Why Some Potential Employers Need to Meet You (Before you Apply) Building Your Future Now

Why Some Potential Employers Need to Meet You (Before you Apply) Building Your Future Now Sending out job applications online is an important part of your job search. However, the reality is you need to get out there and introduce yourself to potential employers! Its 2019 and utilizing the internet is important, but theres no getting around the fact that some companies are looking for good candidates and want you to drop by! Meet Local Businesses in Person Take a few hours in your job search by hopping into your car, take public transit or simply walk to either streets with industry- heavy business or go to the downtown core. Look around. Many businesses advertise their jobs from signs right outside! They want you to pop in. They want to meet their candidates face-to-facethis might be the best way to getting your next job. The Hidden Job Market Even if some businesses dont advertise a job opening outside or online their door try going in and find out more about them. Sometimes businesses simply dont advertize their job openings because they use their own network: employees and word-of-mouth. By going in and learning more about a company may impress them. This is one easy way to tap into the local job market. Image: Pexels

How To Start Conversations with Complete Strangers in a Natural Way

How To Start Conversations with Complete Strangers in a Natural Way You might wonder why on earth you should speak to strangers in the first place. I mean after all, were taught by our parents never to speak to strangers and the only folks that do seem to be the village idiot and local yokels. I guess the reason I speak to strangers is to network, by going to and running events you get to know very useful and interesting people and the only way to do this is by talking to them. In business, the ability to small talk with (and get on with) anyone is very useful. If you want to be seen as an all-rounder that can get on with multinational and cross-sector teams, youd have to have the ability to speak to strangers. Here are the stranger-talking tips that I have come up with: Get introduced if possible This is the simplest way of speaking to strangers and it will work when youre at a well-organized event. Ask the host of the event you are at who you should speak to and get an introduction this is of course much more powerful and cuts through the chit chat. It saves you having to think about an icebreaker as well. The host should know what people are happy to chat with someone like you and vice versa. The big city question that always works In London you can get away with the easiest question of them all: Where are you from? Very few people are actually from London and most folks have a great story about how they got there. I would think this one applies to any major city which has an influx/outflux of people. Talking points allow strangers to speak Whenever something unexpected (especially something less-than-great) happens, people get talking. If you get stuck in the elevator, if the service is really slow at the bar, someone stinks on the train, if the weather suddenly shifts its ok to speak to strangers all of a sudden. This is because you now have a talking point and you have an experience to discuss. Got a joke? Deliver it! Humor always works, crack a clever joke and its now acceptable to laugh and comment on your wit. You have to be a little bit careful with jokes when dealing with strangers, you dont want to slate a restaurant and then find out that the owner is the strangers brother. Learn from pick up artists If you look at the world of chat-ups, it usually starts with a genuine question like do you have a light or do you know what DJ is on tonight? and take it from there. Youll know whether someone wants to have a conversation with you or if they quickly answer your question and turns away. Dont forget to smile when using this approach by the way! Fancy dressing up a bit? Another observation Ive made is that fancy dress tends to encourage people talking, if youre wearing a chicken suit people think its normal to have a chat for some reason. If thats too extreme for you, try wearing a peacock item like a hat, a scarf or a loud shirt all of which are great conversation starters. Bring an icebreaker People in parks dont tend to speak to strangers. People on buses dont speak to strangers. There is an exception however, this is when someone has brought their baby or dog, suddenly its ok to smile and ask how old is she or whats his name? So if you want people to speak to you, bring an icebreaker of some kind. Have a drink Alcohol is another obvious icebreaker, people that work in the same office and never speak will suddenly be best pals at the Christmas do thanks to a few drinks. Trouble is they go back to not speaking in January again Alcohol works but its not a great strategy in my book, I know Im not the best networker when Ive had a few drinks! When you do speak, find out what they are passionate about Find out what people are passionate about if you want to stand out. Everyone asks whats your name, what do you do, what company etc you have the same conversation with everyone. Instead ask what they did on the weekend, what holidays they have planned etc and get them talking everyone wants to speak about their passions. The following day this person will definitely remember speaking to you and you can take it from there now that you know each other a little bit its time to see how you could possibly help each other. Bottom line When attempting to talk to strangers you have to accept that the first few moments will be awkward sometimes, that some people will blank you thats just life. My experience tells me most people are very happy to have a chat and nobody will bite you! Your only challenge is breaking the ice and the conversation will flow from there. Do you have any hot tips for talking to strangers? Or how to avoid strangers talking to you? Or how not to be strange? Please let us know in the comments! Related: The Psychology of Networking: How Some Appear Natural While Others Stutter.

Why PR Can Benefit from More Female Leaders

Why PR Can Benefit from More Female Leaders The news isn’t new: the majority of leadership and senior positions in the workplace are held by men. True, women have made strides towards equality in the workforce in the past decades. It’s also true that there are many fields that are dominated by women. However, even in fields where the workforce is predominantly femininePR, for examplethe top positions are still male-dominated. While every leader will have his or her own unique strengths, there is the tendency for certain skills to fall more frequently on one side of the gender line. For example, male leaders may be more open to taking risks and female leaders may show greater interpersonal intuition. Unfortunately, when gender equality is not found at the senior level, that means that companies, staffs, and clients may be missing out on the benefits of stereotypically feminine strengths. For the field of PR in particular, the strengths female leaders can bring to the table would be particularly beneficial. To get a better idea of what the field is missing, let’s take a look at a few of those strengths and skills. Master Empathy Women are, in general, predisposed to be better listeners. This ability in turn allows them to develop and display greater empathy. Women in leadership positions are often better able to see and understand a client or staff member’s needs because they are willing to take the time and truly listen to what that individual has to say. LinkedIn’s VP of corporate communications, Shannon Stubo, consistently displays this skill, showcasing a great memory for conversations and never forgetting a significant date or event. Make New Connections Women tend to be social butterflies. While that term may sometimes be used as a joke or put down, it’s actually an indicator of a huge strength of female leaders. A social disposition pushes and enables female leaders to not only make but also maintain a plethora of new connections and relationships. In the PR world, if you’re not connecting, you’re not succeeding. Julie Hamp, CCO of Toyota North America, has proven successful largely due to her skill at building a global network of loyal connections. Stay Cutting Edge Female leaders are also adept at staying on top of current events and trends. As such, they’re often able to bring new ideas to strategy sessions. This finger-on-the-pulse skill also enables them to implement cutting edge strategies and technologies on behalf of their clients. Marian Salzman, CEO of Havas PR North America, built her career on the back of this skill. Salzman co-founded the first online market research company roughly two decades ago, and has stayed currentif not aheadof trends ever since, making her an extremely valuable leader and resource. Collaborate Ladies in leadership are less likely to try the lone-wolf approach and are more likely to invest in a collaborative group. This social tendency towards group efforts is more than a silly gender stereotype. Ever heard the saying, “the whole is worth more than the sum of its parts”? Female leaders know that pooling the strengths of multiple individuals will get you much farther than simply working alone. Alison Brod, founder of Alison Brod Public Relations, desires her legacy to be that of mentorship and collaboration. Seek a Balanced Future Money is important in the business world, but it isn’t the only indicator or contribution to success. Female leaders are more likely to focus on the bigger picture: a picture that includes more than simply monetary profit. Women in leadership often invest more in creating a positive workplace, striving for work/life balance, and seeking success outside of the rigid black-and-whites of profits and margins. Maggie FitzPatrick, CCO and VP at Johnson Johnson, has worked hard to promote the success of Care with Pride, an anti-bullying collaboration with PFLAG. Again, while these traits may also be found among male leaders, they tend to fall more frequently on the feminine side of the divide. The success of the female PR powerhouses mentioned above proves the importance of these traits at a leadership level. While gender equality in leadership is an important issue in and of itself, these examples and traits are proof that fields such as PR are greatly missing out due to the lack of women in leadership. It is clear that companies and clients alike will benefit from an increase of female leaders; let us hope that those benefits begin to have an effect on the hiring process. Featured Image: Sam Churchill

New Years Eve Date Ideas for Couples

New Years Eve Date Ideas for Couples New Year is a great time to celebrate peace, friendship, loyalty and most of all, love. It is a wonderful occasion to tell your loved ones how feel and how you would like to cherish your relationship with them for the rest of your life. But what matters the most is the way you choose to express your feelings. A romantic candle light dinner, some cute cuddling and maybe a little dance party sounds just perfect! But that’s not the only combination of events that can make your new year’s eve truly delightful and memorable. Here are some excellent new year’s eve date idea for couples, take a look! Become the hosts for a theme party! Here’s an exciting idea: let’s become our favorite celebrities for the New Year’s Eve. Or pirates, or even Santas! You can be anything you like. This is a really fun New Year’s Eve dating idea for extrovert couples. The best part about hosting a theme party is that doesn’t just include themselves but provides a great opportunity to your friends to bring their dates to the party and then all of you can have the midnight fun together. Long drive Long drives can be really romantic! The weather is icy beautiful around New Year and the roads become one of the most whimsical places to celebrate love. Pack up your snacks and an extra clothing and enjoy a beautiful journey from this year to the next. Theme parks If you are a fireworks lover, this just might be the best choice for you! All the theme parks always schedule the event of fireworks at midnight. The scenic fireworks will you just the right background for your midnight kiss. Take the lazy way out! You can call it the lazy way out but I’ll tell you a secret, girls love it! A simple at home midnight party with two glasses of Champaign, a movie, a blanket and lots and lots of cuddling will do just fine. The resolutions list with a little twist There is not a single person who doesn’t have any resolutions at the time of New Year. How about making resolutions that involves things you’d like to do with your special someone? If your partner has been telling you about something that they want to do with you for a long time now, make it a new year’s resolution and share it with them. He/she would love it! Just like that make a list of all the things that you’d want to do with them and both of you can share them with each other. Cook for them Cooking is a lovely way to show your partner how much you love them. Make your new year’s eve beautiful by making a lovely dinner for two! New years’ eve is a world renowned time of dating. This is just a blotch on crystal clear canvas.  You can be as creative as you like with your interesting date ideas. Choose something that your partner truly desires!

Does Your Executive Resume Position You as the Best Hiring Choice - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

Does Your Executive Resume Position You as the Best Hiring Choice

Havent heard back Can you apply again

Havent heard back Can you apply again 0 Flares 0 Flares More than a few friends of mine have asked this question lately, so it appears like a  perfect topic for Corn on the Job.  I think today Ill cut right to the answer, and give you some more thought after.  Yes, definitely send your application/resume to the company again, but please make sure you give it a healthy amount of time before doing so.  If absolutely nothing is sent your way after two weeks then go ahead, and send an application, resume, or email them again. One thing to consider before you let fury become you.  Times are tough, and layoffs have sent HR representatives and recruiters packing.  Its true that the company may have less jobs, but the open positions they do have may be collecting 10 to 15 times more resumes than it would have before the economy went tumbling.  Imagine being the recruiter responsible for managing those resumes, and needing to sort out 300 (thats very low) resumes for one position.  Not an easy task, and things can get sticky.  I pray at night that the recruiter responsible for this task has a darn good applicant tracking system to help send responses out to waiting candidates.  If not, then Im sure thats why you havent heard back. While I do believe its OK to send in your resume twice, please dont go bananas sending in three, four, five, or more times.  After applying twice its time to start applying to other companies while your resume/application is being processed.  If you dont hear back then maybe its time to realize that the company is just not that into you.   Stay positive about it, they are just keeping you available for the lucky company that youll fit perfectly into. Last thing, if you are absolutely positive that youve just applied twice to your dream job and still heard nothing, then go ahead and try one more time.  Now all you can do is sit back and listen to the words of John Lennon, let it be.

How to Network Your Way to Your Dream Job

How to Network Your Way to Your Dream Job Networking is just as important as writing an effective resume. The types of jobs you can get in 2016 are vastly different than what were available decades ago, all thanks to technological advancement. Furthermore, just as the careers available to prospective workers have transformed, so has the way we seek out jobs. Simply sending in applications to openings found on job listing resources no longer seals the deal. Networking is now the ticket to landing most jobs, which means you have to have connections to get desired positions. A large majority of lucrative jobs can no longer be found by scoping the classified section or browsing Craigslist. You have to know someone who already has experience in the industry and ask them to put in a good word for you.  If you don’t have the right connections, this problem is easily solvable. Try Going to Gatherings Related to Your Desired Field One of the most important steps to attaining  C-level  personal  branding  is to get to know people already working in the field  you’re aiming to enter. The type of event doesn’t matter so long as you’re out there and meeting people. It never hurts to do a little research before you go to an event, just for the sake of having an idea of who the guests will be and a sense of the best people to introduce yourself to. Bringing your resume can be a good idea, especially for career fairs. Don’t Count Out the Connections You Already Have The people you already know can be just as valuable a resource as any while you’re on your job search. This counts for literally everyone you’re familiar with. Write them all out and consider which ones will be the most helpful in terms of assisting with your search. Even if the manner in which they can help you is more indirect, such as them not actually working in that specific field, but knowing someone else who does, can aid in your search. Don’t hesitate to contact them, tell them your situation and ask them to put in good word for you, whether it is with their boss or an employee they happen to be well-acquainted with. While the process of networking may be a daunting one, it can be infinitely valuable to you if you’re searching for a career. In fact, it’s just as important as  writing  an  effective  resume,  and should be learned and mastered just as well. Both of these tools can be the key to creating C-level personal branding and landing the job you’ve always wanted, which makes the effort to learn how to perfect them worth it. For help with either of these job hunting tools, you have quite a few resources at your disposal. As the  best  resume  writing  service, Professional Resume Services can help you  with either.