Tough (Question) Tuesday Whats your Big Dream - When I Grow Up

Tough (Question) Tuesday Whats your Big Dream - When I Grow Up Have Big Dreams Inspirational Print by WordWillow Ever since I was little, I was a Big Dreamer. My idols were Annie and Debbie Gibson and Punky Brewster, and I was never told that I couldnt be a pop star or on Broadway or a spunky foster child who wore two different socks and two different sneakers. Ive been a Big Dream Chaser my whole life, and things didnt get any different once I became an adult. Even though Im no longer pursuing The Broadway Stage, I often think its equally Big to be my own boss and make a living doing what I love enough to pay my share of the mortgage and the bills, to contribute to my IRA and invest in my business (new laptop and website, anyone?) and have some left over. Thats a Big Dream in and of itself, but when its something youve reached, you tend to think even bigger Now, right now, my Big Dream is to make enough money (and feel secure enough!) so that my husband can quit his job six figures and then some. My Big Dream is to be a best-selling author (The Declaration of You in summer 2013 baby!). My Big Dream is to be a Master Certified Coach (I just got my PCC credentials, so MCC is next!). My Big Dream is to be a keynote speaker at conferences like the World Domination Summit and the International Coach Federation Global. I asked my blog sponsors what their Big Dreams are. Heres what they had to say: Gabriella of Green Home Today: Whenever I dont know the answer to a question, I resort to search engines which is what I was tempted to do with this question. I was hoping to find my big dream all neatly packaged for me with a set of instructions on how to get there. The reason I cant properly answer this is because I have a billion little dreams. Each of those dreams are as important at the next. Its fair to say, then, that my big dream is to realize all of my little dreams. And then, to make connections with like-minded people who are doing the same. Patty of The Plaid Cupcake: I have a lot of big dreams that all kinda encompass and fold into one another. Only having to work 9 months out of the year and having my Summers free, buying a beach house along the shore, and having The Plaid Cupcake be a household name. But for now, my mini-dream is to walk into a Starbucks, a Dunkin Donuts, or local coffee shop and see someone whip out a Plaid Cupcake coffee cozy! Now its your turn. I know its scary, but theres something so empowering and freeing in typing this out and putting it into the world. Whats your Big Dream?

Coupon For Resume Writing Group - Save Time and Money With It

Coupon For Resume Writing Group - Save Time and Money With ItA coupon for resume writing group can be a huge help for many people who are trying to generate resumes with ease. Just as you would use a coupon for food, you could also use this for writing your resume. Many companies offer discounts if you are willing to write an application that will prove how good you are at your job. If you make sure that you apply for these companies in the same day, you will be able to save time and money.There are many benefits to be had by applying for these companies. You will be able to work in the comfort of your own home. No matter how hard it is to find work, it can be very easy to use this coupon for resume writing groups.Many people are not sure where to start when they get an online website. You will be able to find all the help you need if you join a coupon for resume writing group. The group owner will show you what to do and how to get started without any hassle.Once you are getting sta rted, you can join a coupon for resume writing group that has many members. You will have to contact each person individually and decide on how many applicants you would like to send out to different companies.Once you have picked the appropriate amount of resumes to send out, you will receive a coupon for resume writing group. You can purchase it at a store or online. You will receive a voucher that can be used with your regular coupon for resume writing group.Once you have received the voucher, you will then need to get a specific resume written for you. You should contact each company that will be hiring you. This way, you will know exactly how long the application is going to take.The coupon for resume writing group is a huge benefit to any person who is interested in a new career. You will save time and money. You will also be able to earn your resume easily because it will be customized for you.

What is a Professional Reference and The 4 Best People to Use - ZipJob

What is a Professional Reference and The 4 Best People to Use Spread the loveSo, you got the interview and you think you did pretty well. Now what? Well, they’ll usually ask you for professional references. What is a professional reference? Who should you use as a reference? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We’ll show you what a professional reference is and show you the best people to use.What is a Professional Reference?A professional reference is someone your employer contacts who can vouch for you. Theyre usually asked to verify that they worked with you and the information you gave them in your resume/interview.Usually the last step before a company makes an offer is checking your professional references. Think of it as online reviews for a product or service.You found the product, it looks pretty decent and you’re almost ready to buy. What do you do right before you put in your credit card info? You usually check the reviews to ensure you’re receiving a quality product. It’s pretty much the same for an employer looking to hire someone, they check your professional references to ensure you make a good hire.Almost a third of employers reported that a bad hire will cost the company over $50,000. With that much hanging on the line, employers really depend on references to vouch for you. For that reason, you need to ensure you use the right references.Who to Use as a Reference?Boss or ManagerThe best professional reference is a former (or current) boss or manager. A hiring manager trusts your former boss over any other reference as theyre usually able to provide an unbiased review of you and your work ethic. You should really reach out to your boss and ask if you can use them as a reference. We put together a good template you can use when asking others to be a reference.  One thing you should keep in mind is to ensure that whoever you’re listing is well spoken and will speak of you positively. You, of course, wouldn’t list a boss who you didn’t get along with or one who fired you.ColleaguesThe nex t best thing to listing a boss is a former or current colleague. If you have a few different colleagues to list, pick those with a higher position and title. If you had to choose between a junior accountant and a senior tax adviser, you would of course go with the senior.Also, as mentioned above â€" pick someone who will speak highly of you and one who’s well spoken. You don’t want your reference to be shy as they may have trouble articulating all your awesome qualities.ProfessorsA professor is an awesome reference to have, especially if you’ve recently graduated or don’t have much work experience. If you graduated college over 10 years ago, it may be a bit too late to list your professor.Other Well Known ProfessionalsIf you know someone who’s well known in the industry, or has a prestigious title, you can list them as a reference even though you haven’t worked with them. Make sure they can speak about you professionally as you don’t want to list someone who’s just g oing to say, “he’s a great guy” or “she’s wonderful.”For example, listing a CEO who knows about you and your professional life is a good reference. Of course, this should be the last reference you include, try to include the most relevant references like a boss or colleague first.Volunteer, Internships and Freelance WorkYou can include a reference from volunteer and internship positions as well as clientele from freelance work. This is especially helpful for those who don’t have much work experience.If you include a client from freelance work you performed, ensure that theyre a professional company and relevant. For example, a web developer who lists a founder of a startup he did some programming work for is a good example.So, to recap on the best people to use as a reference:People You Shouldnt Use as a ReferenceFriends and Family MembersOkay, contrary to what anyone has told you or what youve read online, friends and family members dont make good references for a job application. Unless the employer asks for a personal reference, you should never include one. Just think about it, the hiring manager wants some unbiased feedback about you and your professional life and a friend or family member is the worst person to get that from.You could include a colleague who you were friendly with, but just including a friend or family member who’s never worked with you will make you look unprofessional.Fake ReferencesDon’t tell your cousin Vinny to act like he’s the CEO of some bogus company. Hiring managers speak to tons of references and can usually tell a fake reference from a real one. Save yourself the embarrassment and possibility of ruining your reputation.People Who May Speak NegativelyYou, of course, wouldn’t list someone who may say something negative about you. You should already know if your reference will speak about you positively but if you just want to make sure, you can reach out to them and ask.Irrelevant ReferencesHere is where m any job seekers go wrong, listing someone completely irrelevant will do you more harm than good. What do we mean by irrelevant?Listing someone for who you worked as a babysitter 10 years ago when you’re applying for a financial analyst position is irrelevant. If you don’t have anyone else, we wrote a great post you may want to check out on other alternatives to when you don’t have any references.So, to Recap, here are references you shouldnt include:Having professional references who are ready to put in a good word for you is super important. Remember not to list your references on a resume, but to have a references page ready if the employers asks. You can check out our post which includes a  references page template. Good luck with your job search!

Reverse Engineering A Warfighter Resume - Work It Daily

Reverse Engineering A Warfighter Resume - Work It Daily Having a better understanding of the discharge process may avoid making a bad hire. The events at the Washington Navy Yard on Monday, September 16th will resonate for months and years to come. Who was responsible for granting Aaron Alexis access to the secure facility will be scrutinized extensively and exhaustively. However, given that Alexis was an honorably discharged Navy veteran with no criminal record, vetted by 2 federal contractors, the Navy Yard itself, and a full security clearance background check, understanding how this horrible event happened in spite of all that scrutiny, and more importantly, how to prevent it from happening again, is unfortunately never going to be satisfactorily answered. However, the one group with the best opportunity to assess Alexis’ suitability/unsuitability before any ‘official’ vetting took place was the recruiting desk. Had a recruiter with sufficient understanding of the military discharge process questioned Alexis before submitting his resume, the placement may have been stopped before it even began. Here then is an overview of the salient facts about warfighter resumes: Warfighter Vs. Corporate Culture How mentorship differs and why it is so important for recruiters to understand. The ethos of “Leave no one behind”. The security of the military ‘cocoon’ and how it adversely impacts veterans in the civilian workforce. We are losing the psychological battle during and after transition. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs the suicide rate among veterans is the highest of any minority demographic group in the nation. Types Of Discharges Honorable â€" To receive an honorable discharge, a service member must have received a rating from good to excellent for his or her service. General â€" General discharges are given to service members whose performance is satisfactory but is marked by a considerable departure in duty performance and conduct expected of military members. Drug abuse, but not distribution. Difference is usually determined by amount of contraband substance confiscated. Repeated alcohol abuse. Repeated failure of the annual Physical Readiness Test. Due to the number of opportunities and remediation available, ‘High Year Tenure’ is usually reached and therefore an Honorable is given. Other Than Honorable â€" The most severe form of administrative discharge and are typically given to service members convicted by a civilian court bringing discredit upon the service. Drug distribution DUI Bad Conduct (BCD) â€" Handed down for felonious offenses that always include a period of incarceration. Robbery Assault Repeated instances of Unauthorized Absence (UA) formerly known as AWOL Dishonorable â€" Dishonorable discharges are handed down for what the military considers the most reprehensible conduct. Murder Rape Desertion Re-enlistment Codes (RE-Codes) Found only on the ‘undeleted certified copy’ (long form) of the DD-214. Most employers are not permitted to disqualify applicants for a less than honorable discharge, however, this does not apply to positions requiring a security clearance. RE-1 is fully eligible for reenlistment. RE-2 is ineligible because of discharge resultant in a ‘Retired’ status RE-3 is ineligible due to any of the following: Failure to meet aptitude requirements Parenthood/pregnancy Condition (not physical disability) interfering with performance of duty Hardship Disenrolled from Naval/Military Academy, and therefore not considered qualified for enlisted status. Physical disability (includes discharge and transfer to Temporary Disabled Retired List). Obesity, Motion sickness, etc. Failure to meet professional growth criteria. RE-4 is ineligible for reenlistment (almost always as a result of punitive reasons) Possible Examples Of Red Flags: Anyone (officer or enlisted) discharged with 7 â€" 19 years of service. An enlisted who fails to promote to E-4 in 4 years An enlisted who retires at 20 years of service as an E-5. Any officer who fails to promote to O-3. Any officer who retires at 20 years of service as an O-4. Claims of retiring with less than 20 years of service. Claims of having a clearance such that they cannot divulge their background Claims of membership in any elite unit. Green Berets, Navy SEALS, Marine Recon, etc. If any evidence of a red flag exists, it is incumbent upon recruiters to drill down on those areas by asking probing questions about why. With sufficient knowledge, a recruiter with little or no military experience will easily separate viable candidates. Enjoy this article? You've got time for another! Check out these related articles: How To Use Military Experience In Your Resume How To Approach Job Search After The Military How To Write A Strong Civilian Resume   Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!

What Makes A Great Boss

What Makes A Great Boss Take a minute to think about the greatest bosses youve had over the course of your career. Think about the bosses who brought out the best in you and in turn, the ones you worked the hardest for. Now think about the qualities they possessed that made you feel supported in an environment where you flourished. What are these qualities?Ive asked this question to many friends and colleagues over the brde few years and am usually met with the same set of responses Kind. Understanding. Flexible. Nice. And sometimes just Chill. Im never satisfied with these contrived responses, though. The words roll right off peoples tongues as if they have been trained to say them. They sound like the superficial qualities of an elusive ideal boss.When I dig further, I hear a few other words Challenging. Inspiring. Demanding in a good way. Reliable. I then ask for examples. There is one common tie in all the anecdotes about these admirable bosses of the past they ignited a sense of confidence in their direct reports. Their kollektiv members could rely on them and understood their expectations on any given day, on any given project. When their expectations were met, they were appreciative. And when the expectations were not met, they challenged. This, combined with my personal experience, got me thinking. Being a great, memorable boss isnt about being nice or chill all the time, because this isnt realistic or motivating. What is realistic, motivating and actually achievable is beingconsistent,and yet this word rarely comes to mind when we reflect on positive boss experiences.There are times when a boss does need to put a foot down, to express dissatisfaction, or to push for better workand thats ok. The difference between these actions being deemed mean and unfair or just and motivating relates directly to consistency in expectation. If a boss takes the time to set the bar and stick to it, there is long-lasting clarity around what quality of work is expected an d justification to be dissatisfied with anything that falls short.Consistency can also incite confidence. It is much easier to feel confident in the work you put forward when you understand and accept your bosss unswerving management style. It is empowering to walk into work every day, present new ideas, and work cross-functionally within an organization when you can rely on the stability of your boss and your knowledge of what they expect and how they react.Now, take another minute to think about your greatest bosses. Did they share the common trait of being consistent?So, Im calling all you bosses out there Here are three steps to becoming a more consistent (and great) boss.1. Take the time to set the overarching imagination.Corporate culture can be a vast ocean allowing many fish to wander and get lost. A leader who takes the time to create a vision, put it on paper and ask for feedback will have an easier time keeping the team he/she is responsible for focused and productive. It is the bosss job to sell that vision (and continue to reiterate and reinforce it) higher up the food chain.This step is not groundbreaking, but for some reason seems to be pushed aside more often than not in todays haste to push for output. It is important to note that this vision will serve as the blueprint for working together and the foundation of consistency.2. Set your personal expectations. Be honestWho are you as a boss? What behavior do you value? What does top quality work look like to you? What is absolutely unacceptable? Do you learn visually? Do you like to be in the know constantly or are you more hands off? Take a close look at yourself and share the results. You might actually learn more about your personal management style3. Stand behind your expectations. No one can predict the ebbs and flows of corporate culture, so it is more a fact then a possibility that the overarching vision will change. This can be challenging for both boss and direct report, but just becaus e the vision is constantly evolving, does not mean that your personal expectations have to. Give your direct reports the gift of consistency and they will be empowered to put their best work forward.--Caitlin Larwood Collins is a content and social media consultant and freelance writer based in Connecticut. After eight years of digital marketing experience at large corporations in Manhattan, she decided to found her own consulting business, CaLaCo, focused on helping niche brands use content to tell their story, expand reach and drive action.Fairygodboss is committed to improving the workplace and lives of women.Join us by reviewing your employer

What You Can Do About Technology Resume Writing Tips Starting in the Next Two Minutes

What You Can Do About Technology Resume Writing Tips Starting in the Next Two Minutes Technology Resume Writing Tips - What Is It? Learn about the three sorts of skills youll be able to highlight and the way you are able to incorporate them into your resume. You must also speak about past experience. As everyone probably knows, your work experience is easily the most significant part your resume, so be thorough. Make certain you only include things like work experiences applicable to the position youre applying for. Although you might be great at selling technology goods, you might bedrngnis sell yourself nearly also. If youre a front-end developer, include info regarding your proficiency in front-end development tools. Your technology resume conveys a great deal of complex data in a number of contexts, so you ought to attempt to prevent clutter or distracting backgrounds. One of the greatest strategies to tackle any daunting writing project resumes included is to begin w ith a little step. Writing a strong application is a difficult procedure and we would like to make it simpler. Start experimenting with a facebook page thats created dependent on your abilities. You may also download totally free templates from our Resume Library to get going on your best resume. The Technology Resume Writing Tips Stories Our resume builder will provide you with tips and examples on the best way to compose your resume summary. The expert experience section is typically the most significant section on your resume, therefore its important you have a great one if youd like your resume to get noticed. Use the checklist to ensure you have included all appropriate data in your resume. Now you have the data back on the webpage, dont neglect the finishing touches. The resume sample has a strong ability to keep a readers interest over the span of the whole document. Use an Objective in your resume only as long as youre straight out of college or wish to bring atte ntion to how you wish to transition to another role (for instance, moving from a situation in software engineering to one in sales). Understanding how to tailor your resume will obviously provide you an advantage. The format of your resume can play a considerable portion of your very first impression. Spend some time matching your qualifications to the job to make sure youre including the acceptable key phrases and techniques. An IT professional resume is truly a possibility you ought to show possible employers that youre the very best applicant for the job. Men and women become hired despite poor resumes each and every day. Exemplary resumes arent unattainable. Job seekers deserve to discover decent content quickly. If youre attempting to obtain work in accounting or finance you require averystrong resume. Writing a resume for employment in the art industry can be difficult. Accounting and finance managers are going to want to see your technical understanding. Technolo gy Resume Writing Tips - Is it a Scam? As you obviously need to concentrate on your technical abilities, you shouldnt neglect your soft abilities or supplementary abilities, either. List core skills on the very first page (only the critical abilities, the rest of the skills can be listed in the past page) 8. Instead, you are going to highlight relevant abilities and achievements from previous work in the neatly-aligned bullet points. As a technologist, your technical skills are necessary to nabbing a gig, which is just why you will need to make sure theyre showcased on your resume. Work experience is a critical part of your resume, but nevertheless, it should not feature a detailed collection of all of the jobs that youve held (particularly if youve worked in the business for years or had many jobs). Its possible to also incorporate info about volunteering on your resume, especially when you have few or no preceding jobs to write about. Transportation jobs involve a great de al of responsibility and your resume will want to reflect you can manage that. Various kinds of work in the food service industry require resumes with a lot of the exact saatkorn skills.

So You Bombed How to Move on After a Bad Presentation at Work

So You Bombed How to Move on After a Bad Presentation at Work Have you ever had ahorribly embarrassing public speaking experience? Were you mortified when you went blank in your high school French class when asked about Madame Thibeaults small dog?Did you give a presentation at work and, when you looked out at the audience, become uncomfortably aware that most people were on their phones?Did you feel small, unseen, and unheard?Whatever the circumstances, that painful memory may now be holding you back from great opportunities. As a public speaking coach, Ive had many people come to me for help in recovering from bad public speaking experiences. Whether youre haunted by a bad presentation from last week, two years ago, or even decades in the past, there is hope.Just because something welches true in the past doesnt mean it will be true in the future. At one point in your life, you couldnt read. Now you can. You dont currently identify with that version of yourself who was unable to read, do you?Or how about learning to ride a bike? If youre like me, you wiped out a bunch and may even have scars on your knees and elbows as mementos from that time. But you pushed through, and now you are a competent bike rider. You can choose to relate to your public speaking wipeouts in the same way.Stand-up comedians view totally bombing as a rite of passage. They accept that it will happen, and many feel that bombing actually makes them better. If you adopt that same mindset about public speaking, you already have that valuable experience under your beltUnpacking Your NarrativeDuring and after intensely negative experiences, we often create narratives that extrapolate from what happened. Check out this exampleI was at my very first job. My anfhrer asked me to give a presentation to the team. I had done some presenting in college, but I never really felt comfortable or knew how to prepare.In a college class, if I screwed up, it only affected my g rade, and I knew I probably wouldnt see any of my classmates again after the end of the semester. If I messed up at the team meeting, however, my boss would see and so would my colleagues. I would definitely have to face them again.I worked really hard on my slides and put a lot of information on them so I would always know exactly what I was going to say. The conference room was really packed, and I had to walk up to the front. I could feel everyone looking at me. I was so nervous. I could feel my face turning red and my heart pounding. I looked out at the group and saw that people already looked distracted or bored, like they didnt want to hear what I had to say. A few of them were on their phones.And then there were tech issues. My stupid slide deck wouldnt open. There was something wrong with the file. My boss told me to just give the group the gist of what was in the presentation. I was so overwhelmed. I faced the room and went blank. I suddenly couldnt remember any of what I had prepared. I uttered a few awkward sentences, said Im sorry, and then sat back down. I knew right then that I never wanted to be the center of attention like that ever again. I clearly wasnt good at it.Lets dig deeper. This story does contain facts like I never really felt comfortable or knew how to prepare, I worked really hard on my slides, and there were tech issues. However, not everything in this story is a fact.Lets look more closely at this sentence I looked out at the group and saw that people already looked distracted or bored, like they didnt want to hear what I had to say. We usually have no way of knowing whats really going on for our audience members emotionally and mentally. Their expressions probably have absolutely nothing to do with us This statement, then, is not so much a fact as it is a narrative the person created in their own head.For more expert career advice, check out the latest issue of Recruiter.com MagazineIn my mind, the most important sentence to tak e note of is I had done some presenting in college, but I never really felt comfortable or knew how to prepare. This is what set the demoralizing experience in motion. People are often expected to know how to present and handle nervous energy even though theyve received very little guidance or training on public speaking. Having compassion for yourself in this situation will help you abflug letting go of these painful memories.Lets also address the last two statements of the story I knew right then that I never wanted to be the center of attention like that again. I clearly wasnt good at it. This is where we can see the person has totally shut down their willingness to try. The person is completely intolerant of not being good at something even if they never received adequate guidance or training OuchStatements like I clearly wasnt good at it serve as protective mechanisms. It feels terrible when our peers see us lost and vulnerable. In response, our brains try to do everything the y can to keep us from feeling that way ever again. However, these protective mechanisms often become prisons. We end up stuck, watching the world go by.If youre feeling this way, its time tomake a jail break. Lets look again at this story and create a new narrative, one where the person in question learns to be compassionate toward their own situation1. I had done some presenting in college, but never really felt comfortable or knew how to prepareHow was I supposed to know how to prepare if no one had ever taught me how? Of course this was challenging.2. I worked really hard on my slides and put a lot of information on them so I would always know exactly what I was going to sayI did put a lot of effort into the slides, and I need to give myself credit for that. Going forward, I also want to put time into rehearsing so I can find ways to manage my nervous energy. Practicing will also help me understand my ideas on a deeper level. Then, if there are tech issues, Ill still be able to s hare my thoughts.3. I looked out at the group and saw that people already looked distracted or bored, like they didnt want to hear what I had to say. A few of them were on their phonesTheres no way I could know what people were thinking or feeling. They have full busy lives of their own with plenty of ups and downs. Come to think of it, I usually jump on my phone, too, when I am waiting for something to begin. It doesnt have anything to do with the speaker. I just want to see whats going on in my world.4. I was so nervous.I was so overwhelmedOf course I was nervous and overwhelmed I didnt know what I was doing5. I faced the room and went blankI had no idea how to manage my nervous energy. I think thats why I went blank. That makes sense6. I knew right then that I never wanted to be the center of attention like that ever againI totally understand my vow to hide. A very normal reaction But, if I spent time learning how to prepare and manage my nerves, I could likely become more comf ortablewith public speakingover time.7. I clearly wasnt good at itOf course I wasnt good at presenting I didnt have any guidance or experience. But with training, instruction, and encouragement, I could become better. I did learn to speak, eat, say please and thank you, ride a bike/play sports/play an instrument. It took time, but I did it. I can learn to do this, too.After a bad public speaking experience, unpacking what happened and the accompanying arbitrary narrative of what it means for the future is a very helpful way to recover. Its freeing to apply compassion and logic to the details. Adopting a new perspective on the matter can help you to heal, let go of the bad experience, and move forward.Amanda Hennessey is the founder ofBoston Public Speaking,San Diego Public Speaking, andBoston Acting Classesand the author ofYour Guide to Public Speaking Build Your Confidence, Find Your Voice, and Inspire Your Audience.