Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Are You a Smart Creative

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Are You a Smart Creative Google exec Eric Schmidt is famous for pioneering a very particular hiring process at the tech behemoth. In his book,How Google Works,Schmidt lays out his vision of the ideal Google employee. Called the “smart creative,” this employee represents the future ofhigh performingknowledge workers. Loads of organizations are trying to emulate Google, and in doing so are looking to hire smart creatives. Here’s what characterizes a smart creative according to Schmidt. While not every smart creative possesses 100 percent of these qualities, honing some or all will ensure your current and future marketability in thedigital transformationarena. Hands On Smart creatives are technically and digitally savvy. They are doers, expert in manipulating the tools that will allow them to be most efficient. They don’t just design concepts, they build prototypes and applications. If they identify a problem, theydon’t wait for IT to fix it. They come up with the answer themselves. Data Realists Smart creatives use analytics to their full potential. They are comfortable with data and canuse it to make decisions. They also understand its fallacies and are wary of endless analysis. They allow data to inform, but they don’t let it take over. Results Focused Smart creatives see a direct line from technical expertise to product/service excellence to business success, and they understand the value of all three. They are competitive and willing to put in the extra time â€" inside and outside of “traditional” business hours. They take action not because they are prodded by a manager, but based on their own considerable initiative. For more where this came from, head over to the full post at Intuits Fast Track blog.

Udemy Complete Resume Writing Tips - Easily Get the Best Results

Udemy Complete Resume Writing Tips - Easily Get the Best ResultsComplete resume writing can be difficult when you're first starting out, but there are a few things you can do to make it easier. You may want to follow the advice below in order to get the best results.The first thing you need to do is to make sure that your important document is organized. This will make it easier for your employer to read and understand. Organizing your information will help you get the most out of the time they will spend reading your resume.Most of the time, people tend to forget to change the date from their document. If this is the case, make sure you organize it before you send it out to employers. The best option you have is to use Microsoft Word, which has a special date and time format. Keep in mind that this type of format will make it easier for your document to be read by anyone with access to Word.It's always wise to learn how to use Adobe Photoshop when you're on the Internet, so that you don't have to use tutorials on other training courses or on Udemy. Since so many people don't know how to use the program, this is an option that you can take advantage of. There are many free tutorials on the Internet that can give you tips and techniques to make your resume look great.There are plenty of tutorials that you can find online that will help you learn how to use Photoshop, but you'll want to make sure that you get some work from the experts at Udemy. These professionals have years of experience teaching people how to use these programs. Learning from them will help you get the most out of your time, as well as your money, when you go to use their programs.When you're completing your complete resume, you may also want to learn how to use a digital pen. You can use a pen to write down your contact information, including your address and phone number. This will make it easier for you to get your information out to people who will be able to contact you.As you become more familiar with resume writing, you'll want to consider using things like Microsoft Word Online or an eBook on how to use the program to prepare your completed resume. Since so many people aren't aware of these programs, you can benefit from them. With many people not taking advantage of these programs, they aren't as effective as they could be.Once you learn how to make your resume more effective, you can go from having an average resume to having a great one. Whether you use a book on Microsoft Word, or you just learn how to use your pen, you'll find that you have more control over your resume. The time you invest into learning how to make your resume better will pay off over time.

Personal Branding Interview Alexandra Levit - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Interview Alexandra Levit - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today, I spoke with Alexandra Levit, who is the author of Howd You Score That Gig?, a columnist for The Huffington Post and the Wall Street Journal and a gen-y expert and speaker.   Alexandra shares her worst job advice, how people can reinvent themselves in this economy, challenges recent college graduates will have, and more. What are the 3 worst pieces of advice you can give a job hunter right now? Hold out for the perfect situation. Stick to the traditional: online job boards and mailing out 100 resumes with cover letters to HR people Be passive (i.e. with your credentials, they should be looking for you). People who are losing jobs are trying to reinvent themselves.   Is this possible?   How? Sometimes, getting laid off or fired is a blessing in disguise. Ive been hearing from a lot of people who wanted to leave their jobs or fields, but didnt have the gumption to look for something new.   Once they were forced into that situation, suddenly they were free to reinvent themselves.   As long as youre collecting unemployment, I recommend doing a self-assessment to determine what type of work will be most meaningful for you, and then acquiring the required skill set through volunteering or an internship. What challenges will recent graduates have this year and how can they overcome them? The biggest challenge they face is a tight job market and tons of competition, as 2009 grads are part of the Millennial generation, the largest in American history. However, it is definitely possible to stand out from the crowd and land a great position through following your personal branding tips and starting before you actually need the job. Make it your business to take one small step every day to move your job search forward, whether its researching an interesting company or making a networking call.   And speaking of networking, this is absolutely what separates successful candidates from unsuccessful ones.   Aim to meet people in your target field and ask them if theyd be willing to spend 15 minutes telling you about their career. Once you get their attention, ask for information rather than a job, and gradually build the relationship over time. Is starting a business possible right now?   Should everyone try to? Sure its possible, but you know, Dan, I dont think everyone is cut out for starting a business.   Not only is being an entrepreneur costly, nerve-wracking, and incredibly hard work, but because of the way our economy is structured, it’s simply impossible for everyone to be one. When considering employment, new grads should look at an array of options, including those that involve working in the business world.   Even if you are a natural born entrepreneur, I think its less risky to first develop and hone your business skillset while working for a larger organization. You wrote a cool book called Howd You Score that gig.   How did you score your new gig with the WSJ? The head of my alma maters alumni program introduced me to a fellow Northwestern grad who is a careers editor at the Wall Street Journal. We spoke at an event together and began a conversation about the future of news coverage about careers and the workplace.   I told her about my book on career change, Howd You Score That Gig?, and when the team over there decided they needed a new column targeting people looking to reinvent themselves professionally, she thought that I could write it.     I am very lucky to have this opportunity and I have been having a ton of fun so far! Alexandra Levit is a nationally recognized business and workplace author and speaker. A syndicated columnist for the Wall Street Journal and a blogger for HuffingtonPost.com, Alexandra has authored several books, including the popular They Dont Teach Corporate in College (second edition published in spring 2009 from Career Press), Howd You Score That Gig? (Random House/Ballantine, 2008) and Success for Hire (ASTD Press, 2008). Alexandra’s book on inspirational career change, Change Your Job, Change Your Life, is due out from Random House/Ballantine in early 2010.   Alexandra makes frequent national media appearances and has been featured in thousands of outlets including the New York Times, USA Today, National Public Radio, ABC News, Fox News, CNBC, the Associated Press, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and Fortune, and her articles regularly appear on the home pages of CNN, MSN, and Yahoo!.

The Purpose of Education

The Purpose of Education In Think and Grow Rich, published in 1937, Napoleon Hill had very interesting things to say about public education. The missing link in all systems of educationtoday may be found in the failure of educational institutions to teach their students how to organize and use education after they acquire it. In other words, education is not just about stuffing your head with as many facts as possible.   Its about training your mind to recall facts and use them systematically in your work.   Weve all met people who are very educated, but just cant seem to use their smarts to solve everyday problems.   We often call that syndrome lack of common sense.   But it  might be more accurate to call it lack of organizational skills. Social scientists and psychologists are beginning to think of intelligence not as a yes/no proposition, but as a set of skills, some of which may be stronger than others.   Definitions of intelligence include: Adaptability to a new environment or to changes in the current environment Capacity for knowledge and the ability to acquire it Capacity for reason and abstract thought Ability to comprehend relationships Ability to evaluate and judge Capacity for original and productive thought Traditional education certainly doesnt enhance all of these abilities.   At its best, education should provide you with the skills to understand new concepts, file and recover them for future reference, and apply them to new situations.   These are also skills you can work on yourself, without the benefit of a formal classroom situation. In todays dynamic business environment, knowledge is not nearly as powerful as the capacity to learn.   Situations and technology are changing too rapidly to hold on to knowledge; what is true today will be obsolete tomorrow.   This is not a new concept; even before Napoleon Hill wrote about in the 20th century, Confucius said, Learning without thought is labor lost.  

Why Pre Writing Your Resume For the Job You Want?

Why Pre Writing Your Resume For the Job You Want?Why do we write our resumes in the first place? Most of us do not know the answer to this question and many times they get frustrated and give up altogether.We are fortunate enough to have amazing career options and can find employment in almost any area, from banking to the political arena, but if we are not careful we can fall into a rut where we are bored with the same career path and decide to go back to the same old routine. That's why pre writing your resume for the job you want is essential.The main problem with jobs that you've always done is that they haven't changed very much. When you're starting out you should never go back to a career you've already had, otherwise you may find yourself getting stuck on the same job or not being able to find any work at all. Most people fail because they don't pre-book their resumes for the job they want, they hire someone else to do it for them.You can't expect a job that pays two hundred and fifty dollars a week for forty hours a week to pay your bills on a full time basis if you're not going to be staying there for the rest of your life. A job that pays well enough for you to have a stable lifestyle is probably going to not offer you the security of finding the job you're looking for. This is why it's vital that you pre-book your resumes for the job you want as soon as possible.Some people do their resumes before they even start interviewing for the job they want. If you're one of those people then you should have no regrets about how you present yourself, because that's how you will come across when you meet the potential employer. So, why not have a short resume writing session as soon as you can find the job you want and practice what youhave learned.After you have completed your writing for the resume it is imperative that you have somebody to help you. Do not start your writing process without having a partner. That way you can make sure that you are creating the resume you want.Take a good look at your resume and reread it to make sure you've covered all the points you wanted to. Make sure the formatting is good and the formatting needs to be right, as well as your contact information. It's also important that you reread the resume a few times to make sure you haven't missed anything, and make sure that you've added all the things you need to.Make sure that you get professional help if necessary and then send the resume off to all the companies you've applied to. If you are going to use a company to write your resume it is vital that you let them know you are not looking for a job currently and just want to write an application for one. Otherwise they won't be able to write you a great resume.

Motivation Monday Summer Cruzin

Motivation Monday Summer Cruzin For me, summer is about cruising (taking it easy):   lakes, family, and a bit of RR. If this is the case, then how did we get into August so quickly? Is anyone else thinking it was just June? As much as I crave these traditional summer activities, I find slowing down can be hard to do. There are lots of projects on my plate and never quite enough hours in the day to get them all done. If you are in summer-time mode and in job search, balancing your time can be particularly challenging. Maybe you want the opportunity to enjoy your first free summer in years. Maybe you feel you are entitled to some downtime. I get it. But, what can you be doing to lay some of the groundwork for a productive search when you return from vacation? Read Catch up on some reading to boost your career! Looking for suggestions? Here are some Or perhaps you could pick up one of these books that influenced other people: Whether you pick up Rand, Gladwell, Sagan or any other author, do chose one that will inspire, refresh and update your thinking!  Got a book that influenced your life? List it in the comments! Im always looking to share good reads! Start Blogging If nothing else, create a blog and use it as a professional profile and portfolio of your work! Not sure how to get started? It isnt as hard as you think. No coding or programming skills required. Go start a blog or at least start commenting on blogs related to your industry! Here are some helpful sites you may want to check out too! ProBlogger Denise Wakeman We Blog Better Oh, you ARE employed? Actually, go read it even if you arent employed yet! 15 Tips to Rock Your Career from WorkAwesome. There are some good ideas for career development! Sowhat will you do this week to make your summer memorable?!

How to Contact the Right Businesses Online to Declare Your Interest In a Job - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

How to Contact the Right Businesses Online to Declare Your Interest In a Job When it comes to finding a new job, you could take advantage of the hundreds of classifieds sites online to submit your CV for various vacancies. You could even use the more traditional method of visiting local businesses and popping your application through the letterbox. However, as the digital age continues to grow, and more and more businesses are using the internet to find new candidates, it’s vital you take advantage of digital practises to show off your experience. Here are a few ways you can do exactly that. Use the Email Finder It’s not always easy to find the right contacts when it comes to submitting your CV, but with the email finder at your disposal, that is now a simpler process. You can get a list of all the emails a specific business uses so you can contact the most important people directly. Of course, you should be careful adopting this method, as not all employers are going to want random emails from people they don’t know. However, it’s an effective way to build a list just to send your CV off if a job you’re interested in becomes available in the future. If you decide to adopt this method, click here to find an email finding service. LinkedIn Is the Place to Go LinkedIn is a slightly different prospect in terms of a social media platform, purely because it caters to the needs of professionals. Therefore, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t get yourself an account and start contacting businesses related to the industry you want a career in. Employers are always on the lookout for new candidates on LinkedIn, so it could well be the place to begin your job search. LinkedIn is the most popular social media platform for professional users and has more than 467 million account holders. Other Popular Social Media Platforms Although the likes of Facebook and Twitter are more personal social platforms, many professionals are now taking advantage of them for marketing and employment purposes. Some of the biggest businesses around the world advertise open job positions on their pages, so it’s always worth a look at if you want regular updates open vacancies. Start Networking with the Help of Forum Communities Forums may contain pointless posts and threads from time to time, but there are many professional outlets that professionals use to attract new candidates. Forums help you build relationships with employers local to you, and it could be the difference in securing your dream job. Look at this list of the top job forums in the world. If you’re taking your search for a top career seriously, you should consider the above methods to help you get in touch with employers directly. Of course, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t opt for the traditional methods we used 20 years ago, but the above ways will almost certainly give you a better chance to find the job of your dreams.