7 Tips to Keeping Your Network when Jumping Ship

7 Tips to Keeping Your Network when Jumping Ship Networking and contacts have always been the key to success in any profession. Back in the day you would have your little black book of contacts that you would use throughout your career. Nowadays, it’s all gone digital and it’s easier to store contacts online for you, and it’s easier for your employer to snatch them when you leave. Here’s a scenario for you: Your boss encourages you to sign up for a Linkedin profile which you start to actively use in your work as well as socially. The time comes when you and your company part ways for whatever reason. Your boss now says that the account that was set up belongs to the company and you have to give it up. Does it sound like an unlikely scenario? It has happened to lots of people out there and it will happen again. Dont let this happen to you Even though the lines of demarcation between work and play can be grey in social media, most people simply assume they can bring their profiles with them to wherever they are heading. I happen to know a recruiter who left his company after about five years of service and was asked to give up his Linkedin and other accounts. He was having none of it and put up a fight which only lead to his former employer withholding the final commission payment. It was rather a lot of money so in the end he had no choice but to oblige. He had not seen this coming at all and was now left with the not so enviable task of having to start a Linkedin account completely from scratch; he went from about 5,000 connections to zero overnight. This was obviously an unfortunate case but you can see why the employer did this. Recruiters rely heavily on Linkedin and the employer knows that the contacts will be used at the next company. Whether you will ever end up in a sticky situation like this is impossible to say. All we know is that you cannot assume anything in this job market. Even the safest job today can be outsourced tomorrow and your servers can be locked down over night, effectively leaving you without access to any online profile you have set up at work. What I can say is that there are ways to prepare for any eventuality. Here are 5 few self preservation tips that can safeguard your online presence: 1. Check the intellectual property policies Review your company’s electronic data, social media, online communications, email or whatever-they-call-it policy. Understand exactly what is the intellectual property of your employer and what is considered yours. If you think that your company’s policies are too strict, speak to your manager or HR department and see whether you can swing an opt-out clause. As long as you have a good case for it, they will hear you out. 2. What happened to leavers Are there any precedents? See what happened to others that left your team or department, start by looking at their online profiles and it will be fairly evident what the procedure was. If there seem to be different policies for different people, ask yourself why. Could it have been because of the role, the relationship they had with the boss or just that things changed when they left? Do your best sleuthing so you can anticipate what would happen to you. 3. Set up duplicate profiles To be on the safe side, you can open up duplicate accounts on Linkedin, Viadeo, Xing, Twitter etc and make it obvious that the new account is your personal and you will only use it in free time, if at all in the office. To make it abundantly clear it’s your profile only, you can leave out your current employer and just state what industry you are in. The duplicates have to be connected to your private email account by the way. 4. Facebook is under the radar Facebook is considered private and not a business tool. This means it will not be brought up if you leave your company. By adding your key customers and partners as friends on Facebook, you know you will be able to contact them in case you lose all other means. Adding your current co-workers is also a good tip, as their numbers and emails will be on your company laptop/phone which have to be returned. 5. Use your webmail for personal correspondence This can be a pain but you don’t want to lose all your emails from loved ones in case you are laid off. Try to separate business and personal correspondence, and tell your friends and family which accounts to use. It will take time to wean them off your company email but it will be worth it. 6. Use your own name for a blog Instead of blogging for your company (let’s face it, nobody reads a corporate blog), start a blog in your own name or write for other blogs in your field. Make sure you write objective material and that it is not done on behalf of your employer. There is no way an employer can yank this off you as it carries your own name. 7. Back to basics Networking thrived long before the digital age. How about getting yourself an old-school black book and writing down your contacts by hand? It’s what anyone with a job has been doing for donkey’s years and it will work for you as well. Bottom Line Leaving a company shouldnt mean you leave empty handed and without any contacts to help you and your career. The last thing you need when you leave a business is a divorce hearing to divvy up your digital estate. So make use of the tips above and think of your own solutions to safeguard your network just in case you are laid off or choose to move on in the future. Would your employer let you go with all your contacts? Has this happened to you? Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments. RELATED: How To Back Up Your LinkedIn Contacts [Highly Recommended]

What Is the Best Free Resume Templates?

What Is the Best Free Resume Templates?If you're looking for the best free resume templates, you've come to the right place. While there are many websites that offer this type of software, some of them actually offer 'paper'papercut' templates while others offer no design at all.If you're searching for the best free resume templates online, the best choice is going to be paper templates. It's not uncommon for a resume template to include the word 'paper'papercut' somewhere in the description, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Paper templates don't tend to be very fancy, and it's easy to tweak and add your own unique flair to your paper template, if you want to.Like I said, most resumes need to be easily updated. For this reason, it's important to find a template that allows you to use your text and graphics freely. In addition, if you want to share your template with your friends and family, this is going to be easier with a template that can be printed out.If you're looking fo r a template that's a little more elaborate than a 'papercut' template, then you should be looking at a template that's created by a graphic designer. However, a lot of these templates are quite expensive, so it's likely that you're better off going with a paper template rather than using one created by a graphic designer.Free resume templates may seem simple, but they're actually really difficult to use with all the options available to you, particularly with paper templates. First of all, most paper templates offer very specific colors that don't mix well. They also can get very busy, which can make it difficult to clearly read what you're typing.Free resume templates aren't designed with specific colors in mind, so they're even more difficult to read and change when you'retrying to create a resume. Keep in mind that if you're going to do a lot of editing, you should always look for a template that's 'clean' and very simple.Most free resume templates won't have much in the way of graphics aren't very important when you're making a resume. It's not uncommon for a resume template to offer just a few graphics, including graphics that make your resume look like a photo album.The only time you should really get into the habit of using your free resume templates is when you want to try and re-create your resume. Re-creating your resume is pretty easy to do, but unless you use the exact same fonts and colors as you used when you made your original resume, you'll probably end up with a poorly-constructed and badly formatted resume.

UK Recruiters Reveal the Truth About CVs

UK Recruiters Reveal the Truth About CVs We change our CVs  daily to adapt to the certain jobs that we apply for. However, we often lose sight of what is happening with other peoples CVs and are not particularly well informed about CV statistics in general. Who are our CVs up against? How many CVs get turned in for one job? It is important to learn information about our competition and learn how recruiters look at our CVs, which in turn can help improve how we put together our CVs. This infographic by StandOut CV  provides some interesting insights and statistics into CVs from recruiters in the UK. Home truths The minimum number of CVs that a recruiter will receive for a UK vacancy is 54. A recruiter spends 10 seconds deciding whether or not to shortlist your CV. Will spend 6 minutes going over your CV to decide whether to submit you  to a client. 98% of recruiters will take you less seriously if you include a photo of yourself on your CV. 73% of recruiters will search for you on LinkedIn after viewing your CV. The average number of CVs that a recruiter will submit for a vacancy is 3. RELATED:10 Things You Should NEVER Put on Your CV

7 Travel Packing Hacks

7 Travel Packing Hacks Should I bring that? How can I fit all this stuff in my suitcase?  Getting ready for a trip can be so stressful you need the trip just to recover!  Over the years, Ive gathered and invented a few tricks for travel packing that have proven to be time savers.  They also keep things organized so less of that precious vacation time is wasted searching for that thing youre sure you brought.  Here they are, to help make your next trip easier. Baggies Who ever said baggies were just for the kitchen?  These have become essential and have saved me from many messes and misplaced items.  I always use the ziplock top variety.   How I use them, by size of the baggie: Small   I use one for oral hygiene items (toothbrush, toothpaste, floss) one for eye care (eye drops, case for contacts, and the little bottle of contact lens cleaner), and one for basic first aid (band aids, ibuprofen, and neosporin). Food Storage The two gallon size work perfect for shoes.  Now you dont have to worry about soiled or damp shoes roaming around your suitcase.  Not to mention that the pairs stay together. And take one or two extra for dirty clothes.  The cloth laundry bags are fine, but they dont contain the odor of dirty clothing like a baggie will. Dealing with Jewelry Since shoes and jewelry are my weaknesses . . . ok, two of my weaknesses . . . Id struggled for years trying to travel with more than a couple pieces.  Definitely one too many tangled necklaces, right? Then I came across this ingenious little box, pictured below.  Its only two inches by four inches by seven inches. So its small enough, yet has plenty of separate little compartments and all secure from spilling or tangling.  Theres also secure places for rings and necklaces.  Id tried several others, and they never seemed to get the job done.  This one does.  Whatever your choice,  find one that works for you and save yourself many headaches, and many worries about lost items. Travel Size Items Ive seen all the suggestions for getting little empty bottles and filling them with your regular products.  Have you tried that?  What a mess!  For a few bucks, make a trip to the store, like tomorrow, and stock in one or two of all the travel-size items youd normally use.  Then, when youre ready to travel, its easy to pop them in your bags.  And there will never be any questions from airport security about whats in them. USB Cords Laptop.  Smartphone.  Tablet.  And cords for all of them, so they can all charge overnight at the same time.  Of course, you get to untangle them when they come out of hiding, because they have that same magical power that turns clothes inside out in the dryer.  Solution:  Use an old eyewear case and they stay neat, orderly, and at your command. The Smell of Travel Seems that no matter what brand of luggage you choose, after a few days on the road theres the unmistakable fragrance that permeates everything in the bag.  Take along, in a small baggie, of course, a couple of your favorite dryer sheets.  One placed along side your shoe bags will keep all the  contents smelling fresh and clean. Snacks and Munchies Its so easy to grab all kinds of foods and snacks you dont normally eat when youre travelling.  And its such a huge downer to get on the scale when you get back home!  Plan ahead, make a trip to the nearest source of healthy snacks, or if you are more energetic use these great tips from Kelly Christiansen for nutritious and tasty travel treats. Ill Take Mine Regular, Please By one estimate, as many as 40 percent of people experience constipation while they’re travelling.  Im one of them.  If youre like me, you know its not much fun.  I finally found a 100% effective solution. On that same trip to the store youre planning, grab a small container of powdered fiber.  Two teaspoons in a half cup of water each morning will keep everything regular.  Just the way we like it. Invent Your Own Travel Packing Hacks Seems that in the rush of getting ready, our creative juices are being spent on things other than coming up with great new ideas.  So put a little tickler in the back of your mind.  As you go about you daily routines, stay on the lookout for creative applications of things you commonly do.   Soon, youll have some of your own travel packing hacks to make travel, and getting ready for it, much easier. Images: Main  Ubi Desperare Nescio   Glasses Case sewmanyways

Find a Senior Executive Resume Writing Service in Kansas City

Find a Senior Executive Resume Writing Service in Kansas CitySearching for a Senior Executive Resume Writing Service in Kansas City may be difficult, but it is important to know what to look for. Your first step should be to make sure the person you are interviewing has a proven track record of writing resumes.It will be helpful to look at some personal testimonials from previous clients. There are several professional job search sites that offer testimonials from current clients. Check out your local Chamber of Commerce and trade organization for possible names of business owners that have provided testimonials from past clients.Use your imagination when looking for a business owner who has a stellar resume. You should not only be interested in the number of years of experience they have had, but also how long they have been in their career.What skills does your specific skill set require? Once you find a few potential candidates, contact them individually and ask if they would be w illing to write a resume on your behalf.While it is easy to hire a resume writing service that specializes in your industry, it is far better to use a more general resume writer to create a well-written Senior Executive Resume. Try to find a resume writer that has some kind of writing background or has written similar resumes for other companies.It is also important to remember that hiring a writing service can cost a lot of money. It is important to research your potential candidates' abilities and qualifications, before paying any money.If you feel uncomfortable with someone you do not know being involved in your resume, it is probably a good idea to seek out a company that provides personal help with writing. The support that you can receive from a more specialized writing service may be worth the extra investment.Finding a new job is hard enough, but making sure you have a professional written resume should be top priority. With so many qualified professionals searching for jobs , it is important to make sure you get the best possible candidate to help you with your resume.

Writing The Perfect Cover Letter To Land That Dream Job

Writing The Perfect Cover Letter To Land That Dream Job Many job applicants think a cover letter is so “last century.” Not true. Unless a job posting specifically says “no cover letter necessary,” you will need to create one to go along with your submitted resume. And if you think that you can create a generic cover letter for all of your resumes, think again. Each one you craft will need to be targeted for the job you are seeking.What a Cover Letter Can Do for YouThink of your cover letter as the introduction to an essay. It introduces the reader to the thesis of the essay â€" the points that will be made in what follows. Your cover letter must do the same thing â€" you have to introduce the resume reader to you.And, like an introduction, you have to grab the attention of the reader quickly. If you do, that reader will be motivated to spend more time on your resume, rather than the 6-8 seconds most resumes get.Tips for a Killer Cover LetterevalAs you create your cover letter, be certain that you incorporate the following:Focus on what you bring to the organization. Speak to the skills and abilities that are in the job posting, and how you can meet those needs. Do not focus on yourself.Of course, you want to read the job description several times and highlight those keywords that you will include in your letter. Beyond that, however, you need to research the company or organization. Pull up its website and read everything. Check out any photos of the staff. Read the mission statement several times.Check out the managers and supervisors. Look them up on LinkedIn â€" try to figure out who your supervisor or manager will be. Read about that person and see if there are any terms you can put into your cover letter.Be brief. Your cover letter should have three sections.1. The first section, the opening paragraph specifies the position you are applying for and be sure to state the exact position title/name from the job posting.Explain why you are applying for this job. For example, you might say, “Because of my 3 years of experience in network administration, I can offer the solutions you are looking for.evalIf someone has referred you because they know someone in the company or are a company employee, be sure to mention that person’s name. “Jane Smith informed me of your opening for a network administrator, and I believe I can offer exactly what you need.”2. Your second paragraph should briefly list and describe your skills, but ONLY those that specifically relate to the organization’s need in the job posting. You must also get those highlighted keywords into this paragraph. Why?Because a lot of cover letters and resumes are digitally screened for those words before a human reader ever gets them. You want yours to pass through that screening and be sent on.3. The final section points to the resume you have attached as providing more detail about your ability to meet the company’s needs.evalBe certain to end with a sentence that states you look forward to meeting with the recipien t to discuss how you may meet their needs. Also, be certain to indicate that you are available for an interview at their convenience.Here are the Don’tsThere are also some things that must never go into a cover letter.There must never be a typo, mistakes in sentence structure, or grammatical errors. If you have doubts about your writing skills, or your ability to be engaging and compelling, get help. Find a good writing service like Writing Daddy â€" a service that has exceptional and customized cover letter writers. Don’t take the risk of submitting a cover letter that is only mediocre.Don’t be generic. This bears repeating. One size does not fit all, and if you try it, you have a very poor chance of getting that interview call.Don’t put in unnecessary verbiage. Sentences like, “I would like to introduce myself.” Instead, “Your recent posting for an experienced network administrator caught my attention. It seems that you need someone with the exact background and expe rience that I have.”Don’t be “blah.” You need to show enthusiasm and confidence that you are the person to fill their need.Don’t include personal information such as age, marital status etc. This stuff should not go on your resume either.Never include your current salary or your salary requirements.Don’t use long, complex sentences. You will lose your reader.Final ThoughtsIf you can get the attention of your reader with your cover letter, you have made the “first cut.” Of course, your resume is absolutely critical, but you have to get that reader to the “dance” first.

Another seeeeeeriously cool workplace - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Another seeeeeeriously cool workplace - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog The Toolbox office space in Torino, Italy. I got an email a while back about Toolbox, a professional incubator in Torino, Italy. From the material describing the space: The project is believed to meet the needs of a city in a phase of substantial transformation. At a time when, with a laptop and a Wi-Fi connection, it is possible to work from anywhere, the question emerging is what professional space is needed for. How is it possible to design a space combining users? plurality with the coherence of the whole design? How is it possible to mediate between a need for socialisation and privacy, between relaxation and concentration? From the functional point of view, the project consists in the creation of an open space with 44 individual workstations combined with other services and activities. The goal has been to keep the modular concrete structure unaltered. The main span of the building has been divided lengthwise by a series of ?filter volumes? used as technical spaces for storing lockers and equipment. On one side, there is the co-working space, on the other side, the corridors and the functional ?box? containing shared facilities such as meeting rooms, print rooms, informal meeting spaces, mailboxes, a patio and a kitchen. Sounds good, but what really knocked my socks off was these pictures: That is just stunning! What I like about this space is not just that its colourful and inspiring thats nice but its only a start. What I especially appreciate is that it caters to to many different working styles and personalities. Some people thrive in a large open space others hate it like the plague. For some tasks you may prefer one area for other tasks The true crime of many office buildings these days is both that theyre drab, uniform and boring but also that they assume that everybody is the same and only offer one type of working environment. Your take How about your workspace? Does it inspire you at all? Does it work for you and your wo-workers and does it allow for different working styles for different tasks? Related posts Top 10 seeeeeeeeeriously cool workplaces 12 Ways to Pimp Your Office Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Rousing Review Salary Tutor

Rousing Review Salary Tutor I met Jim Hopkinson at SXSW last March, with both of us speaking up during a workshop we attended, and then lingering post-workshop to meet/talk/connect with others. He told me about a book he wrote that was about to come out on the Kindle followed by the paperback a few months later called Salary Tutor. An entire book devoted to negotiations and how to get the most money for your position (without pulling it out of your butt), I recommended it to a client who was going for a final round of interviews and she gave it two thumbs up. With that positive review, I was excited to get my own copy and subsequently tore through it in just a few short subway rides. The biggest mind-blower? A  1% increase in salary at the start of your career (age 21) will lead to extra $1 million by the time you retire (age 65). If that doesnt show the importance of charging what youre worth no matter your age/position, I dont know what does! I knew that Jim and I absolutely speak the same language when he wrote that the balance of power shifts from me trying to get the job to them making sure they got me once the company expresses an interest in hiring him. I feel the same whenever I speak to  prospective  clients, as its not about making the sale as much as it is ensuring that they know what theyd be getting into should they decide to work with me. If youd allow me to go off on a tangent a bit, it absolutely leads itself to one of the lessons I learned as an actor which took me years to really sink in is that the Casting Director wants you to be right for the part just as much (or not more than!) as you wanna be right for the part. Thats not to say to give the HR/prospective client/Casting Director whatever they want (or what you think they want), but its about putting yourself out there as you and allowing them to see that its The Right Fit. Once theyre sure of your value, youll have the upper hand and will be able t o lead the negotiations. But Michelle, I hear you say/whine/cry, Im not aggressive. I hate negotiating! I never know what to say, and always worry that the offer will be rescinded if I dont just take what they offer. And to that I say, I hear you loud clear! And so did Jim. He not only gives you scripts so that you can know exactly what to say (and believe it, to boot!), but he shows you what you need to do to back it up, offering proof of not only the value of your work, but preparing An IRS (Industry Research of Salaries) Document to demonstrate it. Its not as scary as it sounds! In fact, its great for right-brainers, as its a visual representation of what youre asking for. Look: While the books a breeze to get through, you will have to put some time/energy/attention into the research part of things, as well as practicing the scripts and making your own IRS documents. Thankfully, Jims there with tons of tips, tricks and links to help you along, and Im positive that if you do what he says, youll be able to answer his two most important questions: (1) Was I prepared? and (2) Did I do everything I could? Oh! And for us freelancers/entrepreneurs, theres a whole section that speaks on increasing your client rate, finding the right projects, getting paid on time, and other goodness. It absolutely helped me re-evaluate what Im charging/offering, and also got my revved up to deal with the numbers in my business, which happens super rarely. Bottom Line: Do yourself a favor and pick up Salary Tutor. All you have to lose is, oh, $1m. P.S. If Jims name sounds familiar, it might be because you heard me pimpin out  my appearance on The Hopkinson Report this spring. Jim and I spoke about The Creative Career Crisis, and we had much fun. P.P.S. Have any questions for Jim regarding any salary/pricing challenges youre having? Leave em in the comments I have a feeling I can strong-arm him into answering em!