Tips for staying efficient in your graduate job search

Tips for staying efficient in your graduate job search by Michael Cheary For university students, finding that first graduate job can mean several months identifying, researching and applying for different opportunities.However, there are a number of things you can do to maximise your efficiency and potentially cut down the amount of time you spend on the job search. Tom McDermott from insidebuzz.co.uk tells us more:1. Have a very clear idea of what youre looking forThis is by far the most important thing you can do in terms of running an efficient graduate job search. Naturally, someone who has decided theyre interested in a career in PR, for example, can focus their job search far more clearly than someone who is interested in PR, marketing and advertising. You may have a broad range of interests but if you dont focus you create extra work for yourself as each area will need a different CV, and have very different application questions.2. Prepare a few application questions in advanceAlthough no two application forms are ever q uite the same, certain questions crop up time and time again. Commonly occurring questions include What are your strengths/weaknesses/greatest achievements?, and competency-based questions, such as Describe a situation when you displayed strong leadership/teamwork/problem-solving skills. Having pre-prepared answers to these questions is a good idea as it takes far less time to make a few minor edits than it does to write a brand new answer from scratch every time.Struggling for inspiration? Take a look at our list of Common Interview Questions and Answers.3. Limit your distractionsProcrastination is undoubtedly one of the biggest threats when attempting to run an efficient job search. If you struggle to concentrate with too many distractions around, a good tactic is to try changing your location: get out of your house and head to the library or a caf to work for a few hours. You should also try to keep a clear work space having a major distraction such as your Smartphone sitting ne xt to you on the desk may prove too tempting to resist.4. Outsource some of the workStudents and graduates have a wealth of resources at their disposal, which can help do some of the hard work for them. From friends and family, who may be able to put you in touch with some of their connections, to careers services who will help you search for opportunities, the possibilities are endless. Also, many companies put on networking events and hold careers fairs where youll have invaluable opportunities to meet recruiters, employers and other company representatives who may turn out to be very useful connections themselves.5. Apply strategically With so many people applying for every available job, its not uncommon for companies to bring their application deadline forward after receiving a substantial amount of applicants. To avoid being disappointed, its vitally important to be strategic in the timings of any applications you make.When applying to two companies at once always prioritise t he one with the closest deadline even if you prefer the other company. That way you wont get caught out if one of them unexpectedly closes early.Think weve missed any? Share them with us below, or tell us on twitter @reedcoukFind a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the featured

How to Write a Great Resume and LinkedIn Rewrite

How to Write a Great Resume and LinkedIn RewriteWriting a resume and LinkedIn is probably the most important step to consider when you want to get hired for your dream job. However, the salesperson for the resume and linkedin system is not always to be trusted. There are some major flaws with some of the resumes that you can see today.First of all, they will not be honest about what your dreams are and who you want to get the dream job for. They are basically based on a service that is paid by the person getting the resume. This is definitely an unethical system and should be avoided at all costs.The resume and linkedin system will come up with a bunch of options that you can choose from. You can then decide that you want and then apply for the job that will be hiring you. You must really understand the way that you would like your resume to look like. If you get too creative, it will be obvious that the person has no real idea of how your resume should look like.A well-written resum e is very important. It tells the potential employer that you have thought about the job, it tells them that you are serious about the job and it tells them why you are a good match for the job. A resume should never be too short or too long.In order to show your work history, you need to have your resume in front of you. Also, having a resume and linkedin in front of you is very helpful. When someone reads your resume and linkedin before they interview you, they will be able to see a few of your previous jobs, which will help them make their decision whether or not you should be hired.When you get a great offer from a job and don't know what to do with it, you need to use this as leverage to ask for a raise. This will definitely help you to be hired. This is especially true if the salary that you're being offered is more than the one that you are asking for, and if you have a nice track record for performance.People forget that the resume and LinkedIn is an important tool for every one. There are some people who don't realize the importance of it, but it is a very big deal. The key to making sure that you get all of the benefits from this system is to use it well and to be the best candidate for the job.Remember that your resume and LinkedIn are just the beginning. The next step is to write a killer cover letter and then your resume and LinkedIn should be good to go.

10 Ways to See Your Brand With Fresh Eyes - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

10 Ways to See Your Brand With Fresh Eyes - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career The following answers are provided by members of  Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the worlds most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched  BusinessCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses. 1. Let Someone Else Do the Looking   It’s really difficult to see something you are passionate about objectively. The best way to get a fresh view on your brand is to seek the perspectives of those outside of your industry. It’s key that you avoid relying on the opinion of the people in your immediate network who may soften their opinions or share your bias.    Rakia Reynolds,  Skai Blue Media 2. Go Back to the First Client   If youre still working with or in touch with your first clients or customers, get in touch and ask them about your brand. How did it appear in the beginning? How has it shifted over time? Whats been a great change? Whats not so great? Someone who has seen the longevity of your business and evolution of your brand will have a different perspective from the outside.    Kelly Azevedo,  Shes Got Systems 3. Order Your Own Product   Ill admit it, I watched The Intern. In the film there is a scene where the founder of the company (Anne Hathaway) orders her own product to see how it will be delivered in the mail (Spoiler alert: it didnt arrive looking great). This experience gave Anne a fresh perspective of how customers viewed her brand. Ordering your own product allows you  to see your brand with fresh eyes.    Brett Farmiloe,  Markitors 4. Create a New Story   Its hard to see your brand with fresh eyes. Take a step back and think of a new story you can tell prospects on  what your brand is about and how its innovative in helping customers solve issues, achieve success, or some other value proposition.  People love to hear success stories, so create a new story around a success youve achieved lately thats indicative of your full potential.    Nicole Munoz,  Start Ranking Now 5. Get Diverse Perspectives   Beyond getting a fresh pair of eyes and feedback, you should aim to get a patchwork of different perspectives about your brand. For instance, boomers might resonate with your branding, but it could be turning off millennials. Ive found that the best and most unique ideas often come from the most varied perspectives.    Elle Kaplan,  LexION Capital 6. Go on Social Media and See What People Are Saying   Nothing lays bare the real truth about what people think about a brand more than social media. Go on social media and see how people let loose on their feelings. It could be a real eye opener and offer a new way to look at your brand.    Drew Hendricks,  Buttercup 7. Break It Down   Being in the luxury field, our branding at Mobiado needed to express the spirit of the brand. It was necessary for every aspect of the brand to have a reason or story behind it.  To be objective, I would look at every piece of the branding puzzle individually (logo, website, packaging, etc.). If the purpose did not complement our spirit, I would implement the change  needed to  enhance our overall brand image.    Peter Bonac,  Bonac Innovation Corp. 8. Step Away   The best way to gain a fresh new perspective of your company is to physically step away. Spending time away from your business gives you a chance to completely forgo responsibilities. Take a few days off. When you come back you’ll be able to look at your business from a different perspective, and you’ll most likely be looking at it through your customer’s eyes.      Patrick Barnhill,  Specialist ID, Inc. 9. Get Expert Audits   Theres no  possible way for you to see your brand with fresh eyes. Youre too close to it. Instead, bring in branding and marketing experts to perform audits for you,  and in the audits make sure that they are providing pros, cons and recommendations for improvement. Have customers do the same in  a simpler survey format and give them incentives. Youll surely have a fresh perspective  then.    Anshey Bhatia,  Verbal+Visual 10. Survey People   One of the best tools weve used at Motivational Press to add new products and services, gauge our customer service effectiveness, and quantify our overall customer experience in surveys. We survey our clients annually and do market research surveys quarterly to evaluate trends in the industry. We like Surveymonkey for conducting the surveys and commonly pay for them to source the respondents.    Justin Sachs,  Motivational Press

Break the Procrastination Habit

Break the Procrastination Habit Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'5u7js9-6QVxezm1SreInkA',sig:'e-uMTjdGiZaUPffMPmQ9FEkdYpPCUAR726lX8cxf5oM=',w:'479px',h:'359px',items:'74226042',caption: false ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); Procrastination is like a credit card: its a lot of fun until you get the bill.                 Christopher Parker I’ve never been a procrastinator. I associate the trait with laziness (but I’m wrong; more on that later.) I do know many people who procrastinate things they should do, both big and small. And I know they hate the consequences of procrastination, both big and small. So here’s a guide to overcoming the habit. I’m basing these tips on the book by Damon Zahariades: The Procrastination Cure: 21 Proven Tactics For Conquering Your Inner Procrastinator, Mastering Your Time, And Boosting Your Productivity. He writes that his life was frequently a mess because of his chronic procrastination; missed deadlines, fines for overdue bills, repeated(!) instances of his car being towed because he couldn’t be bothered to place the new tag on his car’s license plate. He speaks with authority on why fixing this habit is so urgent: less stress, less shame, and less needless inconvenience and cost. But he’s clear on the difference between procrastination and laziness. “In truth, they’re entirely different behavioral aspects,” he writes. “While laziness often leads to procrastination, many chronic procrastinators aren’t lazy at all. Laziness is an unwillingness to perform a task. Procrastination is delaying taking action on a task.” In other word, procrastinators   recognize that the task must be done. They just don’t want to do it now, because something that provides immediate gratification is more compelling than the (probably not pleasant) task that will provide future gratification.   Lazy people simply don’t choose to do the task at all. Procrastination can be caused by several factors, according to Zahariades. Some people are afraid of failure; others might be worried about what success might entail (more work, harder tasks, too much attention.) Some people are perfectionists, and would rather do nothing than risk putting out something that’s less than perfect. Sometime, people just get distracted by funny cat videos. Whatever your reason, breaking the procrastination habit can make your life easier and less stressful. It can even save your life if you’re putting off things like medical appointments or getting new symptoms checked out by a doctor. Here are Zahariades’ tips for getting going. If you’re having trouble getting started on a task, consider whether the task just isn’t inspiring. If you’re bored with the idea of writing on a certain subject or tackling cleaning a cupboard, switch to another task that does excite you. You’ll find yourself busy and engaged very quickly. Sometimes, it’s about the timing â€" once you get another job done, you may be very willing to come back to the original task. In other words, don’t force yourself to struggle until you feel like doing it; pick something of equal importance or urgency and work on that right now.   Come back later and see if you’re ready to work on this issue. If you have important tasks that are repetitive or uninspiring, try making a game out of them.   Can you engage other people (including young children, who make everything more fun)? Can you see how fast you can accomplish this task â€" set a new land speed record? Or set up a friendly competition with your spouse or coworkers? Promising yourself a prize at the end always helps: an ice cream cone or an hour at the pool. If you feel stuck on where to start on a big project, stop worrying about what to do first. Do anything on your list. Exercise your accomplishment muscle memory. The action of taking action can bring on a breakthrough. Cross something off the list. Like removing a small rock from the middle of a big pile, you may find that the rest of the project to-dos collapse and fall into some kind of more manageable order. That might make it easier for you to take on another task, and another, until you’re making real progress. Want to read more about procrastination? Check out this post.  

Tips For Writing a Perfect Resume

Tips For Writing a Perfect ResumeYou are trying to write a resume that will land you the job of your dreams. You have your resume in front of you, ready to go. However, you are having trouble finding tips for writing a perfect resume. It's like the Holy Grail that you wish to find, but are unable to.The holy grail of tips for writing a perfect resume is all around you, but it is just hidden from you. If you keep searching for it, you might never find it. This is the same for a lot of people when they are looking for the perfect resume.There are many great tips for writing a perfect resume out there. You can find them if you try. However, you will most likely find that none of these tips for writing a perfect resume will work for you.You might be able to write a resume that will get you a job, but that is not going to get you the job. A resume is not a negotiation tool. A resume is not a magic wand that will make you get a job interview.The tips for writing a perfect resume tips that will help you show the employer what you have to offer. You must show the employer what you have to offer to get the job. This is not just some kind of application that you just submit to get the job.You are applying for the job, so you need to convince the employer that you are the right person for the job. This means you must show your employer why you should be hired for the job. If you fail to do this, then you will just get the job, but you will have wasted your time.There are many great tips for writing a perfect resume out there. You just need to find them. You can find tips for writing a perfect resume if you read about them. You can also find tips for writing a perfect resume online.It is okay to search for tips for writing a perfect resume online, but remember that you do not have to go out and purchase those books. There are many great tips for writing a perfect resume that you can find at your local library or online.

Why Delegation is Hard Yet Very Important

Why Delegation is Hard Yet Very Important “If you delegate tasks, you will raise up doers. If you delegate authority, you will raise up leaders”â€"Craig GroeschelAs entrepreneurs and managers, it’s all too easy to fall into the mantra of‘if you want it done well, do it yourself’. But being able to delegate effectively is key to the growth and success of your business. So why do we find it so hard, and why is it so important?Ultimately, the reason delegation is important as a leader is that part of your aim in leading people should be to build a team of people with theconviction, commitment and competenceto carry out tasks as well as, if not better than, you can.Photo Credit â€" pixabay.comMany people in leadership positions struggle with delegation for a number of reasons. Maybe you are reluctant to delegate because you think that you can do the task faster and better than anyone else in your team.?eval?But how will you know if you don’t give them a chance to prove themselves??And how will they learn and improve if you don’t assign them tasks that they find challenging?Another common fear among leaders is that if you train your staff to work at the same level as you, they might supersede you, and you could become dispensable. But teaching generously is a quality of an excellent leader.As well as boosting your staff’s skills and employability, you improve your skills as a teacher, and you may even find that if you train up possible replacements for your role, your time is freed up to pursue bigger things, such as new business opportunities or a promotion.Try not to think of delegation in terms of your staff being an issue, but rather think about how it can benefit both you and them as a team.?For you, effective delegation will free up your time so that your working day isn’t taken up with minor tasks, so that you can focus on your broader responsibilities and the bigger picture. It also gives you more time for self-development.?Equally, effective delegation continuously challenges your staff, giving them the opportunity and motivation to learn and develop. Thus, delegation will improve not only your staff’s skill set and productivity levels, but also your effectiveness as a leader.evalIn terms of your team as a whole, delegation canimprove teamwork and flexibilityâ€" if more members of your team are able to take on a wider variety of tasks, it will be much easier for you to reallocate the workload fairly across the team, for example if a member of staff is off on holiday or sick leave. This also allows your staff to work with a wider variety of team members, which can increase team camaraderie and, in turn, productivity.Effective delegation is also key to ensuring that your staff understand, and are on board with, the company’s objectives. Clearly communicating tasks to your staff not only in terms of what is expected of them, but also why the particular task you are delegating to them is important, will show them that they are valued as a member of the team, improving their confidence and motivation, and also making sure that they are working towards the company’s common goals.Another important reason for effective delegation is to avoid an unnecessarily high turnover of staff. If you don’t continue to challenge and motivate your staff, and allow them to learn and develop, they will soon lose interest in their work and in the business, and thus are unlikely to say with the company.eval?Get to know your team, and ensure that youuse everyone’s talents to their utmost, which will keep them happy and motivated, as well as benefiting the productivity and profits of your company.A benefit of delegating that you might not have considered is that it can be a good way tofoster open communication within your team, which means that it allows your team members to bring new ideas and different approaches to the table.?An important leadership quality is to be adaptable to new ideas, and to consider suggestions and new perspectives on older way s of doing things. Delegating to capable team members can stop you falling into the rut of doing things a certain way simply because‘that’s how we’ve always done it’.?Taking on board and implementing suggestions from your staff will make them feel more involved in the company. It will also encourage them, and the rest of the team, to continue thinking outside the box, which in turn means that your team will continuously adapt and improve.

Tell Me About Yourself Answering the Most Hated Interview Question - CareerEnlightenment.com

Tell Me About Yourself Answering the Most Hated Interview Question It’s that time of the year again and you’re sitting in a dimly lit office, staring down the menacing HR. He throws a question at you, and then another both of which you gracefully dodge answer. You’re almost there, and you can feel it at this point, the job is in your pocket. Until, of course, the HR mutters the unholy words, “tell me about yourself.” Your heart starts beating you’d known this moment would come from the start.“Tell me about yourself” is, without a doubt, one of the most confusing questions a recruiter can ask. It tends to catch you off-guard, especially if you don’t have a pre-thought answer, as it’s not a question with any sort of singular answer. If you, however, do some thinking beforehand, then you can breeze through it like any other.So what do they want from me?First off, no they don’t want your life story. Funny enough, the answer to the “what” is your reaction. The idea is to throw you off-guard. After your first interview, you already get a feel to all the normal questions. “What’s your greatest strength/weakness?” Pretty much everyone asks that, and there’s a good chance you already have a canned answer to it. “Tell me about yourself,” however, can be interpreted in a lot of ways, and the answer can make or break your game.Details, please.As a given, the context of the answer should be relevant to the company and your career. To make it simple, when they say, “Tell me about yourself,” what they’re really asking for is for you to sell yourself. From this point of view, the question makes a bit more sense. Say you’re a door-to-door salesman a client asks you to talk about your product. What do you answer? Well, you talk about the features of the product and on how it’s different from anything else they’ve ever seen. Then, you tailor it to their needs, specifically, and explain why they need the product here and now.When you think about it like this, it seems a lot easier, doesn’t it?Let’s put all that into a framework.How to answer the question?We start with the core of the product. What is it? It’s a vacuum cleaner. What are you? You’re a marketing expert with over 5 years of experience. Want to Read More Articles Like This One?Sign up here to receive weekly updates from Career Enlightenment, and never miss another powerful job searching tip! SUBSCRIBE! You have Successfully Subscribed!We hate spam too. Unsubscribe any time. Answer example: I’m a marketing expert with over 5 years of experience. I started out in a small consulting firm, learning about Adwords PPC. 2 years back, I switched to freelancing and developing my personal client base.Step two, features. The vacuum cleaner is super high-tech, has about 3 times the cleaning power (or however you measure a vacuum cleaner), and is very portable (again, not an expert on vacuum cleaners). You? You excel at online marketing, everything from search engine optimization to content creation.An swer Example: I’ve worked with 10+ clients, helping them develop their content SEO strategies. The goal was creating a personalized plan for their specific industry training their in-house teams. Some highlights include ranking on high-competition keywords for 2 companies, leading to a 40% increase in revenue. On the other hand, I’ve helped companies have their content published in big medias, such as Mashable, Forbes, and Techcrunch.Finally, you need to convince them how you’re relevant for this specific position in this particular company. In the case of the vacuum, you can emphasize how hard it can be to drag around a giant hunk of metal around the house, and how it is easier and faster if the thing’s portable. Now, in human terms. Answer Example: Freelancing caused a big part of my time to be dedicated to client acquisition, that’s why right now, I’m looking for something more stable so that I can use my time to grow my expertise even further. I’ve worked with c lients in your industry and have gone through your blog, I’m confident that within the next few weeks you’ll start seeing results.Over to you.I’ve been on many job interviews and each time it was pretty stressful. The good thing is, I always learned something new. Now that you know what exactly they seek to know when they ask ‘’Tell me about yourself’’ you’ll be prepared and stand out from the other candidates.Good luck!

Getting Over The Ickiness of Selling Controlling the Shifting Business Boundaries A Personal Story

Getting Over The Ickiness of Selling Controlling the Shifting Business Boundaries A Personal Story Here are the links to go with the video!: The Uh-Oh Feeling my VA and friend, Jess Larsen my PR rep, Brass Knuckles Media my e-book illustrator and Declaration of You partner-in-crime, Jess Swift last years scholarship announcement (look for another one mid-March!) And My Word for 2011 Is (in which I explain the need/want in building my platform) A special thanks to everyone who watched this all the way through. I taped it thrice couldnt get it under 9 minutes! Good Lordy Lord Lordy.