LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner on Jobs In US VERY GOOD READ

LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner on Jobs In US â€" VERY GOOD READ Go read this post by Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn, titled: How to solve the other unemployment crisis. Jeff writes: Yet there’s another massive labor imbalance in the country that rarely gets attention. According to the most recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are over three million job opportunities going unfilled in the U.S. right now, the highest level in three years. How is that possible? Simply put, companies can find workers; they just can’t find the right workers. This situation is kind of a slap in the face to all you highly qualified unemployed people, right? Read his post, its really interesting.  His three proposed solutions, or three parts to a comprehensive solution, are (read the post for details): Embrace the economic graph Free the H1-B Link education to opportunity Interesting perspective from this good-sized, now public company CEO. LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner on Jobs In US â€" VERY GOOD READ Go read this post by Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn, titled: How to solve the other unemployment crisis. Jeff writes: Yet there’s another massive labor imbalance in the country that rarely gets attention. According to the most recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are over three million job opportunities going unfilled in the U.S. right now, the highest level in three years. How is that possible? Simply put, companies can find workers; they just can’t find the right workers. This situation is kind of a slap in the face to all you highly qualified unemployed people, right? Read his post, its really interesting.  His three proposed solutions, or three parts to a comprehensive solution, are (read the post for details): Embrace the economic graph Free the H1-B Link education to opportunity Interesting perspective from this good-sized, now public company CEO.

New Business Owners How to Build a Loyal Workforce

New Business Owners How to Build a Loyal Workforce New businesses have a lot to prove, including how effective their leadership skills are. You cannot do it all alone. If you could, you would work as a consultant or as a freelancer, not as a business. As a business, you need many talented people working for you and who are committed to seeing you succeed.   You need a loyal workforce. Building this loyalty takes time, but there are many steps and measures that you can take to improve how loyal and hardworking your employees are from the start. Put Design Elements Into Your Workforce Design is important for your customers. It is equally important for your employees. Being in a beautifully designed office is mood-lifting. It also helps instill a sense of pride. Great design means thinking about the details. How can you organize your office so that the flow makes sense and takes less time? How can you add decorative elements to enhance their mood without distracting them? Offer a Great Kitchen Setup A great kitchen needs to have a few key items, such as: A fridge A toaster oven Basic utensils A microwave It should also come with complementary coffee, tea, and healthy snacks. If you can, add a table or even a couch into your kitchen or break room area so that your employees can properly get away from their desk and give their minds a break while refueling with healthy meals brought from home. Offer A Few Easy Benefits Some benefits are easy to offer and help support your employees substantially. Most of your employees will, at some point, start a family. If both adults work, then someone will need to take a day off to take care of their kid when they’re sick. By making it so that they can work on flextime and at home, they can put in a full day’s work while still being there for their family. This level of compromise is key for a loyal, lasting relationship. Install Programs that Support Them Invest in programs that help automate admin tasks and help them make better use of the data they collect. There are many variations that suit all types of businesses and all types of tasks. Train Them The right program will help deliver data in real time, but it is the right training that will help improve your employees’ decision making. Follow this up with improved skills. For example, train your communications team on how to improve their sales and handle complaints. They should know how to use the programs you have effectively, know how to improve their work quality, and so on. This is the basis of essential workforce optimisation. You need both programs and support for your employees so that they can reach their potential. Offer Career Progression A loyal workforce is one that cares about your company’s success. This means that they want you to succeed because they see your success as their own. By offering these benefits and working environments from the start, you can encourage that sense of loyalty. Do be sure to be clear about their job roles and the expectations you have of them, yes, but ensure their environment and the tools they use are there to support them first.

5 Ways to Explain Away Common Resume Gaps

5 Ways to Explain Away Common Resume Gaps Regardless of the reasoning, the majority of people have to take time off work at some point in their career.Getting back in the job market afterward can be tough especially if you are concerned about a resume gap in employment.However, knowing how to explain your resume gap can turn a difficult interview question into an opportunity for personal branding.Read these 5 ways you can explain away your resume gap in a way that shows positive growth.These tips and examples help you prepare a well-rounded response to any resume gap questions you may come across during your job search.1. How to Explain You Were Laid OffBeing laid off is more common than you think. An interviewer is more likely to show sympathy because you being laid off is usually out of your control.Avoid negative comments about your previous company or boss. Focus on the positive accomplishments and the experience you gained while you worked for the company.Bad Example: “My old boss really didn’t like me anyway. He al ways had it in for me. I am sure he jumped at the opportunity to cut me in the layoffs.”Good Example: “The company had to implement major budget cuts. Unfortunately, my position was one of the many that were cut in the process. I am proud of the achievements I made during my time at the company. This can be reinforced by my manager, whom I listed as a reference on my application.”2. How to Explain You Took Time off to TravelAvoid focusing on the fun and excitement of traveling. Focus on how traveling contributed to your personal career growth and development.Mention any paid or volunteer work that you had taken during this time and the additional personal and professional skills that you gained.Bad Example: “If I could travel for the rest of my life, I would. I went deep-sea diving in the Galapagos, mountain climbing in the Himalayas and went to countless parties in Thailand. It was the most fun I have had in my life! I hope to do that again when I have the money.”Good Exa mple: “I worked from the time I was 16 and was very successful in my career. Yet, I was only working for the money. My travel experience gave me the opportunity to grow personally. I learned what my personal motivations are and how to be more globally-minded. I learned a new language in the process. Now, I am ready to jump back into my career with newfound energy, focus, motivation, and a purpose.”3. How to Explain You Went Back to SchoolThis is probably the easiest to explain. If the education you pursued is relevant to your chosen career path, you have your answer.Almost all mid to senior level jobs require a certain level of intelligence and educational background for career growth. Explain why going back to school has helped you get closer to your career goals.Bad Example: “I still haven’t figured out what I want to do in my career. I decided to take a business course on a new subject. Going to school seems easier than trying to figure out what I want. I am still not sur e if this is the path I want to take.”Good Example: “When I got my bachelor's degree, I thought I was done with college. I started my career, and everything was going great but it suddenly came to a standstill, and higher positions required that I go back to school in order to achieve my goals. So, I decided to take some time to expand my education to broaden my career options. I’m looking forward to using my experience, newfound skills, and education to benefit the company I work for. ”4. How to Explain You Had to Care for FamilyCaring for family, whether it’s your children, an elderly parent or a sick relative, is a tough job that requires a number of skills, which you now have.This includes time management, hard work ethic, managing people, and organizing schedules. These are only a couple of the many skills you gain while caring for a family member full-time.In addition to the hard skillsyou already have, caring for a sick family requires soft skills, something that ha s been growing in importance to companies these days.Bad Example: “I am the closest living relative to my mother, so I got stuck with having to care for her. I tried to hold down a job and care for her at the same time, but it was just too much for me.”Good Example: “After a lot of consideration, I decided that I needed to prioritize family. During that time, I made sure to keep my professional skills up to date by taking business courses. Now, I am in a position where I can refocus my attention on my career, and I look forward to applying my previous experience and skills, as well as the additional soft skills I have learned, to my new role.”5. How to Explain You Had to Take Time off for Your HealthPreparation is key here. Telling a detailed story of the health issue that caused you to leave work is only going to cause the interviewer to pity you.Pity does not help your chances of landing the job. Prepare a brief and straightforward explanation that you are comfortable with . Explain that you were able to overcome this and quickly move the conversation to present day and the relevant skills you bring to the table.Bad Example: “I fell and hurt my back. I had to go through undergo three separatesurgeries, and I almost died twice in that time. It was pretty bad there for a while.”Good Example: “I hit a rough patch physically and took some time off to focus on my recovery so that I could go back to work as quickly and efficiently as possible. Overcoming this challenge has made me stronger. I am ready to dive back in and focus on the next stage of my career.”(For further help with resume gaps, see our articlesHow to Explain Resume Gapsand Why Do You Have Gaps In Your Job History?)

Work-Life Balance for Entrepreneurs - Classy Career Girl

Work-Life Balance for Entrepreneurs One of the biggest challenges as an entrepreneur is balancing your energy and your time. Whether you’re building a business while working full-time or you’re a full-time entrepreneur, it’s tempting to work late into the evening, answering emails or taking care of just one last thing. With phones, email, and social media at our fingertips, your work-life balance is in jeopardy. My work as a speaker, trainer, and coach often require me to work non-standard hours so that working in the evenings have quickly become the norm. (And the occasional Saturday morning, too! Where does it all end?!) Another challenge of balancing my work and life is transitioning my mind from work to home so I’m not writing speeches in my head as I’m lying in bed trying to fall asleep. Even when I’m not actively working, my mind is working if I don’t create balance. If you are an  entrepreneur, I’m sure you can relate. How many nights have you stayed up answering emails or strategizing late into the night? An unbalanced life leads to stress, health issues, overwhelm, and burnout. It can negatively affect your personal and business relationships. Your time and energy are precious resources, and you will accomplish more with a healthy work-life balance. Here are 10 of the best work-life balance habits to implement if you want to be a successful (and happy) entrepreneur: 1. Set Working Hours Building your business sometimes means working 40+ hours a week or working a non-standard schedule. Still, it’s important to set business hours. Maybe your business hours are 9 am â€" 9 pm on certain days, but after 9 pm consider your business closed for the night! Set an alarm on your computer or phone if you think you’ll be tempted to work past your closing time. 2. Unplug When You’re Not Working Step away from the computer, turn off your phone, and unplug outside your working hours. That means don’t keep your phone near your bed when you’re sleeping! 3. Schedule One Admin Day Per Week If you meet with clients, pick one day a week that you do not meet with clients and use this day to take care of administrative tasks such as catching up on emails, organizing, planning, and completing paperwork. 4. Take At Least One Day Off Per Week Take at least one day off per week. A day off means no calls, no email, and no work. 5. Schedule Social  Family Time Add time in your schedule for friends, family, and fun. If you have time blocked out on your calendar it’s easier to avoid over-scheduling yourself and making work a priority over life. 6. Schedule Me Time Schedule at least 30 minutes a day for some down time. Use that 30 minutes to meditate, read a book, or whatever activity relaxes and refreshes you. 7. Schedule Meal Times Avoid working lunches and working dinners if possible. Give yourself time to eat and enjoy your meals without distraction. [Related: 13 Time Management Habits of Successful Women] 8. Have a Dedicated Work Space Whether you have a home office, go to the library, or rent co-working space, have a dedicated work space. When you’re in your workspace, you work. When you’re in your living space, you live. Avoid working in the living room or bedroom, and avoid taking care of personal to-dos in your workspace. 9. Cross One Item Off Your To-do List Without Doing It Make a list of all of your  to-dos activities. Do they all really need to be done? If you find an item that is  not adding value to your life, cross that item off your to-do list. 10. Adjust  Readjust If you slip into old patterns and your life becomes unbalanced, just start fresh the next day and  adjust your schedule. Take a break to restore balance and dont be too hard on yourself. What changes to your  schedule and to-do list are you going to make?

Interview Series - Career Experts - Georgene Huang from Fairygodboss CareerMetis.com

Interview Series - Career Experts - Georgene Huang from Fairygodbossâ€" CareerMetis.com In this interview series, we caught up with Georgene Huang from Fairygodbosswho shares her expertise and insights about job search, career change,etc.in today’s marketplace.Tell us a little bit about your companyevalFairygodboss is the largest female career community where highly motivated and authentic women can connect with other career-minded individuals to share real-life experiences and help one another to succeed.Our platform supports women in their careers through free resources like company reviews, over 70,000 job listings, virtual recruiting events and a community where users can be honest about their triumphs and failures either as themselves or anonymously.How did you get started in this path?The idea for Fairygodboss came to me after, what I describe as, a very bad day at work.On that day, I was suddenly fired from my executive role at a major company as part of a management shakeup. At the time, I was two months pregnant and hadn’t yet told anyone. So I was in this position of looking for a job and going on interviews â€" and feeling quite pressured to hide my pregnancy.While interviewing, I wanted to ask certain questions around benefits and policies like maternity leave and work-life balance â€" but feared being judged as less than fully committed to my career if I asked.I also wanted to hear directly from other women about their experiences and how they overcame similar challengesSo, I turned to the internet for answers, and was surprised by the lack of information I found, which is why we’ve formed the FGB Community.Is this something you decided early on in your career?I’ve always been entrepreneurial, but I think my own experience definitely helped me see a gap in the market for everyday, working women.What is the most exciting part of working in this industry?Helping other women succeed!How do to stay abreast of the industry as an expert?evalRead, read, and read!Stay on top of the news, not only within your industry, but you should k now what’s going on in the world.Everything has a way of impacting something else so it’s important to know what’s happening.What are some of the things that you see job seekers struggle with the most?Many female job seekers struggle to find the answers to more sensitive questions, usually related to health benefits which is why we’ve made this information clear on our website to help improve transparency.How should job seekers approach job search today?Often, I hear from FGB members when they’re in a position of looking for a job, that it’s hard to keep the bigger picture in mind. They are so, understandably, focused on the short-term job search itself and landing an offer. But taking a job is agreeing to enter into a long-ish term relationship.So it’s very important to be intentional about what that relationship will look like and honest with yourself about whether you will enjoy it.Most people spend at least 40 hours a week at work, so when looking for a job, you’ re also looking for a place to spend most of your waking hours with people that will become potentially as close to you as your family and friends.What are the common mistakes that you see them do?Many job seekers don’t do their research prior to starting their job hunt and then end up in a job at a company that they don’t like or whose values don’t align with their personal values.What is the biggest trend1) Better benefits.2) More flexibility in the workplace.3) Increased transparency between management and employees.What is one advice you would give someone just out of college today?I strongly suggest an informational interview at companies that you’re interested in to learn more about their open roles and company culture.If you have a contact at a company, definitely reach out, but don’t be afraid of cold outreach (especially to recruiters).What is one advice you would give someone who is switching careers?Leverage your community and do your research.Find out what it†™s really like to work at a company by reading company reviews on websites like Fairygodboss.Find out why people like, or dislike, working for a company and do some research into what the company offers in terms of benefits and compensation.Unemployment is at the lowest levels, why do you think that is?More jobs are being created.What is the biggest trend(s) you see that hiring managers will face in the next 2-3 years?1) Candidates expecting workplace flexibility.2) Candidates placing increased importance on company values and culture.What are you currently working on?Currently, we’re focusing on continuing to improve our product.The Fairygodboss site recently went through a major overhaul and we’ve created a new platform with a brand new look.Adding new features that our users want to help improve our platform is our main focus.What are the best resources you recommend to job seekers?Fairygodboss.comWhat is the best way for our audience to reach you?Connect with me on the FGB c ommunity!Connect with or Follow Georgene Huang Fairygodboss on Social Media:LinkedInTwitterFacebook PageYouTube PageGeorgene Huang and Fairygodboss have also been featured in our recent compilation of the most resourceful career experts and career blogs â€" Top Career Advice Websites.

8 Things You Need to Ask Yourself Before Taking the Job - CareerEnlightenment.com

8 Things You Need to Ask Yourself Before Taking the Job When you’ve been searching for a job for a long time, getting offered a position might feel like an overwhelming relief. You might feel tempted to jump right on board, but is that really the best decision you could be making? You need to make sure you’re making an informed choice. A career is a huge commitment, and you should ask yourself the right questions before you come to your ultimate decision.Questions About Your Current SituationThe job you accept should immediately enhance your life. Considering some of the logistics and what current needs the job will fulfill is only half the battle, but it’s equally as important as preparing for the future. You need to fully comprehend what you’re getting yourself into before you accept terms or sign anything.Is my hourly wage or salary equivalent to what I can reasonably say I’m worth?Will accepting this job cause new expenses in my life?Did I apply for this job because I wanted it, or because it was open?Is the company culture consistent with the things that are important to me in the workplace?Settling for much less than what you’re worth doesn’t always come with the promise of actually getting what you’re worth within a satisfactory timeframe. If holding out a little longer has the potential to give you a substantial pay spike with a company that knows your worth, you’re better off waiting it out. This is especially true if taking the position will require moving, higher transportation costs, or childcare expenses that you may not have had to handle before.As far as culture and desire go, these are the things that make you the right fit for a job. You need to consider how you’ll actually communicate with and interact the environment you’re in. If you know right away it’s not going to work for you, don’t waste time accepting the position. Want to Read More Articles Like This One?Sign up here to receive weekly updates from Career Enlightenment, and never miss another powerful job searchin g tip! SUBSCRIBE! You have Successfully Subscribed!We hate spam too. Unsubscribe any time. Questions About Your Future A job isn’t always for “right now” â€" it has long-term implications that can affect the way you’re able to meet your other life goals or fulfill your responsibilities. You don’t need a crystal ball, but you should do your best to look into your future with a clear perspective.Does this position offer me a sufficient opportunity to move up within the company?Am I going to get tired or burned out with this kind of work?Do I have other aspirations that may be impeded if I stay with this job for the long haul?Does this company have longevity, or is it possible that they may fold in the coming years?The perfect position is something you don’t have to worry about. If you know you like the company, that they offer advancement opportunities, that you enjoy the kind of work you’ll be doing, and that taking on the position as a source of steady work won’t squash any of your other dreams, you should say yes to that position.Knowing When The Situation is Right Everything comes loaded with pros and cons. Deciding whether or not you should accept a job offer is just like anything else. It’s almost impossible to have all pros and no cons, but you need to feel satisfied that the pros are stronger before you shake hands with a hiring manager.

Discover Your Value Propositon - The Elevator Pitch, Part II -

Discover Your Value Propositon - The Elevator Pitch, Part II - In a previous post, I outlined the importance of writing your value proposition or elevator pitch.   To recap, this  is a short (30-second), prepared speech that addresses the questions, Who are you? and What do you have to offer? In  Part One, I  suggested writing down your top five work and personal accomplishments.   Now, think about what you want to achieve.   Tie these achievements to the targets needs What problem do they (or their organization) have that you can help solve?   Remember, although the pitch describes what YOU offer, it is really about your target.  Ã‚   In fact, you should alter your pitch depending on your target.   (Once you have something solid worked up, it will be easy to adjust it depending on your audience.) Offer specifics about your skills and accomplishments that address the targets problems. Are they lagging in sales?   Maybe you have a fabulous sales track record.   Do they need new written materials?   Bring up your background and accomplishments in revising or creating such materials.   In other words, you are the answer to their problem!   (Who doesnt want to meet the person who solves their problems?) Demonstrate your interest and excitement about your work.   No one wants to engage a cold fish.   Dont go overboard (no jumping on couches a la Tom Cruise), but be sure that you sound passionate about what you have to offer. Practice your pitch.   Memorize it until you could say it if someone woke you up from a nap.   Once you know what you have to offer, it will be easy for you to tweak  your pitch depending on the target and what their needs may be. You may be surprised at how useful it is to have an elevator pitch ready at a moments notice.   Its useful for networking as an answer to the question, What do you do? and you can rely on it as an introduction to a great gate opener (someone who has the potential to connect you to someone who may be instrumental in your job hunt).  Ã‚   By sharing information about who you are and what you do that is targeted to the individual who could use your services, you are several steps ahead of most job seekers and professionals who are not prepared to describe what they offer. Keppie Careers can help you with every aspect of your job search.   Need a resume?   Help with your linkedin.com profile?   Interview prep?   Take advantage of our experience: