HOW TO: Spruce Up a Boring Resume [INFOGRAPHIC] Writing a resume is such a nebulous activity these days. You have to figure out which type of online resume format is best for you, whether to include a cover letter, how to incorporate social media into your resume, if a video resume is a good idea and what you should include on your LinkedIn profile. Above all that, to get the job, you need to beat out all the other creative digital peeps who are producing dynamic digital resumes. Phew — that's a lot of work! We're always finding new resources to help you on your journey to perfecting your digital resume, and we happened across this nifty infographic by the team at Colorado Technical University, which includes tips on creating a digital resume, as well as tips for sprucing up your traditional resume, for potential employers who still like the smell of top-linen paper. [via: Colorado Technical University] Social Media Job Listings Every week we put out a list of social media and web job opportunities.
6 small talk ninja skills for the socially challenged - Sales Machine Every time I turn around, there are potentially awkward situations for small talk. Get-togethers, cocktail hours, new coworkers at lunch, etc. - the small talk opportunities are everywhere. If you find yourself less than excited about these encounters, here are a few tips to help: 1. Make the first move -- Hand out, smile on, greeting ready. When you make the first move, you create some energy and put yourself in a confident position. 2. 3. 4. -- Observations of change: Ask the person what changes they have seen in a particular area of business, sports, movies or some other topic over the past year. -- Superlative comparisons: Ask questions with the words "best", "worst", "most" and "least" in them. -- Future predictions: Ask the person what they believe will happen in the next year in a particular topic. 5. 6. Almost all of us have some social obligation that we are less than enthused to attend. © 2012 CBS Interactive Inc..
How Gamification Fuels the Social Enterprise By Steve Patrizi, Chief Revenue Officer at Bunchballsteve.patrizi@bunchball.com, @spatrizi As hundreds of thousands of businesses make big investments in social enterprise technologies, they know that the promise of social business is only realized if employees actually use and engage with the technology. It’s a lot like buying a beautiful, fast and powerful sports car: even if it’s built with nothing but the highest quality components, loaded with the latest features and assembled with the utmost craftsmanship, it won’t move an inch if you don’t add fuel. Gamification provides a powerful type of “engagement fuel” that ignites the social enterprise engine and keeps it running fast and smoothly, and last week we announced an exciting new partnership with Bluewolf to bring this fuel to businesses. Ask any CEO “What’s your most important and valuable asset?” Until recently, it’s been really hard for a company to fully leverage this asset. That’s where gamification comes into play.
HOW TO: Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile for the Job Hunt Dan Finnigan is CEO of Jobvite, a SaaS platform for the social web that companies use to find and hire people. You can follow him on Twitter at @DanFinnigan and read his blog -- the Jobvite Blog. About 120 million people now use LinkedIn, and 1 million more join every week. But how easy are you to find? Here are some tips to maximize the likelihood a recruiter with the perfect job contacts you first. 1. The headline is one line of text that appears underneath your name and in search results. Your headline doesn’t have to include your job title, but it should be clear and concise. 2. People will scan your profile just as they do a news story. Underneath the summary is a section for specialties. Interest will wane further down the page, so spend your time making the top sections of your profile (summary and recent experience) the most substantial. 3. Recruiters and hiring managers search by industry terms as well as skills. 4. 5. Bonus Tip: Activity Settings
Blog Archive If You Wouldn’t Do It In Person, Don’t Do It on LinkedIn! « Thanks to Miss Manners, Emily Post and our grandmothers, we know to say please, treat others the way we’d like to be treated and write a note when we receive a gift. But for some reason, the minute many people turn on a computer or mobile screen, their basic knowledge of etiquette flies out the window. Perhaps because they’re not face to face with others, they forget how to interact. If you’ve noticed this phenomenon, you won’t be surprised that some of the most frequent questions asked during our “LinkedIn for Job Seekers” webinars are queries about etiquette. While every situation and every individual is different, here are some guidelines to help you use LinkedIn in a polite, professional way: Say thank you early and often. Customize every connection request you send. You’ll get much better results if you write a brief, personalized, polite note to each potential connection that includes these key elements: Is it time consuming to write such a detailed request to every person?
Creative Resumes : Best of The Best Times have changed. What worked in the past still works but if you want to stand out from the crowd sometimes the only thing that is needed is a little creativity. We all have the creative juice in us but only some of us dare to squeeze it out. There are 35 resumes altogether. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. duhkine 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. hippiedesigner 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. Now that you are done looking at all these amazing resumes, its time to check out one more. If you had to pick a winner which one would it be? Related Posts The Only Business Networking Guide You’ll Ever Need | BNET Last Updated Jun 4, 2011 1:05 PM EDT If effective business networking is so important, why do so few people see any benefits? The problem starts with expectations. Most people approach networking as a key driver of sales. ("Networking is like advertising... but networking is free!") While networking can occasionally lead to a sale, when selling is your primary intent you fail because potential clients instantly realize your attempts to "network" are just a poorly-veiled sales tactic. But networking can work if you take the right approach. The Four Basic Principles of Business Networking:#1: Networking Always Starts With Giving The ultimate goal of networking is to connect with people who may be able to help you: A direct sale, a referral, a contact, an endorsement, a job interview... something tangible that helps you reach a particular goal. But you can't ask for what you want -- at least not at first, and maybe not ever. All great reasons for you to connect with people, but no one cares.
spatrizi: "How your personal brand c... Build a Stronger Professional Network with These Tips from LinkedIn's Founder Networking is a key skill to have, especially when you're looking for a new job. Not all of us are great at it, though, and some may think of networking as simply schmoozing with people. LinkedIn's Reid Hoffman describes how to invest in your relationships now as a way to build a truly helpful professional network. With co-writer Ben Casnocha, Hoffman writes in The Start-Up of You (excerpted on Fortune) that the best thing to do is to maintain an active, up-to-date network, and that most professionals have five to ten active alliances—people you can consult with, collaborate on opportunities with, promote, and defend. Invest in that network and think of it as an "interesting people" fund. His suggestions for nurturing your network: In the next day: Look at your calendar for the past six months and identify the five people you spend the most time with — are you happy with their influence on you? Consider it an investment in your career. The real way to build a social network | CNN Money
Optimize Your Resume Don't Forget the Cover Letter Stand Out From The Crowd – Include a First Rate Cover Letter With Your Resume What does a well written cover letter do for your resume? It helps you stand out; assisting by distinguishing you individually from the endless list of names applying for the same job. Writing a cover letter can be intimidating for many otherwise eager job seekers. Here is the template suggested for where to start building a high-quality cover letter, excerpted from the CDDTC website: YOUR ADDRESS (Do not put your name here) TODAY’S DATE Mr. FIRST PARAGRAPH: This is the “why I’m writing to you” paragraph which immediately tells the employer the position you want to be considered for. Why you are writing and which position you are applying for. SECOND PARAGRAPH: This is the “why I’m qualified” paragraph. The first sentence should be a hard-hitting opener. The final sentence is a summary of what you’ve discussed above. FINAL PARAGRAPH: This is a short 2-4 sentences paragraph. Now get out there, and apply!