Job Search and Social Media Tips from Fishdogs

Job Search and Social Media Tips from Fishdogs Today, I spoke to Craig Fisher, aka Fishdogs. He is a hot shot recruiter, social media strategist, speaker and founder of A-List Solutions based in Dallas, Texas. What do you recruit for and what geography do you cover? Our main business is IT staffing and executive search. We mainly cover the Dallas/Fort Worth area in Texas. But we have clients with offices nationwide that we service as well. Hows business and outlook for the year? Business has been brisk since December. Our projections are good. Well set records. But last year started strong and then fell off as unemployment rose. What is the key to your success? Our clients like us because we have a good combination of technical and business knowledge. So we get under the hood and discover what the clients real needs are. This usually differs substantially from the given job description. We also talk with current employees and try to develop a personality profile that will work long term. Then we are able to really target specific candidates vs. sending multiple resumes to see what sticks. What are the trends you have spotted in your field? Sourcing is a bigger and bigger deal. I have been a full desk recruiter and did all my own sourcing. But I have also employed dedicated sourcers for specific searches. Its great to have someone who can just churn out skill-qualified candidates. Unfortunately you still need a good recruiter to vet these candidates thoroughly. And thats where the process often breaks down. We find more candidates, but they are not vetted, pre-closed, etc. So candidate to hire ratio is no better. Maybe worse. It is taking longer to hire overall. How much do you use social media to find clients and candidates? We use social media all the time to find clients and candidates. Most of our new clients come from social media. Many of our candidate or candidate referrals do too. For sourcing, Linkedin is by far the most effective. Linkedin is also good for creating groups of candidate and client communities. Twitter is best for actual relationship building. You can have better conversations there than on any other platfform. I like to use Twitter to compliment my Linkedin and Facebook accounts. Facebook is becoming a better referral tool as I create more groups there for specific communities. But Twitter is still where the conversations take place. How important are resumes and cover letters? Resumes and cover letters are still very important. But they may begin to take more of an online or virtual form on sites designed to keep the information fluid and dynamic. What are your best tips to jobseekers in a tough market? Spread your digital footprint. Get your entire resume complete with keywords into Linkedin. Have a nice profile pic there too. Dont just rely on submitting resumes to job boards. Grow your Linkedin network and reach out to people in the companies you want to work for. Contribute to the groups in which they participate. Become a trusted resource of valuable information. Then ask to be referred in for positions with their organizations. Start a blog about the space in which you wish to be hired. Post good content and more information about yourself there. Occasionally refer your growing network to an article you have posted there. Position yourself as the expert. Are job coaches, career coaches of any use to jobseekers? Yes, certainly. Most good recruiters can help as well. But remember to use your head and speak to references before paying money to a coach. Any other pearls of wisdom you would like to share? A great way to grow your Linkedin network is to first follow those you wish to connect with on Twitter. Network with your targets there for a week or two before going back to Linkedin to ask them to join your network. Let them know you have been following them on Twitter and would like to connect on Linkedin as well. Remember to be a vaulable contributor on Twitter as well as Linkedin. Dont just ask for help. Contribute first. Related: Secrets of the Internal Recruiter, Interview with David Cherry from McAfee  

Start Planning for the Holidays Now to Avoid Debt!

Start Planning for the Holidays Now to Avoid Debt! By, Nicole Crimaldi As you put away your Halloween decorations for the year, its time to start thinking about the holiday season. I know youre thinking, Why?! Its only November 2! Exactly. Most Americans rack up tons of debt on holiday gifts because they fail to plan ahead. If you get paid bi-weekly that means you have 3-4 paychecks left (as of this post) before all of your holiday shopping needs to be done. That is plenty of time to set some money aside so that you dont have to use your credit card at all for holiday gifts this year. You might be thinking, thats a nice concept, but I have way too many people to shop for. Think differently this year. For example, my best friend and I have started a holiday dinner tradition where we go to dinner and drinks rather than exchanging gifts. Wed probably be going out anyways, but we arent accumulating extra expenses on gifts and we really look forward to it! As for my two sisters, Im planning on asking them to donate their Christmas gift to those in our family who could use the gifts more than us this year. I will also encourage them to do the same with my Christmas gift. Giving to our less fortunate family members is a much better feeling than buying more PJs, perfume and junk that we dont really need. For your girlfriends, consider doing something together for charity this year rather than buying gifts. For example, you could volunteer at a soup kitchen, donate old clothes together or run a 5k for charity. You may find that giving to the less fortunate or creating memories is much more fulfilling than buying someone a gift. Don’t be afraid to think big while making a donation. Many charities will take rather large contributions such as an ATV, RV, or even a boat. It is easy to go online and learn more about boat donations. The process is simple, just choose the charity you would like to give to and wait a few days to receive the associated paperwork. This not only gives you some extra space in the garage, but it assists a number of excellent causes. For those who you do decide to buy a gift for, sit down and make a budget ASAP. Even after reducing the number of gifts you give, you will probably be surprised at how quickly things add up. Divide the total by the number of paychecks you have left before Christmas/Hanukkah so you know how much you need to put away in order to end 2009s holiday season debt-free. Happy planning!

Be Cautious When Buying Gucci Bags

Be Cautious When Buying Gucci Bags There are lots of Gucci bags being sold online but finding an authentic one is vital thing. Be very careful when you choose a drop shipping company as you transact business with them. Lots of factories manufacture replicas of Gucci bags because of its demand. For sure you cannot buy many designer bags because of its price. Prices range from hundreds of dollars. However, some wholesalers are available who sell them at good prices. A thorough research is just what it takes to achieve and you need to invest some of your time so that you can be in the league of those companies.    These are some things to remember to find out the real gucci bags on sale online. They are as follows. Logo The Logo should be checked first. This is one area where you can check on the real thing. Study the authentic Gucci logo so that you will know how to find the original one. Some fake ones have a C instead of a G for the trademark letter. Next, check on how it is wrapped. The authentic one will not come to you wrapped in plastic. The one with a plastic wrapper is a fake for sure. Material The material of a genuine Gucci bag would really be very different than that of a fake one. The bag with the low quality material easily gets destroyed and also it means that you have a replica instead of the real one. An original Gucci bag on sale has an identification card or ID. If the one you have does not possess it then it is sure you have been fooled into buying a fake one. The secret in buying and selling the original designer bags lies on how we differentiate the real one from the one that is just a replica. Also finding a good wholesale price is a bit hard      in the stores and malls as it would take the time to research about it. Time would be an investment here and everything will fall in place with the right research and you can be sure to get the real genuine Gucci designer items. Craftmanship All the varieties of Gucci are elegantly crafted and special attention is given to craftsmanship and finesse. Thus every piece of Gucci bag has to its credit superior quality and style and thus Gucci has made it to the top in the fashion industry. The number of styles which are added year after year is evidence that the public expects a lot from this brand. There is something for every class of people and thus the company makes sure that the people get what they desire. Gucci handbags cater to a variety of colors, styles, and designs. The colors which are normally preferred are brown or black. These colors are always in trend and would never go out of style. The adventurous types go in for bright colors. These styles look showy and they will attract eyeballs of others for sure. Image credit Main

Personal Branding Interview Cathy Benko - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Interview Cathy Benko - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today, I spoke to Cathy Benko, who is the Vice Chairman and Chief Talent Officer at Deloitte LLP, and the co-author of The Corporate Lattice: Achieving High Performance in the Changing World of Work. In this interview, Cathy talks about the changing workforce, what the corporate lattice is, how to establish your personal brand when you enter the workforce, and more. How has the workplace/workforce changed since you took you first job at Deloitte? Where do I start (without completely dating myself). Organizational structures are flatter. Employees are less tethered to traditional offices and set hours. Non-routine and project-based work is far more prevalent. Family structures have changed markedly with traditional dad-goes-off-to-work-and-mom-stays-home households dropping like a stone. Women now constitute half of the U.S. workforce and are the primary breadwinners 40 percent of the time. Men cite career-life conflict increasingly more often than women, and younger generations are bringing different attitudes to work at the same time that older workers are looking for options to stay in the labor market. Careers zig and zag. Work is done whenever and wherever. And information flows in every which way. This pretty much sums it up. Yep, work is radically different than it was when I started at Deloitte not that long ago. What is The Corporate Lattice and how did you come up with the name for the book? The Corporate Lattice metaphor was first coined in an earlier book, Mass Career Customization: Aligning the Workplace with Today’s Nontraditional Workforce, (with Anne Weisberg, Harvard Press 2007). The term contrasts with the corporate ladderthe prevailing model for how companies manage their work and their people since the beginning of the industrial revolution a century ago. The ladder depends on an inflexible view in which prestige, rewards, access to information, influence, power, etc. are all tied to the rung occupied. The problem is that we no longer live in an industrial age. Globalization and technology, as examples, open up new possibilities. A corporate lattice model (for right brainers, think ivy growing on a garden trellis) provides a more adaptive, flexible view. In math (for the left brainers), a lattice is a 3D structure that extends in multiple directions. In short, lattice seems a fitting visual for how work gets done, how careers are built, and how participation is fostered today. What advice would you give to a new hire whose looking to establish their career at Deloitte or any other company? How do they go about managing their career? It’s a good question which we devote a full chapter to in the Lattice book. Each of us needs to play an active role in directing our own lattice journey, treating skills, experiences and capabilities as brand-building assets. Continually mark-to-market yourself by taking inventory of your skills, assessing their market relevance and positioning them as a portfolio to create a consistent and compelling impression. The world of work is an ever-changing calculus so think option value by actively seeking out opportunitiesâ€"lateral and diagonal moves along with upward movementâ€"that open up multiple future career paths. And ask yourself: “How well do I stay on top of my personal brand and what it says and means to others?” Is there one direct way up the corporate ladder anymore? Why is the path more complicated now? I’m not sure I would describe things as more complicated per se. There are just more choices, a multiplicity of ways to get ahead, and even more ways to define what get ahead means. The changing world of work provides more optionsâ€" growth and development opportunities become tailored; the when, where, and how work gets done grow more flexible; broader levels and methods of collaboration enable more ways for people to interact, share ideas, more ways to get involvedâ€"or not. In the lattice world, there is no longer a single model of engagement. What motivates individuals is as varied as the diverse backgrounds, cultures, family structures, and experiences that come together at work. And what success means to each individual changes at various stages over the course of his or her lifetime. Given all these customized inputs, continuing with a hard-coded corporate ladder blueprint is futile. What does it mean to be a Chief Talent Officer? When you break it all down, Deloitte competes in two markets: the market for clients and the market for talent. As Chief Talent Officer, I drive our strategy to attract, develop and advance a highly skilled and diverse workforce along with our signature Deloitte Talent Experience. I’ve got a dream job with looking out for the best of the best talent the market has to offer for the largest professional services firm in the country. Not too shabby for a Jersey girl. Cathy Benko is Vice Chairman and Chief Talent Officer at Deloitte LLP, the largest professional services firm in the United States. In this role, Cathy sets the strategy and leads the delivery of Deloitte’s signature talent experience to a highly skilled and diverse workforce. Cathy has been named a “Frontline Leader” by Consulting magazine and is the recipient of its inaugural Leadership Achievement Award for Women Leaders. The San Francisco Business Times named her as one of the “Most Influential Women in the Bay Area” for eight consecutive years. Cathy is coauthor of the bestseller Mass Career Customization, Connecting the Dots, and her latest book called The Corporate Lattice. She has contributed to The New York Times, Ivey Business Journal, Strategy + Leadership, BusinessWeek, the Wall Street Journal, Time, and Workforce Management.

#30 - Career Expert Series - Brian Howard from The Motivated Job Search

#30 - Career Expert Series - Brian Howard from The Motivated Job Search The Career Insider Podcast Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | TuneIn | RSSFor this Episode of The Career Expert Series â€" we will be learning from Brian Howard from The Motivated Job Search.evalBrian Howard is an Executive Recruiter for the past 20+ years. He also helps Job seekers with sound and practical advice through his blog- The Motivated Job Search.Brian is also the author of the recently released job search books, The Motivated Job Search and The Motivated Networker.He is a Certified Career Management Coach 1. The challenges that job seekers face is common amongst most candidates. It is a skill/situation that most candidates are not used to, and the frustrations are common across the board. Sometimes, job search is a new skill that candidates need to learn to become Employed.2. The biggest mistake people make is that they underestimate the amount of time and effort it takes to get a new job. The other mistake job seekers make is that they use a s hotgun approach i.e. most candidates do not focus and target their activities.3. The probability of someone landing a job from traditional Job boards is about 1/118. The chances are less than 1%. In order to be effective and increase your odds â€" identify who the Hiring Manager is and get in touch with them directly.4. In order to get into the right mindset, set the right expectations before you start off the job search. Brian also talks about having an Attitude of gratitude, and how that helps lift your spirits and putting you in the right frame of mind.eval5. Pursue a Professional Designation that will make you more valuable. A credible relevant designation will definitely make you stand out. Another benefit of this is that it will help you become unstuck, it’s mentally and emotionally stimulating.6. Personal Branding plays a major role in differentiating you from other candidates.7. Share success stories about your past roles that quantifies qualifies your skills/experiences . Some examples of differentiators are Brag Sheets, Testimonial lists, client references, Career Summary Sheet, 30-60-90 Day Plans,etc.8. LinkedIn is the first place recruiters, HR Managers, and Hiring Managers go to prior to them looking at your resume. Proper LinkedIn optimization makes you more searchable and discoverable.Five QuestionsevalThe 5 Questions that Hiring Managers want answered before they extend you a job offer:Can you do the job?Will you do the job?Will your performance have a positive impact on Company goals?Do you fit in culturally?Can I afford this person?LinksTo learn more about Brian Howard’s work visit his website. He can also be reached on LinkedIn or Twitter.Intro Music provided courtesy of Accelerated Ideas (www.accelerated-ideas.com). Soundtrack â€" Siren KickbackEnding Music provided courtesy of Accelerated Ideas (www.accelerated-ideas.com). Soundtrack â€" No Need to Rush

5 Promising Medical Careers You Should Consider Pursuing - CareerAlley

5 Promising Medical Careers You Should Consider Pursuing - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Are you looking to start a career in the medical industry? If you are, then youre not alone. As long as people have a need for healthcare products and services, the industry will always remain a relevant and constantly growing industry. In fact, the healthcare industry remained strong despite the major crisis that happened during the mid-2000s. Add the fact that people in the healthcare careers have some of the fastest growing careers in the US and its not surprising why a lot of people would want to work in the industry. So you want to be a part of the healthcare industry but you dont know where to start? Check out the highest-paying medical careers and see if its the right path for you. source 1. Pharmacist What do you need? Complete a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, pass the NA Pharmacist Licensing Exam, Multi-state Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam, and written and practical exam. How long does that take? At least three to four years Some people consider pharmacists as the front line of the healthcare industry. Theyre one of the first people that come to mind when someone needs professional advice on how to take prescribed medicine, as well as inform people about potential side effects to watch out for. According to statistics, a typical pharmacist could earn a little over $120,000 per year As demand for healthcare grows, the business behind it becomes more complex. Prepare to meet the challenge by developing in-demand skills to help steer modern practices or manage your own business. Maryville.edu 2. Physician Assistant What do you need? Bachelors Degree in any health science (Masters Degree preferred), pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam, state license How long does that take At least two years As a physician assistant, your job would be to perform diagnosis and provide treatment to patients, as well as order certain lab procedures such as X-rays and blood tests. You can also prescribe medications to patients. Most of these tasks are done under the supervision of a doctor or other medical professionals. As a physician assistant, you can expect a salary of around $95,000 per year source 3. Gerontology Nurse What do you need? Masters Degree in Nursing, pass board certification in gerontological practice. How long does it take At least five years The aging baby boomer generation has never been this much in need of medical assistance, making a career as a gerontology nurse one of the most lucrative nursing careers in the country. As a gerontology nurse, you can diagnose illnesses and diseases in elderly patients, prescribe the appropriate medication or therapy, order lab tests, and conduct check-ups and screenings to prevent or minimize the effects of common illnesses affecting the elderly. 4. Nurse Midwife What do you need? Masters Degree in Nursing, pass the national CNA exam How long does it take? At least six years Providing nurse assistance for patients who are pregnant or have recently given birth, a nurse-midwife can diagnose illnesses and conduct physical exams. Depending on where you are working, you may also be allowed to prescribed medications or therapy. The good thing about becoming a nurse midwife is that completing a CNM program also allows you to be a certified nurse midwife and an advanced nurse practitioner without having to take extra courses. A typical nurse midwife earns about $95,000 a year. Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash 5. Health Information Manager What do you need? Bachelor or Masters Degree in Health Information Management, certification depends on the employer How long does it take? At least one and a half years Theres no denying that the age of information has played a crucial role in the healthcare industry. Everything ranging from patient information to test results can be accessed online, and its up to health information managers to keep all that data safe and accurate. According to Maryville University, as electronic records are adopted by health systems everywhere, organizations will seek managers with technology expertise who can identify the right tech solutions based on the practices individualneeds. While the mean annual salary is valued to be over $105,000, signs point to health information manager jobs becoming more lucrative careers in the coming years due to the industrys increasing dependence on information technology These are just some of the more promising careers in the healthcare industry; a quick online research will bring you dozens more viable long-term jobs. Now is always an ideal time to start; the sooner you work towards those requirements, the sooner you can get a promising career. 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

How to Find Online IT Resume Samples

How to Find Online IT Resume SamplesWhen you are starting to put together your own resume, some basic IT resume samples are available on the web that will help get you started with a well-written, professional resume. In this article, we will discuss some of the ways you can utilize resume samples to create your very own IT resume that you can send out and be sure to get back into the hiring process as quickly as possible.Before you begin to search for the IT resume samples you need, you will want to take a look at your existing resume and see what you need to change or improve. Often, the format of a resume is not the most important aspect of your resume. The content is what holds the reader's attention and the most professional resumes will highlight the skills and experiences that you bring to the job.With that in mind, do not limit yourself to the format that your resume is currently set up in. Look online for resume samples that might help you out and get to work on your resume! There are many different types of resume formats to choose from, so go ahead and look around until you find one that you like the look of and also matches the way you expect to present yourself when you apply for a job.One thing you should consider when you are looking for the IT resume samples you need is to make sure that you choose one that is going to be easy to read on a computer screen. This means that you want to be able to read the text legibly and you also want it to be easy to adjust the font size. Many people think that the fonts should be small and condensed so that it will only be legible when it is printed. While it might be a nice idea to keep the fonts small and legible, it may not be a good idea to use this option when you are using the resume as a reference tool.Another thing to look for is whether the resume is written in the English language. While writing your resume in another language is definitely an option, it is best to stick with the more common American English words and spelling because these are the words used in most job descriptions. Also, if your resume is in another language, it will not be easy to find a local employment placement agency in that country because most employers prefer to hire their own native speakers.If you are going to use the online document that you are working from to learn how to write your own resume, make sure that you check the spelling and grammar on a regular basis. If you notice any errors, be sure to notify the writer. They are usually happy to correct any mistakes that you spot in the documents that they provide.Another thing to consider when you are looking for resume samples is how easily you can follow along with the instructions on the template. Some documents are written in such a way that they are easy to understand while others require you to write and re-write sections until you have mastered the job. The resume samples that you will find online will often offer you options so that you ca n customize the information on the paper you are receiving to fit the needs of your own individual needs.One thing that you can do in advance of actually submitting your resume is to make sure that you find out what kind of salary range you would have to fit your resume into. Usually, the salary range is based on the type of position that you are applying for, but there are some exceptions as well. For example, the salary range is usually higher for administrative and managerial positions, but some entry-level jobs can be higher than that of the senior management level positions.