Using LinkedIn Wrong Ahem

Using LinkedIn Wrong Ahem… This month there is an article titled Youre Probably Using LinkedIn Wrong And That Could Cost You Your Next Job. I think that its a good idea to be active on LinkedIn, although I dont agree with what the article says. In my experience, the main thing you should do is improve your LinkedIn Profile.  I have never seen a Profile that is awesome (or, that couldnt use some help).  If I were to grade Profiles, most of them would get a C-.  IMO its more important to fix your Profile than put up weekly status updates.  You can get access to my LinkedIn Profile course (titled LinkedIn Strategy: Optimize Your Profile) for free on Pluralsight, just login through JibberJobber, and watch the video below to see how to access it (and get free JibberJobber upgrades). I am writing this post because I dont want you to think that if you are not putting in status updates, youre using LinkedIn wrong.  Trust me, recruiters are smart enough to figure out your skills and competencies, even if you arent posting an update weekly. If you want to know what to do on LinkedIn, check out my other course (for free on Pluralsight): LinkedIn: Proactive Strategies. If you think Im off my rocker, read the comments on the post. Using LinkedIn Wrong Ahem… This month there is an article titled Youre Probably Using LinkedIn Wrong And That Could Cost You Your Next Job. I think that its a good idea to be active on LinkedIn, although I dont agree with what the article says. In my experience, the main thing you should do is improve your LinkedIn Profile.  I have never seen a Profile that is awesome (or, that couldnt use some help).  If I were to grade Profiles, most of them would get a C-.  IMO its more important to fix your Profile than put up weekly status updates.  You can get access to my LinkedIn Profile course (titled LinkedIn Strategy: Optimize Your Profile) for free on Pluralsight, just login through JibberJobber, and watch the video below to see how to access it (and get free JibberJobber upgrades). I am writing this post because I dont want you to think that if you are not putting in status updates, youre using LinkedIn wrong.  Trust me, recruiters are smart enough to figure out your skills and competencies, even if you arent posting an update weekly. If you want to know what to do on LinkedIn, check out my other course (for free on Pluralsight): LinkedIn: Proactive Strategies. If you think Im off my rocker, read the comments on the post.

How to Write a Recent Grad Resume

How to Write a Recent Grad ResumeMany students and recent graduates struggle with the job search process. The lack of experience and formal training can take its toll. They often begin to believe that the only way to get a good job is to write a well-written resume, or contact a recruiter and have them write it for them.This is not the case for most fresh graduates. A recent graduate should focus on his or her strengths and try to improve upon those areas. When a candidate has the ability to excel in the areas he or she excels, the odds of landing a job are dramatically increased. Therefore, the key to landing a job with a recent graduate resume is to focus on the strengths of the candidate and apply that skill.The candidate's skill should be tied directly to a specific type of career. If a recent graduate wants to be a career counselor, then the resume must be geared towards career counselors. Some businesses specialize in recruiting for specific career fields, so it makes sense to focus on those types of jobs.Skills and attributes should be covered as much as possible. Employers want to see that the candidate has the specific skills they need. This includes leadership, communication, creativity, and problem solving. Because there is so much competition for these specific skills, some candidates won't be able to cover every area. For example, they may not be a great writer, and therefore they will be limited to covering their experiences.However, the candidate who covers their bases by including a basic skill at the top of the resume will be at a huge advantage. While it might be less desirable to include these skills, a candidate that can cover all their bases will stand out. This means that an applicant needs to be very clear about what they are looking for.There are two skills that any candidate should look for: the ability to do the work and the ability to do the specific tasks involved. Companies that require a candidate to meet a certain minimum number o f hours might not be a great fit for that candidate. However, if they do the work and put forth the effort, then they will be accepted almost no matter what the requirement is.Finally, make sure that you provide a sample of past work. One advantage of putting a resume online is that potential employers can look at samples. Make sure that the samples are recent, since many people write their resumes on paper. An employer also wants to know that the resume will be available when they are looking for that specific person.Remember, any long list of weaknesses can be overcome by highlighting all of the strengths. The most important thing is to come up with a long list of the skills a prospective employer is going to be looking for, and then be sure to highlight all of the strengths.

6 Ways to Update Your Skin Routine for Winter

6 Ways to Update Your Skin Routine for Winter Winter is here, and it’s bringing dry skin with it. Between the freezing temperatures outside and the dry air in your home, your skin takes a beating during the cold winter months. To keep your skin looking its best throughout the snowy season, you’ll need to update your skin care routine. Here’s how: 1. Start Layering Your Skin Care Products To prevent water from drying out your skin, start layering your skin care products to create multiple protective barriers. Hot water actually removes surface lipids from your skin, which allows moisture to leak and your skin to dry out. Applying multiple layers of moisturizing products will help fight against dryness. Try using a variety of products, such as moisturizers, mists and skin boosters. 2. Stop Taking Long, Hot Showers When temperatures drop, it’s natural to want to take a hot shower or bath. The warm water relaxes tired muscles and helps you de-stress, but spending too much time in hot water can be disastrous for your skin. Eventually, your skin will start leaching out your skin’s natural moisturizers, which only makes dry, itchy skin even worse. 3. Exfoliate Before Shaving It’s always a good idea to exfoliate before shaving, but it becomes even more important in the winter. Exfoliation will remove dead and dry skin, which tends to get worse during the winter. Electric razors can help you save time when shaving. We recommend that you do your research to know more about a women’s electric razor before diving in and buying one. Some women choose to just give up on shaving during the winter. But if you don’t want to go this route, make sure that you’re at least exfoliating before each shaving session. 4. Use Sheet Masks More Often Sheet masks are all the rage in the beauty industry. Why? Because they’re easy to use, and they leave your skin feeling soft and moisturized. While clay masks are great for removing impurities, they can be drying and irritating to the skin. Stick to hydrating sheet masks with skin-nourishing ingredients. 5. Don’t Forget to Wear SPF The weather may be gloomy and cold, but the suns UV rays are still around â€" and they can still damage your skin. UV radiation is year-round, and the snow-covered ground can actually worsen UV radiation exposure due to reflection. Don’t put your sunscreen back on the shelf just because it’s winter. Make sure that it’s still a regular part of your skincare routine. 6. Switch to a Gentle Cleanser If your skin feels drier than usual, you may assume that your moisturizer is doing a bad job. But in most cases, dry skin is actually caused by harsh cleansers. Yes, your cleanser removes makeup, dirt and dead skin, but it also removes your skin’s natural protective barrier. Switching to a mild cleanser will give your skin a much-needed break. Gentle cleansers still remove dirt and makeup, but they don’t strip away as much natural oil. One last tip: try cutting back on how often you cleanse your face. Cleansing twice a day in the summer may be fine because you’re sweating and producing more oil. But in the drying winter months, it may be better to cut down to cleansing just once a day.

Bored at Work 15 Ways to Stay Productive

Bored at Work 15 Ways to Stay Productive Youre done with todays work, and still have time to kill before 5 oclock. Awesome! But unless you work from home, you cant just head out before everyone else does. So how do you occupy yourself in the meantime, without looking like a slacker or breaking company rules? Heres how to stay productive. De-Clutter Your Desk   Is your desk so messy that it takes you several minutes just to find a pen? While clutter can stimulate creativity, a neat desk is more helpful for productivity. Sort through your stuff carefully, and see which ones you can pile alongside each other.   De-Clutter Your Computer Aside from your physical desktop, your digital desktop may require cleanup as well. If half your screen is taken up by icons, create new folders to organize them. You can arrange them however you like, as long as it takes you a few seconds, at most, to hunt for a single file next time. Write Tomorrows To-Do List Today Instead of taking on work as you go, why not plan ahead? Check if you have any unfinished business (or potential unfinished business) today, and list them down so you wont forget tomorrow. You can do this with good old-fashioned pen and paper, or you can use the most effective To-Do apps available. Read Online It doesnt have to be work-related (though it should at least be Safe For Work!). Type the question thats always been bugging you into Google, and see where that takes you. Hey, youre never too old to learn new things! Improve Your Workflow Frustrated by workflow inefficiencies, but dont know how to solve them? Get help from task management software. Kanban, for example, allows you to structure your tasks into Requested, In Progress and Done. If that sounds like your workflow, more or less, give Kanban a try. Create a Work Journal Do you have thoughts about work youd rather keep to yourself? Try writing them down. Not only is this therapeutic, but it can also clear up the cobwebs in your mind. Your journal can be anything: A Moleskine, a private blog or one of those cute-yet-cheap locked notebooks. Just make sure you keep your journal away from prying eyes! Have a Mini-Class at Your Desk Considering the numerous websites that offer free online classes, theres no reason not to learn something new today. For starters, you have Coursera, MIT OpenCourseWare and edX where you can study virtually everything under the sun from the worlds best universities. If youre looking to learn a specialized skill like programming, look no further than CodeAcademy. Create Work-Related Social Media Posts Think the shares on your company blog posts could use a boost? Use your professional social media profiles to promote them. Even if its not part of your job description, building goodwill for your company can only bring you good karma in return. Exercise at Your Desk Since youve been sitting all day, nows a good time to get back into shape. You dont need a skintight tracksuit to perform deskercises â€" just a few minutes (and a lot of physical space between you and your co-workers!) will do. Read Offline Lets face it: The Internet is a distracting place. One article can have dozens of links, and its hard to resist the temptation to click them all. So why not bring your favorite book to work? If you have an e-book reader, thats even better: You can pack it with as many books as it can hold. Update Your Professional Profiles If you havent touched your LinkedIn for months, you might want to update it. Read through it again and see if you can strengthen any part of it. For example, instead of writing a generic summary that lists what you do â€" rather than what youve achieved â€" use a template to rewrite your summary into one that sparkles. Write About Anything Open your word-processing software, and type anything into it. It can be as mundane as your thoughts for the day, or as outrageous as your master plan for world domination. (Just kidding!) It can even be that novel youve wanted to write for a long time. Whatever it is, it wont hurt to get it out of your head and onto the page. Bond with a Co-Worker When you have a good relationship with co-workers, it creates a positive emotional culture at work which, in turn, contributes positively to overall company performance. So even if youre not the friendly type, lending your ear to a troubled co-worker can work wonders. Just make sure you know where to draw the line between being helpful and being taken advantage of. Play a Game Not all fun games are online. The Japanese, for example, have a game called shiritori, where players say a word, beginning with the first syllable of the previous words last syllable. For example, if the previous player says vinegar, the next player should say something like garnish (since the last syllable and first syllable are both gar). The game ends when a player breaks a rule (e.g. no words that end with n). Its harder and more exciting than it sounds, so try it! Do Nothing Cant think of anything to do? Thats okay, really. Believe it or not, doing nothing can work wonders for your productivity. Willpower and energy are limited resources, after all, and you can only stretch them so thin for so long. Youll accomplish more if you break up your workday into manageable chunks, as opposed to working non-stop until you crash and burn. Staying Productive Benefits Everyone When youre willing to be creative, inquisitive and resourceful, youll never run out of things to do at work. And remember, youre staying productive as much for yourself as you are for your employer.  Keep this list handy next time youre bored at your desk!

Resume Writing Tips For Beginners

Resume Writing Tips For BeginnersResume writing tips for beginners can help you organize your thoughts and get the most out of the document. This is important, because when you have a resume in front of you, you want to make sure that you are making the most of the material. It is also important to know how to create a good first impression.One of the things that you should avoid putting on a resume is material that could be embarrassing to talk about. This includes material that has to do with your past drug or alcohol use. Many people find this information embarrassing. Not only is it embarrassing but it tends to come up in interviews, which may lead to a negative experience.Another thing that you should avoid is giving information that you wouldn't want out there. While you may think that this is all true, it is easy to slip into 'not-truth' territory. For example, there may be references to information that was not available to you at the time. This type of information may also b e out of date. This can be a problem if you need to use the information for future employment or other purposes.One of the biggest mistakes that many people make when writing a resume is not keeping the information related to the job or position that they want. The more relevant the information, the better. Not having enough relevant information may make it appear that you are just trying to get the job. However, if you have the proper information to back up your resume, it will help your application stand out.One of the other things that you should avoid when writing a resume is focusing on information that you are not going to need. This can be done by not keeping all of the relevant information. If you keep all of the relevant information, then you may not be able to get a job if you change your mind about a particular position. You should only keep as much information as you need for your job search.When it comes to choosing what to put on your resume, it is a good idea to make sure that you choose the information that will help you get the job. There are some tips that you can follow to help you choose what to put on your resume. First, focus on the areas of the job that you would be interested in. If you don't have any interest in a particular position, then this is a good reason to put off putting the relevant information on your resume.Another one of the resume writing tips that you should follow is to always choose the information that is relevant to the job you are applying for. This can be a tough one, because some people don't know what to put on their resume, so they put too much unnecessary information. You should always be able to see that what you are putting on your resume is relevant to the job you are applying for. This can help you get an interview, which is always a good thing.Finally, keep in mind that it is okay to include a little bit of information that you think might be helpful, but you shouldn't include all of it. You should only in clude what you think will be helpful to the hiring manager. This can help you ensure that you can write a successful resume, even though it may take a little extra time. It may also save you a little embarrassment if you make a mistake and have to turn down the job.

Career Path to Becoming a Wedding Dress Designer

Career Path to Becoming a Wedding Dress Designer Becoming a Wedding Dress Designer and creating beautiful wedding dresses is a wonderful ambition to have. A general love for and understanding of dressmaking is the most important foundation to have to make the dream a reality.Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comSome wedding dress designers will design and make the dress themselves while others will focus on the design and have a team of talented technical staff making the actual pieces. Either way, most of the steps on this career path with be similar.You may not sew the beads onto the designer wedding dresses you create but you must have a thorough understanding of how to do it.evalHobbies inform what would suit you as a career. Dressmaking, sewing, craft and art will all help develop hand to eye co-ordination, attention to detail and appreciate of colour and shape. Read lots of magazines, blogs and websites to learn about how trends are created, develop and then spread throughout the world of fashion and design.Useful initial work experien ce will help you to decide if designing wedding dresses is for you and what element of the industry you will enjoy the most.Don’t forget too that wedding dress designers also create designer dresses for guests on the big day. Retail experience in a clothes shop, bridal boutique, haberdashery or fabric shop will reveal your existing skills.Gaining QualificationsFormal qualifications are important if you want to become a wedding dress designer. Students will take either a textiles, fashion design or art degree or diploma at a University, Fashion or Art School. The Royal College of Art and Central St Martins of Art and Design are both excellent establishments to study at. There are also plenty of fantastic quality regional Fashion Design courses to apply for.While studying, it is crucial to start networking.An internship/apprenticeship with a designer and/or in a shop or workroom will get your name and work known in the industry. Hopefully these efforts will lead to a job after gradu ating.However, budding designers of wedding dresses shouldn’t expect to send a collection of their gowns down a runway six months after graduating. Time and experience, as with any career, is key.Getting StartedevalPractical skills are as important as theory, exams, creativity and coursework. You will need comprehensive knowledge of pattern cutting, expert sewing machine skills and the understanding of how to produce the delicate beading and embroidery that adorns many designer wedding dresses.Potentially your career will bypass qualifications and learn your trade with a mentor.Business and management acumen mustn’t be undervalued. You may have hundreds of imaginative ideas for a stylish bodice or intricate lace sleeve but they won’t ever grace a dress with your label in if you struggle to create persuasive business plans.Each designer’s career path will be different. For every hugely successful Vera Wang in the industry there are many, many others sewing pearls onto a silk skirt hem in the converted garage of their home.evalYou may assist in the creation of pieces to be sold off the peg or you could personally design and hand-bead one or two bespoke couture dresses a year. The choice is yours and a lot of hard work, a little luck and carefully honed talents will get you there.

SAS Eligibility Criteria - How 2 Become

SAS Eligibility Criteria - How 2 Become Special Air Services is a speciality unit in the Army. It is part  of the reserves. Units typically deal with difficult and changing circumstances. Command or guidance may not be available during operational and strategic situations. Those in this special unit often have to work alone or in a small  team. Given the special nature of some of the tasks it can be difficult to find individuals  qualified for the SAS department. There is a process followed by the Army to help locate individuals that are potential candidates for the special unit. Here, we’re going to be taking a look at SAS eligibility criteria and British SAS Recruitment.Entry Requirements â€" SAS Eligibility CriteriaThe SAS section is for reservists; however, to find qualified individuals to become a part of the team the Army looks from within the enlisted, officer, and reserve units. Like the Special Boat Services of the Navy, a candidate either needs to be in the last 6 months of enlistment or already in the reserves to become a part of this special unit to enter at an age of 34 years. Any male that is 18 to 32 without prior military service can become a part of the special unit. The age limit is up to 42 years for staying in the unit, but training and acceptance has to occur at 32 years or 34 years depending on military service.Besides age there are other requirements to fulfil. Volunteers into this unit need to be able to travel overseas for deployment, pass a fitness and commitment test. The SAS unit is physically difficult, as well as mentally demanding. The selection course occurs twice each year and assesses aptitude and continuation.Aptitude for SAS â€" SAS Eligibility CriteriaDuring the aptitude phase the fitness test will occur. All candidates need to be physically fit before the course begins with the determination to improve even more for the special unit. Qualities examined for include self-confidence, self-discipline, ability to work alone, physical and mental fitness, and the abil ity to assimilate information and learn new skills.Continuation of Selection â€" SAS Eligibility CriteriaAfter the aptitude period is over training will begin where candidates will learn standard operating procedures to continue to evaluate the individual and train them for deployment when special circumstances arise. The commitment phase will look to make certain there is at least a year of time the person can be in the unit after training with the hope of actually continuing well beyond the first training year and one year as a reservist.Medical Situation â€" SAS Eligibility CriteriaAs it is possible to enter prior to any military experience candidates will need to fulfil the medical and physical criteria that the Army requires. This means the timed runs, heart, lung, and lung capacity tests, hearing and eyesight tests will be required as well as filling out the medical questionnaire.As long as there are no pre-existing conditions or illnesses that would affect the health and safe ty of the candidate, the team, or others it is possible to pass the medical exam. For hearing and eyesight there are limitations to ensure that someone can hear clear instructions, and see at an appropriate distance or nearness with aids. For personnel already in reserves or active military it is necessary to take the fitness tests for entry into the SAS; however, the medical is usually a re-check to make certain nothing has changed during enlistment.Nationality and Residency â€" SAS Eligibility CriteriaAnyone entering the Army for the first time will need to be a citizen of Britain, Commonwealth nations, or hold a dual nationality. The person also must live in the UK for 5 years with no longer than 6 months missed during the residency period. If these criteria are met then the candidate is qualified. For those already in the reserves or enlisted in the Army this criteria should already be met.Convictions â€" SAS Eligibility CriteriaCriminal convictions unless they are significant i n offence will not eliminate a candidate from Army service. While convictions cannot be used to end all Army candidacy there are special units like the SAS that have stricter rules for the types of convictions allowed or disallowed given the nature of the work. For those enlisted or in the reserves this should not be an issue unless something occurred while already apart of the military.Tattoos and Piercings â€" SAS Eligibility CriteriaPiercings are not allowed, unless the area will heal overtime. Tattoos cannot be excessive, offensive, or obscene and must be hidden under dress uniforms.Conclusion â€" SAS Eligibility CriteriaNow you have a good idea about whether you are eligible for a position in the SAS. If you’d like expert advice and top tips on joining the SAS, check out How to Join the Special Air Service. If you want help with the SAS numerical ability test, check out numerical ability test questions and answers. This entry was posted in Eligibility Criteria. Bookmark the p ermalink. Joshua Brown Navy RanksArmy Eligibility Criteria: 2018/2019 Entry Requirements

Employer Friendly Social Media Presence

Employer Friendly Social Media Presence When searching for a job, first impressions really do count even digital ones. Applying for jobs in today’s employment marketplace doesn’t just mean sending out carefully written resumes and applications. Jobvite’s Social Recruiting Survey showed that a whopping 93% of managers will take a look at your social media profiles as a standard part of their recruitment decision-making process. And we’re not just talking LinkedIn here. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram they’re all fair game. Your social media presence is all part of your personal brand that you present to employers.   But before we all panic and delete our social media accounts, remember this is also a positive opportunity. Your social media presence shows your personality in a way your resume never could. Not to mention, many bosses are looking for candidates with at least a basic amount of social media savvy. All those hours chatting on Twitter might actually pay off! So, before you start sending out applications, take some time to give your social media an early spring clean by following these steps to build  an employer-friendly social media presence. Your future (super-successful) self will thank you for it. 1. Keep it Clean Sure, social media is a place to express yourself but also keep in mind that you’re effectively speaking in public. Avoid and delete inappropriate jokes, swearing, stories about binge drinking, rants about your current boss, potentially offensive opinions… you get the picture! 2. Keep Some Things to Yourself Decide whether you want to share all of your personal information online. For example, while Facebook gives you the option to share your marital status, this might be something you prefer employers not know. Same goes for your age, sexual orientation, whether or not you have children and so on. While its illegal for potential employers to ask or use this information as a deciding factor, some still do, at least subconsciously.   3. Update Your Employment Info Make sure that your employment and educational history on your social media profiles matches what you have on your resume. This means updating your profiles to include your current and recent employment. It’s worth doing so on all of your accounts to demonstrate consistency and to show how important your career is to you. 4. Review Your Privacy Settings Get to know your privacy options and adjust your settings to suit you. You don’t necessarily need to opt for the tightest privacy settings available if you dont want.   You’ll find options that allow you to keep some parts of your profile and posts for the eyes of friends only and even for specific friends only which can come in handy if any potential employers of colleagues send you an unexpected friend request. If you are pursuing certain sensitive careers, such as teaching, then your privacy settings need to be as tight as possible! 5. Be Enthusiastic About Your Industry Social media is a great place to share your passion about what you do. Save those moans about work stress or approaching deadlines for chats with your best friends and use your online profiles to share interesting content from your industry, as well as your own professional development wins. Posting positive comments about your team also helps boost your image as a positive team player. 6. Facebook Timeline Review â€" Switch It On! If you haven’t discovered Facebook Timeline Review already, it’s going to be your new best friend. Switch it on and you have the power to review and approve anything that somebody wants to post to your timeline. Gone are the days of embarrassing photos from the night before popping up on your timeline before you can do anything about it phew! And while you’re at it, go ahead and un-tag yourself from any previous photos of you that you wouldn’t want potential employers to see. 7. Connect with the Right People Following and interacting with the top influencers in your industry is a great way of showing your enthusiasm for your work. Being a member of professional networks and getting involved in forum chats relating to your profession is another good way of boosting your employer-friendly digital footprint â€" as well as building potentially useful relationships. But what if your professional networking starts to overlap with your personal accounts? Check out Facebook’s ‘Custom’ option in your privacy settings if you would like to create a list of your professional friends and restrict the posts they can see. 8. Edit Your Bio Spend some time editing your social media bios to present yourself in your best possible light. Showcase your skills, highlight your most interesting and relevant hobbies and aim to create a cohesive personal brand across all of your accounts. With some social media platforms, such as Twitter, you could even consider creating a professional account to complement your job-seeking efforts. The app makes it easy to switch back and forth right on your phone.   9. Choose the Right Profile Picture Love that profile picture where you’re dancing on the beach with a cocktail on your hand? Sorry, it’s got to go. Choose a profile pic that is friendly and approachable but professional at the same time. You dont have to go overboard and use a stiff, formal photo of you in your best work suit, just leave the boozy beach shots for your private photo albums. 10. Google Yourself The easiest way of reviewing your digital footprint is to Google yourself. This is exactly what potential employers will do and it gives you a great overview of your online presence. Still got an old idle MySpace account? Delete it. Inappropriate photos of you showing up on a friend’s blog? Ask them to remove them. 11. Make Your English Teacher Proud No, grammar may not be sexy  but it matters. Forget about spelling and grammar and future employers might question your ability to do the job, so give your posts a quick proofread to make sure they reflect your dazzling communication skills. Is your social media presence helping or hurting your job search? Even if youre not looking for a new job, nows the time to start making sure your profiles reflect how you want to be seen professionally. Take these 11 steps to improve your presence today. About the author: Nicola is a social media consultant and content creator, working with SMEs such as Traveling Vineyard and Focus Clinics. She spends her days working to a tight but productive schedule in order to stave off the cabin fever induced madness of working from home. 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