Are You Bothered By Your Work History - Hire Imaging

Are You Bothered By Your Work History - Hire Imaging Resumes, job applications, LinkedIn and other portals to cross through in your job search require your work history. Sometimes the story it tells does not work to your benefit. Perhaps you hopped jobs, had gaps of unemployment, or titles that looked like demotions and fickle scattering. There is good news! It’s often not the work history that undercuts you, but your difficulty in explaining it. The key is to revisit any past issues or perceptions about what might have happened. Then make a strong case for yourself anyway. Many people struggle with this. They get in defensive mode about their past; they become guarded. It’s helpful to remember that while you should acknowledge what you have done before, there is always room for interpretation! What you can do First, keep in mind that employers don’t necessarily expect to get the perfect purple squirrel candidates for their jobs. Sure; they write job postings as though they expect to find perfection, but they anticipate applicants short in one area or another. So, don’t eliminate yourself because your background fails to meet one or more of the criteria. Second, be ready to explain any weaknesses in your work history that an interviewer might ask about: I traveled abroad, because I wanted to do it before starting a career (family, etc.). I accepted a lesser managerial role, because I was given the opportunity to work on a key initiative/special project. I left the ___ business, because I wanted a product/service area that had more potential for growth. My position was eliminated, because my Six Sigma was a bit lighter than my other two team members expertise. However, I’ve corrected that and am now strong. I changed jobs three times, because I was looking for the best place to use my creative design skills.   What if you’ve been fired from jobs for poor performance, personality clashes or other issues that create a negative picture? There are two approaches you can use: One. Assume that they will not discover your full story. Create the most positive reason for why you may have left, one that is within the sphere of possibility. Make sure you speak positively about the job and the people in it. That’s not always an easy thing to do; but an upbeat mindset is essential. There is the chance they may already know you were fired when they ask you why you left. But that is a risk you have the option to take. Two. Tell them what happened. Explain what you learned from the experience and about yourself. Talk about how based upon that experience, you would handle a similar situation differently. State that you are convinced you can work well with this organization and how you can contribute value. Honesty and transparency can garner a candidate points. Integrity serves one well, particularly when it’s blended with a sincere statement about having learned and grown.   That’s a success story! So, whatever your work history, focus on what you learned from it. I was only there nine months, but I learned a great deal about the mechanics of a startup business. Although I was there a short time and the job was not my best fit, I learned a lot about grant funding and technical writing. Although I left the organization because of change in leadership direction, I got a great education in mergers and change management. Ultimately, you want your work history to be a record of the value you have to offer. Interviewers do not really care about your weaknesses, work gaps or even choices in the past. What they want to know is what you can do … now … for them! Inventory and catalog your stories; and present motivation to show why you are a good candidate for this job, emphasizing your strengths, skills and experiences. Make a case for yourself and cut yourself some slack. True; you might not sound like the perfect applicant, but remind yourself that it’s likely your competition won’t either! Photo: david drexler

6 Tips To Improve Your Social Skills

6 Tips To Improve Your Social Skills Having a great network â€" the set of relationships you build over time, both personally and professionally â€" is important to your success in so many ways. Your network helps you deliver better results, surge ahead in your career or rebound when things are tough. It also helps you learn, grow and have more fun in your life. However, your network is not something you can buy. The only way to have a great network is to build it. And the number one key to building relationships is having strong social skills. It doesn’t matter how smart you are. If you don’t have good social skills, you will top out before you are meant to. Maybe you’re already seeing others less capable than you getting promoted while you aren’t. Or being invited to sit at the equivalent of the “cool kids’ table” at company dinners while you’re at the back. Worse yet, if you lack social skills, you’ll leave some great living on the table â€" the happy and fun parts. The good news is that even if you’re an introvert or lack the social ease and grace of your colleagues, you can become good at this. You don’t need to settle for “average” either on the job or at home. I recently came across an inspiring piece on how to do just that. The Ultimate Guide to Social Skills I was inspired by Ramit Sethi’s The Ultimate Guide to Social Skills: The Art of Talking to Anyone where he generously provides some fabulous free content on how to create lasting connections with people. Ramit Sethi is the New York Times bestselling author of the book, I Will Teach You To Be Rich, and is an expert on leading a “rich life” (hint: it’s not just about money). In The Ultimate Guide to Social Skills, Ramit explores five aspects of developing social skills, and provides specific tools and techniques for mastering each. These include: How to be interesting How to make small talk Overcoming shyness How to master group conversations How to be more likeable When you have a chance, I recommend taking a look. It’s easy to read and includes videos full of useful tips and tools from Ramit and others. 6 Tips To Improve Your Social Skills In the meantime, and in case you’re short on time, here are the takeaways that resonated most with me and how they apply in a business setting. 1. It’s how you make them feel The fundamental insight Ramit starts with is that beyond how you look, what people notice first and foremost is how you make them feel in the first few seconds of meeting you. Think about it: don’t you get an instant feeling about people you’re introduced to, whether good or bad? For me, it’s a combination of the vibe they give off and how they present themselves. “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou In a business setting, it’s absolutely crucial to get this right. Are you behaving in a way that allows them to feel you are trustworthy and appropriately confident? Are your body language and eye contact demonstrating your interest? Do you show that you’re attuned to them and not just in it for your self? As they say, you only get one chance to make a good first impression. For better or worse, the impression you leave is based largely on your social skills. The example Ramit gives is about someone losing a seven-figure business deal because of his cockiness and coming across as someone who would not be a team player. Ouch. Worst of all, the individual probably had no idea that his social skills were the reason, so he won’t have a chance to change. 2. Get in early if you’re shy Especially if you’re shy, Ramit recommends making a commitment to do the following within 60 seconds of entering the room: go up to someone and introduce yourself. That way, you will have burst the shy bubble before you have a chance to get nervous. This works in meetings too. When I was in mid-career, I was afraid to make a comment in case I sounded dumb. So I would wait and plan out what to say, and try to work up the courage to say it out loud. I’d argue with myself: was this a good point to make, and a good time to make it? By the time I was finally ready, someone else would make the same point and I would spend the rest of the meeting beating myself up about missing my chance to speak. That’s when I finally figured out that I needed to hear my voice in the meeting early, even if it was just saying hello. That made it easier to participate later on. What I would add to this is so many of us focus on how nervous we are, and what other people are thinking of us, and being fearful of sounding dumb. The truth is that many of them are thinking the same thing about themselves. And others are mentally far away, worrying about something completely unrelated to you. The best thing you can do is to just get over it and press on. 3. Take the lead Ramit talks about being proactive in social situations, and how this increases your social value, especially when you’re in a group setting. This doesn’t mean dominating the conversation. Instead, it’s about being prepared (brainstorming a list of potential topics before the event, planning the type of impression you want to leave), and engaging everyone in the conversation once you’re there. In a business meeting, that type of facilitation and getting others involved in the conversation is hugely valuable. You get to direct the conversation and help include a diverse set of viewpoints, all of which can lead to better decisions and more effective meetings. 4. Small talk is important This one was a revelation for me. Yes, I’m that nightmare person who just wants to get to the point and not “waste time” with “idle chit chat”. After reading Ramit’s piece, I see the error of my ways. Ramit points out that you don’t build a relationship by just getting down to the facts. There’s a dance, a game, a whole process that’s important before getting down to business. Just like going to a restaurant, you don’t want to just get the food the moment you walk in the door, eat it and go. It’s a dining experience with a set of rituals that makes it enjoyable, worthwhile and something you’ll want to do again. This is highly relevant with clients and colleagues as well. It allows you to be seen as a complete person rather than someone who is boring, stiff and robotic. Showing your personality and being able to develop relationships is a great differentiator that helps you advance. 5. Get feedback Ramit then goes on to point out the importance of getting feedback on how you’re coming across. His point is when you’re bad at social skills, people won’t just come out and tell you â€" frankly, people don’t even tell you when you’ve got spinach in your teeth! I couldn’t agree more. With my coaching clients, we talk about uncovering blind spots and how one of the best ways is to get input from others. And as painful as it may seem to learn how others see you, it’s in your own interest to find out… as soon as possible. Even if you aren’t aware of it, everyone else is. And knowing is the first step to changing. If you’re interested in hearing more on this, I recommend Ramit’s interview with Pam Slim (author of Escape from Cubicle Nation) in module 1. 6. Learn to wrap up Part of having great social skills is knowing how to enter a conversation with ease and grace. But having gotten into that conversation, you don’t want to “get stuck” there. As in talking to the same person at the conference or cocktail party for 40 minutes. You also need to know how to wrap things up in an elegant way. Getting stuck happens to me quite a bit. I’m genuinely interested in people and can talk to them for a long time without getting bored. Plus I don’t want to offend anyone. That’s where Ramit’s simple strategy is so helpful. When the conversation has come to a natural end, or you’ve reached your attention span limit, all you have to say is, “It was a pleasure meeting you. Thanks for chatting.” Then walk away. It’s all about your demeanor while you’re giving that simple two-liner. You can smile, but you have to disengage and start moving away. Putting Social Skills Into Practice Some additional insights into the importance of social skills came up last weekend while I was attending Jeff Walker’s PLF Live event for entrepreneurs who want to make a difference by getting their message and services out into the world. It was a great place to practice the social skills Ramit talked about. It’s not just about the content As Jeff kicked off the three-day conference with 1,200 people, he explained that as great as his content is, it’s only part of the value for participants. Relationships are built, and business gets done outside the meeting room â€" in informal settings like the bar, the hallway, the restaurant. He urged us to resist checking emails and making phone calls during breaks, and instead focus on meeting people. I’m thankful I listened (and obeyed!) because I met some terrific future business partners. Be cool Jeff also talked about what kind of conduct was “not cool” in terms of building relationships. There was to be no pushing and shoving to get into the room to get a good seat â€" you never know who could make or break your next business opportunity. We were to come from a mindset of openness and abundance when we talked to each other. We were to be supportive and help each other. Dare to share In addition to his instructions on how to “be cool” at the conference, the way he set up the sessions also encouraged us to share our ideas. He integrated small group conversations into each session where we had to find 2-3 other people and share our answers to questions he posed. Even our introverts were right in the mix sharing their points. Come from a mindset of openness and abundance when we talk to each other #socialskills Continue Improving Your Social Skills So, when you attend events, take advantage of the opportunity to build new relationships. Stay present and disconnect from the rest of your world for that limited time. And as you build your network â€" that crucial set of mutually supportive relationships that travels with you no matter where you are â€" keep in mind the role that social skills play. Whatever you do, keep practicing your social skills. They are truly differentiators, especially as you become more senior and people look to you for more than “just” your technical expertise. Even the best of us can continue to improve our social skills. How will you put your social skills to work to build up your network of relationships this week?

How to Get to Your Dream Biz 18 Months Faster than Me - When I Grow Up

How to Get to Your Dream Biz 18 Months Faster than Me - When I Grow Up In August of 2007, when I (finally!) decided to get my certification and become a life coach, I started a brand new day job. A day job that would allow me to not stress about my bills and would give me grown up things like medical insurance and a 401K. And, most importantly, a day job sans overtime and be-on-call-via-Blackberry-24/7 stress that allowed me to get my certification and build my business on nights and weekends. It was a long process. I gave my notice in March of 2010, having gotten my certification and built my business up enough that I felt comfortable and confident in becoming  a Woman of the World (aka full-time entrepreneur). And now that I have 5 years of distance plus the added experience of working closely with hundreds of clients while  theyve trailed their own job-leaving, business-launching path, I can confidently say: It  doesnt have to take so long. Ive seen clients make their plans and leave their jobs in under a year. Heck, Im working with 3 clients right now who  are all planning to leave their gigs in 2015 some of them just a couple months from now! And these havent been planners, per se.  Theyve all come to the realization just a few weeks ago that they can give their notice way sooner than they initially thought. Last September, I remember that the scariest part of my CreativeLive course was  hoping that the audience would have a sense of their dream careers in just 3 days, when I usually work with my clients for 4 months. I was anxious for weeks about the outcome, waiting for the live studio members to give me blank stares when we came to the last segment. Thankfully, that fear couldnt have been farther from what actually transpired, and I breathed a sigh of relief that I got the audience the results they were looking for. I told myself, See? It doesnt have to take so long. And Im putting this new belief of mine to the test, since Ive seen quick results happen over and over again to those that commit. This time, its in the form of my newest program  Its Business Time, a collaboration with business coach Tiffany Han and designer Erin Cassidy where you’ll walk away with a business of your very own, complete with a mission statement, offerings, and a custom logo and website, made just for you in 6 months time. I have to bold repeat that for dramatic effect: Six. Months. Time. It doesnt mean that youll be able to quit your job right when those 6 months are up, necessarily (but maybe it will!). But it  does mean that youll have the makings of a real, live, professional business waaaaaaaaay earlier than I did. Sure, my original website complete with a bright blue background and a logo of flowers got the job done for a time, until I shelled out for a real logo (almost a year later!) and threw it onto the site. Fast forward a whole  nother year when I could  finally afford to get my site professionally designed. It was  then, in early 10, that I had the confidence to give my notice and  feel like I could  really make this work. Yes, my certification + client experience and interest + savings + professional site = feeling I could really, truly be a Woman of the World. And while I  learned a ton in those 2 years and 7 months and built a strong foundation for my biz, Id be lying if Id say that Id get in a time machine and do it all again in less time. If I could make the time gap between my initial site and my professional site shrink from 2 years to 6 months? A big DUH  to that. Are you ready to save yourself ~18ish months  of work and step into the belief that This Doesnt Have To Take So Long? I hope so. Tiff, Erin and I are hosted a free webinar entitled What We Want You To Know About Starting a Business. Sign up here and youll get the info in your Inbox!

How to Write a Childcare Resume

How to Write a Childcare ResumeChildcare resume is a means of highlighting your interest in and experience with child care. There are plenty of childcare programs and companies that will be in need of childcare professionals. However, you will only be able to consider applying for jobs when you have a childcare resume. It is recommended that you submit your childcare resume in order to gain instant attention from potential employers.Many childcare resumes are submitted to multiple agencies. One agency could do well with one childcare resume while another agency might be more receptive to your resume. You should choose which agency best fits your needs. If you have a lot of experience and expertise, you should submit your resume to an agency that you would want to work for. If you do not have experience, you should submit your resume to a placement agency or a company that will be hiring the exact position that you are interested in.It is important to understand the purpose of a child care resume. Most childcare jobs are career positions that do not require prior training or certification. In other words, a childcare job does not require that you have experience as a registered nurse or some other sort of professional.However, in addition to this, most childcare jobs require that you have at least some education. Since most childcare jobs involve the care of young children, the requirements and rules of licensing and educational requirements for childcare workers are similar to those for other types of employment. In other words, childcare jobs require individuals to complete an education program before they can begin working in childcare. This is commonly known as licensure. In many cases, childcare applicants will be required to sit for and pass the licensure exam.The healthcare field can be tough to break into as there are plenty of childcare applicants. However, many childcare applicants feel that because their education or certifications are not equivalent t o those of childcare applicants, they are going to find it harder to get the job. As such, childcare resumes should highlight these differences. On the other hand, if your education is equivalent to a childcare applicant's education, this can help you secure a childcare job without having to take the licensure exam. You can make sure that your childcare resume highlights your desired educational credentials.When you are preparing a childcare resume, you should also consider whether you will be applying for a short-term or long-term position. Many childcare positions will likely require that you work for a company for six months or more. With this in mind, it is always best to outline any special skills that you have and describe how these may assist you with your childcare job.While childcare resume can be helpful in highlighting your educational and experience benefits, it is crucial that you use a variety of strategies in order to land the childcare job that you desire. You should not only highlight your education and professional qualifications, but you should also speak directly to the prospective employer about your capabilities. This will ensure that you are the one getting the first offer. Not only will you receive the first job, but you will have a higher likelihood of landing a second or even third job once you demonstrate to the potential employer your skills and interest.

Amazon Created More Jobs Last Year Than 46 States

Amazon Created More Jobs Last Year Than 46 States Retail giant Amazon‘s announcement earlier this month that it wanted to open a second headquarters â€" which it said would bring “as many as 50,000 high-paying jobs” along with it â€" has launched a bidding war. Politicians from Oklahoma to Connecticut to Pennsylvania are now falling all over themselves to get themselves noticed, waving tax breaks and other gifts and incentives. Just how big a jobs engine is the Internet retailer, which earlier this year held job fairs around he country with the goal of hiring 50,000 applicants in a single day? A look at the data suggests local boosters might be onto something. (function() { ‘use strict’; window.addEventListener(‘message’, function(event) { if (typeof event.data[‘datawrapper-height’] !== ‘undefined’) { for (var chartId in event.data[‘datawrapper-height’]) { var iframe = document.getElementById(‘datawrapper-chart-‘ + chartId) || document.querySelector(“iframe[src*='” + chartId + “‘]”); if (!iframe) { continue; } iframe.style.height = event.data[‘datawrapper-height’][chartId] + ‘px’; } } });})(); In June, Amazon employed 382,400, up from 268,900 the year before, according to its quarterly financial reports. That translates into roughly 113,500 net new hires in the past 12 months. To put that in context: If Amazon were a U.S. state, it would rank fourth in terms of job creation over that time frame â€" after Texas, California, Florida, and New York, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and just edging out Georgia. Of course, Amazon has destroyed some jobs too. Department stores, for instance, lost nearly 30,000 jobs last year, according the BLS. (To be fair, it’s hard to say precisely how many of these were due to competition from Amazon, as opposed to other online retailers or even completely unrelated business factors.) Still, Amazon’s growth record is pretty impressive.

Top 5 Jobs in the Midwest

Top 5 Jobs in the Midwestif youre looking for a career change (or a change of scenery), here are some of the nahe daran seinest-growing jobs for 2016 in the midwest. this includes illinois, indiana, iowa, michigan, minnesota, nebraska, north dakota, south dakota, and wisconsin. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) the midwestern part of the u.s. is unique because it faces a changing landscape for the traditional agriculture and manufacturing industries, but is seeing growth in many areas like healthcare and the tech industry.see alsothe top 5 major industry jobs in the southeast1. operations research analystas is the case all over the country, a number of midwest cities are getting in on the tech game. for example, indianapolis, in, was recently named one of the nations fastest-growing tech cities by fast company. one of the top jobs there is operations research analyst, which involved reviewing it processes and workflow to make things more e fficient.this role typically calls for a bachelors degree, and has a zentralwert salary of $76,660 per year (per the u.s. bureau of labor statistics). as technology grows and companies seek to integtarif better processes, this field is expected to grow more than 30%.2.human resources specialistno matter what industry your company is in or how big your company is, you need great human resources staffers to keep your personnel operations running smoothly. human resources specialists may be responsible for recruiting, hiring, training, communicating with employees about benefits and compensation and handling internal personnel issues.the median salary for human resources specialists is $57,420, and the field is expected to grow as new companies spring up in midwestern localesespecially in large cities like indianapolis, chicago, and omaha.3.rideshare driverif you live near a densely populated area (and increasingly even if you dont), you may have noticed that there are ridesharing serv ices (like lyft and uber) popping up everywhere. after picking up steam in east- and west-coast cities, the rest of the country is getting in on the ridesharing trend as well, with many major cities joining the fray.drivers are responsible for picking up passengers who reserve rides via an app, and for safely and efficiently getting them to their agreed-upon destination. payment is typically handled via the app, so rideshare drivers have a different process than standard taxi drivers. no advanced certification is necessary, though drivers do need to have a good driving history, and can expect to be vetted thoroughly by the company before hitting the road.the national median hourly rate is $19.04 for drivers.4. registered nursethe world always needs more nurses, of every stripeand as medical demands grow throughout the middle of the country, registered nurses will continue to be in high demand. registered nurses provide direct patient care and work with patients and families to educa te them on treatment and medical support.the median salary is $66,640, and the field is expected to grow by at least 16%.5. sales representative, manufacturing, and wholesalesales reps fill a crucial role they work to get products and services into the hands of businesses, agencies, and other organizations, then manage those customer relationships. sales reps can work in a variety of industries (tech, agriculture, health technology), and often travel throughout the region to meet potential customers.the median salary is $58,380, and the role usually requires on-the-job training rather than a formal degree or training program.if youre already in the heartland, or are seeking to move there to be near vistas that range from rolling fields to snow-capped mountains, there are many opportunities to be had as we head into 2016.

Ive Maintained a Side Hustle for 8 Years Without Burning Out Heres My Secret

Ive Maintained a Side Hustle for 8 Years Without Burning Out Heres My Secret Ive been consistently freelance writing on top of a full-time ghostwriting job for eight years. My first freelance writing gig and I found each other in 2011, the same year I started my full-time ghostwriting position.Eight years is a long time to commit to a side hustle. My social media accounts get the best snippets of that life the photos from the entertainment red carpet reporting days in my early twenties to shots with the brand mascots I write about in advertising now. However, what nobody sees is the actual day in my side hustles life. There arent photos of me staying up late on a deadline. I dont save any of my stream of consciousness barf writing. Nobody has video footage of me taking an exhaustion nap as I try to recharge from spending eight hours at my full-time job for the evenings assignments. The only evidence anyone has of my eight years spent side hustling is the finished product usually a published article or an evening out at an event.How have I not burned out yet? Easy I keep burnout at bay with the help of a few secrets to side hustle success. Whether you do it for months or years at a time, these secrets can be used to anyones advantage in keeping up with your side gig.1. Focus on revenue-generating tasks first.It takes a little time to get a side hustle going in the beginning. Thats kind of why its referred to as a side hustle. You focus on the gig when you have extra time and work a full-time job for a primary source of reliable income. As time progresses, and the side gig grows and receives more recognition, it can become its own full-time line of work.Putting a steady paycheck first, even if its not in the field youre dreaming of being in, is smart. Erin Shea, North America Marketing Director at Vistaprint, says its also key to avoiding burnout. In a recent survey of individuals that run side hustles in addition to working full-time, Vistaprint discovered t hat many individuals dedicate 16 hours average each week on their side gigs.Thats a lot of time to spend on a hustle, especially if its not generating revenue. Rather than continue to burn the candle on both ends, Shea says that side hustlers have to identify priority tasks that have the fruchtwein significant impact on their business. This ensures you spend less time on work that has less impact on your bottom line, and more time creating value during the workday.2. Learn how to say no.In my early days as a freelancer, I was fresh out of college with a scanty portfolio. I said yes to as many writing opportunities as I could, even though several were underpaid or didnt pay at all. I needed the experience, but didnt always receive pay for it.However, I was lucky in that I had a full-time, paid job. As time progressed and my body of work grew, I developed confidence in knowing my limitations and my worth. Now, I politely say no whenever I do not have the bandwidth for an assignment.Th e best part of saying no, especially when you do it nicely, is that its not an all is lost moment. Sometimes the zeiteinteilung isnt right in the moment, but it might be a better fit later on. Hang on to those contacts and circle back in the future for collaboration opportunities.3. Invest in yourself.Ive had a lot of moments over the years where Ive eaten JELL-O for dinner or cancelled a dinner outing with a friend so I could do my work. Its not a great feeling and as time has progressed, I have leaned into gasp creating a personal life for myself.Granted, my personal life is still a work in progress, but I am slowly learning how to invest in myself more and more. Set aside a little bit of time each day to unplug from laptops and smartphones. Indulge in a bit of self-care, like grabbing a smoothie or taking a bubble bath, which allows you to unwind. It makes it a lot easier to hit play on your side hustle once you get back in the groove again.4. You have to love your side hustle like crazy.Over the last eight years, Ive had my fair share of late nights spent huddled over my laptop, trying to get sentence to turn out right. Yet, the occasional bout of writers block aside, nothing has ever made me want to quit or give up writing.The secret to how I make my side hustle work is love. I love what I do too much to let it go. That love has also done a lot more than keep me committed to endbearbeitung an assignment. It has paved a road for me to explore new verticals and rise to new writing challenges. I also get to pick the minds of my brilliant editors and fellow writers, all of whom I feel lucky to work alongside.Thats the big secret to side hustle success you gotta love it. No matter what the hustle is, you have to love it so much that youre willing to go all in and pull out all the stops. The passion you have for your side hustle ultimately makes both you and the business stronger, so give it your all.