Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Just Like in PR, Its All in the Spin

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Just Like in PR, It's All in the Spin In my seminars, I am fond of discussing the importance of perception. You could be the smartest, most talented individual your organization has ever hired, but if people don’t like you or value what you have to offer, you’re dead in the water. Fortunately, it is relatively easy to project a positive image. When you meet people in person, make sure you have the basics down: niceappearance, eye contact, smile, good handshake, and reasonably articulate verbal communication. Online, establish a consistent personal brand across all your platforms that portrays you as a can-do, dynamic, and successful individual. If You Don’t Tell Them, No One Else Will Trumpeting your accomplishmentsso that everyone knows the results of which you are capable is also essential to an ongoing, strong persona. But equally important is your ability to take a small achievement and make it seem bigger. Here are two examples from my own career. My first book,They Don’t Teach Corporate in College, has sold more than 50,000 English-language copies (it is also published in other languages). This means that the book has sold more than 99 percent of nonfiction titles published. In other words, it’s a bestseller. However,They Don’t Teach Corporate in Collegeis not aNew York Timesbestseller because it didn’t sell a ton of copies in its first week. When I talk about my accomplishments, I don’t get to say I have aNew York Timesbestselling book, but I DO get to say I have a bestselling book. And not many people understand the distinction. Most clients see the word “bestseller” and stop there. They are impressed, which is what I want and need. More recently, theAmerican Management Associationkindly named me as one of their Top 50 Leaders for 2015. The AMA went on to institute a contest in which they would select the Top 30 through reader votes. As soon as I saw the Top 50 mention, I didn’t care about being voted into the Top 30. After all, what’s the difference between Top 30 and Top 50? I can still say that a prestigious organization like the AMA listed me as a Top Leader. Be Creative About What You Have to Offer My point is that to be an effective self-promoter, you have to grab hold of the tidbits of your career that sound remarkable, even if just on the surface. Let’s say that when you were in your teens, you accompanied your mother on business trips all over the world, occasionally tagging along to her conferences and meetings. From this experience, you can easily claim to haveglobal competence, or an understanding of how business is done in different cultures. Global competence is a rare skill for American professionals, and it’s even rarer if you are young. Reading about your journeys attending business meetings across the globe, many might believe that your own jobs (rather than mom’s) took you there. You haven’t lied â€" you’ve simply phrased your experience in a way that makes people stand up and take notice. For more where this came from, have a look at Intuits Fast Track blog.

Self-sufficiency is overrated

Self-sufficiency is overrated I  spend a lot of time complaining to my husband that he never leaves the farm. When I was dating him I thought it was charming that he talked about how city traffic is exhausting when he was driving  in Madison, WI. When I moved to the farm I grew increasingly annoyed that that I had to do all the driving because he always had a good reason that he had to stay home. Farmers dont leave their farms, is what everyone told me. I chalked that up to ignorance. But then he left me home one night and told me he took care of all the chores except the chickens. All you have to do is lock them up, he told me. I forgot. Im sure youre wondering how that could happen. I even set an alarm. But there is a lot to think about. Or something. I dont know why I forgot. But I got them in the barn. But by that time, it was pretty late and two of the chickens had already found a new place to sleep. And the raccoons found them there and ate them. I guess thats  why farmers dont leave non-farmers home to take care of the farm. So I started going everywhere without my husband. But just when I got used to the idea that farmers dont leave the farm,  he had an emergency and had to leave in the morning. Totally unplanned. He said, I rushed to get chores done. I left the kids chores for them to do, so all you guys need to remember is to  collect eggs and feed the goats. I said, Dont worry about us. Well be fine. Then he said, Oh. What about the fire? I jumped at the opportunity: I can do it! The house is heated with a wood burning furnace. Its away from the house and it heats water. Heres an explanation of how it works, but the most important thing to know is that you need an incredible amount of wood to get through the winter, and you have to take care of the fire pretty much every two hours, and the whole operation is pretty stressful. For my husband. Not for me. I never think about it except when the house is cold, because he gets so upset when I complain about the heat, that  I just turn on the oven and open the door when hes not looking. Its almost never cold in the house, though. In fact, we wear summer clothes in the house most of the winter because heat from wood is much warmer than heat from oil. I have no idea why this is, but I hear farm people say that all the time, so I  say  that, too. Last winter was really cold. At one point,  the  wood pile looked like this: And my husband was freaking out. The pile looks great to me, I told him. How long do you think thatll last? he asked. It turns out that was a weeks worth of wood; and in the middle of winter we were down to the last of the wood. So all four of us went to the forest  to collect wood. I felt so hard-core that day. My husband  chopped the dead trees and we rode to the forest in  an empty trailer and came back with a new wood pile. The kids loved the job. It was really hard work, and though they slacked off, turning skinny branches into guns, they definitely understood that we all needed to contribute labor to the effort of keeping the house warm. After that I thought a lot about whether or not I could run the farm on my own. What if my husband dies? What if something happens to him and he cant work? So  when my husband left this morning, I felt like it was an opportunity to see if I could run everything myself. I want to feel self-sufficient on the farm. I want to know I could manage everything on my own. I know he adds wood to the fire every two hours.  I waited two hours but I guess it was more like three, maybe, because the fire was out. There were little embers on the bottom of the furnace. I channeled everything I learned at Girl Scout camp and started looking for kindling. But a farm is not a great place for kindling. I mean, its not like we have dead tree branches all over the hay fields. And the forest is too far away to walk  to in the cold. I tell myself I am a Pilgrim trying to get through the first winter in Jamestown and I must figure out how to build the fire. I take two boxes from Amazon out of the garbage. They catch fire on the embers, and the fire is so fast and big that I forget to put a log on the flames and it dies. I consider cutting canes off my rose bushes to use as kindling but (theoretically) they are still alive. I look around for something else and I remember the kids made a big pile of little sticks to mark the place they buried their cat.  I have already used my kids own money to pay them from the Tooth Fairy, so this does not seem so bad. Anyway, I take a small enough amount that they wont notice. Back at the furnace, there is no flame at all. I go inside and get matches and the kids ask me, Whats taking so long with the fire? I ignore them. As I trek back to the furnace I pick up some dead leaves. I think I remember using those, too, in Girl Scouts. I put leaves under the sticks and bigger sticks on top of little sticks and its a little layered tee pee and I light it. The match does not catch. I light another. It catches, but in my excitement I spill the matches on the ground. I collect them and toss them all in as luxury kindling. Things are going well. I spend another half-hour building a great fire. My eyes sting. My clothes smell. And I cant believe I have to do it every two hours all day long. I dont think it matters that I could build a fire because I want to live with someone who will build a fire for me. I dont mind helping. Its like building the wood pile: Fun. For one day. Not more. There would be no point in my husband marrying someone who is excited to be self-sufficient on the farm. Why would she need him? Its better to be married and work as a team. So neither person is self-sufficient. After all, my husband has no patience for  going to music lessons or dinosaur digs. Its so hard to see this truth in the city. So often both parents want to be the breadwinners and both parents want to be the hands-on parent. But Im not so sure thats what self-sufficiency is. I think self-sufficiency might mean, instead, that you can be a good teammate with someone who does what you dont do, and you provide support to each other so that being a team makes sense.

PRO(TECH)T Yourself A New Wearable Tech to Combat Sexual Assault

PRO(TECH)T Yourself A New Wearable Tech to Combat Sexual Assault Sexual assault. It’s not a nice term. And I wish it wasn’t something we had to talk about. The unfortunate truth is that there are about 293,000 victims of sexual assault annually in the United States (that’s more than one every two minutes), with 44% of victims under age 18 and a whopping 80% of victims under the age of 30.* My own alma mater, Lawrence University, saw almost 400 people come together this week for a dinner hosted by MARS (Men Against Rape and Sexual Assault) where men were asked to hold themselves and their peers to a higher standard. Joe Samalin, a national speaker on the prevention of violence against women, asked those present to become involved in prevention of sexual assault so that it was not left to survivors of sexual assault to carry the burden of educating others. It is this key piece of prevention University of North Carolina â€" Asheville juniors Madison Eddings and Ben Eisdorfer with their company PRO(TECH)T, LLC. Madison and Ben met in a social entrepreneurship course at their university and found they had similar social missions. Madison told me, “People very close to us have experienced [sexual assault].” In fact, one in five women and three in 50 men will be sexually assaulted during their time in college.** In discussing this issue, the two came to the conclusion that the only thing someone who is â€" or is about to become â€" a victim of sexual assault needs is for someone else â€" anyone else â€" to know where they are. Seeking a way to effect lasting change and positively impact the epidemic of sexual assault in the country, the two developed iuvo, a bracelet that, with the press of a button, will transmit a GPS signal to campus police via a secure website to let someone know where the victim is located so that help can be dispatched immediately. This cellphone independent technology has the potential to revolutionize the “call for help” that so many in distress wish they could send. With iuvo, Madison and Ben took first place in the North Carolina Social Entrepreneurship Competition. From there, they went on to found PRO(TECH)T, although they both admit that they never had plans to start a business while still in college! Describing themselves as a social enterprise that uses wearable technology to fight campus sexual assault and make a lasting change, PRO(TECH)T is on a mission to market a product that there will someday be no need for. Hand in hand with iuvo, Madison and Ben have plans to reform the way sexual assault is viewed and handled by putting a portion of their proceeds towards awareness campaigns, legislative reforms, and sexual assault education programs like the one held at Lawrence. They are on a mission not only to decrease the number of sexual assaults on campus by providing a distress call, but also by creating programs that will heal the underlying issues behind such assaults. The two are currently working with Enventys in Charlotte on the development and production of iuvo. They plan to start beta testing the bracelet on campuses in about 6 months and would like to release the bracelet and its corresponding online software one year from now. To help fund iuvo and support the efforts of PRO(TECH)T, please visit their GoFundMe page. *Statistics are from the website of the Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network (RAINN). ** Statistics from the PRO(TECH)T website.

Careers for the Next Decade

Careers for the Next Decade Many people are reconsidering their lifes work during this recession.   Kiplinger has a great article on the careers predicted to do well over the next decade.   The author, Marty Nemko, selected the 13 that rank best overall based on these criteria: • Likelihood of Sustaining at Least a Middle-Class Income. This subsumes three factors: likely job growth, income potential and being under the radar (so theres less competition for jobs). • Socially Redeeming. There may be jobs, for example, as casino managers and tobacco executives, but such occupations were immediately excluded from consideration. • Quality of Life. Reasonable work hours, freedom from toxic or noisy work environments, and so on. • Status. Most Kiplinger readers will not, for example, be attracted to owning gas stations, even though some gas-station owners make a great deal of money. Heres a link to the full article: http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/108712/13-careers-for-the-next-decade?mod=career-salary_negotiation

How to Create an Infographic Resume CareerMetis.com

How to Create an Infographic Resume Infographic resumes have become popular over the past few years.And it isn’t surprising whyâ€"they are an excellent way to grab an HR manager’s attention and get job seekers the interviews they deserveevalSo, what is an infographic? It is a graphic that combines images, icons, illustrations, graphs, charts, and text to share a large amount of information within a limited space.You can already see how an infographic lends itself to building a resumeâ€"infographics can share your qualifications and interests in succinct ways, without taking up too much space.A key aspect of infographic resumes is that you have a lot more flexibility in terms of layouts.Not only do most infographic makers offer a variety of templates but you can also customize them according to your specific needs and interests.We outline how you can create an infographic resume below whether or not you are using a template.Infographic Resume EssentialsSource: VenngageNo matter which role you are applying for, your infographic resume will need to include these essential elements:Your Name.Job Role.Work Experience.Education.Skills.Contact details.Website/ portfolio.Social Media links.While including these elements in your resume is important, you also need to be aware of one other thingâ€"tailoring your resume for your job.evalThe last thing you want to do is to create a stunning infographic resume when applying for a content writer role, only to send the resume with ‘Graphic Designer’ emblazoned on top.This is particularly important in North America where the standard practice is to send a different resume for every single job application.It can be difficult to keep this in mind when sending our 10-15 applications a day, but to make a great impression on your future employer, making a few small edits should be a priority.You also have the option of including some of these other elements:Headline.Short bio.Interests and Hobbies.Awards.References.evalIt is important to get these basics out o f the way when creating your infographic resume so you can then focus on making it look good.Including GraphicsSource: VenngageIf you wanted to keep your resume text-only, you would have made a traditional resume in a Word doc.The reasoning behind making an infographic resume is to include imagery and graphicsâ€"elements that will make your resume stand out from the pile sitting on HR’s desk. There are a number of different graphical elements you can use to make your infographic resume not just attractive, but also to get information across succinctly.Most infographic resume templates give you the option to add a photograph of yourself. Ensure that it is professional but speaks to your personality.You can also use charts, graphs, or Venn diagramsâ€"these are a great way to show off your qualifications without having to write an entire paragraph about it.Icons are another great graphical element because they draw the eye and convey a great deal of information in one glance. You can use icons to illustrate your skills, or as bullet points.Another way to incorporate icons in your resume is to use them as graphical dividersâ€"icons can be used to denote a new section such as education or skills.You can also add a patterned border that will make your resume stand out better. But make sure it isn’t too busy or it will distract from the details of your resume, instead of enhancing it.Color Use in Infographic ResumesSource: VenngageevalTraditional resumes tend to be black and white but infographic resumes can be resplendent in color.Of course, that doesn’t mean you use every color available to youâ€"a limited number of colors can have a bigger impact. 2-4 colors are more than enough for your infographic resume.Though you may be tempted to use a different color for each segment of your resumeâ€"one for education, one for work experience, one for contact details, and so onâ€"this is not wise.Too many colors will make your resume look too busyâ€"worse, it can come across as unprofessional, almost amateurish.Make a good impression as a company’s professional future employee by paring back the colors you use in your resume.evalAnd this goes for the palette you useâ€"you may think that using different hues within the same palette isn’t the same as different colors, but the effect is the same.Also, avoid the overuse of bright colorsâ€"one bright color to highlight points in your resume is fine, but for the most part, use a muted color palette.This helps with legibility, which is the main goal of your infographic resume. If you’re looking for inspiration, the blue color palettehas become incredibly popular over the past few years so you can create a blue-hued resume to engage with your future employer.When using a border for your resume, try matching the color of your text with your border color to create a more symmetrical look.The same goes for header colorsâ€"the color scheme you use in your resume header should inform the colors you use in the rest of the resume.Avoid using colors in the background of your resume, as that could affect readability, though a very muted color could work with darker fonts.Choosing the Right FontsSource: VenngageLike colors, fonts have a major impact on the readability of your infographic resume. It is imperative that you use fonts that are professional, and can be read easily.A font may speak to your soul, but it needs to be able to convey to your future employer why you are the right person for their organization.The best way to do this is by limiting yourself to a maximum of three resume fonts.You can use one font for your heading, one for your subheadings and section headings, and one for your body copy.You have the choice of only using two fontsâ€"your subheadings and body copy could employ the same font. You can distinguish the two by changing the size or weight.Also, remember to keep enough white space around your text to make it more legible.Choosing the right fonts can be a dif ficult taskâ€"it is best to keep some time aside for this part of the process.There are a large number of fonts that you can choose from, but there are some that you can immediately ignoreâ€"stylized italic fonts are hard to read so you can avoid using them.Sans serif fonts and minimalist fonts are easier for humans and machines to scan overâ€"which makes them an ideal choice for an infographic resume.Personalizing Your Infographic ResumeSource: VenngageWe have mentioned the importance of tailoring your infographic resume for each role that you apply for.But it is also important to add a personal touch to your infographic resume. This will help to make your resume uniquely your own and will make you stand out from the other resumes.One of the ways to personalize your resume is to create a unique but simple logo.This is an element that adds personality to your infographic resumeâ€"your resume’s logo designneedn’t be elaborate but it should be memorable.You can use a logo maker to create one or make one yourself by adding icons together. You can also use a stylized font and make a logo of your initials.Making a logo does not have to be a difficult taskâ€"something simple can be far more impactful than an intricate design.The point of adding a logo to your resume is to stamp your personal brand on itâ€"just like businesses, individuals also need to have brand awareness.A personal brand gives your resume and other aspects of your professional profileâ€"such as your website, portfolio, and social presenceâ€"a cohesive look and feel. Summing UpAn infographic resume is a great way to share your qualifications with a prospective employer because it brings together multiple elements to make your resume attractive and informative.You should still have a traditional resume alongside your infographic resume.This means double the work but many companies use software that can’t properly read infographic resumes yet, and it is always better to be safe than sorry.When y ou are creating your infographic resume, remember to include essential elements like the job role you are applying for, your skills, and your contact details.Include graphics like icons and images to make the resume more attractive.Choose colors wiselyâ€"no more than four are required. The same goes for fontsâ€"2-3 maximum or your resume will look too busy.Finally, make your infographic resume personalâ€"create a simple but memorable logo that will make your resume stand out more.Using this guide, you can create a stunning and powerful infographic resume that will help you get the job you have been searching for.

Summary Sunday Life Lessons

Summary Sunday Life Lessons This is a round up of my favorite posts from this week.   They cross many topics but all focus on YOUR professional development.   Have fun reading.   I have provided some teaser points to help convince you to read the article. 63 Ways to Build Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem from The Chris Voss Show page Get crystal clear on the things that truly matter to you.   If they’re not in your life, you need to bring them in. Write a list of the things you’re  tolerating and putting up with in your life, then write down how you can remove, minimize or diminish each one. Look at a great win or success you’ve experienced and give yourself credit for your part in it.   Recognizing your achievements is not egotistical, it’s healthy. Next time you’re at a social event, don’t just stick with the people you know â€" go and have a conversation with someone you don’t know and you never know what â€" or who â€" you’ll discover. Next time you talk yourself out of doing something (a party invite, a challenging project or whatever else), say ‘What the Hell’ and go do it anyway. 8 Life Lessons You Should Learn Today   from LifeHack Ask for help from your professional and personal networks Hone your selling skills 6 Unexpected Things I learned About Life Through TED Talks from Openforum (And by the way, if you havent gotten your ticket for the Rochester TEDX, you are probably too late, but check out their site to see who you will be missing!) We dont know what we want. Small details are more important than big ones. 7 Keys to Switching from a Big Company to a Small Company One from Harvard Business Review Solve everything yourself Go faster 5 Effective Time Management Tips from Buzz to Bucks Schedule time on your calendar for your tasks Plan for the next day Social Media Optimization for Personal Branding by Mike Fix of Fixitology Own the URL of your own name Use your name consistently across the web And last but not leastThis post is probably THE most important and I will be blogging more about it tomorrow in support of Job Action Day 2010! Nine Key Workforce Trends for the Next Decade from Properist Happy reading and make it a productive week.   What will you incorporate into your plan this week?

How to Write a Resume - Sample Resume For Todays Job Seekers

How to Write a Resume - Sample Resume For Today's Job SeekersKen Coleman is an award-winning writer who has been in the business of writing for many years. He has written resume articles for businesses and individuals alike.In this article we will be discussing a sample resume for an individual to follow. Ken Coleman can also do writing on how to write a resume for anyone in any skill level.Ken Coleman wrote a sample resume for someone who may be looking for a new job. This sample contains information on how to develop a resume that may be used by many different companies. This article will take a look at this sample resume.Before we begin, it is important to understand the importance of a resume. A good resume will help you stand out from the competition.A sample resume for someone who may be looking for a new job is provided by Ken Coleman. If you are writing your own resume, you may find this sample useful. It will contain information on how to develop a resume that may be used by many different companies.These sample resumes include sections on how to customize it according to the needs of the employer. These sections are helpful in showing what type of information is needed for the resume. Ken Coleman does include additional sections such as professional affiliations and credentials. These sections help to make the resume as professional looking as possible.The sample resume is completed in seven parts. The first part, which is titled 'Professional history', should have the applicant state their employment history in a chronological order. The applicant should write their name. Next should be a section entitled 'Experience' which includes information about jobs held, compensation, and other details.The next section is called 'Education' and requires the applicant to include their highest degree with a brief explanation. A final section is called 'Professional affiliations', which must be filled out and listed with as much detail as possible. The sample res ume Ken Coleman has provided for this sample is one that will provide the individual with basic information on how to create a resume that is professional looking.