Why Should You Connect Professionally on Social Media - Your Career Intel

Why Should You Connect Professionally on Social Media - Your Career IntelOver 300 million people globally use LinkedIn. More than 500 million Tweets are sent each day. Once seen as a personal hobby, social media is rapidly seen as a powerful professional tool.Its hard to ignore the benefit of making social media connections for professional reasons. In my field alone,Ivefound that B2B marketers with Twitter accounts generate twice as many leads than marketers who dont have an account.Recently, I tweeted about a Marketing and PR book I welches reading. The tweet began an engaging conversation which sparked some great ideas for leveraging Lucas Groups press releases in different ways. Connecting with thought leaders expanded my professional connections and helped build my credibility in the industry.Here are three rules to live by for cultivating a professional social media network1. Quality over quantity. Theres little benefit to having 10,0000 Twitter followers or thousands of Linked In connections who are not in your field or interested in your professional content. Seek out making connections with people who care about the same topics as you and who will be interested in your content and can provide valuable discussion and conversations.2. Find out who the thought leaders in your network are following. Research the content these leaders see as valuable, and assess whether these would be good accounts for you to follow. Onceyouveconnected, actively share their content and engage in their discussions to become a contributor to their network as well.3. Make social media part of your daily routine. Spend 15 minutes each morning and evening listening to your network and thoughtfully composing a tweet or two. Engage in conversations with your network. As you become more comfortable, this part will get easier and your social presence will continue to grow.Social media is the perfect tool to expand your network and present yourself as a thought leader on industry-rele vant topics. By using social media networks regularly, you can be part of relevant conversations as they happen, spot opportunities first, build relationships, deepen the trust of your network and make a personenname for yourself.Do you agree? Are you active on social media? What are your top tips to connect with the right professionals on social media?

This Heartbreaking Speech Screw-Up Proves Why Its so Important to Listen to Women

This Heartbreaking Speech Screw-Up Proves Why Its so Important to Listen to Women The MeToo Movement unleashed a truth that laid dormant for years its time to listen to women.Several months ago, I did something that I never thought possible. I stood on a stage at a TEDx Talk while eight months pregnant and told my story. After learning at birth that my daughter had special needs, I raised her on my own while obtaining three academic degrees, including one from Yale. Despite our circumstances, we were able to live a good life. Now, Im married and achieving different milestones. Giving a TEDx Talk and telling my story welches perhaps one of the fruchtwein important events of my life yet.The stage welches set. Id worked tirelessly on my speech and planned every detail meticulously. My goal was to impact others with my story and encourage the audience to consider that parents of children with special needs also want a good personal life. In order to assure that I had footage from the ev ent, I hired an amazing production teamNatalie Perez, a talented videographer, and Rahsaan Nichols, a filmaker and fellow Yalie.But something went wrong.As the backstage crew prepped the audio equipment, they seemed unsure about the quality of the sound. As they scrambled for clarity and guidance, I called Natalie to come backstage. She offered the their production team her experienced advice. She also offered to film the entire event. They declined.They did not listen to her guidance at all.What happened next seemed surreal. As I gave my 7 minute talk, I was barely being heard by the audience. The audio was bad. It was so unclear that I paused mid-speech to do a mic check.Hold on audience, can you hear me?Did they hear me? Were they hearing my passion? Were they hearing my hard work? All I could do during the speech to keep up my confidence was convince myself that they had heard me. After the speech ended, I walked off the stage and was greeted by the TEDx staff. It must have been bad, because the staff member who greeted me had tears in his eyes.Source Eraina FergusonI took off my heels and met my production person, Rahsaan. He was also upset, but able to remain somewhat calm as he told me the audience not only heard my voice, but the voices of the backstage crew. Because of the technical difficulties, the audience was not given the opportunity to listen.As I remained composed, I was met by my mentor, Lorri, and my videographer. It is imperative that women support women. At that moment I needed them, and they were there for me. They also remained composed, but instructed me to do my entire speech again. My videographer was adamant. She insisted that I tell the organizers to allow me to redo my talk during intermission. Though I could have had reasons to resist excuses and fear I listened to her.There are countless occasions when women are not listened to. It happens at work, in the check out line, and especially in male-centric settings where we are outnumb ered. There is no price to the act of listening. However, there is a price sometimes heftier that the perpetrators are willing to pay when they do not listen. It is a high cost for everyone involved to ignore the women in the room.Listening to women does not mean that you automatically do what they suggest, but it does mean that you take the time to consider their recommendations and suggestions. So much time, energy and credibility could have been saved if someone had listened to our production team.Source Eraina FergusonDuring the intermission, I performed my talk again. Ironically, in the green room, I received advice from a prominent businessman Winn Claybaugh, the dean and co-owner of Paul Mitchell Schools. Because I was 8 months pregnant and had been in my heels all day, he told me to wear my sneakers.I listened to him.My second take of the speech went well, and my production team filmed and produced the video. It is the only official footage from the event.Listen to women. We have so much to say and so much to contribute.--Eraina Davis-Ferguson is a creative nonfiction writer currently?penning a memoir about raising a daughter with autism and deafness. Her story was featured in The New Haven Register She holds an M.Ed in Education and an MAR in Religion from Yale University. Learn more about her at erainaferguson.com.

How to Put Study Abroad on Resume Secrets

How to Put Study Abroad on Resume Secrets How to Put Study Abroad on Resume Fundamentals Explained Taking MVJ Medical College Admission may change your life. Studying abroad permits you to explore new matters that you would never have the ability to experience at home. It offers the opportunity to interact with native speakers and experience language outside of the classroom. Of course, the admission committee might have just a few seconds to experience your resume and therefore, you must make certain that the resume captures the interest of the committee member going through the document in the first seconds. A study abroad blog is also something your possible employer would probably be interested in. The most common kind of interview, referred to as a behavioral interview, is based on the grounds your recent, relevant past performance is the very best predictor of future performance in similar conditions. You could volunteer during your free time, which again, wont ever c ount against you when applying for work. Introducing How to Put Study Abroad on Resume There continue to be many men and women who dont actually have a crystal clear comprehension of what career coaching is or how to begin selecting a career coach. In reality, you should only list experiences directly pertinent to the stelle youre applying for. Taking a gap year to acquire some travelling done before you begin your very first job might sound appealing, but theres a risk you will be left behind when you attempt to enter the employment marketplace. Sometimes studying abroad will change your academic focus in your major or even affect you to the point at which you may opt to pursue a unique major. There are many advantages to studying abroad, but one of the absolute most helpful benefits is its effect on your professional career. So, you can want to think about leaving potentially-revealing volunteer work out. Provided that you provide enough info to permit the representative to evaluate your abilities for the role, its tough to go wrong. It can at times be hard to convey the value of such studies to possible employers. Meanwhile, here is some information to assist with the transition. There shouldnt be any half pages of content, so only incorporate another page if you may fill it meaningfully. To make certain that your resume properly captures the heart of your study-abroad experience, you must understand how to effectively incorporate that info. Whats more, theres a normal format which an academic resume follows which you ought to keep in mind.

7 Common Cover Letter Mistakes to Avoid

7 Common Cover Letter Mistakes to Avoid7 Common Cover Letter Mistakes to Avoid Theres definitely an art to writing the perfect deckblatt letter , and its one that many job seekers dont take the time to learn. While it does require some effort to get right, once you learn how to write an effective deckblatt letter, it gets easier and easier each time you do it. Here are the biggest titel letter mistakes career coaches and job search pros see, and what they tell their clients to do instead to seal the deal.When candidates dont know what to write in their cover letter, they often resort to restating their job history. But this isnt a great tactic. Remember, the employer already has your resume, so theres no need to repeat your entire work history, points out Amanda Augustine, career advice expert for TopResume . Focus on making your career narrative and relevant qualifications crystal clear. In other words, tell the reader a story about not just your past jobs, but how you got where you are today and why you think this position youre applying for is the right next step.Its also okay to make things a little personal, as opposed to your resume, which should be totally professional. Your cover letter should not only whet the readers appetite, but also add value to your entire job application, Augustine says. Use this opportunity to give the reader a sense of your personality. While the resume can be a dry document, your cover letter is your opportunity to imbue your personality so the reader can begin to assess your cultural fit for the organization.I often see cover letters that were obviously copied-and-pasted, says Christopher K. Lee, founder and career consultant at Purpose Redeemed . Basically, you dont want to use the same cover letter for every job with just the contact name, company name and position title swapped out. Even when the hiring manager and company name are correct, you can tell that its a generic template letter.Instead, take time to review the job listing again and identify the top three things the hiring manager appears to be seeking in an ideal candidate, Augustine suggests. Use this information to customize your message. Explain how you are a good fit for the role by summarizing your qualifications based on their requirements. Better yet, open your cover letter with a story that provides proof of your skills the employer cares about most.For an added personal touch, look up the hiring manager on LinkedIn or Twitter, Lee recommends. If you can find something you have in common, like a school, volunteer organization or hometown, find a way to slip it naturally into your cover letter. Dont force this, however - it must be a genuine connection, he says.The worst mistake I see in cover letters is candidates adding too many soft skills rather than focusing on job-related skills, says nanzig Spivey , a career coach. Many fill the cover letter with content about how they are reliable, motivated and dep endable. Well, lets hope that youre reliable, motivated and dependable. Those characteristics are bare minimums that a hiring manager expects from any applicant. Instead, do your best to set yourself apart by explaining how your hard skills and experience could add value to their organization. Tell them about your accomplishments with those skills as it relates to the job, Spivey says.An overly wordy cover letter is a waste of time and a big mistake, states Jessica Hernandez, an executive resume writer and president and CEO of Great Resumes Fast . Keep the body of your cover letter to 150 words or less, she suggests.Employers are pressed for time and simply do not see the value in investing their time reading a lengthy cover letter, Hernandez says. Additionally, many employers and recruiters are reading on their mobile devices, so keeping your cover letter brief will ensure it is easier to read which increases the chances that it actually will be read.The main thing you want to get across in your cover letter is why youre the right fit for the job . That means everything you include should be specific to the company and the position youre applying for. The manager doesnt need to read about extracurricular activities that are not work-related or about every book youve ever read, Spivey says. In fact, an applicant that I know had a hiring manager respond to his cover letter once to give him some advice. The manager stated that he had initially thought that the candidate was a close match for the position based on his resume. However, the cover letter had changed his mind because of the way it rambled and included so much unnecessary and irrelevant information.Outs could be You are originally from the area, you have family in the area or your partner/spouse accepted a position in the area, he says.Dont miss the opportunity to plant the seed of an interview in the recruiter or hiring managers head. This is one of the oldest sales strategies known to man, but it works, Cranford says. Close your cover letter by giving the employer your interview availability. By doing this, the reader automatically thinks in their head, Hmm, what am I doing that day? By getting into their mental schedule, you are already penciling yourself in.Cranfords suggested closer Based on your requirements and my passion for this position, I feel like I would be an ideal candidate. I am available to speak via phone or in person on Wednesdays and Fridays after 1 p.m. and welcome the opportunity to discuss my candidacy. According to Cranford, it works like a charm.

Everything I learned about leadership I learned from my mother

Everything I learned about leadership I learned from my motzu sichEverything I learned about leadership I learned from my motherMy Mum is quite petite, gentle, and very Scottish. No drill sergeant or geschftliches miteinander card that read Household CEO, she welches way more than just a mother. She was my first leader. I realize from my earliest days until today, almost every leadership lesson I needed to learn she taught me.Servant leadershipBooks have been written about Servant Leadership and big-ticket speeches were given but from my earliest memories, I saw my Mother live the very tenants of Servant Leadership. Mum built a home of warmth and love where I felt secure enough to risk striking out on my own but knew that I had a soft distributionspolitik to which I could always return. I knew that no matter what, I could always depend on her. She modeled what it meant to be a great mother, wife, daughter, and sister.Teams need to feel connected and team members empowered to take a r isk but know that you have their back if it doesnt always go according to plan. Team members also need to know what behaviors are acceptable and what good looks like.Ladders is now on SmartNewsDownload the SmartNews app and add the Ladders channel to read the latest career news and advice wherever you go.HumilityMaybe this was one of the tougher lessons for me to learn. My parents were visiting our home in Kansas when a massive storm blew through. I arrived home to find our backyard flooded and totally upended. My Dad, Husband, and Mother were beavering away trying to fix the damage. Im not sure exactly what I did when I showed up but my Mum threw her hands in the air and yelled, Stop. Good news. Managements hereBeing the boss doesnt mean you have to have all the answers or always be the one in control A little gratitude and acknowledgment of the hard work of others can go a long way. Letting others take the lead at times build their confidence and sets an important example of humbl e leadership.AccountabilityI was a really good kid and rarely got into trouble but I knew if I broke the rules or disappointed in some way, it was going to be dealt with. The rules and expectations were clear. In my senior year, my classmates and I were going out for a farewell dinner. My Mum told me she didnt want me drinking at the event. I went. I didnt drink and I was not a happy camper. Looking back on it now, it was good advice. Yet if I had had a drink my Mum wouldnt have known.Accountability cuts two ways. The first way is that when there are rules and expectations, there have to be consequences if there is a miss. But the second most important element to accountability is that people choose to step up and do the right thing and hold themselves accountable even if it might be easier to let things slide.CommitmentMy Mum married the man who was to be my Dad over 63 years ago. Ive observed the ebb and flow of their marriage. There was more smooth than rough, but as in any marri age, there were some challenges. I never for a moment saw my Mum flinch from that commitment she had made for better or worse. I love watching them together now, as she still laughs at all his old jokes even when she hears them from the umpteenth time.Team members value the stability of knowing where you stand and that when the going gets tough they can count on you to have their backs, stick with it and work it through. This doesnt mean that the tough conversations dont happen. They do. Im not nave enough to think all relationships whether business or personal work out but I know I have to work hard and commit to the best possible outcome.Always be open to learningWhen Facebook came into its own, my Mum took it on She realized that through Facebook, even though she was some 5,000 miles away, she could casually stay connected with what the boys and I were up to. She had never owned a computer and had nothing fancier than a flip phone. In her mid-70s she got her first p.c. and some 5 years later a smartphone. Unafraid to ask for help and lean into the technology, she fast became my number one Facebook stalker.Leaders who have nothing to learn show up totally closed off. When you stop learning you stop growing. No matter how far along you may be in your career, you need to stay open to learning new skills, new ways of doing things, and new technologies. It can open up a whole new world for you.CelebrateMums always been good at celebrating, but I saw it reach epic proportions when she became a grandmother. Watching her with my boys, I saw her celebrate every little victory and accomplishment even if it wasnt quite perfect. They knew they had no bigger cheerleader than their Nanny. Her celebrating gave them the confidence to always strive even against the biggest challenges. Having her cheer and making her proud was a driver in itself.We often get so caught up in what lies ahead that we forget to celebrate accomplishments. Demonstrating pride in what others achiev e provides recognition and incentive to continue to do well.So to my Mum and all the mothers out there, Happy Mothers Day. Perhaps without even knowing it, you teach leadership better than anyone else in the worldLinda Adams is a Leadership Development expert and co-founder of the Trispective Group. he is the co-author of The Loyalist Team How Trust, Candor, and Authenticity Create Great Organizations. For more information, or to take a free team snapshot assessment, please visit, www.trispectivegroup.com.

3 Lessons I Learned About How to Teach a Workshop - The Muse

3 Lessons I Learned About How to Teach a Workshop - The Muse3 Lessons I Learned About How to Teach a WorkshopOne of my goals for my business this year welches to step outside of my comfort zone and try new things. For instance, I was dying to try running a workshop.Writing is at the core of my business- but I also happen to be an extrovert, so workshops seemed like a great way to connect with other people. While I was doing a 30-day networking challenge, I met a local career coach here in Portland who coordinates speakers and workshops for WomenWorkPDX, a monthly co-working and networking fest for women in the area. We got together for coffee, I pitched her an idea, and after some fine-tuning, I officially had my first workshop booked- a presentation on time management hacks to help you excel at work (and in life).I made my debut last month at CENTRL Office, a local co-working space, and for a first-timer? Im pretty darn proud of myself. The event went well, the women who attended se emed engaged, and planning and presenting challenged me in new and different ways (which was exactly what I was looking for).But that doesnt mean everything went perfectly I definitely learned a few lessons along the way, and now that I officially have my first workshop under my belt, there are some things Id do differently the next time around.Focus on What Youre Good AtThere are a lot of moving parts when youre putting on a workshop you need to research your topic, create an outline, write out your bullet points, create your slides, and more. Its a lot to do- and, if youre just one person (like I am), it can feel like too much.When I first started preparing, I thought I needed to do everything myself and quickly became overwhelmed. While I had no problem coming up with the workshop content (I am a writer, after all), I really struggled with how to translate that into a visual presentation.In a lucky coincidence, I found my solution in the content I was preparing. One of the hacks I covered in my presentation was looking for opportunities to automate, delegate, and get things off your plate. I took my own advice and hired a graphic designer to help with my visuals. Was it an investment? Absolutely. But it paid off in a major way. Having a designer handle the slides literally saved me hours of work and allowed me to spend more time focusing on everything else. As a result, I felt comfortable and confident with the content- and the visual part looked about a million times better than anything I could have pulled together (no matter how many hours I worked on it). Make Sure You Have the Right Technology on HandI spent a lot of time in the weeks leading up to the workshop practicing my talk, working with the designer, and making sure I had all the handouts I needed for a successful presentation.But I didnt even think about equipment until it was (almost) too late. I needed a projector to showcase my slides. I needed a cord to connect my laptop to the projector. I needed a remote to move through slides during the presentation. And want to guess how many of ansicht things I had? Zero.Im a little embarrassed to admit that I didnt even think to tackle the technology piece until the morning of my workshop. This caused a momentary freakout- which, luckily, was abated when I called CENTRL Office and found out that theyd have all the cords and projectors I needed along with someone on hand to help me get set up when I arrived.But that was just a lucky accident. They could just as easily not have had those things and I could have spent the hours before my workshop scrambling to every Best Buy in a 10-mile radius to find what I was looking for. Lesson learned Find out what technology youll need well ahead of time, and get it all sorted out before your workshop gets under way.Practice, But Not Too MuchFull disclosure I have a tendency to overprepare for things (just another fun side effect of my super Type A personality). And given that this was my ve ry first workshop and I wanted everything to go off without a hitch, I went into full-on overprepare mode- and practiced, practiced, practiced my presentation like it was going out of style. Which was helpful, but only to a point.All that practice was getting me too caught up in the minutiae of exactly what to say and when. I was so concerned with the actual words that the overall message was getting lost I felt like I was missing the forest for the trees.Now, everyone has a different style for presenting some people want (and need) to have things planned out to the word. But Ive realized that what works best for me is having a general framework of what Im going to cover- mapping out bullet points for each slide- and then letting the actual words come to me in the moment. So once I was able to go through my entire presentation from start to finish twice in a row (which was about a week before the actual workshop), I decided to back off the practice for a bit. I did just a few more r un-throughs the day of and that worked perfectly for me.Moral of the story In the future, Ill remember to cool it and keep my workshop practice to an ideal amount for me. Overall, my first workshop felt like a success. Not only have a few of the women in attendance reached out to say theyre using the time management hacks I shared (yay), but the workshop also led to my first entrepreneurial coaching consultation- another new and challenging thing Ive been wanting to tackle.But I know Ive only scratched the surface. Im planning on taking the lessons Ive learned and using them to continue to improve (or, you might even say, workshop) my process of planning, developing, and presenting- which will make for better workshop experiences for everyone involved down the line.And if youre looking to book a workshop for your business, team, or networking group? Get in touch.

Webinar Personal Branding for Your Flexible Job Search

Webinar Personal Branding for Your Flexible Job SearchWebinar Personal Branding for Your Flexible Job Search6Looking for a flexible job? Personal branding is all about your reputation as a professional, so its vital to get it right in order to be a successful job seeker. Learn how to make personal branding work for your flexible job search. is pleased to present job search and social media coach Miriam Salpeter of Keppie Careers for a webinar all about personal branding and your job search.-* members get 20% off services from Keppie CareersThis webinar has ended, but weve got great news members get an exclusive deal on one of Miriams programs for job seekers. Learn how to Choose social networks that are right for you, attract opportunities, engage and impress your target audience, look smarter than your competition, and get it all done faster so you dont waste timeWorking with Miriam will prevent you from getting stuck while youre ramping up your social media presence youll have an expert at your side to help you every step of the way. Learn to market yourself to attract and win your dream job opportunity. Youll receive the coaching you need to use social media tools to demonstrate your expertise, grow referral networks and be found.How to Get This Great DealAlready a member of ? You already have access to ourcomplete line-up of Special Partner Offers.To become a member of and have access to our 60+ special partner offers,register now.-About Our Personal Branding ExpertMiriam Salpeter is a job search and social media coach and author of Social Networking for Career Success, 100 Conversations for Career Success, and Social Networking for Business Success. Shes also a columnist for U.S. News World Reports On Careers, a featured guest on CNN, and has been quoted by the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and other major media outlets.In addition, Mashable.com has called Miriam a top 5 influencer on Twitter for job seekers and CNN says shes one of the top 10 job tweeters you should be following. also recommends Miriam as one of the 15 career experts to follow on Twitter. You can follow Miriam on Twitter keppie_careers.Check out Miriams guest deutsche post ag on the blog New Ways to Use Social Media for Job Searching. Shell be writing each month with excellent advice for job seekersPersonal Branding for Your Flexible Job Search TopicsDefining professional reputation or personal brandIdentifying your strengths and value as a professionalTargeting your pitch (hire me) to your audience (employers)Creating your online presenceCultivating relationships online to aid your job searchDate and Time Thursday, January 30th at 12 p.m. ET* Be sure to RSVP today as space is limited We hope you can make it.This webinar has ended.