Sunday, May 17, 2020

A Tale of Two Job Markets - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

A Tale of Two Job Markets - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Last week I played golf with a highly successful recruiting firm owner. As  usual, I took the opportunity to ask for his opinions of the job market and to learn how he connects hiring managers with the candidates they want to hire. One statement he made I found particularly interesting. He said There are two job markets. I had no idea what he meant, so I asked him to explain. In essence, here is what he was saying: There are two job markets. One is available to employed people, the other is available to the employed as well as the unemployed. I asked, based upon the recruiters experience, what portion of the job market is available to both the employed and unemployed and he answered 20%. In other words, he felt that unemployed job seekers would be considered for 20% of the jobs available. Why?, I asked. He said that his estimate was based upon the percentage of employers he has observed willing to  interview and hire unemployed job candidates. Independent recruiting and staffing firms fill approximately 15% of all jobs. His comment was specifically addressing this portion of the job market. However, it has broader implications for  the entire market because it is also true that some percentage of ALL employers tend to ignore unemployed candidates. Based upon my experience, I would estimate this portion which is unavailable to the unemployed to be  60%. In addition,  it is also  important for the unemployed to be aware that their marketability is reduced the longer they remain unemployed. (See my previous post titled Employment Date Coding). Regardless of whether my 60% estimate is high or low, it is undeniable that  a significant portion of the job market  is not available to the unemployed. This fact has the following implications for your career management: Employed people need to think carefully before resigning from their jobs and downgrading  their personal branding  from employed to unemployed as this  will reduce their marketability. Knowing this, I always try to sensitize my clients to this and  suggest they try  to hang in there while looking for their next job. If it is too late and they have recently resigned, I suggest they not be too quick to update their employment status on their resume or LinkedIn profile. Unemployed people need to make maximum efforts early in their job searches, when they are more marketable. The  recruiter  told me the story of a friend who was given a twelve month severance. She came to him after taking off for a year, earnestly desiring help with her job search. He told her You are not hirable. While I believe this was an overstatement, it points to the fact that many recruiters will not propose such a person for  positions  they are seeking to fill. Here is an analogy that sums up this matter.  You are like a new car. It  immediately loses value the day it is purchased and driven off the lot. As it continues to age, it continues to depreciate. Likewise, the day you become unemployed your marketability drops  and it continues to drop the longer you are unemployed. I imagine that unemployed job seekers will consider the previous  information to be  negative. However, if it causes the employed to be more careful before quitting their current jobs and causes the unemployed to work harder at their job searches earlier rather than later, then my work here is done. Good luck and best wishes for your success.

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Why Female-Centric Co-Working Spaces Are Taking the Industry by Storm CareerMetis.com

Why Female-Centric Co-Working Spaces Are Taking the Industry by Stormâ€" CareerMetis.com Source: ShutterstockCo-working spaces have become a must-have option for the workers of today. As the number of remote employees continues to rise, more and more individuals are looking for a place to work, communicate and brainstorm with others when they’re not in the office.Co-working spaces are on the rise, and with that trend, owners need to stay in-tune with their customers. That means meeting demand, providing all of the right office tools and offering unique spaces that tailor to each worker.Fortunately for remote workers, small businesses, and freelancers, now is a great time to be a part of this demographic. Chances are if you’re looking for a specific type of co-working space, there is one already open or one on its way to serve you. One of the many unique examples that are growing in popularity is female-centric spaces.evalThat’s rightâ€"women who are in search of a female-only workspace can now sign up at these exclusive locations and enjoy an environment of smart, forward-thinking women.So, why are female-centric co-working spaces taking the industry by storm?1) Less Peer PressureevalIt’s no surprise that many of the existing co-working spaces before now have been male-dominated. Even though women are more than capable of holding their own when it comes to their passions, many women value a more relaxed atmosphere, like what exists in a male-free environment.Women have shared that they feel less pressure in a female-only zone, and they feel more confident to speak their mind and share ideas with other workers. Even though all co-working spaces encourage a sense of community and belonging, something about a female-only location offers a more welcoming, less judgmental atmosphere.2) More Feminine Décor There is no denying that it’s much easier to work in a space where you feel comfortable. Women-centric workspaces have considered this and have already embraced more feminine décor that is a little bit cozier and female-focused.Perks like l arger washrooms, female-authored bookshelves, and softer color schemes have made the co-working spaces a more relaxed place to be. Instead of seeing pool tables and video game rooms, women can enjoy cozy reading nooks, lots of greenery and Zen atmospheres.3) Forward-Thinking Options Source: PexelsOf course, there is much more than just the interior design that appeals to women, and these co-working spaces have taken lots of important issues to heart as well.evalSome of the spaces, including Hera Hub with six locations, has an angel investment arm that seeks to support female entrepreneurs. Other places offer program options for young women, who can come into these environments and shadow one of their mentors.Additionally, there is a growing focus on the mental health of women, as well as the pressures and responsibilities that they juggle on a daily basis. One space, known as The Wing, recently added a book club to their space. They’ve also begun to host seminars on depression and anxiety and guest speakers.All this is in an attempt to support and empower women from all walks of life who are dealing with all kinds of different struggles and triumphs. These spaces are taking the industry by storm not only because they provide a much-needed safe space for women, but also because they encourage women to support one another.These types of spaces are hard to find on a daily basis and are much more capable of being maintained in an environment that promises women-only.4) Interest Keeps Growing evalThe first female-centric co-working space opened in New York City in the Flatiron District. All kinds of powerful women flocked here, including models, writers, and fashion designers. The waiting list regularly sits around 3,000 people at a time, so it’s no surprise that three new locations are going to be opening up in SoHo, Brooklyn, and Washington.Other hot spots for this idea include Shecosystem in Toronto and Paper Dolls in Los Angeles.Why Should Women Join a Co-W orking Space?For many women, especially those just starting their business, it’s not easy putting yourself out there. Often, freelancers and small business owners will spend an excessive amount of time on their own, and the potential for anxiety and depression can intensify.Heading into a co-working space is the ideal approach to getting outside, becoming social again and pressing your business forward. Business owners have the opportunity to share their ideas with other like-minded individuals creating the ideal environment to bounce ideas off one another.The advantage is this: Women can improve their confidence and spread the word about their business all while getting some genuine help and support from others in the space.Your Growth Will Be Exponential evalThe idea of the co-working space for small businesses is to become so big that you no longer fit the space anymore. What often starts as a team of one or two can quickly become a team of five or ten who now need their own of fice space to expand and explore the business’s potential.In a female-centric co-working space where women support women, you’ll be able to gather advice and expertise from individuals with all kinds of talents and experiences. This is a great way to learn the dos and don’ts that others have learned or to provide your knowledge to others.In a supportive space, such as a female co-working space, the knowledge you gain from others will be critical in making good decisions going forward.CONCLUSIONevalCo-working spaces are meant to offer a place for workers to expand their horizons, or to just get some of their work done. Whatever the goal of the day is, these spaces provide the location, and the tools workers need to complete that project, find a new idea or hire some new talent.However, not all co-working spaces are equal. You absolutely should do some shopping around before you sign up for any memberships. Whether you want female-only or not, look for things that are important to you, such as quality office supplies, affordable prices, a large floorplan or keyless entry.Whatever it is, spend a day at your top three locations. This way you can gauge the atmosphere of the co-working space and choose the one that’s right for you.

Sunday, May 10, 2020

The Tsunami of 2009

The Tsunami of 2009 I teach/facilitate weekly workshops to job seekers on topics ranging from improving resumes to networking. I love what I do and I am incredibly grateful to have job that allows me to help other people. Something really scary happened this week in my workshops. I had 32 people inthe resume workshop and 31 people in the interviewing workshop, compared to 8 people last year at this time in the same workshops.The numbers grew overnight.There they were, packed into a room on a Monday morning, 32 bodies looking for work. I knew there had been lay offs over the past few months, but hadnt seen people coming to workshops. I suppose I was hoping that most of those laid off had secured jobs quickly. Sadly, what I think happened was that they took the holiday season off.They probably said to themselves, after the New Year, I will really kick my job search into high gear. They didnt ask for help sooner because they probably didnt think they needed it. I cant be sure about this hypothesis, and it may not be applicable to all 32 people in that room. What I do know is that the job market is incredibly flooded with people looking for work. There is a severe competition. With extreme conditions, we need to take extreme measuresI wish I knew what that looked like The realist has spoken.

Friday, May 8, 2020

Communication Resume - Creative Ways to Make a Communications Resume

Communication Resume - Creative Ways to Make a Communications ResumeCreating a communications resume is not a job you can do by yourself. Although, there are many things that you can do to build your resume, having a professional who can create this kind of document is necessary to effectively make the best use of your efforts. If you are not familiar with the art of writing a communications resume, consider that there are many websites on the Internet today that can help you make this document. For those who are already experienced in the area of communications resume, they can give you a thorough assistance when you want to write it.First of all, you have to know what the purpose of your communications resume is before you start. The goal of this kind of document is to show your competency in the field in which you want to apply for a job. To avoid any mistakes that might prevent you from getting the position you really want, it is essential that you know the details of your job or career goals.With this kind of document, it is important that you use good communication skills. Using the wrong language or sentences and words can be counterproductive and waste your efforts. To avoid this, you should make sure that your resume will not sound so easy and it will appear professional.Your document should include relevant information about your work experience, education, and your research and intellectual achievements. Apart from this, you have to include some personal achievements, hobbies, and hobbies of interest. This is an opportunity to describe your previous experiences, the reasons why you are suitable for the job or position, your strengths and weaknesses, and any other relevant information. Make sure that you include only things that you really think are relevant.To create the document, you have to hand the written version to a third party, such as a contact of your job agency, and make sure that they make it a hard copy instead of a digital version. You h ave to send the hard copy to the company. Nowadays, there are companies that will help you create a comprehensive communications resume. However, you have to ensure that they can deliver the most professional document at the lowest cost possible.Nowadays, there are many online companies that offer online services that can help you design your communications resume. A professional writer can also create a one-page resume for you with a very minimal fee. However, to make it more appealing, you can add some graphics and personal photos to it. A good writer can easily add relevant graphics, such as charts, graphs, and maps, to your document.It is vital that you understand the job that you want to apply for, the company that you want to work for, and your specific needs when creating a communications resume. All these factors must be carefully taken into consideration when you create your document.

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Writing a Career Resume - An Essential Step in Job Application

Writing a Career Resume - An Essential Step in Job ApplicationWhy is resume writing so important? The importance of a good resume, or CV, as it is often referred to, lies in how it will help you land the job you want. Employers are looking for strong people who can apply their skills to the job they are doing. That is why they will need a decent CV for you to send to them.Some people might think that the best way to write a resume is with Microsoft Word. That is simply not the case. If you want your resume to look professional and professionally written, then you must use the best CV writer software available. Most likely, you have seen some of these programs on TV or online.Resume writing career advice always has one thing in mind: quality is always better than quantity. With the right CV writer program, you will be able to compose your resume in just minutes, and submit it within hours, even if you are working full time.A good resume is filled with solid facts and accurate informat ion about you. This will help the employer to see exactly what qualities you have, as well as how you can apply those qualities to the job you are applying for.A resume that makes no sense can be rejected, while a poorly written resume can land you in an unappealing position at the company. A good resume will contain all relevant information and details that the employer needs to know about you, and it should contain the facts and figures so that the employer can easily check the accuracy of the information you have given.When you are trying to get a job, there is one more thing that you should remember. A resume is never complete without a cover letter. Be sure to fill out the cover letter and send it in with your resume.Writing a resume can be a difficult process if you do not follow a few career advice. Following career advice when writing a resume can make your job application stand out and show you off as a professional.

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Want to Know More About How to Describe Writing and Editing Skills on a Resume?

Want to Know More About How to Describe Writing and Editing Skills on a Resume? The Basic Facts of How to Describe Writing and Editing Skills on a Resume Additionally, the author should consider his audience whom he should tackle. You'd better receive an industrial video editing application. Video editing has gotten more and more popular on account of the popularity of camcorders and convenience of internet video sharing. It is one of the most computing-intensive activities around, so you'll want the best laptop or desktop you can afford if you're serious about cutting your own movies. The Nuiances of How to Describe Writing and Editing Skills on a Resume Still, the degree of retouching isn't satisfactory. Picking a sort of source will ask you to enter information regarding your citation, before generating one for you. Editing is an increasing field of work in the service market. Experiment with various tactics until you locate a system which works well for you. It's far better to work with a definite plan which can help you to search systematically for particular kinds of errors. One of the greatest strategies to envision the degree of edit is as a pyramid. Once you get your draft created, you should start writing. It is possible to make a new draft with just two or three clicks. Following are a list of particular skills that need to be listed on a resume. Highlighting your problem-solving skills on a resume won't go unnoticed if you've got the correct qualifications for employment. Editing requires not just English language abilities but likewise the intuition to understand, at a glance, what's right or wrong on the webpage. Although a lot of individuals use the terms interchangeably, editing and proofreading are two phases of the revision procedure. You should proofread only after you've finished all your other editing revisions. If you're unsatisfied with our editing, we'll work with you until you're pleased. Visual editing is comparab le to editing documents on Microsoft Word or some other word processing apps. Everyone's a photographer now since they have a telephone, they're a photographer, Kat Dalager explained. Someone trying to use a tool for work needs something easy and neat to develop creative packages. Luckily, you've come to the perfect place. Not everything goes smoothly on someone's job every day.

Saturday, April 11, 2020

7 Tips For Planning A Holiday Office Party - Work It Daily

7 Tips For Planning A Holiday Office Party - Work It Daily Ah, holiday office partiesâ€"too often the most dreaded “reward” of the year. These events can range from stressful to a booze-fueled lawsuit waiting to happen when not planned properly. However, if you take the time to thoughtfully consider the needs of your employees and craft a party consonant with your company’s culture, you are sure to create an event your employees will remember for positive reasons! Here are seven tips for planning a holiday office party: 1. Assign A Team Every workplace has employees who would rather scrub the toilets with toothbrushes than plan birthday parties for their own children, let alone their co-workers. Do not attempt to encourage these people to participate by assigning them to the holiday party planning team. This will not be fun for anyone. But don’t go at it alone, eitherâ€"even if you work for a small business, multiple event planners will allow the event to be the result of multiple perspectives and will make everyone’s party workload more manageable. Look for eager volunteers and those who have shown they can both organize and enjoy both their work and their play. 2. Choose A Theme Choosing a theme for your holiday office party will make the planning process much easier, as there are particular foods, activities, and locations associated with every theme. Again, be sure to consider the diversity of the employees in the workplace. In other words, don’t cop out and throw a Christmas-themed party. Not everyone celebrates Christmas, and frankly, it’s been overplayed. If your employees tend to be open-minded or silly, perhaps try a costume party? A 1970s or 1980s-themed holiday party could yield some ridiculous outfits. Costume parties can also be great for parties that welcome your employees’ entire families. 3. Make A Reasonable Budget Holiday parties can be quite the expense, so make sure you know how much money that you have to spend and what you plan to spend it on. Your budget can help you determine an appropriate menu and venue, and also help you decide whether it’s reasonable to foot the cost of alcohol. This is another area where it is important to consider your employeesâ€"a holiday party isn’t a substitute for a bonus, so if they aren’t getting a bonus this year, avoid an exceptionally opulent event. You don’t want them to think that the company’s money could have been better spent. 4. Choose A Location If you plan to hold the holiday party at the office itself, make sure that you budget enough for food and decorations to compensate for the lack of special location. Though ballrooms and bars can be great party locations, it can be nice to see the office cast in a different light. The key is to make the environment suggest that the event is a reward, not an obligation. 5. Skip The Potluck Especially if you decide to throw your party at the office. Potlucks can be a wonderful way to get your employees to share and participate, but if this is what you do for every event, you’re likely to have employees that want to eat something they didn’t have to cook. Hiring a local caterer can make your office party special without having to spring for an expensive venue. Better yet, many local food trucks are willing to cater events, and nothing makes a winter carnival better than a piping hot local lamb burger. 6. Welcome Families If you fear that your holiday party could inspire behavior so debaucherous that it could inspire conflict, have your employees invite their families along. If your employees are raising families, this gives them an additional opportunity to spend time with them and will help you to choose themed activities that aren’t centered on drinking. Cash bars can have the same effect in terms of limiting your company’s alcohol expenses, but cash bars don’t acknowledge that your employees have lives and families outside of the office. 7. Plan Activities Nothing is worse than walking into a decorated room with tables full of food and employees hiding in every possible corner. As awful as icebreaker games can be, you need to find a way to inspire your employees to interact with one another. “Build-your-own” bars are a great way to give your employees something to do. A slide show of memorable moments from the year can give shy employees something to focus on, while an arts-and-crafts station will occupy kids if they are welcome. Everyone enjoys a photo booth, which will allow employees to show off their holiday garb and give you images to post on your company blog or at next year’s holiday party. Enjoy this article? You've got time for another! Check out these related articles: How To Throw An Amazing Office Holiday Party How To Celebrate Holidays With Employees How To Create A Good Office Environment For Your Employees Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!