Hurricane Sandy Business and Job Search Follow-Ups

Hurricane Sandy Business and Job Search Follow-Ups Hope everyone has stayed safe as many of us deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and the possibility of another storm this week. I live in northern NJ and can speak from personal experience how the Hurricane is impacting our daily lives. It can be challenging to think of maintaining business relationships when there are more pressing things going on. Many job seekers, recruiters and business contacts I know are still without power, or if the power’s back on, they’re probably inundated with follow-ups and hundreds of emails and phone messages. Patience is a virtue to be considered â€" and time may be needed to get back to a sense of normalcy. Realize that what you’re going through may also be the case with companies and small business owners who may just now be settling back in and looking at a week’s worth of catch-up. While I was fortunate to not have lost power, I did lose Internet access from home so my local WiFi spot of choice became a Dunkin Donuts. When I had the time to go, like hundreds of others in my situation or in a much worse one (no power), I found myself inundated with emails and voicemails which included potential jobs from recruiters. I actually checked and responded to emails while waiting in a gas line â€" as I told my son ‘on line’ meant something a lot different to those of us who remember the 1970s gas lines. I also wondered how to balance the urgency of follow-ups against respecting what others might be going through so I asked my colleagues for their thoughts which I wanted to share in a job support group I facilitate. They told me that if youre expecting further communication from a recruiter, you may be waiting a bit. If you have a phone number call it, and see if the call goes through. You may want to go through your e-mail and voice mail and discard or file away more messages than you normally do, so you can focus on those that are job search related. One person told me they also took advantage of several places that were open and were making WiFi access available to all (town library, church, etc.) and that person, like me, took advantage of every available minute to surf and clean up e-mails. No matter what your specific situation â€" whether you have power or not, the best advice I can offer now is this send a mass email to candidates, recruiters, business contacts and clients alerting them to your situation. Think of your email as an ‘Out of Office email’ but make it personal to your situation. Let your contacts know that you haven’t forgotten about them and will be in touch as soon as you can. Meantime, if your area has a volunteer group assisting those in need, seek them out on Facebook or by asking people you know. Bottom line people are more than willing to accommodate special circumstances as long as they are made aware of them. As for the fallout from Sandy, well probably have to develop a whole new definition for the term special circumstances, wont we? I’m happy to offer advice and guidance to anyone who needs some support. Stay safe everyone, Kenneth Lang

How to Build and Inspire A Team - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How to Build and Inspire A Team - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career In my 6 years of entrepreneurship, Ive learned that the team is the most important part of the equation. Therefore, a single founder shouldnt spend the majority of his time looking for funding, or building a product; instead, the single founder should spend the majority of his time building the perfect team. The anatomy of a perfect team The type of team youll need depends on the type of startup youre building.  The following are common types of startups and the team best suited to lead it. 1. Internet technology startup: these are traditional silicon valley startups that are tech heavy. Mobile apps, SaaS products, and Social apps fall into this category.  The team best suited to succeed in this type of startup consists of the following people: CEO: computer engineer that will build the product and raise funding, get clients, get press, etc CTO: computer engineer that will focus on the product Designer: lead designer for both graphic design and UX/UI 2 engineers and 1 designer are best for an internet startup.  Notice how theres no need for a business guy in the equation. 2. Ecommerce startup: ecommerce startups such as Nasty Gal and Refinery 29 are becoming more and more popular.  These are startups that focus on selling a product online.  The type of team you need depends on the product youre selling.  If youre selling a hardware product that needs to be manufactured, then youll of course need an engineer.  But if youre building a fashion startup, then youll need the following people: Stylist: the person that chooses the clothing and the overall brand of the company Online Marketer: the person in charge of everything to do with driving traffic and converting sales Those are the only 2 essential pieces.  Notice how the team doesnt need a developer because platforms such as Shopify allow anyone to build a site from scratch and starting selling products in no time without any technical experience. 3. Affiliate startup: this is my favorite type of startup at the moment because its perfect for the business-minded entrepreneur.  I classify an affiliate startup as a company that sells the product of another company and earns a commission for each sale.  At the moment, Im selling tours to Peru and North Korea online.  The best team to build and launch an affiliate startup consists of the following: Online Marketer: the person in charge of everything to do with traffic and converting sales And thats it!  You can easily build a site using WordPress and accept payments via PayPal no technical skills required.  Furthermore, all you need to do is establish a partnership with a company and get a signed agreement with your commission rate to start selling your product.  Of course, it helps to have more people on the team, but you can start with one person alone quite easily. How to inspire your team The majority of startups cant pay their team market-rate salaries.  Actually, many cant pay their team at all.  This is why many startups give out equity or stock options to their first employees to incentivize them to join their company. In the beginning its easy because your team is riding a high of joining a cool, exciting new startup.  They work long hours to achieve a goal of becoming a big company some day and selling for millions.  But then the dip comes and the startup will inevitably hit hardships and obstacles that test the commitment of its team members.  During times like these, its important that a CEO keeps the team inspired and working hard towards a united goal. Everyone must seem to be working hard: the word seem here is crucial.  If the tech team has built the product and is waiting for the sales people to sell it, then the tech team cant just leave the office early and come back once they have work to do.  This will demotivate the sales team and other people because theyll think the tech team isnt working hard.  All members of the team must stay late night and help each other accomplish what needs to be done.  The CEO must make sure the team bonds and supports each other in this way. Fire poisonous people IMMEDIATELY: a team member with bad morale is poisonous to your company.  Their poor work ethic and complaining will quickly infect other team members, resulting in a quick death to the company.  Keep your eye on anyone who is complaining if they cant change their attitude, then its time to fire them immediately before the damage can spread. Throw lots of dinners and events to help your team relax: hold a pot luck at your house; hire a masseuse to stop by your office and give your team members a massage to help them relax and de-stress.  Its your job to make sure everyone is happy and able to work to the best of their abilities. Keep a positive attitude at all times: the CEO must be an anchor.  The CEO must hold the ship steady and never waiver.  Even if your co-founder comes to you in private and explains how nervous he is about the company, you must never show panic or defeat.  Acknowledge his worries, but ensure that the company will turn things around and become successful. Author: Jun Loayza is the Co-Founder of How to go to North Korea.  In his startup experience, Jun has raised over $1 million in funding, successfully sold 2 companies, and lead social technology campaigns for LG, Levis, Sephora, and Whole Foods Market.

What Your Mentor Can Do For You

What Your Mentor Can Do For You Frankly, my career in my early twenties has been more like a perpetual pain tolerance test for emotional whiplash. To put it simply: it has hurt. When you go through hard times its easy to focus on what you dont have rather than what you do. But in the midst of all these ups and downs I realized that the only thing more consistent than the unexpected career roadblocks, has been the support, guidance, and wisdom of the people around me. I didnt have a job, or money, or a freakin clue what I wanted to do, but I did have them. These people I speak of come in all shapes and sizes, and they have all kinds of titles and jobs. Theyve made mistakes and theyve been massively successful. And you know what they all have in common? Me. For whatever reason, by the grace of God, theyve invested even the smallest piece of themselves in my success. These people are my mentors. I cant tell you how many college lectures I sat through talking about the importance of networking and developing mentor-level relationships with internship supervisors or professors. Its not that I didnt believe this, but as a student I had yet to immediately associate any big break in my career to relationships I had made other than my sorority sisters. But this was my first mistake. As young professionals just starting out, we have the habit of associating the word mentor with people who get us jobs or write us letters of recommendations. Its not that mentors dont do these things, its just not all they do. And in my experience, its that other stuff thats made all the difference. So what DO mentors do? Whether you have one or are one yourself, these are the things I have valued the most from my mentors. They give it to you straight. Lets face it, you just need someone who is going to tell the unfiltered truth. Sure the truth can be brutal and ugly, but in the end youll be grateful for such honesty. If you come to your mentor with a problem or concern, a good mentor wont sugar coat their response. If they think you were taken advantage in a salary negotiation, they will tell you. If they think you shouldnt have spoken up in a meeting, they will tell you that too. They offer real examples. At some point in their life, your mentor probably went through a scenario similar to what youre going through now. But because theyve already lived through it, they can give real examples of how they handled it. Believe me, anecdotal evidence is worth its weight in gold. When I was debating whether I wanted to work abroad, I talked to one of my mentors who had done it and she walked me through her decision making process. She gave me information to consider based on her experience I would have never known otherwise. They make you think. Just because you and your mentor probably have a lot in common, doesnt mean you think the same way. In fact, I encourage you to seek out people who think differently. During one of my job searches I was hungry for this one position I was in the running for. I thought it was the dream job and I was blind to any potential negatives. I was out to brunch with one of my mentors and she started asking me what the growth path was at this company. Yeah, Meredith the job sounds great right now, but youd be working remotely, theres no real structurehow do you grow when theres no where to move up? I was stumped. I hadnt thought about that. In my final interview I asked a lot questions related to growth, and I was shocked they couldnt answer them. Suffice to say, I dont work there. They test you. If theres anything Ive learned the last couple years its that the moment you stop being challenged, a part of you stops learning. Fortunately mentors are put on this earth to pick up the slack and push you out of your comfort zone. One of my mentors is a master networker, and she always encourages me to join this group or reach out to these people. In the beginning I listened intently to her suggestions, but often didnt follow through. What can I say, I dont have an overwhelming desire to talk with strangers. At one point though, she took matters into her own hands and personally set up introductions forcing me into one of two scenarios: 1. Grow a pair, follow through and respond or 2. Dont respond, look like an idiot, and worse, embarrass my hard-working mentor. Its clear I really didnt have a choice. She knew I was capable of something and she challenged me to put myself out there. Today I find myself more and more comfortable networking and talking to new people. They buy you a drink. At the end of the day, your mentor has your back. They genuinely care about you and they feel what you feel. And every once in a while whether youre celebrating your victories or drowning your sorrows, they will pick up the tab. Take it from someone who has been in both scenarios, sometimes theres nothing like sharing a stiff cocktail with someone who gets it. And know that someday when youre as successful as they are, youll pay it forward and put your mentees martini on your tab. Do you have a mentor? Share this post and tag the person who has been helpful in your career!

3 Body Language Habits of Successful Women - Classy Career Girl

3 Body Language Habits of Successful Women Is professional development one of your resolutions? According to a Harvard and Stanford study, one’s career success is based 85% on social skills and only 15% on technical skills. These statistics mean that it is crucial to set yourself and your body language apart from the competition so that you can become more confident and more credible. Here are  3 Body Language Habits of Successful Women: 1. Handshake Like it or not, one is judged by the quality of their handshake. To initiate a handshake, smile and lean forward about 20 degrees. Then, extend your right hand keeping your fingers together with your thumb up and open. Slide your hand into the other persons so that the web of skin between thumb and forefingers touches the others (web-to-web).   Squeeze firmly, but not bone-crushing, and pump twice from the elbow. A good handshake comes from the elbow; the forearm remains firm. Practice your body language and handshake with a trusted colleague, family member or friend. When you are networking  events,  always keep your right hand free.  You can always have  a beverage in your left hand but make sure you are ready to shake with the right hand. 2. Posture Posture says a lot about your personality.  Make sure that you always stand straight with your arms to your side, feet shoulder width apart and of course, head up. When you are talking with someone, face them directly. If your colleague is too close for your liking, pivot every so often. Americans prefer at least a foot of space between another.   A quick way to check your posture is  while you are waiting at a stoplight or stop sign.   This will get you in the habit of correcting yourself automatically. 3. Eye contact In America, maintaining eye contact is vital as it indicates trustworthiness. However, staring can be considered threatening. With business associates, keep eye contact from the top of the eyebrows to the bridge of the person’s nose.  This will allow you to make a connection with the other person and help them feel more trust and comfort with you. Do you have any body language  dilemmas? Share them in the comments below and any other etiquette questions you have.

Advanced Resume Writing Tips

Advanced Resume Writing TipsThere are many advanced resume writing tips that you can use in order to make your resume stand out among the rest. One of the most important things to do is to find something that is highly relevant and which tells your potential employer what type of person you are. The last thing that you want to do is to put on a resume that will get you the job, but will not make a good impression at all. As an example, if you have taken a marketing course for three years, put that on your resume.Another advanced resume writing tip that you can use is to put a little bit of your personality into it. This may sound obvious, but some people really struggle to write a good resume. If you write it too much like a resume and not enough like who you are as a person, you will find that your resume may not be read or may be rejected right off the bat. Keep your personality in the resume and you will certainly help yourself to get the job.There are also other advanced resume w riting tips that will help you along your job search. The very first thing that you want to do is to change your mindset about what is required when you apply for a job. Many times you will find that people will go to great lengths to get interviews that really don't require them to go through the process. You don't have to go through that if you will take the time to think about what you are applying for.The second step in any successful job search is to actually sit down and create a well-researched resume. A lot of people just throw their name and contact information into a giant page and send it off. While this may work in some cases, it is not very professional and will not make you any friends with your prospective employer. You need to put some thought into what your resume is going to look like and how it will present you.One more advanced resume writing tip is to write a good resume. Nothing that you can say or write can make a difference than what you actually say or write . Once you have created a resume that tells the employer what you are about and how you want to fit into the company, you will feel much more confident and you may actually get an interview.Lastly, when it comes to creating your resume, the important thing to do is to actually read it over again. It is a lot easier to write a resume than it is to read one. You want to think about how you can tweak your resume so that it is easy to read and to understand. After all, that is what your potential employer is going to want to know.There are other advanced resume writing tips that you can use, but these are the most important ones. Do some research into how other resumes have been written and what your strengths and weaknesses are in the job search. By doing this, you will be able to come up with a unique resume that is going to help you get your foot in the door and open doors to getting the job.When you are trying to create a resume, don't be afraid to try different things. Don't limit yourself to what other people have done. Try some of your own twists and turns in order to make sure that you are able to stand out among the rest of the crowd.

7 Ideas for Starting Your Transportation Business - CareerAlley

7 Ideas for Starting Your Transportation Business - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Want to start your own business with minimal start-up costs? Transporting people and things is something that is always needed and will continue to be, so buying a new vehicle could be the best move you ever make, and while the world is changing and developing, this is one thing that is increasing, people wanting more deliveries or more help when it comes to moving. Whether its pizzas or parcels, families or groups of schoolkids: theres always something or someone that needs to be somewhere else, and someone somewhere willing to pay for this to get the job done. Here are some ideas for transportation businesses you can start right now, even if you start with just you and a van. Whether its pizzas or parcels, families or groups of schoolkids: theres always something or someone that needs to be somewhere else, and someone somewhere willing to pay for this to get the job done. Tweet This HOUSEHOLD REMOVALS People are always moving in and out of houses and apartments, and that doesnt look set to change at any point. You dont always need to have a full-size removal van to accommodate most of these; you can get a small van and probably just a mate to help you load the big furniture in. For whichever sized vehicle you go for, make sure you get truck insurance. Photo by Humphrey Muleba on Unsplash MINIBUS CHARTER You could be providing a minibus for one-off trips or start to build a portfolio of regular commitments, either way starting a minibus service requires you to have the right transport. Both rural and urban areas though, always have groups of people who need to get to shopping centres, out-of-school activities, and popular one-off events. source AIRPORT TRANSFERS Similar to above, but you could specialise in airport transfers. This is an especially good idea if youre in the right location and you can build your customer base around hotels and guesthouses. COURIER SERVICE While the online ordering of goods has led to the explosion of courier services; its not just that anymore whether in the city or countryside, companies and customers have growing expectations that things will happen fast and more and more people want their deliveries as fast as possible. Careers in the transportation industry can be as exciting or diverse as those in the other industries. From commercial driving for trucks that carry automobiles to working as an expedited freight transporter, job prospects are often plentiful and varied. Depending on what your level of skill might be, there numerous opportunities to start on this career path. Hot Careers in Transportation LIVESTOCK TRANSPORTATION In many rural areas, there will be people who want occasional transport for a horse without the outlay of having their horsebox; this could be very profitable if you know the right people and are in the right area. LANDSCAPE GARDENING Landscape gardeners have a lot of equipment they need to transport, from rose bushes and other shrubs to garden pots and pergolas, as well as their landscaping tools of all types. This could be a nice option to work outdoors, help out a landscape gardener and maybe pick up some new skills in the process. BULK SHOPPING FOR BUSINESS Many businesses get their suppliers delivered directly from the provider. However, corner shops and mini markets typically want a fast trip to the cash and carry especially when they are swamped, so supplying this service for them could be a real win for everyone. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to find the opportunities that help you grow your best career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

Why Ive Never Had Trouble Landing My Dream Internships

Why I’ve Never Had Trouble Landing My Dream Internships 10 Flares 10 Flares Zach  Groth  is a senior at Ball State University. On the post-graduation job search himself,  Zach has job experience in corporate, government, nonprofit and student-run organizations. You can tweet him any questions, concerns or blog ideas on Twitter at  @zgroth. .. I came into freshman year of college knowing that I wanted an internship.   I also knew that I had no idea what I was doing as I searched for the internship.   No one ever told how to get an internship or really what I needed to do to get one.   So there I was, 18 years old and sending out a three-page resume that the AP Style gods would strike me with lightning if they saw.   You know what, I did my own thing.   It is unorthodox.   Its weird.   It doesnt work for everyone, but it worked for me and  has continued to work for me. Here are a few of my steps on how to land your dream internship! 1. I stay away from job boards I have not received any of my seven professional internships from going to a job board.   My process is simple, but involves a little more depth than just going to a job board and pressing that “automatically insert all information” button.   That button never even gets my name correct. Truth told, that the majority of positions posted are already filled, according to a career expert for LinkedIn.   A mere 18 percent of external hires can be attributed to “job” boards, according to the recruiting site CareerXroads. I start by finding an industry I think would be fun.   I define fun as something that I would want to do.   Once you find an industry that is fun, it is easy to sell yourself and show your passion for a position.   As we all know; passion sells. Use it! From there I find a list of companies who would be considered industry leaders.   I have never come up with a list of less than 20 industry leaders.   This list is what I consider my job board.   I get my application materials ready (they all should be unique â€" incorporate company mission statements and anything that makes them unique from their website), then I send my materials. 2. Thank you letters for all sorts of occasions This one is important.   I guarantee that you will be remembered by anyone that you use this technique on. Maybe I hear back, maybe I don’t… either way, I follow up. Here’s the part where you stand out from everyone.   If I get more than an automated “thanks for your interest” email, I send a hand-written thank you letter.   This means if I get a personal email back saying the position is filled and your application wasn’t up to our standards anyway… thank you letter.   If I get a call back asking for an interview… thank you letter.   If someone goes out of their way to communicate with me personally then I want to show them my appreciation.   They are professionals, and with or without a position available, you need to treat them like so. One time, I was told that there were no available positions.   I emailed them back and thanked them for their time.   No response.   They received a hand-written note a few days later.   Within the next week there was a position available… I’m just going to let you imagine who their first call was to… It was me. #winning #155855879 / gettyimages.com 3. I have a digital footprint Employers have seen a huge change in the past years when it comes to a human resources executive checking out candidates’ social media. It used to be that they looked for inappropriate posts. Now, a job seeker has to have a digital footprint.   This is to avoid the title of being considered digitally illiterate. I am very active on social media.   Frankly, I tweet things that are funny to me.   As a 22-year-old college student, I think it is appropriate to talk about alcohol on social media.   There is a line between “typical college kid going to the bars on a Friday night” and “Wow. He’s blacked out and it’s only 7 p.m.” I am also very careful about using vulgarities on social media.  I do not use cuss words or words that can be seen as offensive.   I do use a strong level of sarcasm. I post about my industry when I am not posting about my personal life.   I follow the news and stay up-to-date on things happening in the world.   I use my social media as a vehicle for conversation with professionals, employers and friends.   There is a way to do that without creating a second profile for “professional” reasons. 4. I am honest. This is simple.   I am honest with employers.   I don’t just tell them what they want to hear.   That is easy, and most employers can see right through your web of lies. Be honest with employers.   If you need to know about something, just ask.   They are professionals, but they are people.   If you present your issues in a professional manner and they still hate you. You probably don’t want to work there anyway.