Favorite Friday Your LinkedIn Professional Headline Probably Sucks

Favorite Friday Your LinkedIn Professional Headline Probably Sucks If youve ever seen me speak then you know that Im well opinionated :p  My opinion is that most people throw together a sketchy LinkedIn Profile, and hardly give any thought to the Professional Headline.  Thus, most LinkedIn Professional Headlines simply stink.  Thats why I wrote: July 14, 2010: LinkedIn Professional Headline: Yours Probably Sucks. (92 comments this is on my LinkedIn blog: Im On LinkedIn Now What???) One of the amazing things from this post is that a reader and friend (whom Ive never met in person) jumped in to do the critiques.  And he was brilliant.  I was so comfortable with is critiques that I let him run with it.  And he did tirelessly! Read my short post about why I think your LinkedIn Professional Headline stinks, and then sift through the comments to see what others have put, and how Peter Osborne helps them become better. NOTE: I have since closed comments on there because I continue to get people who want help with it, and I dont have the time to keep up with it.  However, I do LinkedIn Profile Critiques (which includes the Professional Headline) for only $99.  Heres an example of what the critique looks like.  If you want me to critique your LinkedIn Profile,  let me know. Favorite Friday Your LinkedIn Professional Headline Probably Sucks If youve ever seen me speak then you know that Im well opinionated :p  My opinion is that most people throw together a sketchy LinkedIn Profile, and hardly give any thought to the Professional Headline.  Thus, most LinkedIn Professional Headlines simply stink.  Thats why I wrote: July 14, 2010: LinkedIn Professional Headline: Yours Probably Sucks. (92 comments this is on my LinkedIn blog: Im On LinkedIn Now What???) One of the amazing things from this post is that a reader and friend (whom Ive never met in person) jumped in to do the critiques.  And he was brilliant.  I was so comfortable with is critiques that I let him run with it.  And he did tirelessly! Read my short post about why I think your LinkedIn Professional Headline stinks, and then sift through the comments to see what others have put, and how Peter Osborne helps them become better. NOTE: I have since closed comments on there because I continue to get people who want help with it, and I dont have the time to keep up with it.  However, I do LinkedIn Profile Critiques (which includes the Professional Headline) for only $99.  Heres an example of what the critique looks like.  If you want me to critique your LinkedIn Profile,  let me know.

Writing an Internship Email Resume

Writing an Internship Email ResumeWriting an internship email resume is one of the most important parts of your application to a good school. If you miss this step, you may find that the only way you will be considered is if someone else does it for you. You might have been accepted to the school of your choice, but because your internship was not included in your application, you have been passed over for something else. Here are some tips to help you get it right.First, your internship email resume must include all of the information required by each school to apply. Sometimes just submitting a resume with an attached 'Curriculum Vitae' can be all it takes to make it on the short list. Other times, however, you will be required to fill out a lot more.As with any other job application, it is a good idea to follow up on an internship email resume with an email with detailed information about yourself and your experiences there. Include things like the dates of your internship, and an y research you did on the school itself, or how you feel it might benefit you later on in life. The schools will want to know that you did your homework before offering you an internship.On a good note, it is also important to include your contact information at all times. This is not a situation where they can just send you their resume to your employer and hope you're interested. They will need to get in touch with you to learn more about your interest in that particular school.Do not forget to include something about yourself on your internship email resume. Describe exactly why you would be a good fit at the school and what you learned while there. You should also include something about yourself online in your 'About Me' section so that they can learn a little bit more about you and whether or not you meet their standards. Make sure you give specific information about your interests and areas of expertise so that you don't look unprofessional in your application.At the end of y our internship email resume, add a line that says 'Thank you for contacting us.' This will let them know that you are taking the time to give them a second to respond and give them the details they requested. They should hear from you if you get an interview, or if you get accepted. Don't forget to add 'Best wishes' too, since you did take the time to write your resume.Your internship email resume is going to be one of the most important parts of your entire application, so it is important to get it right the first time. It is also nice to give a personal touch to your application so that they get a feel for you as a person. If you choose a particular internship program that seems to go with your personality, you can use it as a reference when they ask for a list of schools to compare.Writing an internship email resume can be a bit tricky if you do not know what to do. While it is not as intimidating as applying to ten schools, it still requires some serious work. The right student will use this chance to show that they are qualified to join the school and get them in before the other students do.

Be Amazon-Like While Staying True to Your Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Be Amazon-Like While Staying True to Your Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Once upon a time, back in the 1990s, ecommerce was the new frontier and there could only be one champion. That champion was Amazon, holding its reigning title for well over a decade. Amazon is known worldwide as “The Everything Store,” with revenue over $30 billion per quarter, and everyone is rushing to be Amazon-like, copying policies and sales strategies. There’s no secret formula to Amazon’s success, only a simple goal the company has kept as a core part of its mission â€" keeping customers happy. You can’t rip a few pages out of their playbook and expect instant ecommerce stardom. Instead of mirroring Amazon’s policies, ensure true success by looking at what’s underneath the hood of its operation and seeing what lessons you should take away, implementing them with your company’s unique brand identity intact. Use Data for Customer Relationship Building In the internet age, all companies collect data on their customers. This information is quantifiable, to build a better product, track consumer trends, improve response time and provide more marketing-focused insights. Does your company look beyond statistics to the person? Amazon uses big data to build relationships with its customers, because it’s had time to thoughtfully process and digest this data. Whereas many companies are purchased and grow through acquisition, Amazon never followed that path. Customer service is an opportunity for development and represents the continually growing relationship between client and organization. Embrace Transparent Data the Customer Trusts The details of the data you have and what you track is scary for the customer. Be transparent with the use of data. Customers must be reasonably in control of what data they provide and its utilization. The right tools provide relevant data to solve customer concerns quickly and efficiently. Automated systems that collect data need to accurately transmute that data to customer service representatives. Make your systems function seamlessly with customer service teams, because it only infuriates the customer to repeat requests like a broken record. But Remember, Real People Don’t Share Too Much Real people need to filter how data is shared when marketing materials go out, so they aren’t filled with too much information that creeps the customer out, such as promotions targeting a pregnant woman with shopping coupons for diapers, when she’s only recently begun searching for baby products. Customer service representatives should show they’re real people, too, having a casual but solutions-oriented conversation with the customer. No one likes talking to a drone who is timed on providing a solution to the customer. When the customer is relaxed, time passes more quickly when solutions take a little longer to reach. It’s easier to uncover other problem areas to save the customer more time and money in the long run. For example: Amazon will instantly ship customers a replacement package, without ever suggesting it’s the fault of the customer. No more frustration escalation due to large call volume and the customer service representative having to explain company policy to the customer, who feels talked down to. Trust is established when rapport is shared, and with the right tools that filter data seamlessly, representatives will be pros who reference appropriate data in an intuitive way, natural to everyday conversation that gets the answer the customer is seeking quickly. Think Like Your Customers Do The reason Amazon makes such a great business to model is that it’s always remained consistent in brand and operations, taking time to work through policies and procedures as it’s grown to make sure it’s true to customer experience. In the end, Amazon has mastered the creation of a customer-centric experience. In the beginning, Amazon Prime was a gamble for the company. Intuitively, Amazon reasoned that customers despised having to pay the cost of shipping. Prime encourages customers to purchase a little more to save more and get items shipped with less frustration over the cost. Similarly, businesses should make less work for the customer by thinking like the customer. All the customer must understand about a service, how to use it, how much it costs and more needs to be clearly available on the webpage. That information is continually refined. Release a few service items early in a carefully controlled environment. Show customers you are listening to their feedback and making improvements, if slowly. Customers will be patient, especially if you make it easier on yourself to track their requests with a simple and useful form. Use Long-Term Vision and Understand Customer Trust Memorable brands are founder-led with long term vision, seeing far into the future of the business and its impact on customers, often forgoing short-term revenue opportunities. This vision includes the world around the customer, and the future ripples created by implementations of the company. In his first letter to shareholders, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said the company’s economic model would grow more powerful as its market leadership increased. The link between strong long-term market leadership and fiscal impact is undeniable. Shopify, which has a smaller niche customer base, took a similar move in its corporate beginnings. Shopify founder and CEO Tobi Lutke stated in his 2015 shareholder letter that the company was ignoring surefire opportunities for revenue in the short term in order to focus on long-term strategy. Shopify wisely identifies with the importance Amazon placed on customer trust in its development, and it’s certainly paid off. Lutke made a bold move in ending his letter with: “I want Shopify to be a company that sees the next century.” Let the Customer Pay You the Easy Way In January of this year, the Etsy Seller Handbook was updated with an exciting change. Shoppers are now able to check out items from multiple shops by making one payment, much like how Amazon’s cart operates. In the past, shoppers had to do multiple checkouts, making one payment per shop. Through its research, Etsy discovered this created too much hassle for customers, who would often abandon items in their carts after the first transaction was completed. Etsy’s new multi-shop checkout cart allows shoppers to purchase from various sellers more easily and quickly. Notes may be addressed to each seller, and prices are clear for every shop item, as well as the final combined total. Much of keeping a business afloat and on the path of growth and success is looking at what other businesses do. You watch, wait and see where others succeed and where they fail. You look for unrecognized opportunities, and sometimes you take a leap of faith with a business move. Consistency in ethics, mission and business practices, and the ability to keep the business customer-centric in a market with shifting customer demands, are vital keys to continued success. Amazon has become a colossus in ecommerce for these reasons. It makes sense businesses want to become more Amazon-like. Still, mirroring Amazon’s practices will only get them so far. There’s much to learn from Amazon’s success, but these lessons must be integrated within the existing brand’s voice and purpose to stand on their own merit.

How to Properly Answer Messages on LinkedIn

How to Properly Answer Messages on LinkedIn There is no one answer to how you should properly respond to messages on LinkedIn. It takes understanding many things about LinkedIn.It takes knowing what users want to read more than what you want to say.Confusing? Just keep reading.In this blog post, we explain how you can turn your LinkedIn messages into positive experiences.First things first ...Important Tips About Linkedin MessagingYou need to keep these things in mind when communicating on LinkedIn:1. Remember your goal behind the message. Do you want an interview? Or maybe a phone call?Don't get so carried away in writing the message itself that you forget the goal.2. Drop the LinkedIn “suit and tie” messages.LinkedIn is still social media. Be human and friendly.An example of knowing your goal and being friendly in a LinkedIn message:3. Never give the person you message any tasks. You messaged them, after all. Don’t expect them to serve you!4. Never offer TMI (too much information). We all have busy schedules, so respec t the other person's time. Stay on topic with LinkedIn messages.An example of TMI and giving tasks in LinkedIn messages:What'swrong with the above LinkedIn message?First, I told the person to find me a link.The person I messaged does not work for me. They are doing me a favor by communicating with me.Next, I explained something that almost sounds apologetic for my experience.It raises questions and makes communication awkward.Finally, this LinkedIn message is more work than the person bargained for.Think about it:I wrote to them because I needed something. They replied to assist me. I replied by giving the person more work. But I was the one who needed help.In essence, my messagewas all about taking with no giving.LinkedIn Messaging Fail Example of an “All take and no give” interactionThe names and images have been changed to protect the innocent LinkedIn messaging fail participants! In this scenario, “Steven” needs a job:Steven 10:04 AM (good)Hi Mike. Thanks for connecting! Mike sent the following messages at 1:08 PMThanks. I actually have a role open: Sr. manager planning and program enablement. Take a look and see if you think that would be of interest.Steven sent the following message at 2:51 PM (fail)not seeing it here on LinkedIn. Is there another place I can find it or a link you can send me? Thanks.Mike sent the following messages at 9:35 AMJust go to our website! But it should be in LI too....Steven sent the following message 9:55 AM (fail)Ok, I applied, thanks. I also have a Masters Degree in Chemical Science but have no interest in the industry. Wanted to use it long term to grow within my next career. Let me know if you have further questions. Thank you!If you notice the tone of Mike’s messages, they almost come across a little frustrated with Steven’s requests.Steven contacted Mike to get something.But Mike ended up doing all the work on LinkedIn.Other Messages: When They Accept Your Invitation to Connect and Say NothingYes, this counts as a message!Accepting an invitation request triggers a message.It looks something like this:How to respond when the LinkedIn message says nothingThis one is quite simple.No one likes to sound needy in a LinkedIn message.And we certainly want to try and be respectful of others who may be busy.We also may consider the person has no idea how to reply to invites with notes.You are not only up against LinkedIn’s messaging UX, but you are also trying to get a response without being intrusive.How to use a blank LinkedIn messageWait 24 hours.The next day, send back a message:“Hi, [insert name]. Thanks for connecting!”All you are doing is reviving the conversation.And you do so at the very same time they accepted your invite.This means you caught them during their LinkedIn usage time of day.Most of the time, this very simple message leads to a response.Here's an example:???General Rules for LinkedIn MessagesHere are some general rules for LinkedIn messages.These tips will help you pr operly answer each and every time:1. Messageas if the entire world is having an amazing day.Some of the most effective messages on LinkedIn always have phrases such as:“I hope you are doing great…” “Pleased to e-meet you…” “You have an amazing [insert something interesting about his/her profile]”Why does thisintro matter?You are positive, friendly, and take an interest in the other person’s profile.2. Keep it short and sweet and get to the point.Long messages kill the eyes.The more you write, the more you create a chance to lose someone’s attention.3. Make sure your LinkedIn messages are easy to read.Simply by clicking “Shift + Enter” after each sentence, you avoid creating a large block of text in a LinkedIn message.Your messages should not be long anyway, but long conversations do require some spacing to get your point across.4. Never write like a spam messagetemplate.If you are spamming on your first message to a person, it is very unlikely that the Linked In message will be a success.Why would I have any reason to reply to this?“HelloSteven Lowell,I sent you this free guide to assist with your online success.The information is provided by our partners (blah blah) ...”We are all people doing business on LinkedIn.Talk to others on LinkedIn like people, not prospects you enjoy spamming.5. Make sure your message has a cool factor to it.No one likes to read a boring message.Every message you send should have some sort of “cool factor” to it.A cool factor is the details of your message that makes people notice you.For example, you could mentionskills you have or certifications you earned.Note the circled portion:What makes something cool to a person? It is unique and adds value to the person you contacted. It shows you have read the LinkedIn profile. You know what the person thinks is useful.For example, the message you see above was sent to a technical recruiter who recruits engineers in Phoenix.You might be interested to know tha t the message led to a job interview.In ConclusionLinkedIn messaging advice comes in many forms. It is still a social media tool used to connect with people for the purposes of business networking.At the end of the day, it is important to be just as social as you are professional in order to properly answer messages on LinkedIn!

The Importance of Using Career Building and Resume Writing Software

The Importance of Using Career Building and Resume Writing SoftwareIf you are currently in a job or looking to start a new job, then you should seriously consider the use of career building and resume writing software. Most of the time it is not cost effective to pay a job coach to craft a resume, but it is possible to significantly increase your chances of landing a job with an honest effort on your part.You don't need to be a trained professional when it comes to resume writing. What you need to have is an understanding of how to use this tool. Below I will outline some of the steps to take when doing resume building and resume writing.Your first step for resume building and resume writing is to make sure that the resume is readable. The recruiter is the person who is looking for a quick review of your abilities. Even if you aren't the best at writing, don't go by what they want. Instead, make sure that you give them a clear outline of your resume and provide them with a link to yo ur portfolio where they can get a more in depth look at your skills and achievements.Don't overlook the importance of using grammar and sentence structure. Any mistakes you make on your resume will be noticeable and can have a major impact on your application. The recruiter is looking for somebody that will learn from their mistakes. In addition, making the application easy to read is going to help them see what they will be getting into when they interview you.In order to truly shine in the resume writing arena, it is important to be aware of the appropriate keywords. While many people have an idea as to how to do this, there are those who feel they can skip this step. They might use the wrong keywords and make it appear like they simply skimmed through the resume. You can't afford to do this either, as it is extremely important that you understand what keywords are being used by the recruiter.When applying for jobs, be sure to include a cover letter as well. A recruiter will proba bly overlook this, but a cover letter can make all the difference between your application being read and simply tossing it in the trash. You should be sending your resume and cover letter in separately to make sure they are received in the proper format.Finally, remember that you are the only one that is responsible for your resume. When doing the writing, don't try to rush it through. It should be a professional document that showcases your abilities and skills. If you make any mistakes, it should be a shortcoming of yours and not something that show that you are incompetent.Regardless, of how many times you read your resume, don't make the mistake of letting it go to waste. With a little work and practice, you can improve your resume writing and get an incredible job as a result.

GCSE English Literature Exam Structure - How 2 Become

GCSE English Literature Exam Structure - How 2 Become GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE EXAM STRUCTUREYour GCSE Literature examination comprises of two sections:Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th Century novel 1 hour and 45 minutes 40% of GCSEPaper 2: Modern texts and Poetry 2 hours and 15 minutes 60% of GCSEGCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE EXAM ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVESAO1 = To read, understand, and respond to literary texts. Students should be able to demonstrate a critical style in their writing, and develop an informed personal response. Students are also required to use contextual references, including quotations in order to support their interpretation.AO2 = To analyse the language, form, and structure used by an author and analyse the meaning and context. To ensure relevant terminology is used throughout their assessment.AO3 = To show an understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which a piece of text is written.AO4 = To use an array of vocabulary and sentence structures in order to provide clarity, purpose and effect, with acc urate spelling and punctuation.Weighting of Assessment ObjectivesBelow we have outlined the weighting of assessment objectives for your GCSE English Literature exam.BREAKDOWN OF ASSESSMENTSShakespeareDuring the Shakespeare section of your English Literature exam, you will be required to answer one question. Students will study one play within the classroom, and therefore, the choice of question you should answer should be the one you have been focusing on during your English lessons. In the exam, there will be a choice of six possible Shakespeare plays. The following texts are examples taken from the 2017 examination:Macbeth;Romeo and Juliet;The Tempest;The Merchant of Venice; Much Ado About Nothing; Julius Caesar.Please note: The choice of Shakespearean texts is subject to change annually. Be sure to check with your teacher with regards to the Shakespeare text that you will be studying!The 19th Century NovelDuring the 19th Century novel section of your English Literature exam, you will be required to answer one question. Students will study one novel within the classroom, so the choice of question you should answer should be the one you have been focusing on during your English lessons. In the exam, there will be a choice of seven novels. The following texts are examples taken from the 2017 examination:The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde;A Christmas Carol;Great Expectations;Jane Eyre;Frankenstein;Pride and Prejudice;The Sign of Four.Modern TextsDuring the modern text section of your English Literature exam, you will be required to answer one question. Students will study one text within the classroom, so the choice of question you should answer should be the one you have been focusing on during your English lessons. In the exam, there will be a choice of twelve texts, including post-1914 prose and drama. The following texts are examples taken from the 2017 examination: PROSEAuthor Title William Golding Lord of the Flies AQA Anthology Telling Tales Georg e Orwell Animal Farm Kazuo Ishiguro Never Let Me Go Meera Syal Anita and Me Stephen Kelman Pigeon EnglishDRAMAAuthor Title JB Priestley An Inspector Calls Willy Russell Blood Brothers Alan Bennett The History Boys Dennis Kelly DNA Simon Stephens The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Shelagh Delaney A Taste of HoneyPoetryDuring the poetry section of your English Literature exam, you will be required to answer one cluster of poems in the exam. The poems assessed in the exam will be taken from the AQA poetry anthology, Poems Past and Present. In the exam, there will be a choice of two clusers, each containing 15 poems. The poems in each cluster are thematically linked. The themes provided for the 2017 examinations were the following:Love and Relationships;Power and Conflict.For this section of the exam, students need to study all 15 poems in their chosen cluster and be prepared to write about any of them in the exam.Unseen PoetryThe unseen poetry section of your English Lit erature exam is self-explanatory. This section will provide poems of which you will not have studied during your English lessons. The best way to revise for the unseen poetry section is to experience a wide range of poetry and develop the following analytical skills:ContentThemesLanguageStructureCheck out my blog “GCSE English Language Exam Structure” by clicking here. This entry was posted in Resources. Bookmark the permalink. Katie Noakes GCSE Religious Studies â€" Religion and RelationshipsNew Police Core Competencies: Clusters, Values and More!

How Employers Fill Jobs Top Sources of Hire 2016

How Employers Fill Jobs Top Sources of Hire 2016 You may not really care how employers fill jobs in 2016. You just want a simple, fast, efficient way to submit your qualifications for an open job. But what if you could beat the odds by searching for a job differently? You can. Lets look at the data provided by thousands of employers to see how they made over 300 thousand hires in the past year. SilkRoad, an end-to-end HR system (meaning a system for talent acquisition, talent development, a talent portal and  HRMS), released their fifth Top  Sources of Hire  Report  (2016) which analyzed data from    1,200 companies, ranging from small to large employers. It also included anonymous data pulled from SilkRoads applicant tracking system. How Employers Filled Jobs in 2016 You wont be surprised by this information. The top three sources of hire last year were Employee referrals (22%) Job search engines (19%) Job boards (12%) What You Need To Know Get referred. The best way to increase your odds of getting a job offer is to be a referred candidate. (Youve heard this before and Ive provided tips on how to get referred here.) SilkRoad 2016 Source of Hire Whats The Difference Between A Job Search Engine and a Job Board? So whats the difference between these two things? Job Search Engines include Indeed and Simply Hired. These platforms pull job postings from many different sites/sources including job boards, online classified advertisements, and association and employer websites. Job Boards include CareerBuilder, Monster, Craigslist, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor (just to name a few). Companies pay money to post jobs on these platforms. Job Search Engines Outperform the Boards Hands down, Indeed leads to more hires than all the other job sites. When analyzing  sources of hiring within job search engines and job boards, 58% of hires came from Indeed! Pretty powerful. SilkRoad 2016 SOH Job Search Engines vs Job Boards What You Need To Know Invest more of your time using Indeed and less time on the other boards. One caveat, there are niche or specialty job boards for certain occupations and industries. Though they may not make the list here, due to smaller numbers of hires, niche job boards  are absolutely worth your time. Focus Your Search Because you are searching online, youll want to prioritize how you invest your time across all the different activities. By the way, there is such a thing as offline sources of hire which include  campus recruiting,  agencies, walk-ins, and events. These sources provide far fewer hires (22%) as compared to online (78%). From all online sources, here are the top four  sources of hire: Employee Referral (28%) Indeed (24%) Current Employee (15%)* Customer Career Site/Website (14%) *Current employee means an employee was selected for the job as in a promotion or internal hire. SilkRoad 2016 Online SOH What You Need To Know First, continue to find people who work inside companies with opportunities you are interested in. Next, create job alerts on Indeed and monitor jobs posted by companies you are interested in. And finally, go to company websites and monitor or set alerts for jobs you are interested in so you dont miss out of them. And remember, if you are unhappy with your current job, often a move to a new department or new role can be just the fix needed to reinvigorate your career. External and Internal Sources of Hire. Which Is better? First, lets see how SilkRoad has defined external and internal sources of hire. TOP EXTERNAL SOURCES OF HIRE TOP INTERNAL SOURCES OF HIRE Indeed Employee Referral Agency Customer Career Site/Website CareerBuilder Current Employee Campus Recruiting Recruiter Sourced Unspecified Job Board General Referral Craigslist Former Employee LinkedIn Walk In Job Fair Monster And the winner is INTERNAL SOURCES. 58% of hires attributed to these methods. SilkRoad 2016 SOH Every Employer and Job Seeker Is Unique When looking at these results of how jobs are filled, there are always exceptions to the rules. Yes, you want to follow the rules, but you will also want to know how to appropriately break them in order to stand out. Follow the instructions for every job you apply to. But that doesnt mean you cant go above and beyond and do more. For example, if you apply online, submitting your resume as a Word doc (when instructed to do so), that doesnt mean you cant find someone inside the company to act as a referral or even as an informant. The best job search strategy is to appropriately diversify the methods you use. The next best thing to do is to try really, really hard! Go after jobs with enthusiasm! This effort alone could help set you apart. Isnt that the whole point? SilkRoad INFOGRAPHIC Since a picture is worth a thousand words, check you SilkRoads Source of Hire Infographic.