#CONTEST Leave a Comment, Win Job Interview Video Tutorial Packs

#CONTEST Leave a Comment, Win Job Interview Video Tutorial Packs 25 You're one comment away from getting all the job interview tutoring you'll ever need. ZoomInterviews is a relatively new site dedicated to helping people drastically improve their job interview skills through video tutorials. To get the word out, they're sponsoring this contest, the fifth and final contest as part of JobMob's 5th Anniversary celebrations. Thank you, ZoomInterviews. In case you missed them, here are the other contests and you can still enter each one too: #CONTEST: Leave a Comment, Win High Quality Business Cards #CONTEST: Leave a Comment, Win a Smart Resume Design Pack #CONTEST: Leave a Comment, Win Copies of Bring Your Superpowers To Work #CONTEST: Leave a Comment, Win Help For Your Google Rankings How to Enter At the bottom of this article, leave a comment about your most memorable job interview. Some suggestions of what to write in your comment are:eval Describe the first thing that comes to mind when you think of job interviews What went right during your most memorable interview? What went wrong? Be as descriptive as you can. Comment noweval How to Win Simple â€" Leave an impressive comment. The winners will be the 15 (yes, FIFTEEN) people with the most impressive comments as judged by me. You, or anyone you know, can try to influence the choice of winners by leaving more comments in support. Comment now Prizes Each winner will earn unlimited access to all the job video tutorials currently available in the ZoomInterviews job library. Void where prohibited. Rules Must be 18 or older. You can comment as many times as you like, but you can only win one prize pack. Be sure to use a real email address or Twitter account when you comment so that I can contact you if you win. Contest Deadline To be considered as entries in the contest, all comments must be submitted before this coming Monday, March 26th, 2012. Comment now And please tell your friends on Facebook to comment too. Good luck!

6 Signs You Need to Use Video in Your Daily Communication

6 Signs You Need to Use Video in Your Daily Communication Every day, you entrust some of your most important and valuable messages to a form of communication short on clarity, short on personality, and short on results. I’m talking about all of those emails, text messages, and social messages that you type, double-check for meaning, perhaps add a helpful emoji or emoticon to (it doesn’t help), and click “Send.” Do you know what’s missing from much of your daily, digital communication? You! Over the past couple of decades, we’ve become increasingly comfortable in an increasingly faceless process of communicating. The consequence is that we’re not connecting or converting Six as well. But a growing movement of business professionals in all kinds of rolesâ€"including leadership, management, sales, customer success, marketing, recruiting, and beyondâ€"are restoring a personal, human touch to many of their messages with simple videos. A simple, personal video puts you back into your communicationâ€"your face, voice, personality, expertise, enthusiasm, sincerity, gratitude, concern, frustration, and all of those human elements that are blurred or even stripped away when we rely exclusively on the same black text on the same white screen. And you already own what you need to get started: a webcam or smartphone. Recording and sending video in emails, texts, and social messages can save you time through more talking and less typing, ensure that your meaning is clear, and build human connection across time and distance. But is it for you? Here are six signs that you should introduce simple videos into your daily communication. If three or four resonate with you, it’s time to get started! 1. You teach, train, sell or serve. Spoiler: you do. In his New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post #1 bestseller To Sell Is Human, Daniel Pink lays out clearly the case that we’re all in sales. Each of us is in the change business. Our work requires that we connect, influence, and persuade to advance ideas and opportunities with and through other peopleâ€"even if “sales” fails to appear in our title or job description. Your plain text alone can’t move people as well as you can. 2. Your sales process drives toward face-to-face meetings. Outbounding and prospecting? Following up with inbound opportunities? Whether machine-driven or manual, most of your phone calls, voicemails, emails, text messages, and other touches have the goal of scheduling an in-person or online appointment. Why wait to get face to face? Why wait to build trust and differentiate yourself? Get in front of people earlier and more often in the sales process by incorporating simple, personal videos into your cadence. 3. You want to improve customer experience. Explaining complex topics. Responding to inquiries. Showing, telling, or demonstrating. All of these are done better with video than with text and links. It puts a face with a name and humanizes your brand. And in the case that you’re communicating with a frustrated or confused customer, it allows you to manage tone, convey empathy, and let them know they’ve been seen, heard, and understood. 4. You risk disintermediation by web apps, tools, and automations. For their cost and unpredictability, humans are being reduced or removed in many business processes. If your role is being threatened in this way, you need to add more value than you cost. You need to restore the benefit of having a human in the processâ€"in part by restoring yourself in your daily communication. 5. You benefit from referrals, online reviews, and positive word of mouth. Each customer should be the source of many transactions through repeat and referral business, so we must provide experiences that people want to talk about. In so many cases, the positive stories we tell and the reviews we write are based on a person-to-person exchange. Getting face to face with more people more often at the many touchpoints customers have with you and your team members builds the connection and enhances the experience in a way that gets this done more effectively. 6.You win more opportunities when you’re face to face. All that rich, nonverbal communication that our brains are wired to send and receive from one another as fellow human beings and social creatures make face to face the most meaningful and valuable experience. But time and distance often keep us separated from the people who matter most to our success. Recording and sending a video when it’s convenient for you allows others to open your message and experience you in person when it’s convenient for them. Before you click “Send” again today, think about the opportunity to include an unscripted, unproduced video in your message. Casual and conversational. Simple and personal. When you introduce videos like these to your daily communication, expect more and better replies and responses. About the Author: Ethan Beute is VP of Marketing at BombBomb, coauthor (with Stephen Pacinelli) of Rehumanize Your Business, and host of The Customer Experience Podcast. Ethan has collected and told personal-video success stories in hundreds of blog posts, in dozens of webinars, podcasts, and stage presentations, and in countless conversations. He spent a dozen years leading marketing inside local television stations in Chicago, Grand Rapids, and Colorado Springs. He currently resides in Colorado Springs with his wife and son.

An Earful, A Thank You, Or Ice Cream - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

An Earful, A Thank You, Or Ice Cream - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career There once was a mom. She worked hard all day at her job and then in the evening she worked even harder to maintain a household for her busy traveling-salesman husband and three young boys. Service above self One especially busy Thursday evening, she came home to an especially hectic situation. The house was a mess. There was hardly enough food in the kitchen to constitute dinner. And there was a heaping mound of dirty clothes primed to be washed. Worst of all, her mother-in-law was due to arrive the next day for a weekend visit. Not quite panicked, but certainly stressed, the mother reached out to each of her three boys hoping for some support and assistance. The first boy yawned with disinterest. “Not my concern,” he thought. He pretended not to hear about the dilemma and then eventually tuned out the entire situation. He kicked his feet back up on the couch and resumed focus on television, texting, and video games. The second boy reluctantly accepted a list of things to accomplish and with a heavy sigh asked, “All of this?” After his mother confirmed his question, he rolled his eyes and in an obligatory fashion began completing items one by one. When the list was complete he joined his brother, sitting on a chair next to the couch. The third boy jumped to his feet and enthusiastically asked, “How can I help?” He dutifully took a list of items and got busy. With each task he completed, he returned to his mother and asked, “What else can I do?” He worked shoulder to shoulder with his mother through vacuuming, shopping, and laundry, taking pride in and enjoying the effort. When all the work was done, one by one the mother individually addressed her three sons. The first boy she gave an earful. She chided his obstinate behavior and demanded that he be more cooperative and helpful. As a consequence, she sent him to bed. The second boy she gave a simple thank you. While he may not have been happy about it, he had no doubt been compliant. She sent him away to carry on with what he was doing. The third boy she gave a big hug. She could not be more proud of his enthusiasm. She gave him a big hug, sat him down, and served him up a heaping bowl of ice cream with his favorite toppings. We all serve The fact of the matter is that we all serve someone in life. We might serve a boss. We might serve customers or clients. We might serve neighbors, friends, or loved ones. Yes, we all serve someone. This is not the issue. The issue is how do we want to be known for serving them? Do you want to be known as the person who is obstinate? Do you want to be known as the person who comes through, but needs to be pushed and prodded first? Or do you want to be known as an enthusiastic contributor to the cause, whatever that cause might be? In choosing an answer, reflect on the tale of the three boys and remember that life’s best rewards go to those who are known for being willing and eager to serve others. So whenever you have an opportunity to serve another, ask yourself, “Do I want an earful, just a thank you, or a heaping bowl of ice cream?” Author: Frank Agin is the founder and president of AmSpirit Business Connections, the author of Foundational Networking: Building Know, Like and Trust To Create A Lifetime of Extraordinary Success and the co-author of LinkedWorking: Generating Success on the World’s Largest Professional Networking Website and The Champion: Finding the Most Valuable Person in Your Network.

What to Keep In Mind When Shopping for Work Clothes

What to Keep In Mind When Shopping for Work Clothes When transitioning from college to the workplace, one of the biggest concerns of an aspiring career girl is her wardrobe. While some would think this should be the least of ones concerns, I believe that the right attire can bring out a great deal of confidence and productivity in anybody. As summer moves past us, many college students are now shopping around for their new digs for the workplace or for upcoming job interviews- are you one of them?  When buying new work clothes or dressing up for an interview, embrace these simple guidelines for a foolproof power ensemble: 1. Buy Your Basics â€" Buy clothes that can be used in many different looks. If you can imagine yourself in 2 or 3 different work looks when mixed and matched with other key layer pieces and accessories, you have a great buy. Dresses in timeless silhouettes and basic colors are some of my personal must haves. 2. A Good Blazer Can Save Your Look A good fitting black blazer can take your outfit from day to night if you take it off and change shoes. It can take you from office formal to business casual by simply loosening some buttons. If there is any investment required of you to make for your corporate get up, this is it. 3. Dress It Up My favorite look is the pretty dress + black blazer look. If you are unsure of what to wear, this look errs on the side of business casual a nice dress in a conservative shape and color, a blazer, sensible heels, and statement accessory can show personality and is neither loud nor square. Your work  dress has to look structured, with a clean and basic shape to it. Stay away from dresses that look too flowy and light. If you want to stay feminine,  try a clean sillhouette with girly prints, or a more flowy dress in a single bold color. 4. Consider Office Culture Assuming that a formal suit will make a great impression might work against you if the company you are joining is more relaxed in nature. Sometimes the companies encourage a creative and productive environment by letting their employees wear what they best feel represents them, so you might be seen as an uptight individual, or you may just come across straight away as a rookie. Remember what people were wearing when you were interviewed, or feel free to call up your interviewer or HR contact to ask what is best to come in. 5. Make Sure it Fits    You need to be able to move in your work clothes without the fear of a wardrobe malfunction. Make sure you get a dress in a sensible size, nothing too fitted and form fitting.  Keep the hem, at most, just slightly above knee level.  Just because you saw the look in the TV show Suits doesnt mean its work appropriate. Whatever you decide to buy, make sure  that you are comfortable enough in it to be productive and that it represents you best and brings out your confidence. Make sure you take your power from within you and translate it into your outfit. As the saying goes wear the clothes, dont let the clothes wear you. Are you shopping around for new work clothes? What did you get? Comment below or tweet us @mscareergirl!

6 Reasons Why Running is Good for Your Career

6 Reasons Why Running is Good for Your Career So, we all know that running is good for our physical shape and health, as well as an excellent solution for dealing with stress, anxiety and depression and self-esteem issues, but can running be good for your career too?The answer is “yes”!Running is more than just a good cardio workout; it will teach you valuable life lessons and will make you a better and smarter worker as well!evalHere are the benefits from running which can affect your work performance and your career as well:1. Running will teach you self-disciplineIf you are a regular runner who sticks to their weekly, monthly and annual running schedule, then you definitely have the self-discipline needed for a person to be good at their work.If you get out of bed and go out running in the morning despite the fact that you have stayed up late entertaining guests last night, or are not scared of going out for your daily run despite the fact that it is raining outside, then you surely can handle the number of responsibiliti es you have at work too, even though you may not enjoy each and every one of them too much.Also, if you are part of a running group, you probably feel even more motivated to go out for your run because of the fact that other people are waiting for you and possibly relying on you â€" this too teaches you to be a better team player and to work in accordance to the needs and expectations of your team and your colleagues.2. Being a runner teaches you to set and stick to a scheduleRegular and serous runners set themselves annual running and racing goals, as well as monthly and weekly running goals as well, and then they make sure that they stick to them. This goes especially for runners who have planned a race and are getting ready for it.?This requires meticulous planning of the training, the smaller pre-peak races and participation in the race itself. The schedule also includes the required resting time as well. By learning how to set a strict schedule and adhere to it, one definitely becomes a much more efficient employee as well.eval?Learning to plan and follow your plan is especially important for people whose work involves working on big projects which require proper timing and planning.Well, runners are more likely to be able to develop such a schedule and work in accordance with it, in order to achieve the goal and complete the project in a timely manner and at the level of quality expected.3. Runners have excellent time management skillsRunners often need to find ways to juggle in between chores and work in order to fit in their planned daily runs or workouts in their daily schedule.evalThis requires well-developed time management skills, which is a trait which most employers are looking for when hiring the best employee for a job.?Being able to properly handle their responsibilities in a timely manner is essential for the performance of any worker.Did you know that promoting exercise in the office drastically boosts the productivity of the workers?4. Runn ing is usually goal orientedRunners normally set goals for themselves for the year, month or week of running. Many runners plan their annual races early on, and create their training, racing and resting cycles in accordance to the goal races.Other runners set time and mileage goals for the month or week too. Usually, there are a number of smaller goals which runners set for themselves before they can reach to the bigger ones.This kind of goal oriented mindset is what employers expect from their employees, and what every business owner needs to have. This is why runners can become excellent managers as well.5. Analysis and flexibilityYes, runners usually train and race in accordance to their training and race schedule and goals, but along the way they know how to analyze their performance and physical condition, and how to reset the goals, timelines or other parts of the schedule in case of injury or other unexpected obstacles which get in the way.?This quality is also great for both employees and leaders who need to know how to monitor and analyze the performance, and make any changes and adjustments if necessary.6. Better decision makingRunning can help clear the mind from any distractions and negative thoughts. Mindfulness during running is a state which more and more runners are striving for.evalIt can not only help for personal relaxation, stress relief and improved running performance, but can also help a person clear their mind and make better and more appropriate decisions at the workplace too.

Leverage College Career Centers in Your Job Search - CareerAlley

Leverage College Career Centers in Your Job Search - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds. Francis Bacon Theres nothing like great advice, especially if it is free. Of course, that is what the Internet is all about. In the old days (like when I went to college), the only way to get to your college career center was to visit it on campus. Now, most (if not all) career centers at colleges and universities have an online site. So, this not only gives you access to your college career center but potentially, to every college career center. Why, you may ask, do you care? Lets face it. The only reason people go to college is to enable them to enter the field of their choice. If college did not help you get into the field of your choice, no one would go. College career centers are designed to help you enter the workforce (or change jobs). Not convinced? Maybe todays post will change your mind on the value of college career centers. What to Expect From Your College Career Center Okay, so before we get started, lets set expectations. Now Im sure that college career centers vary from school to school, but this article will give you a good overview of what to expect. Posted on fastweb.com, the article provides a good overview of what you should expect from a college career center. Top 50 College University Career Centers Using Twitter Yes, times have definitely changed. Not only are college career centers on Twitter, there is a top 50 list! This post, from Job-Hunt.org, is a really good list if you like using Twitter. The best part, you can pick any and all of these whether you went to the school or not. I took a look at some of the tweets and there are lots of leads (like Summer Job Listings). Take a look if you want to be one of the first in line with a new opportunity. What Do College Career Services Offices Do? Sounds good, but what do they do? This article will give you the detail from career exploration to job interview preparation. There are embedded links for each of the topics, including a self assessment tools link. Check out the related links at the bottom of the page. How To Find a Job or Internship Through Your Campus Career Center You dont have to wait until you graduate to use your college career center and, in fact, you shouldnt. Besides the fact that they can help you prep for your job search prior to graduation, what about those internships? Better yet, this article (posted on hercampus.com), also provides the dos and donts when working with college career enters (such as dont wait until the last minute. Getting the Most From Your Career Center distance-education.org provides this article which covers all of the things you need to do . There are embedded links to all of the related topics. Maybe I should have posted this article from thop, but you will soon see that there are plenty of resources at your fingertips. Good luck in your search.Visit me on Facebook

Techniques to Enhance Your Resume - Writing a Resume When You Have a Little Experience and Big Gaps

Techniques to Enhance Your Resume - Writing a Resume When You Have a Little Experience and Big GapsWhen you're looking for ways to enhance your resume, there are plenty of techniques that could help you. Some of these could be used on purpose and some of them come naturally; however, some will be used with more skill than others.It's one thing to know how to write a resume. You need to know the main sections of the document and know how to arrange them properly. The next thing you need to do is to place all the information on the page correctly.For example, if you've had a long gap of work experience in your past and still have very little experience, this shouldn't be the first section of your resume. If you start your resume with 'within the last two years', chances are, there's a big gap of time that you're still trying to fill.There are also other methods used to take care of this dilemma as well, such as 'two to three years experience' and even 'expired within the last few month s'. This would be okay for those who have experience or skills that are in demand and can be beneficial to an employer, but not for those who don't.Another technique that can help is to use a portfolio section to highlight all of your past work experience and show off the results. To start, these should be written on a separate sheet of paper before the actual resume. With the different projects you've done, include a brief description of each project as well as a link to each portfolio.The best part about using a portfolio to showcase your past work is that it's usually very detailed and full of examples. It won't take too much of your time to fill out and keep track of. When you apply, you'll be able to fill out the forms easily and if you don't have any work portfolios, you can always send them in before you begin the application process.Many people find it helpful to review these portfolios before they submit their resumes. They don't need to re-write these sections; however, th ey can fill them out and read them over. This gives them a chance to review their work and see what they can do in comparison to others who are applying for the same position.Whether you decide to use these techniques or not, reviewing your resume is a good idea to make sure that you've really put a lot of effort into it. If there are big gaps in experience, chances are, they shouldn't be there in the first place. When you're writing a resume, keep in mind that your resume should be clear and concise so that the employer will be able to quickly read through it and see what you've done.