JobMobs 250th Note to You

JobMobs 250th Note to You 6 Being JobMob's 250th article, I thought it would be nice to do a little something special. This was supposed to be another post in our important series on Job Search Depression. Instead, let's celebrate by going in the opposite direction with this beautiful video that's guaranteed to make you smile. Thanks for your support through 250 articles. I couldn't have done it without you. Enjoy the clip. Cheers to Pete Aldin for pointing this out. Wondering who Matt is?

How to Negotiate a Higher Salary After a Job Offer

How to Negotiate a Higher Salary After a Job Offer You try your best to establish your skillset, high work standards, and ideal salary range in an interview. Then, you get a salary offer that is lower than you expected for the engineering position.Asking for a higher salary feels stressful, but most employers expect you to negotiate at least a little.They know that their first offer isn't at the top of their budget. They know they can afford to pay you more. They also know it would be crazy to give you their highest salary offer right off the bat.Here are threetechniques you can use to successfully negotiate your ideal salary amount, even after you've already received a written and signed employment offer letter.1. Validate Your Salary ExpectationsBack up your ideal salary amount with data from services such asGlassdoor.Many online resources can help you show employers you are worth more than they are offering.You can simply do this by comparing industry averages and standards.Also, remember it's always best to make a phone call inst ead of writing an email to schedule a time to talk about the official offer letter. It’s an opportunity to ask questions about why a lower salary was offered.You might be given a legitimate reason as to why you aren't worth that higher salary right now.However, you also have the opportunity to hear details on how you can achieve that higher salary.For instance, perhaps after participating in special projects or assignments, they'll offer a raise.2. Go the Extra Mile With a 30-60-90 PlanOnce you've scheduled a meeting to discuss your compensation, be prepared to present a 30-60-90 plan.This is a written plan for your first 90 days on the job.Ittypically has a separate section or entire new page for each 30-day period.Research the organization and position, thoroughly. Use this information to successfully tailor the 30-60-90 plan to your employer's needs. Include in your plan time spent training, learning the company's systems, and meeting key employees.After day 90, you can includ e adding new strategies and offer feedback on company processes.I recommend job seekers ask detailed questions and take detailed notes during each interview stage.Whether it be on the phone or face to face, gathering information and data is helpful.It can later be used to build your 30-60-90 plan.3. How to Use the PSIFramework to Prove Your WorthPSI is an acronym for Problem, Solution, Impact.Use this PSI model to prove your worth to a potential employer during salary negotiations.Identify the #1 problem you are able to solve while at the company.This could be something with the development of a product, a company process, or a technological conundrum that your experience will help solve.Highlight the solution you offer with accurate details.Make sure to share the impact that the solution will have on the project’s outcome or the company’s goals.The impact should relate to something important and measurable to the company.This impact could be used to:Increase sales numbers or re venue Speed up a process to achieve results more quickly Increase a product’s final quality Improve customer satisfaction and loyaltyDuring the interview process,find out how your performance will be measured.This way, you can use those facts and figures when the time comes to ask for higher compensation.Try These Tips After Your Next Salary OfferTrying these tips will lead you to the engineering salary you want based on your hard work, knowledge, and experience. And remember that in life, and in our careers, we often don’t get what we deserve.We get what we successfully negotiate.

A BEAUTIFUL MIND Mental Workouts To Strengthen Your Brain

A BEAUTIFUL MIND Mental Workouts To Strengthen Your Brain Have you ever walked into a room and forgot what you went in there for? Perhaps you lost your train of thought mid conversation after being distracted by a noise. Maybe you forgot a name or a number or to buy milk. We’re human! We forget things. However, the more we multitask, the less we focus and the verdict is out on how this affects our brains long term. So how do we strengthen our brains? Dr. Sanam Hafeez PsyD  shares how we can exercise our minds and master our memory.  How do brain activities play a role in strengthening the brain? Dr. Hafeez explains that just like physical exercise, brain exercises strengthen and keep the mind agile and active. “You have a cognitive reserve, a finite amount of memory, problem solving an d visual motor even verbal reasoning skills that declines over time. The more you engage your brain, the longer you can hold on to your cognitive reserve,” explains Dr. Hafeez. What are some brain-boosting activities someone could do before work? There are a lot of activities one can do to boost your brain. Research shows that any stimulating activity will boost circulation and activate areas of the brain. According to Dr. Hafeez things like writing with your left hand, trying to remember phone numbers, doing mental math calculations, the daily crossword, or looking up a new word in the dictionary on a daily basis, helps your mind stretch in ways you cant see but certainly feel. “The frustration that you feel when doing something that’s mentally taxing is when you know your brain is getting a workout. Its good for you,” she says. How do brain-boosting exercises help when it comes to work life? There are a lot of websites and computer generated programs that offer memory training and visual spatial exercises. Dr. Hafeez suggests looking for puzzles, numerical sequences, and recall activities that can help boost processing speed, attention and memory. Just like your body, the more you do, the more your brain can stretch and accommodate. How does doing these exercises before work enhance our performance? “Doing something stimulating and challenging, before work, gets your brain geared up for the day. If you run two miles in the morning, walking seems like a stroll. Similarly, if you perform math calculations as youre driving or insist on spelling words backwards for the fun of it will make the stuff you do at work every day seem like a breeze. Itll make you more aware and vigilant not to mention focused and almost raring to keep moving from one task to the next,” Dr. Hafeez explains. Can it enhance our performance in other areas of our lives? If so, which areas and why/how? Mental health practitioners agree that over time, brain boosters such as learning a new language, a sport, a musical instrument, or painting, sewing, arts and crafts, boost the brain in bigger, more long-term ways. “It may even reduce or delay the onset on Alzheimers and other mental decline, again by strengthening the cognitive reserve. Brain exercises are good for ones overall daily health and may actually protect one from more serious ailments. Daily smaller brain boosters can help with mental agility, daily memory, an active work and even social life, by helping increase attention, focus and creative, problem solving skills,” adds Dr. Hafeez. About Dr. Sanam Hafeez: Dr. Sanam Hafeez PsyD is an NYC based licensed neuropsychologist. She is a teaching faculty member at the prestigious Columbia University Teacher’s College and the founder and clinical director of the Comprehend the Mind Institutes in Manhattan and Queens. Image credits: Crossword.   Puzzle.

Graduation and Transitions Are Your Time to Shine - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Graduation and Transitions Are Your Time to Shine - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career It’s that time of year when commencement addresses are in the air and all those years of hard work are coming to fruition. Graduation is truly the culmination of your hard work… Enjoy it. Revel in it. And, make sure you are ready for the next step. Which, gasp, will take more work on your part. Graduation is important. It proves something. It proves that you can complete something. That means a lot. Take in the full measure of your ability to complete something. This will serve you well in your career and in your ability to complete your next thing. And the next thing beyond that. Graduation is  also a  transition and may be the biggest thing you’ve done in your life, but there is a lot more to come. Note: These points can also work for you even if you will be returning in the fall. That just means you have more time to plan. As you get ready to graduate there are  a few things to think about as you are preparing for your transition onto your next stage. These are just a few things that you have probably already thought about and perhaps already completed.   As you get ready to graduate these steps will require a little more work on your part, but the work you put in now will pay dividends later. Thank You Notes Take the time to thank the people that helped you get to this point. I’m not suggesting you thank everyone on the planet, but there will likely be a handful of people that made it possible for you to get to where you are today. Thank them. Sincerely and profusely. If possible deliver it in person and let them know the impact they have made on your life. Recommendations Ask a  favorite teacher (before its too late) for a recommendation. Make your request now while your achievements are fresh in their mind. If you are looking for a specific type of recommendation it’s OK to provide guidance. It doesn’t mean they will follow it, but having it may help them complete your recommendation quickly. Job Preparation If you know you will need to pass an accreditation exam or join a specific business organization now is the time to get those efforts under way. At least get the forms and know what the process entails. Communication Skills  â€" If you’ve always wanted to join Toastmasters  now is the time. If you want to improve your storytelling skills, writing skills or anything else. Now is the time to seek out those groups that can help you develop these skills. Clean up Facebook and other Social Media platforms Now is the time to look back at what you’ve been posting. Since you will likely be entering the working world you will want to make sure your Social Media profiles show you in your best light. LinkedIn Including getting your profile on LinkedIn “ready for business” consider doing a few of these: 7 Steps to Spring Clean your LinkedIn Profile Tips for Creating a LinkedIn Profile that Gets Noticed Volunteer You’ve probably already been doing volunteer work in various parts of your life. Now you might have a little more time and you likely will have a lot more to give back too. Have Some Fun Don’t forget to have some fun. The points above will take a little work and some thinking on your part. You’ve worked hard. You deserve some time for fun. So, take it. Whether it’s hanging out for a few days or taking a cross-country road trip this is the time to take advantage of the one thing you likely have in abundance now… time. Graduations are Transitions There will be a lot of news about commencement addresses in the next few weeks. There have been some classic commencement speeches delivered by a few famous people, including Steve Jobs and Kurt Vonnegut  / Mary Schmich  (via Baz Luhrman). There have been and will be countless other incredible commencement speeches delivered by both famous and not-so famous people this graduation season. No matter who delivers yours… enjoy it. Revel in it. And, if at all possible, take action on what you hear. Enjoy this moment. Enjoy this transition. And Congratulations!

Blogging Milestones Taking Up Darren Rowses Challenge - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

Blogging Milestones â€" Taking Up Darren Rowses Challenge ProBlogger’s Darren Rowse, a pioneering full-time blogger, challenged his readers to choose 7 posts that fit the following specific themes. Here are my own choices: 1. Your first post From May 2008, actually the third post on my Executive Resume Branding blog, but my first decent one, The Inside Skinny on Powering Up Your Executive Resume for Today’s Job Market. I think it holds up well, with some good advice including the 4 â€" 5 â€" 2 rule when writing executive resumes (although there are exceptions): No more than 4 lines in one paragraph or chunk of information No more than 5 bulleted short statements blocked together No more than 2 pages total for the resume (Im not so strict about this anymore) 2. A post you enjoyed writing the most Kind of a tough one because I  love blogging so much,  I  rarely dont like a post Ive written.  In re-reading My Close Encounter With Paul Newman, the initial thrill of the event comes right back. 3. A post which had a great discussion The misinformation swirling around social media about what branding is  prompted me to write What Personal Branding is NOT  in December 2009. Quite a few people weighed in with comments. 4. A post on someone else’s blog that you wish you’d written My friend and colleague, Online Job Search Expert Susan P. Joyces Lifelong Learning for Career Security because, often neglected, continuous learning is critical for job seekers at all professional levels, and for everyone else, for healthy career management. 5. A post with a title that you are proud of You’re a C-level Executive Job Seeker and You’re NOT Blogging? The title could just as easily be Why C-level Executives Need to Blog, but it wouldnt have the same punch. I hoped to capture the attention of senior executives who really do need to be blogging to build online brand visibility, and credibility for their subject matter expertise, to help them land their next great gig. 6. A post that you wish more people had read I  invested a  lot of time and thought into writing the 3-part series, Think Like an Executive Resume Branding Expert. The three posts are loaded with information detailing how I strategize writing executive resumes. I wrote this in September 2008, before I started tweeting and before had the WordPress app, so it didnt gain much traction. This reminds me to go back and retweet this post, and other important ones. 7. Your most visited post ever Hands down, 14 Reasons I Won’t Follow You On Twitter, on my Executive Resume Branding blogsite, by far had the most visits and generated the most retweets (320 as of this morning) of any post Ive ever written. And my update  here on Executive Career Brand, 14 Reasons I Won’t Follow You On Twitter [Revisited], is the most  visited and retweeted post (256 as of this morning) on this blogsite. Both posts continue to get a lot of action. If youre a blogger, try taking Darrens challenge.  I think youll find it  illuminating to look back and see how your writing has tightened and improved. Revisiting older posts can incite new blog post ideas, and be a reminder to resurrect some of them by retweeting them once again. Related posts: Top 10 Reasons My Personal Brand and I Love Blogging Finding My Blog Personal Brand Voice Is Your Personal Brand Lurking Behind the Blogging Scene? 00 0

Nailed It 7 Ways to Make a Great Impression at Your Job Interview - Sterling Career Concepts

Nailed It 7 Ways to Make a Great Impression at Your Job Interview Nailed It: 7 Ways to Make a Great Impression at Your Job Interview Source: Shutterstock.com You’ve spent weeks (maybe months) surfing job sites, tweaking your resume and making all of those 6-degrees-of-separation connections available to you to try and land an interview for that elusive “perfect” job. Believe it or not â€" finding the position and getting your resume in front of the right person was actually the easy part. The hard part is convincing the powers-that-be that you â€" and not the person sitting next to you in the lobby â€" are the only one they should even consider hiring. Get ahead of the interview game this hiring season and check out our suggestions of seven things you can do to ensure you make a great first impression at your upcoming job interview. 1. Do Your Research Do yourself a favor and brush up on everything you need to know about the position for which you’re applying, the company and even the employee interviewing you for the job. If you do your homework beforehand, it’ll be easier for you to draw similarities during the interview of why you’re the ideal candidate for the position based on previous experience. Plus, you may discover that you have a friend or alma mater in common with the interviewer, which can serve as a valuable anecdote at the top of the interview when you’re eager to break the ice. 2. Practice Makes Progress Unfortunately, there’s no way to rehearse an interview perfectly â€" unless you happen to be a psychic who can see the future or a secret time traveler. When it comes to preparing for a job interview, practice may not make perfect, but it definitely makes progress. Do your best to anticipate questions that the interviewer may ask during your meeting â€" like Why would you be a good fit for this position? Or Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Be prepared to bring a unique perspective to the interview and rehearse one or two personal stories about times in your career where you stepped up to save the day or learned something about yourself thanks to your professional choices. Also, don’t be afraid to examine those interviews in your past that may not have gone so well. Those encounters are valuable too and allow you to learn from your past experiences â€" which also happens to be a very valuable asset in a stellar employee. 3. Dress the Part Source: reddressboutique.com You know the saying â€" dress for the life you want, not the life you have. Put your best self forward at any job interview by dressing like someone who already works there. After all, your interview outfit probably won’t be the thing that makes or breaks the meeting, but it will definitely give the employer an impression as to whether or not you have what it takes to fit in with the professional culture of the job. Don’t be afraid to ask HR what the office dress attire is like when they call to offer you the interview â€" they may even take note of the extra effort you’re already putting into the position. Regardless of the dress code, don’t wear something to your interview that makes you feel uncomfortable. Your insecurity about how you feel (and look) will undoubtedly translate through body language to insecurity about the position. Instead, opt for a stylish yet professional outfit that makes you feel unique and confident, like a pair of fashionable grey windowpane pants with a crisp white blouse and blazer. Not only will your stylish attire help you stand out from the other applicants, but it’ll also give off the impression that you are exactly the breath of fresh air this company is looking for. 4. Only Bring the Essentials Ideally, the only things you really need at a job interview are copies of your resume, references and â€" of course â€" your winning smile and sparkling personality. Anything else should probably be left in the car. If you need to bring a purse, computer bag or briefcase in with you, make sure it’s well organized and in good condition so as not to distract from your otherwise polished look. The last thing you want in the middle of a job interview is to shuffle through old papers â€" or granola bar wrappers â€" to find the references you could have sworn you brought with you. 5. Be Pleasant to Everyone Sure, chances are the college intern at the front desk probably isn’t the one making the hiring decisions in the office but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t treat her with the same amount of respect and pleasantries that you would the CEO. Aside from your qualifications and personal references, employers are also interviewing you to see how well you would fit in at the office and if you would work well with the other members of their team. The last thing you need after charming their socks off in the interview is for the receptionist to mention that you were rude when she checked you in or made it hard for her to focus on her job because you were on a loud personal call in the lobby. 6. Show Enthusiasm for the Position It’s OK to let your interviewer know that you’re excited about being considered for this position. After all, they would much rather hire someone that wants to be there and wants to do a good job over someone that just needs a paycheck. A great way to show your enthusiasm for the position would be to show up early to the interview. Not only does this ensure that you are on time when they’re ready to meet you, but it’ll also give you a moment to settle your nerves, use the restroom and repeat your best “I got this” mantra when no one is looking. When you actually make it to the table, let the interviewer know that you’re happy to be there and appreciate the opportunity to apply. And don’t let your nerves get the better of you. Remain engaged during the meeting by maintaining eye contact, flashing a smile on occasion and asking questions about the position. The more relaxed you are during the process will show them that you are more than ready to dive into this exciting opportunity â€" and that’s exactly what they want. Source: Shutterstock.com 7. Follow Up with a Thank You Chances are you’re not the only person they’re interviewing for the position. Do your best to stand out amongst the rest with a timely and brief “thank you” via email, note or phone call. Thank the interviewer for meeting with you and, in one or two lines, give your best sell as to why you think you would be the perfect fit for their position. If they haven’t made up their minds yet, hopefully, the personalized thank you note will put you over the edge into the “must hire” column before they even reach your witty yet professional salutations. * * * Interviewing for a new job doesn’t have to be stressful. Follow these seven easy tips to make a great first impression on your next meet and greet, and you’ll be the one calling the shots in no time.

Resume Writing With Gaps In Employment

Resume Writing With Gaps In EmploymentCan resume writing with gaps in employment be done without a computer? You bet it can. If you are at least in your twenties, you have probably been dreaming of applying for a job or landing one. Maybe you have tried to apply to some companies and had no luck.Resume writing with gaps in employment is probably going to be your dream because you might not be aware of the opportunities that you may have missed out on due to the lack of employment. The truth is, you may never need to have a resume ever again. For now, you may only want to know how to use a computer and resume writing with gaps in employment to land a job. It is very possible that you can start by filling out a free online application form.Resume writing with gaps in employment is an important step in securing employment. Not every company will hire you based solely on your resume. However, if you go about the process of completing a resume properly, you can have the confidence that yo ur resume is going to be in demand.First, make sure that you understand how to fill out an online application form. For example, if you are applying for a sales position, you are going to be asked to supply your contact information such as your name, e-mail address, home address, etc. Make sure that you provide all the information listed on the form.Then, you are going to be asked to answer questions such as your hobbies, interests, and educational background. What do you like? What do you hate? How do you want to express your own personality?There are many questions that will ask about job search, such as what jobs do you have applied for, what industries you are familiar with, and so on. These questions will be used to weed out people who are going to flunk out or who may have other qualifications but were not included in the initial list of job applicants.Next, you are going to be asked to submit the resume. Keep in mind that resumes should be filled out thoroughly and neatly. If you are unable to do this, don't worry because there are companies that will give you a resume template to work from, or you can make a copy of your resume and turn it into a resume format that works for them.