The Best College Grad Job Search Resources - Vol 2 - Secrets of the Job Hunt Career Podcast

Reposted from CareerAlley

"There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs." - Anonymous

There are few of us who enter college knowing what we want to be when we grow up, and many of us change our major one or more times. So what does that mean about finding your first job out of school? Well for one, don't stress out looking for the right answer (or the elevator to success) because there isn't always a right answer. The trick is to find a job that closely aligns to your skill set with a company that offers the best chance for achieving your career goals.

Sounds easy, but in practice it takes a lot of work. Take the stairs, it will take you longer to get there but the rewards are worth the pain.

College Grad / Entry Level Job Search Sites:

• Alumwire.com - "Real Connections" is the tag line for this professional network which focuses on "job search, recruiting, career enhancement, and other business pursuits" according to their website. The main page is all about jobs. There is a link for the Alumwire Virtual Career Fair Schedule followed by featured jobs (with a link to see additional jobs), an overview on networking below which is a link where you can update your resume and set-up your profile. View Jobs by Category is on the right hand side of the page. This is definitely a site worth checking out.

• 37signals Job Board - A job board by 37signals.com, the page offers lists of jobs, sorted by job category (Design Jobs, Programming Jobs, and several other categories). Click on any job opportunity to see a job description along with contact information. There is a "live search" box at the top of the page as well. You can click on the category to see all the jobs for that category and you can subscribe via RSS as well.

• Work for Students - By, of course, workforstudents.com. This is a good place to look if you are looking for work while in college. Remember, what you doing during school (and I don't mean just your school work) is sometimes more important than what you did in school (not an excuse to get a C). Links at the top of the page for Opportunities, Resources and Apply. There are links for latest news and Career Resources center page. Enter your zip code (top right hand side of the screen) and click Go.

College Grad Job Search Advice:

• 2009 Best Companies for Diverse Graduates - Thanks to Diversity Edge (thediversityedge.com) for this listing of the best companies for diverse graduates. The article has a brief overview followed by a listing of the companies. You will recognize most (if not all) of the 20 companies on this list. At the bottom of the article is a link to the website.

• Job Hunting Tips for the New College Graduate – Or Anyone - Good article (from Generation X Finance) which has some good advice, covering topics such as Experience Matters, Start Early, Networking and more. This article is definitely worth a read. There are related articles at the bottom of the page.

via secretsofthejobhunt.com

Posted via web from AndyWergedal

Career Goddess: Build Trust with Authenticity and Charisma

What do Betty White, the octagenian who wowed audiences on a recent epidode of SNL, Michelle Obama, Donad Trump, Steve Jobs, and Oprah have in common? The obvious answer is lots of money. But that may be more the result of the characteristic they share: the ability to build trust through an authentic personal brand and tons of charisma.

In the May 13, 2010 Reach Personal Branding Interview with guest expert Dr. Nick Morgan and William Arruda, founder of Reach Personal Branding, you will learn how to become a more effective and charismatic communicator. Dr. Morgan will discuss:

• The single most important communications issues for people in all walks of life today,
• Recent brain research that has changed the way we understand communications,
• The 4 steps to authenticity and charisma,
• Why people need charisma more than ever today to stand out,
• The top 3 secrets to becoming more charismatic,
• Why non-verbal communications is far more important than most people realize.

Dr. Nick Morgan is one of America’s top communication theorists and coaches and an internationally known public speaker. Nick has coached and written for many CEOs and presidents of Fortune 50 companies, and has worked with political and educational leaders.

via blog.careergoddess.com

Posted via web from AndyWergedal

Career Goddess: Emotional and Mental Rehearsal for Job Search Success

If you have been laid off from a job, downsized, fired, “let go”,  or otherwise removed from your last job, your feelings of anger, sadness, disbelief, frustration, denial, humiliation, lack of confidence, and emotional rawness are a natural result. The challenge you face when seeking your next job is to resolve those unproductive, negative emotions and stop them from sabotaging your job search.

Emotional and mental rehearsal prior to an interview can help you to imagine yourself successfully fielding even the most difficult questions. In addition, with guided visualization and the assistance of a trained facilitator, you can not only safely explore and put negative emotions on the backburner, but also exude more self-confidence and genuine positive attitude in all your job-search interactions.

Mental and emotional rehearsal is a reliable and oft-used technique by the best athletes in sports, as well as every other high-performance activity. For example:

Before the (Olympic) trials I was doing a lot of relaxing exercises and visualization. And I think that that helped me to get a feel of what it was gonna be like when I got there. I knew that I had done everything that I could to get ready for that meet, both physically and mentally. - Michael Phelps, Olympic record-breaking athlete

Visualization lets you concentrate on all the positive aspects of your game. - Curtis Strange, American top-rated golfer

I've discovered that numerous peak performers use the skill of mental rehearsal of visualization. They mentally run through important events before they happen. - Charles A. Garfield, American peak performance expert, researcher and trainer

See yourself confronting your fears in your mind's eye and handling those fears like a champ. - Les Brown, American motivational trainer, speaker and author

The Job-Loss Recovery Program, created by Dr. Lynn Joseph, has proven results. When Dr. Joseph conducted a study with dislocated white-collar workers using the guided visualization process, she found that 62% of the guided imagery group landed a job within 2 months, as compared to 12% of the control group (in the same timeframe) who did not engage in job-loss recovery guided visualization.

Guided visualization is as essential tool in any job seeker’s toolkit. That’s why I am so excited to have earned certification as a Job-Loss Recovery Program Facilitator, one of a select few in the first training program (10-hour interactive workshop).

Every communication and job-search action you engage in has the potential to fast-forward your success. Why not tap into that potential through guided imagery and mental rehearsal? Contact me to learn how you can improve your mental and emotional resilience though this proven visualization system.

via blog.careergoddess.com

Posted via web from AndyWergedal

How To Scrub Metadata From Word Documents [Windows]

Did you know that Word documents can hold information that is not visible from within the document?  It is true.  Microsoft tags hidden data to your documents that can give information such as revision logs, identifying information (author, etc.), comments, keywords, hyperlinks, saved dates, edit dates, and much more.  This is called metadata.

Why should we care about the metadata in our Word documents?  Well, there have been news stories about metadata getting people into precarious situations, such as letters supposedly being written by one person but the metadata saying something different. However, even if you are not doing anything wrong, you may want to just be careful with your private information.  There’s nothing wrong with that.

The process you can use to scrub that personal metadata from Word documents is quite simple.  It involves downloading and installing a free program called “Doc Scrubber.”

Just download, install and open Doc Scrubber just like you would any other Windows program.  Once you have it open, I think you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to run.

As you can see you can also analyze the document’s metadata to see what can be seen.  To do this, just select the “Analyze” button.

Then you will be prompted to browse for the document you want analyzed.

Let’s take a look and see what we can find out about one of my old documents I’ve had lying around.

Well, we know my initials (I hardly ever enter my name for program setups) and apparently I work for Toshiba!  Actually, I never changed that when I bought my laptop a few years back.  You can also see some other interesting things like when the document was created and last saved, edited and printed.

The interesting thing is that I now use Open Office as my Office suite of choice and my documents still end up with some metadata attached.  All the more reason to hit the “Main Menu” button and start some scrubbing.

When you hit the “scrub” button, you are given a few options.

You can save some real time by scrubbing more than one document at a time.  In other words, if you have just learned about this metadata thing, you can catch up and scrub everything you need to in a relatively short amount of time.

Next you’ll be given some more specific options as to what you want scrubbed.

Basically you can choose what information you find sensitive.  You can even reset the revision count and the author/company.  When you hit “next,” the magic begins.

Once the scrubbing is done, run an analysis of the scrubbed document(s) just to see what can still be seen.

As you can see, the document now reads that John Doe who works for Any Company Inc. created the document and the other settings were either reset or cleared, according to what I selected during the scrubbing process.

Like I mentioned earlier, you don’t have to be up to no good (like those showing up in the news) to make use of a tool like Doc Scrubber.  As you can see, the process of scrubbing that sensitive data is a simple one. Check out Karl’s article about scrubbing metadata from photos.

via makeuseof.com

Posted via web from AndyWergedal

The iPad doesn’t need to do everything

Rationalizing the purchase of an iPad usually includes a few of these:

• I’ll carry it around most of the time.
• I’ll be able to replace my laptop with it.
• I’ll be able to replace my Kindle with it.
• I’ll bring it on trips instead of my laptop.
• I’ll respond to email with it.
• I’ll get work done with it.
• I’ll take notes with it.

After a month of heavy use, I don’t think it’s good for any of those. A more accurate list might be:

• I’ll play games on it.¹
• I’ll check email on it, but not respond much, because that requires a lot of typing.
• I’ll check RSS and Twitter on it, but not exclusively.
• I’ll read for short periods on it before my hands get tired of holding it.

The iPad is a great device, but what’s it for, really?

Logically, it doesn’t make a lot of sense for most computer owners. In reality, if you needed a laptop before, you probably still need one. If you want to read novels, the Kindle is still a much better device for that. If you need a small computer for ancillary tasks that’s always connected and always with you, an iPhone is better (and you probably already have one). And, even though it’s a great deal for the hardware, most people will have trouble justifying the $500 entry price.

But using it is satisfying and delightful, and there are some things that it does better than a computer. That list isn’t as big as I, and probably most early buyers, initially assumed. And that’s OK.

The Kindle has a built-in web browser and is always connected to the internet for free. That’s amazing. Imagine how useful that is! But, in reality, it’s not. It’s such a terribly suited device for web browsing that the browser is buried in an “Experimental” menu and almost no Kindle owners are likely to have used it more than once. The Kindle isn’t even great at reading all “books”: textbooks and anything relying heavily on graphics, color, navigation, or precise formatting are all nearly unreadable on the Kindle. Even most periodicals offer a passable-at-best reading experience, despite having the huge technical advantage of scheduled, automatic, wireless delivery.

It doesn’t matter, though, because the Kindle is great at one thing: reading novel-length text.

We don’t need every computer-like device to do everything. A gadget just needs to be good at something that you need or want to do.

For me, my iPad is the ideal Instapaper device. It’s also a lot of fun for games, especially with multiple people gathered around. And it’s convenient to casually browse RSS, Twitter, and the Tumblr Dashboard on it while hanging out around the apartment away from my computer, even though I also do these things on computers. It’s the perfect living-room computer that lives on the coffee table and can be used to quickly look up a fact, find a restaurant, check mail, browse news, and play a game.²

It’s absolutely not a productivity device for me, but that’s OK: I have computers for that.

Accepting that the iPad isn’t an all-purpose computing device is going to be a slow process for everyone, including Apple. They can’t quite explain what it’s for, either, which is why the launch marketing, software, and accessories are a bit scatterbrained. For instance, if you’re using a hardware keyboard with the iPad very often, you’d probably be much better served by a MacBook Air.

This doesn’t make the iPad a worse product or a waste of money³. It’s just not as general-purpose as a regular computer. (Nothing could be. That’s an impossible goal.)

Find the balance: use the iPad for what it does well, accept that it won’t be everything, and use other tools for the rest.

1. Plants vs. Zombies has probably sold more iPads than iBooks has. ↩

2. The iPhone also does all of these things, but I’d rather use the iPad if it’s nearby because the additional screen space will allow me to do these things more effectively and efficiently than on the iPhone. It’s like having both a desktop and a laptop: you use the desktop if you’re near it. ↩

3. But you may not be able to as easily rationalize its cost, e.g.: “If I buy an iPad, I can sell my laptop!” Because you probably won’t. ↩

via marco.org

Posted via web from AndyWergedal

Best of Branding: Top 5 This Week | Brand-Yourself.com Blog

Here is the Top 5 This Week – @andywergedal

Communication is the key this week. If you lose you job, tell everyone. And, here are some tips to help if you are uncomfortable talking to real people.

Here are this weeks Top 5

1. Don’t be a Stealth Job Hunter – [Career Rocketeer]

Are you trying to find a new job without letting anyone know you’re unemployed? Many people try, very few succeed. Especially in today’s job market, it is extremely difficult to get a new position without extensive networking!

2. Relevance Outweighs Details – Save the Whole Life Story for Your Momma! – [Great Resumes Fast]

Forget what your parents told you. In today’s job market, a resume doesn’t have to—and generally shouldn’t—include every single thing you’ve done at your past jobs. Tailor each resume to highlight your most relevant accomplishments, and employers may actually spend a little more time reading it over.

3. Networking for the Socially Inept, Introverted and Reluctant – [Career Rocketeer]

You know our type. We’re the kind of people who for whatever reason don’t really know how to start up a conversation. We’d rather hide under the table than start chatting with an unknown person or stay at home watching reruns than go to a party. We’re your awkward cousin or the kid that sat behind you in biology. Is there networking hope for us? There is hope and you will find comfort in knowing (for all of us procedural nerds) that it can be a process you can quickly and painlessly use.

4. How To Communicate Well With Anyone – [Brand-Yourself]

You communicate daily with those around you. People you like and get along with, and people you have a hard time being around, but are forced to deal with. Luckily communication skills are flexible and can be tweaked to any situation, no matter how grim. Mastering the art of being flexible is the key, as that is the ticket to success in academia, career and life.

5. How to Make a #Career Change Doable for You – [Career Chaos]

A first step is to get back in touch with what goes on in the world beyond your current workspace. Start by reading recent business magazines such as Forbes or Fortune and Business Week. Include the Wall Street Journal AND the New York Times. Discover the current trends in your industry, in your field, in the world. Reflect on how these trends will affect your current career, and on how the skills you already have can impact these trends. When contemplating a career change, think about what your choice will look like 5-10 years from now. It’s important to select a career you can grow into and thrive in.

In case you haven’t figured it out, yet. Getting a job is always about the people, not the process or the company.

As a pioneer in thought leadership Andy is capable technologist. His primary professional role is the communication bridge between technology and executive staff. An expert in project management methodologies Andy excels as the agent of change. Alternatively in the real world, Andy has a passion for helping people find jobs while playing a ukulele. He takes great pleasure in thinking out of the box and the numerous opportunities to laugh at himself. Checkout his blog at 40×50.com and on twitter @andywergedal.

via blog.brand-yourself.com

Posted via web from AndyWergedal

How A Strong Personal Brand Can Make You Rich | Brand-Yourself.com Blog

A few months ago Chris Brogan sent the world into a brief tizzy by revealing his services are worth up to $22,000 per day.  Startling number indeed.  Would you like to replicate even 10% of that daily haul?  If so, here is my take on how you can get there.

Whether you love him, hate him, or are easily intrigued by unique facial hair, you probably know of Chris Brogan.  He is everywhere.  My Google Reader feed tells me that chrisbrogan.com averages 8.9 posts per week, all free for anyone to read.  In 2008, Chris produced this personal branding e-book, and charged a whopping $0 for it.  The guy sends out this newsletter full of information and charges….you guessed it, nothing.

The result of all this incredible content being pumped out for free?  A lot of folks salivating to take it all in.  48,200 blog subscribers and 136,000 Twitter followers soaking it up 140 characters at a time.  Essentially, Chris has been building brand equity over time, keystroke by keystroke.

Today, it is easy to recognize Chris’ authority on new media marketing, and realize just how valuable it would be for a company to secure his uninterrupted focus.  Yes, even $22,000-for-a-single-day valuable.  So then…

The secret to building a money-making personal brand? Give great stuff away for free today. Offer even better stuff tomorrow for a price.

Chris Brogan isn’t the only one to have perfected this art.  Gary Vaynerchuk’s Wine Library TV is on episode #862, and all 862 are available for less than a penny.  Guy Kawasaki has been giving away advice across platforms for years.  Problogger Darren Rowse essentially teaches a free course on professional blogging that you and I can read freely every day.

But, if you want 1-on-1 time with one of these three (or any other guy or gal who has taken the same path) for consulting or speaking – you might want to plan an extra trip to the ATM, it’s going to cost a pretty penny.

Now, on to you.  How do you compare?  What are you giving away for free today that will build a powerful (and lucrative) brand for tomorrow?  Are you…

• Blogging regularly?
• Making certain your tweets/articles/updates add value to your community?
• Engaging in conversation?
• Sharing the work of others as much as you promote your own?
• Building relationships, not empty follower counts?

What about at your day job?  The same principles apply at the office too, in an even more concentrated way.  Are you…

• Putting in extra time without being asked?
• Working on projects above and beyond your “job title”?
• Helping co-workers without expecting anything in return?

Essentially, Chris Brogan’s $22,000 revelation is the world’s most effective case study on the positive effects of a personal brand (no, not a contrived brand built just for appearance’s sake, but an authentic brand built organically over time).

Compile every public tweet, blog post, guest article and keynote speech – and imagine that instead, Chris kept all that “valuable” information to himself.  He’d still be the same brilliant dude today.  But, who would know it?  Without established credibility, what company would want to shell out even $22 for his day of work, let alone $22,000?

No, you won’t become filthy rich overnight because you gave away great insights and added value today.  Building a brand isn’t a sprint.  To do it right, you are going to be running a long, long time.  And don’t expect the path to be paved with riches.  But the destination? It just might be.

Create a Brand-Yourself.com Account to Manage Your Online Reputation!

Brand-Yourself.com is an award winning toolset that helps you proactively manage your online reputation and promote yourself across the social web. Create an account today to see how we can help you win new opportunities, jobs and clients online. It’s easy and it’s fun!

For personal branding advice from Ryan Rancatore and a great group of guest bloggers, visit Personal Branding 101. Or, connect with @RyanRancatore on Twitter and be sure to say hello.

via blog.brand-yourself.com

Posted via web from AndyWergedal