How Do I Choose the Right Career for Me

How Do I Choose the Right Career for Me As a recent grad or a soon-to-be college graduate, you will be embarking on your job search to kick off your career. Choosing the right career path right from the get-go can help you avoid financial and emotional stress down the road. However, this can be an overwhelming process. Instead of forcing yourself to identify a direct path, find out your “wants” and “needs”, and then see what the world has to offer. Your passions and your skills While some people clearly know what their passions are, some of us aren’t so clear and may have a passion that is very vague. We all want to follow our passion but at the same time, we’re afraid that we’ll waste our life if we don’t obsessively pursue a career goal. Sounds familiar? Well, the problem usually is not about following your passion but it is that they are too broad and you don’t know where to begin. You can use your interests  as a starting point for your career planning  and break them down into bite-size interests. For example, if you want to be a writer, you can break “writer” down into “writing” and “editing”. Next, do a “skills inventory” to come up with a list of your skills. Match your interests and skills to job titles and zero in on those that have the best prospects for your career growth. Your personality type You know yourself best. Are you more of an extrovert or an introvert? If you’re not sure, a personality test such as the Myers-Briggs personality test will likely shed some light on that. Knowing your personality will help you determine what kind of work environment allows you to thrive. For example, as an extrovert, you will probably enjoy working in a busy sales office, while an introvert will thrive in a quieter role as a researcher. In addition, ask yourself this question: “what motivates you?” In other words, are you prevention-focused or promotion-focused?   People who are prevention-focused prefer thorough planning and analytical thinking, and their goal is to remain status quo. On the other hand, people who are promotion-focused are creative and prefer to try out new things. Your preferred lifestyle As a newbie in a career, expect to work your tail off for at least a few years. However, you should look at people who are well into the career you are about to choose to see if the lifestyle they lead is what you want in the future. Do they have control over their time and what they make? Will you be happy if you live like them? What gives you the most satisfaction? Image Credit: Shutterstock

How Advanced is Employee Advocacy Nowadays

How Advanced is Employee Advocacy Nowadays As long as  the  war on talent rages on and technology advances, employee advocacy will remain a piping  hot topic.  Its level of  maturity is growing  every day. What is its current state, and how  do you tap into the power of an engaged workforce on social media?  To find out, Ive had a chat with Ed Terpening of Altimeter Group who has recently completed  extensive research in  the employee advocacy  space. Listen to the interview on iTunes, SoundCloud or keep reading for a summary. What results  do brands expect when they invest in employee advocacy? Basically the most popular was engaging customers. So 45% of brands said, Were doing this because we want our employees to engage with customers through further reach, through answering questions perhaps, by getting more brand page followers, by getting product ideas and feedback, so that sort of thing. The other was engaging their own employees. If you look at the research on how engaged or disengaged employees are today, the numbers are pretty dismal. So theres a very small percentage of employees that report that theyre truly engaged in their work. The  third was a direct financial return. So this would include social selling for example, looking for an ROI in terms of campaigns and product offers that might go through employees, that sort of thing. Would you say social selling is part of employee advocacy? Yes, it is. Its kind of a subset of it. And Charlene Li, our principal analyst, is looking at social selling as well because, especially on the B2B side, if you think about social, its all about relationship building. And that direct connection that a salesperson can make to a possible client or a prospect is really important, and its shifting away from golf games to LinkedIn and other social and online platforms. So it is a subset of that. Its a little different obviously but it is part of the mix. How do employee posts compare to social advertising? What we found was that the click through rates for example on social posts are extremely high, compared to ads. Now the question Im concerned about as well long term is that if employee advocacy becomes very, very widespread, consumers might start to tune out these posts just as they do ads over time. So well see, were early in the process, but so far the results that consumers have told us, that they like, share, that they click into the brands website are very, very encouraging. What motivates employees to advocate on social? There are three things that we looked at. We looked at direct benefit to the employee themselves. We looked at what benefits the brand and then we look for shared benefits. And thankfully and I think good news for brands is that the shared benefits were the most popular motivators among employees. So for example the most important that came up in our research was, I believe my employers mission and want to promote what they do. So 57% of employees said that thats why they share content.  The second most popular was, I believe in our products and want to share my experience. And whats interesting though too I have to say is that when we look at the research and whos actually advocating, and 77% are manager and above. What type of networks do you see brands using for internal/external social success? The scenario that we see most often is using an internal social network like IBM Connections or Lithium or Jive. And so when I say internal social network, its almost a replacement for the intranets of the 90s. So rather than having SharePoint and Outlook and that sort of thing, brands like TD Bank, and ATT, and IBM, they really focus on the next generation of communications which is by using social tools. Where do employees share  employee advocacy updates? According to yours  studies, Facebook is in the lead. I think that reflects the fact that theres still a pretty small percentage of employees who are using formalised sharing programs, who are using a tool thats provided by their employer. So I can tell you for example, Im using a tool like that, Im using VoiceStorm, and I dont even have an option to share something on Facebook. The options I have are LinkedIn and Twitter because theyre more business focused. So I think when you look at the Facebook numbers which is 86% of employees said that they share there, I think thats more of the organic sharing. So its sharing daily posts about work and what its like, what theyre doing it work, events, that sort of thing. So I think thats probably why its so much higher. I think once more formalised tools are in place you may see a jump in LinkedIn as one of the platforms. Employees 2X more likely to share #EmployeeAdvocacy posts on @facebook over @LinkedIn https://t.co/u2cwbAKAnD pic.twitter.com/94OwtiYN76 Ed Terpening (@EdTerpening) May 11, 2016 How  do social media users respond to  employee advocacy updates turning up in their feeds? Well first of all, the one very interesting finding was that the vast majority of consumers that saw these posts didnt even think of them as employee advocacy posts. And thats why I describe in the report that this is sort of the new native advertising of social if you will, because its a very natural looking. Now again a lot of these employees are posting outside of an official capacity. So that plays into it. But we found that again, the response rate from consumers was pretty high. They find job postings useful, they find product promotions useful, they click through to these things, they find that they better understand the brand that their friend works for which is always good for brand health obviously. So the response is pretty good.  I think the one area of caution was defriending, and we did find that 20% of consumers will unfriend a connection based on posts about work. Should employee advocacy updates carry  a specific label for transparency? Yes, absolutely. In fact ATT is a good example. Even when someone in PR tweets on behalf of the brand and they share information from the brand, they use #attemp; or #attemployee depending on how much room they have. And so what theyre trying to do is obviously be transparent in identifying the fact that they are an employee. And also they want to meet the regulatory requirements at least within the U.S. that requires that if you have a relationship with an employer or the employer is paying you in some way, that you have to disclose that. More on this topic at  Employee Advocacy: The Ultimate Handbook.

27 Incredible Life Lessons For Happiness and Success

27 Incredible Life Lessons For Happiness and Success The seasons of life tend to affect all of us in very different ways. Some of us get thrown off by the spins of change in the weather or the many hectic holidays. One season that we all can relate to is our birthday. We all have birthdays that are truly our special day.   Some of us leap for joy that we get a day to celebrate our life, while some of us would rather not let a single soul know that our birthday is different than any other day. Mark Twain captured it the best when he said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” Birthdays also serve as a great day for reflection in your life. As my birthday is quickly approaching, I’m reminded of some incredible lessons I’ve learned throughout this past whirlwind of a year that has been filled with a  lot of change. 27 Incredible Life Lessons For Happiness and Success 1. You Are Not a Victim. You are the hero of your life. 2. Mom Always Knows Best. Your go-to resource will always be your mom even when google is right at your fingertips. 3. Embrace the Unexpected. This year is nothing that I could have ever predicted, but it’s been incredible every step of the way, from love to loss and achievement to failure. It all happened and I learned from every single opportunity. 4. Invest in Yourself. Hiring a life coach is one of the best investments I have EVER made in my life. I cherish my time growing, learning, working through the messy stuff, understanding, and celebrating my wins. 5. A Dog Can Change Your World. The dog community is so friendly and your dog will always love you without judgment. Not to mention they are the best stress reliever and cutest little bundles of energy and joy! 6. Celebrate Each Ordinary Moment. It’s the ordinary moments which create the beauty in your life. Each week I pour myself a glass of champagne and cheers to this gorgeous, blessed life I have been given. These ordinary weekly moments are the moments that change my destiny. 7. Ice Cream Soothes Your Soul. Always take advantage of taste testing at the ice cream shop before you decide your final flavor. 8. Mindful Expectations. What if you adopted the perception that everyone is doing the best they can with what they have? I bet you would have a lot of more love for your neighbor sitting next to you on the bus if you approached life that way. 9. Create a Gratitude Practice. Whether it’s writing down in a journal what you are grateful for or saying it out loud, it changes your world when you remember your blessings in life. 10. Meditation Isn’t Hard. Do you have time to feel like crap? I didn’t think so. Whether you start off meditating for two minutes at a time or twenty, you will eventually adopt a practice of your own that will transform your every day. [RELATED: 36 Life-Changing Productivity Hacks] 11. The One Question You Must Ask Yourself  Each Day. Are you being YOU? 12. You Have a Way About You That No One Else Has. You bring something special to the world. Everything you do, only you can do in the special way that you do it. 13. The World is Your Classroom and The People in It Are Your Assignments. Every interaction you have encountered with the people in this world is a lesson to teach you something you need to learn. 14. Create a Dining Experience at Home. Learn to cook for yourself and find your go-to recipes. Set your dinner table, say a dinner prayer, light a candle, and turn on your jazzy dinner tunes. Make the ordinary moments count. It’s not about you. Focus on serving others and your stress and expectations on how you should do this life will be lifted. 15. Smiles ARE Contagious. When was the last time you flashed your gorgeous smile at someone? I bet they couldn’t resist smiling back. 16. Stay Curious About Life.   There is so much to learn and new experiences to be had. 17. Everyone Plays the Game of Life Differently.   There’s nothing wrong with not wanting to buy a house, get married, have babies or do all the other things your adulting friends are doing.   Don’t compare your chapter 27 to someone else’s chapter 42. 18. You May Forget Your Age as You Get Older. It happens. Don’t be discouraged, you’ve still got your nieces and nephews to remind you how old you are. 19. Eat  Your Veggies. They are so much better when you get creative with your recipes. Not to mention they make you feel phenomenal. 20. Movie Endings Are My Mystery. I think it’s inevitable that I will always fall asleep before the end of a movie. 21. Speaking of Sleep â€" It  Is So Important. I was the girl who went from 4-5 hours of sleep a night to enjoying a luxurious seven hours a night. Not only did I never think I could make the time for this, but I realized along the way that it’s so worth every minute of it! 22. Each Year You Will Continue to Surprise Yourself. I somehow went from the girl only drinking a fancy mocha with all the chocolate, sugar, and milk that could possibly be added to it, to now completely enjoying a heavenly Americano with just a dash of cream. Say what?! 23. Never Pass Up a Fresh Croissant. They are delightfully delicious especially with rich dark chocolate in the middle. 24. Expand Your Circle. No, this doesn’t mean you need to go network with a bunch of new people, but actually meeting your online Instagram gals IRL (in real life) is where the magic happens. 25. Tears Don’t Mean You’re Weak and They  Aren’t a Bad Thing. They can represent happiness, joy, suffering, empathy, care, and so much more. Don’t let someone tell you that you are too emotional. Feelings are to emotions, what waves are to the ocean. 26. Community Over Competition. When women support women, incredible things take flight and mountains are torn down. 27. With Faith God, Anything is Possible.   I’ve learned a lot in the last year and because of these lessons, I’m no longer worried or stressed out about turning a year older. I’m embracing my age and am going to enjoy every single experience 27 brings my way! We are all blessed with each day of our life and each day brings the possibility of something extraordinary to happen. It all lies in how you choose to view it.

What Can We Learn From These 6 Top Modern Day Entrepreneurs

What Can We Learn From These 6 Top Modern Day Entrepreneurs Lots of people dream of owning their own business one day, though not everyone actively pursues this goal for one reason or another. It takes a very committed individual to successfully run a business  and a great deal of hard work, determination and business acumen is involved in truly making it as an entrepreneur. Though success can be measured in different ways, a truly successful entrepreneur has the power to inspire and influence those around them. University of Mayland have taken a look at 6 modern day entrepreneurs who we can seek inspiration from. Heres what we can learn from them: Blake Mycoskie Founder of TOMS Shoes He pioneered the One for One business model where for every one pair of shoes that is sold, another pair is donated to someone in need. 10 million pairs of shoes have been donated to children so far and 175,000 people have had their eyesight restored with support from TOMS. What you can learn:  Keep pursuing fresh ideas and share your vision. Mycoskie has shared his vision of a future of social minded consumers and customers. Jord Poster- Helped to found Tickets for Charity They ask companies to donate tickets for resale with part of the proceeds going to 100 different charities. By 2012 Ticket for Charity had raised around $10 million. What you can learn?  Seek and untapped market and be patient when it comes to profit. Tickets for Charity had noticed that 30-70% of tickets that corporations buy for sports games and concerts go unused each year, so the decided to do something about it. Sergey Brin and Larry Page Co-founded Google They co-founded Google from a friends garage, which is now one of the worlds biggest global tech companies. Google now has over 57,000 employees. What can we learn?  Start new projects with conviction and be prepared for the long haul. The Google X Division is all about futuristics projects, such as self-driving cars. Kevin Plank Founded Under Armour Plank started his startup in his grandmas basement, selling his sports  clothing  from his car. By 2010 Under Armour received an annual revenue of $1 billion. What can we learn? Support the next generation of entrepreneurs and your community. Under Armour have a Give Back initiative supporting the unserved communities of Baltimore. Jeff Bezos -Founder of Amazon Jeff left his 6 figure  Wall Street pay check to open Amazon in 1994. Amazon now has a revenue of over $100 billion. What can we learn? Set high standards for the staff you hire and hold regular meetings. Bezos believes that hed rather interview dozens of people, than hire the wrong person. [Top Image Credit: Pablo]

7 Lucrative Careers You Can Start From Your Own Couch CareerMetis.com

7 Lucrative Careers You Can Start From Your Own Couch â€" CareerMetis.com Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comFinding a job for somebody, who has just been dismissed, is not that easy, but with proper perseverance, everything is manageable. It is much more difficult for those, who have just graduated from institute or college, have no special education or after a long break in working life, but need a job now.But what if you do have a good job, but are bored working within four walls at the office and hate being limited in space, will and time?In this case, I can give you a good career advice; there are plenty of online job opportunities for any taste, you can get a job with just one click of a mouse and start working immediately right from your cozy couch. Fevalirstly, you should create a top-notch CV; you can craft it yourself or use different resume services to get a good sample.Secondly, you need to visit job sites or download jobs appssuch as LinkUp.com, US.jobs, LinkedIn.com and others, make a small job search and find out a current situation on the labor mar ket.Here I have chosen a list of 7 careers you can start right now from your own house:1. Freelance Writer/TranslatorevalIf you have a passion for writing and perfect command of any language, you can start earning money by writing different web content: guest posts, informative articles, recipes, scripts etc.Almost every business now has marketing content to be written to attract the attention of their clients, the content must be of different quality and purpose, thus if you are a really skilled writer, you will have tons of offers waiting for you.Another option is a position of the translator, here you have to master at least two languages and be fluent at them, and also the degree in Linguistics or Philology is preferred. These are very good variants for those, who want to have a flexible working schedule and fix-paid tasks.You can use different freelance platforms such as Upwork, Fivver, and Freelance.net to get new orders and promote yourself in this sphere.2. Web DesignerevalT his is a job that requires knowledge of different design programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Sketch, InDesign and others together with an inner craving for beauty.If, at least one abovementioned point is about you, then you can attend courses of web design or learn from online videos available online, and try yourself in web design; there is always a need for talented designers, who can create and design user-friendly and appealing logos, websites, animations, multimedia and images.3. IT SpecialistIf you fancy coding, there are many opportunities in the sphere of Internet Technologies, thus you can choose something that will match your expectations and get a well-paid and highly demanded amidst employers job.You can consider choosing such IT positions as Front and Back End, Software, Java Developer, QA Engineer, Programmer, Webmaster and others.evalIt is one of the most popular niches among the youth, who get accustomed to the advantages of the technological era very quic kly and have ambitious plans for their future.4. Self- EmploymentGrowing up your own online business is a dream job for many people, but it requires great effort and work at the first stage; no matter what direction have you chosen: owning online eBay shop or selling T-shirts online, you have to work hard and fight to reach your dream.The key to success is loving what you do, making a great plan, having “A+” team and learning from others. Do not give up if you fail, just remember that even famous Steve Jobs needed the second attempt to raise his brainchild.5. Blogger/VloggerevalThis is a path many people choose now because of the fast development of the online world. Have you ever thought, even 10 years ago, that in future you can earn money by filming your life and showing it to your followers on YouTube or other social platforms and people will really like it?Now you have plenty of work opportunities in this sphere; you just need to open your own thematic channel on YouTube an d start creating interesting content.Once you are noticed by different companies, you can try earning money by advertising their products or making collaborations with them.You can also craft interesting posts on your own blog and be paid for this, so if you have good writing skills, you can become really popular.6. SEO SpecialistMany businesses have understood the value of SEO optimized texts and started haunting for the experienced SEO managers or consultants, who can help them to get the first places in organic search of different search engines.Being a good SEO specialist is not an easy task; it requires good analytical and multi-tasking skills, as your main duty is to create effective strategies that will help the companies you are working with to stay afloat in the pool full of sharks.evalYou can start this career and become successful in this sphere very quickly as it is one of the most popular work from home jobs you can find online.7. Virtual AssistantA virtual assistant is a person, who provides technical, administrative and creative services, in other words, it is a person, who has the same tasks as Office Manager, but works from home.Your payment depends on the company you are working with, thus if you are a skilled person with good time-management and organizational skills, you can get stable working opportunities.Furthermore, this is an ideal stay-at-home job for those, who need flexibility or even live with such a serious problem as a disability. I hope my piece of advice and list of well-paid jobs will help to get a job you are dreaming about and forget about the routine of everyday life. Working from home is a perfect opportunity for setting your own working schedule and having enough free time for your closest.evalFurthermore, you will save money and time for traveling to work every day and stay positive working from your cozy home, because there is no place like home.

Ask Dana 9 tactics to keep your job search a secret while employed

Ask Dana 9 tactics to keep your job search a secret while employed 9 tactics to keep your job search a secret while employed Question: Im currently employed in Charlotte, but Im planning a move to Denver. I have an issue you might be able to help with. I am struggling with taking calls from recruiters or hiring managers while Im in the office at my current job. It is hard to find the privacy to discuss job-related info or talk about my résumé and experience. Sometimes I book a conference room for planned calls or even take a call in my car in the parking lot. Do you have any helpful ideas for handling job-search calls in the office? Advice from Dana: I applaud you for advancing your career while also staying employed, but it does make the job hunt more challenging. Your current company probably has a policy prohibiting the use of company resources for anything personal, including a job search. Therefore, do not use your company conference rooms, telephones or computers for your job search. You may depart for normal breaks and use personal tools outside of the company offices. Recruiters and other hiring companies understand that you are honoring your current company’s policies and your commitment to deliver on your responsibilities at work. They will respect you when you state your business ethics â€" there is nothing like a breach of ethics to turn off a potential employer. Here are some important do’s and don’ts to keep in mind. Follow these nine tactics to successfully execute a job search while employed. Be forthright with your destination recruiters and hiring managers. Say something like, “I am employed full-time and want to honor my commitment to not only perform at a high level, but also to avoid conducting my job search on company time or using company resources. Therefore, can we talk during these times?”Then state the windows of time you have and in which time zone. Do not tell anyone (even your closest co-workers) that you are looking or considering looking. There is no such thing as a secret. And if you’re found out, your management team will consider you disloyal. Change your LinkedIn settings so everybody does not get notified when you update your profile. To do this, hover over your face in the top right corner. Under “Account Settings,” click “Privacy Settings.” Then, under “Privacy Controls,” click “Turn On/Off Your Activity Broadcasts.” You want that box un-checked. Update your LinkedIn profile. Take the tutorials in the excellent Help Center. You should have a great summary, but it should not say “job-seeking” or “pursuing my next professional opportunity.” Your profile is still viewable by the public, including co-workers and bosses. Use former employers as references. Simply explain to a prospective employer that you cant use your current employer as a job reference because you want to keep your job search confidential. Schedule interviews around your current work hours. Be honest with prospective employers and they will respect your integrity. In your case, you have a time zone advantage so you can take meetings after your workday. Take a personal or vacation day if you need to schedule a batch of phone interviews. Don’t ever talk disparagingly about your current or any prior employer. Always stay positive and script your answers to the most commonly asked questions such as, “Why are you leaving your current company?” Write your job search e-mails and thank you notes during your early morning or late evening hours. If you execute your job search ethically, even your current company will be a future reference for you. Don’t take risks, and remember there are no secrets at work. We’ve all learned the hard way.

Why You Need to Use Eq and Government Resume Writing Services

Why You Need to Use Eq and Government Resume Writing ServicesEq and Government Resume Writing Services are a must for anyone looking to land that job that will increase their salary and possibly put food on the table. A well-written resume is required and it is the difference between getting that interview or not.When applying for a job, it is required that the applicant has a social security number and other personal information that may include a driver's license and a copy of a current birth certificate. The more personal information that is given to a potential employer, the more likely they are to hire someone with these kind of credentials.Resume and cover letter writing is a skill in itself and an applicant should be able to use it to land the job they want and deserve. If you get in over your head and don't have the skills, a resume and cover letter writing service can help.Once they get the word out, they are able to get the job and if they have a little more experience they can bid on other jobs as well. Now that you have some idea what job hunting entails, it is easy to see why these services exist.There are no resumes or covers that are sent out by a company to be used by a prospective employee. These are used to advertise a job opening and get people to apply for the job.Eq and Government Resume Writing Services can help you write the perfect cover letter, including the things that make it stand out from the rest. When using a resume or cover letter writing service, these are used to present a prospective employer with exactly what they are looking for.When an employer sees what you are writing, it will be much easier to decide whether or not you are the right person for the job. With the help of a professional writer, you can use these services to achieve a new level of employment and get you to a job that will pay you much better than your current salary.Get a hold of the job you want and the career you deserve and start using these services. You will be glad you did.