there are some things that cant or shouldnt be done on a smartphone when it comes to your search. Bigger screens and actual keys (the kind that move when you press down on them, remember those?) are crucial in editing a résumé or e-mailing a recruiter. You must avoid typos, catch grammatical errors, and close with a nice signature block containing your e-mail and phone number. And solopreneurs like myself are constantly moving from meeting to meeting and need to pack light. I found the HP Envy x2 to be the perfect solution for professionals who are tired of lugging around a laptop AND a tablet. Go for one device and get all the functionality â€" with half the carry-on space. While hybrid tablet/PC devices have been on the market for quite a while, new developments in technology are giving them true business-level computing power. This nifty hybrid gives me powerhouse tech in a mobile package to stay light, agile, and productive. Cool things I like: The HP Envy x2 features a backlit keyboard, which helps me on those evening flights. A longer-lasting battery and USB ports help me work uninterrupted. Not good for my work-life balance, oh well, thats life… or work! And it transforms into a tablet for movies and games when work is done. Ah, that work-life balance again! Tip 2: Put the right technology in your back pocket. Technology is moving so quickly and its critical to have the right tools for the right situation. For example, I am not concerned about video and audio quality â€" until I really need to be. But if you are networking or interviewing, initial phone interviews are rapidly becoming video interviews and the first impression your interviewer has of you is on his or her computer screen. Good A/V equipment can carry you a lot further than you think. The Envy x2 has you covered with a BeatsAudio dual speaker design and the HP TrueVision Full HD Webcam; theyll be lifesavers when youre video conferencing. The camera is engineered to work at high-quality levels, even in low light, with a wide-viewing angle lens. Never doubt the importance of a good impression and with the right technology you can make a great one. Tip 3: Keep up with the times. When sending a résumé to a potential employer, compatibility is key. If your old PC is still running Office 2003 and the company you are applying to runs Office 2013, youve got a problem. That cover letter and résumé that you turned into a work of art can arrive looking entirely different on their end. Employers want to know that youre up to date on the latest technology and can work with their existing productivity software. The new HP tech is pre-loaded with the latest Microsoft Windows and Office software, guaranteeing formatting compatibility and top-notch security. Tip 4: Get cloud-connected. How many times have you been working at a coffee shop or in a remote office and realized that you didnt have the documents or files you needed? Everyone is talking about the cloud these days, and why not? Storing files â€" documents, spreadsheets, images, and more â€" in the cloud frees up space on your devices and makes important content easy to access from virtually anywhere. And that can be crucial when youre looking to further your career. Whether you are connecting with business contacts at an event or sitting down for an interview, the ability to save information and access it from any device helps you keep up with important material. Think backup here! Im still shocked at professionals who spend hours working on a project and save it in one place on one device. Drop that tablet, lose that phone? Oops, youre out of luck! Cloud integration is so seamless that you dont even have to think about backing things up; your computer will do it for you. Save yourself a headache and make your life a lot easier with the cloud. Trust me. Ive lost files, had my hard drive crash, and had a laptop stolen. Not good! Tip 5: Bonus tip For businesses looking to upgrade to new PCs for employees, this device could be just the ticket â€" and a huge money-saver. Why settle for just a laptop, when you can give them a laptop AND a tablet in one package? Whether you are a job-seeker, a career-changer, or a solopreneur, arm yourself with the most efficient and powerful technology for your precious dollars. With the blend of the right technology and best process, you can achieve all of your 2016 business goals.