Quote of the week Thom Singer quoting Sekou Andrews

Quote of the week Thom Singer quoting Sekou Andrews Thom Singer wrote about Sekou Andrews, a speaker that is rising in fame.  Heres a quote from Sekou that is really quite profound: Take me off your Rolodex and put me in your calendar Wow. Too often we collect names, phone numbers, and business cards, and say we are networking. But are we ever working on the relationship? It reminds me of the part in Never Eat Alone where Keith Ferrazzi talks about the importance of knowing how strong a relationship is with the person you have on your list (Roladex, JibberJobber contacts list, etc.). Just because you have an email address doesnt mean you have a relationship! Keep track of the strength of the relationship, and then communicate with that person!  Perhaps even put them in your calendar. Quote of the week Thom Singer quoting Sekou Andrews Thom Singer wrote about Sekou Andrews, a speaker that is rising in fame.  Heres a quote from Sekou that is really quite profound: Take me off your Rolodex and put me in your calendar Wow. Too often we collect names, phone numbers, and business cards, and say we are networking. But are we ever working on the relationship? It reminds me of the part in Never Eat Alone where Keith Ferrazzi talks about the importance of knowing how strong a relationship is with the person you have on your list (Roladex, JibberJobber contacts list, etc.). Just because you have an email address doesnt mean you have a relationship! Keep track of the strength of the relationship, and then communicate with that person!  Perhaps even put them in your calendar. Quote of the week Thom Singer quoting Sekou Andrews Thom Singer wrote about Sekou Andrews, a speaker that is rising in fame.  Heres a quote from Sekou that is really quite profound: Take me off your Rolodex and put me in your calendar Wow. Too often we collect names, phone numbers, and business cards, and say we are networking. But are we ever working on the relationship? It reminds me of the part in Never Eat Alone where Keith Ferrazzi talks about the importance of knowing how strong a relationship is with the person you have on your list (Roladex, JibberJobber contacts list, etc.). Just because you have an email address doesnt mean you have a relationship! Keep track of the strength of the relationship, and then communicate with that person!  Perhaps even put them in your calendar.

The story of unequal pay How I came to make more money than my husband

The story of unequal pay How I came to make more money than my husband On my first date with my would-be-husband I said, You didnt tell me were getting dinner. Im hungry, he said. So we went to dinner. He ordered a hamburger, fries and a milkshake. I ordered water. Months later, when it looked like the relationship was serious, I told my would-be-husband, You were a sociopath for not offering to pay for me that night. He said, You didnt ask. Ask?!?! Are you kidding me? I just left graduate school because I ran out of money and you just got promoted to a video game producer! You should pay! I was screaming. He didnt scream back. And he couldnt understand why I didnt ask for what I wanted at dinner. Those were two reasons that I stayed with him. Another reason was that he was doing video art that was shown in New York art museums. I was a grad school dork. He was an art-crowd hipster. I felt like my ship had come in. I got a job writing for a large company and after watching Tano project manage, I convinced my company that I could do that, too. After a few years together, our finances were on par and we found ourselves applying to similar jobs. One week, we both applied for the same job at GeoCities. The company was hot at the time, and a little unreasonable given the fact that employees were harder to come by than jobs (ahh, those were the days). In order to get through the interview process, I put up with a lot of corporate bullshit. No only did Tano refuse to put up with it, but he wrote a letter to GeoCities explaining that they asked for so much information from perspective employees that he should get paid to go through the interview process. That was the turning point in our careers. I started making more money than him. I got funding for my own company. He got laid off and spent his unemployment money funding a new video project. He became more and more successful as a video artist (read: no money, exciting parties), and I became more successful as an executive (read: lots of money, boring parties). The income disparity became larger and larger until it was clear that I would be supporting us long term. We started planning our future so that my husband would stay home with our kids and his video editing equipment, and I would continue working as a software executive. Then Sept. 11 hit us. I was a block away from the World Trade Center when it fell, and weeks later, my company went bankrupt. My husbands way to deal with the trauma was to volunteer at human rights organizations (read: Save the world). My way to deal was to get pregnant (read: Save my eggs). I never planned to stay home with the baby. It just happened. First there were no jobs in the software industry. Then my husband landed his dream job at a non-profit. And then I fell in love with being a mom. So we took a huge risk: We decided to give up my large earning potential as corporate climber, cut back our expenses drastically, and live off his entry-level non-profit salary. My friends said, Hes finally making more than you. Doesnt it feel good? My mom said, When will he get a raise? As usual, I ignored the comments. But I got bored. I wanted to be in business again. So I took a small freelance writing job I had and got a babysitter for a few hours a day so I could grow my freelance writing. After a few months, I was making more money than my husband, again. Now I understand that I am inherently good at making money and he is not. When I first met him, I needed money, and he had enough for a hamburger, which made him a good guy for me to date. Now that I have confidence in the workforce, I need the things money cant buy; my husband is interesting, kind and a great dad, and I feel lucky to have him. Sure, we all wish we could marry a millionaire, but you cant have everything in a spouse, so I made sure to get the important things.

5 Best Sales Resume Services in America (Plus Samples)

5 Best Sales Resume Services in America (Plus Samples) Looking for a professional sales resume to impress your future employer?Sales is by far one of the most challenging and rewarding careers out there.No other career gives you the opportunity to double your salary based on performance.That’s why it is so important to make sure your resume is representing you as the top-performer you are.Unlike finance resumes, sales resumes require that you quantify your achievements.It’s not enough to know that you made calls and sent emails.Your future employer wants to know how many calls and emails you sent, and how that stacked up compared to your peers.Having a professional sales resume writer who can articulate your achievements in a compelling manner will either make or break your job search.Feel free to jump directly to the section of the article that you’d like to be taken to by clicking on the links below:Most Common Sales Careers5 Best Sales Resume Writing ServicesProfessional Sales Resume SamplesMost Common Sales CareersWhen it comes to sales, the options seem limitless. Below we break down some of the most common sales positions today.Automotive Sales Field Sales IT Sales Medical Sales Pharmaceutical Sales Retail Sales Software Sales Sales Associate Sales Representative Account Manager Account Executive Sales Manager Sales Director Sales VP Inside Sales Outside Sales International Sales Remote SalesDon’t worryif you didn't see your desired job title on this list. We couldn't list them all.If you know that you are in sales,business development, or marketing, then this list is going to be perfect for you.Best Resume Services for Sales ProfessionalsIf you are in a hurry and don’t want to read our detailed reviews below, here is a list of the Best Sales Resume Writers:Find My Profession (that's us!) A Resume For Today Advanced Write Resumes iHireSalesPeople SalesTraxAnd now for the detailed reviews…1. Find My ProfessionFind My Profession is not only a top-notch sales resume service. We are a global company h eadquartered in the US on a mission to master effective, ATS compatible resumes that convert into offers.A major perk of Find My Profession is that we are not a one-person shop.Collectively, our team of elite resume writers has experience in 85+ unique industries/professions. This allows us to assign you a professional writer (in the United States) based on your unique background and experience.We are also not a resume factory. We will never use “ghostwriters”. You will have your resume writer’s name, email, and phone number for direct communication.With 100+ 5-star reviews and a 60-day interview guarantee thatspeaks for itself, you can sleep easy knowing that your satisfaction is our #1 priority.Pros: Find My Profession is founded by Mike Podesto, a former sales professional turned recruiter who understands what it takes to stand out from the pile and land interviews. Find My Profession commits to working with each client until they are completely satisfied. Don’t worry abo ut having a limited number of edits, or a set amount of time with your writer.Cons: Find My Profession does not exclusively write sales careerresumes. Also, with a focus on more senior positions, our entry-level resume service may be a bit pricey for recent graduates.Turnaround: 3-5 business days. 48-hour rush service available.Cost: $395-$895Phone: (831) 888-0967Don't take our word for it, check out some of our 5-star reviews.Trustpilot2. A Resume For TodayA Resume For Today is an excellent resume writing service for technology and sales executives looking to take their career to the next level. This company was founded by Tyrone Norwood, a Certified Master Resume Writer who specializes in CIO Resumes, VP Sales Resumes, and other IT related resumes.Pros: A Resume For Today has identified a niche which allows them to become experts in their field. With a heavy focus on IT-related jobs, this is going to make an excellent fit for any high-level sales leaders specifically looking for w ork in a highly technical sales function.Cons: Being so focused on IT, this company may not be a good fit for everyone. It’s also a bit pricey, however, it is fairly reasonable compared to other similarly credentialed resume writers.Turnaround: 7-10 business days.Cost: $995Phone: (888) 737-39633. Naviga Recruiting Executive SearchNaviga Recruiting Executive Search brings a nice mix of diversity to this list. Unlike other strictly resume writing companies, Naviga is a recruiting agency focused on sales professionals first, and a resume writing company second.Pros: Naviga works with sales professionals ranging in seniority level every day. This gives them a great perspective into what should and should not be on a resume. It only seems natural for them to also offer resume writing services.Cons: Naviga is a recruitment agency first and a resume writing company second. While this may be a breath of fresh air to some, it can also be seen as a con. We also wish they had more resume s amples to view on their website.Turnaround: Not stated.Cost: $597-$997Phone: (866) 487-41564. SalesTraxSalesTrax understands that sales resumes are different from regular resumes. They believe that a properly constructed sales resume will contain historic elements that highlight your accomplishments and eliminate the fluff that turns employers off.Pros: SalesTrax is one of the few services that advertise a resume review option. This means that if you’d like to save some money and have one of their professionals review your resume and provide actionable feedback rather than completely rewriting it, that is an option.Cons: We weren’t able to find any reviews (good or bad) about this company. We also have no idea what their turnaround time is for their sales resume services.Turnaround: Not stated.Cost: $149 for review. $399 for a rewrite.Phone: (877) 777-10375. iHireSalesPeopleiHireSalesPeople is another service that can offer more value than just resume writing. While resume writi ng services are offered, iHireSalesPeople is also a job board which allows you to browse through thousands of sales jobs without being bombarded with other irrelevant positions.Pros: iHireSalesPeople offers one of the more affordable sales resume options on this list. We believe this would be an excellent option for entry-level job seekers looking to get into sales or take that next step in their sales career.Cons: If you are an executive, you may want to consider a service on this list with more of a focus on high-level resume writing. Also, some of the reviews are not great, however, these reviews are mostly about the job board services, not resume writing.Turnaround: 5-7 business days.Cost: $345-$495Phone: (877) 316-3118Professional Sales Resume SamplesBelow is a senior sales executive resume sample taken from Find My Profession (#1rated on the list).Below is a vice president of business development resume sample taken from A Resume For Today (#2 rated on the list).Below is a vp of sales and marketingresume sample taken from Naviga (#3 rated on the list).Best Executive Resume Service in AmericaNot worried about finding a sales focused resume company? Want to work with the best of the best in the executive space? Check out the Best Executive Resume Services.

Cover Letters - Poor Choice For Job Seeker Branding - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Cover Letters - Poor Choice For Job Seeker Branding - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Most job seekers use cover letters to try to differentiate themselves, but cover letters are a lousy way to differentiate yourself as a job seeker today. Your personal brand is the first impression you give to readers. Your personal brand is used to decide if youre qualified or not. TheLadders heat mapping study of how audiences read resumes showed that a qualified/unqualified determination is reached in the first 6 seconds. Recruiters and HR reps will tell you they take an average 15 seconds to decide if a candidate will get an interview So your personal brand makes a huge impact on whether you gain an interview or not. So why do cover letters fail to convey your personal brand effectively? Remember, the concept of cover letters were developed when you couldnt change your resume because it was printed on paper at a print shop like Kinkos. I know it seems like a century ago, but thats why cover letters were developed. When you couldnt change your resume, the only way you could try to fit your readers individual needs was through a cover letter. Technology has changed, both for the applicant and the employer Today, weve got these new-fangled inventions called PCs (or Macs), that allow candidates to easily customize resumes, so they dont have to be static anymore. Employers attract many more candidates via 50,000 job boards in existence and pre-screen applicants with Applicant Tracking Systems. Back then most jobs were advertised in the newspaper, so job ads attracted only about 10% of the applicants as today The average employers only received about 100 applications for each advertised position. When todays employer receives an average 1,000 applications for each advertised job, they have to evaluate potential hires more efficiently. This combination of increasing number of applicants and employers need for efficient candidate review caused employers to automate much of the pre-screening process so now only a handful of resumes are read for each position and the resumes that are read are only quickly skimmed to make an interview recommendation. If this isnt enough to convince you cover letters are lousy branding vehicles, then consider 3 Reasons Cover Letters Are Ineffective Personal Branding Tools: Not Searchable By Applicant Tracking Systems: Thats right, cover letters arent searchable by most applicant tracking systems. According to CEOs and VPs of the top 10 ATS companies, most employers only set up Applicant Tracking Systems to keyword search a single document your resume. So if an ATS only pre-screens your resume, automated pre-screening wont pick up that youve branded yourself as the ideal candidate from your cover letter, because you used the wrong document to brand and differentiate yourself. No One Reads Them: Ive conducted what Im told is the largest study of employer cover letter use, surveying thousands of hiring managers, recruiters and HR reps including nearly every industry, job function, job level, public, private, non-profit, manufacturing, service, government, health care, and education. Fortune.com ran an article on my research (http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2012/06/08/are-cover-letters-necessary/) that showed that almost no employers or recruiters use cover letters to make interview decisions today. My study concluded that 97% of hiring managers, HR reps and recruiters decide whether to give you an interview (or not) based on your resume not your cover letter. This leaves only 3% of your audience who cares about your cover letter not very effective branding. 6 15 seconds: Candidates will often ask me, Shouldnt I brand myself using a cover letter just in case my reader is one of the few who cares about cover letters? Lets consider #2 above in combination with the 6 second/15 second decisions: Since only 3% of your resumes readers value cover letters, they make a 6 second decision if youre qualified and a 15 second decision to give you an interview or dump your resume they cant read two documents in that time frame or even open two documents that quickly. So instead of being helpful, your cover letter is really a distraction to 97% of your audience. Do you really think that distracting your reader from the document that 97% of your audience uses to manually pre-screen you is a smart way to personally brand and differentiate yourself? Cover letters are traditional in job search and most career advisers still recommend using them. But when you evaluate how the people who review resumes actually make decisions about who to interview, it throws cover letter effectiveness into doubt. Cover letters may be a traditional remnant of non-digital times past, but they cant be an effective way to brand yourself when they are ignored by both man and machine. Instead, research shows that its far more effective to brand yourself using a document that your audience actually reads your resume. Author: Phil Rosenberg is President of http://www.reCareered.com, a leading job search information website and gives complimentary job search webinars at http://ResumeWebinar.com. Phil also runs the Career Central group, one of Linkedin’s largest groups for job seekers and has built one of the 20 largest personal networks on Linkedin globally.

Writing a Profile For a Resume

Writing a Profile For a ResumeA Writer's Essay or Profile for a Resume should be personal, as a small business owner or an employee. It's the whole reason you're using the Writer's Essay or Profile for a Resume to begin with. As the writer, you are defining your skills, achievements and what you stand for. If your resume is a profile for a resume, then you are using a Writer's Essay or Profile for a Resume.Writing a resume can be difficult if you don't know how to. Most resumes today are developed in such a way that it will get you a job interview within days of submission. This can be very difficult for a professional writer to do, even if they've had years of experience in this field. Professional writers know that an updated resume that stands out can be extremely important to getting a job. Although, sometimes an applicant just needs to hone in on some aspects of their personality, and to define who they are as a person.Writing a resume can sometimes be a difficult task for some. If you have an understanding of the different kinds of resume writing and how each one relates to a more specialized resume, then you might be able to take on this process on your own. The trick is to know your audience and know what kind of resume you are creating.While some people may take more pride in the background of their resume, a professional writer may not. Even though it is a specialized field, a good writer has to know that he or she is writing a resume for a job. In other words, when you write a resume, you should give your information in a way that's relevant to the position you are applying for. When you're writing a profile for a resume, you may also want to take a step back from this goal and try to see what it is about your resume that attracts the attention of the hiring manager. This is one of the ways that writers are able to get inside the head of the person who is being interviewed.Even the best writers out there need to learn about grammar and proper punctua tion. Fortunately, most writers have these kinds of abilities. But if you are trying to create a resume for a resume, then it's important to know how to make sure you keep to proper grammar and punctuation. When you're trying to craft a resume, there are many tools out there that can help you understand how to do this. You may want to take a look at some of these resources for assistance when it comes to doing this for yourself.Of course, the most important thing when it comes to the writing of a resume is to consider your purpose. Who is the person reading your resume? You should try to get as much information as possible about them. Being professional with the writing of a resume can go a long way towards making it more appealing to your target audience.Once you have completed all of your formatting for the resume, it's time to go about the actual content of the resume. Make sure to be as thorough as possible. Don't skim through the content and skip to the end of the resume. Just do the basics. The content must be sufficient for the person reading it to be able to make a decision.Writing a resume that stands out from the crowd can be challenging for most people. If you have a reasonable understanding of the methods and guidelines that are used for resume writing, then you should be able to make the process much easier.

4 Tips for Learning about a New Career - CareerAlley

4 Tips for Learning about a New Career - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. If youre thinking about starting a new career, you arent alone. A poll last year conducted by Right Management, a subsidiary of Manpower, found that 84% of employees wanted to find a new job in 2012. There are many reasons to make a career change, but the key to a successful transition is finding a career that will ultimately provide job satisfaction, which might mean more than better pay or a shorter commute. Moving to a new employer only to find that the work doesnt fit with what you want to do can be a disaster, so learning about a new career before making a commitment is a good idea. These four tips will help you find the resources you need to make an informed career change. Take a Career Test The idea of a career test might provoke unwanted flashbacks to the high school guidance counselor, but career testing is actually a useful tool especially for adults, who have a firmer idea of who they are and where they want to go. The internet has made it easier than ever to access reliable personality and skills tests, like the Holland Personality Style Assessment or the Keirsey Temperament Sorter. Tools like these can also be taken at no cost at local colleges and job counseling centers. Read Industry Blogs or Newsletters Now that blogs are considered mainstream, most companies that work with the public have blogs attached to their main websites. Reading these blogs can provide a lot of information about an industry, from who the industry serves to what its employees do, and can give not just an idea of what the industry is about but what the company thinks is important, too. For some examples, Belden has a list of technology industry blogs, Ad Age tracks the best blogs in the marketing industry, and Fast Company provides lists of its favorite business blogs. Trade associations for certain industries also frequently offer free newsletters to the public. Just make sure that the source is reliable by double-checking its history and its other activities on the web. Ask for Informational Interviews Informational interviews are like a traditional interview in reverse in this situation, the person interested in a career asks questions to the person who is already working for the company. Since there is no expectation of a job offer, informational interviews are a low pressure way to learn about a company and its business. However, if you choose to ask for an informational interview, try to keep the formality level about the same as you would with a traditional interview. You will also want to be very well prepared with questions; dont expect the person you are interviewing to do all of the talking without guidance from you. Oberlin College provides excellent tips to prepare for an informational interview. Research Government Websites The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has a wealth of information on careers in the U.S., including explanations, average salary, and industry growth rates. The U.S. Department of Labor provides information on employment statistics, sponsored career training, and seasonal employment opportunities. Your state or local community may sponsor a website with similar information and local career opportunities as well. Using resources like these will give you the background information you need to choose and prepare for a satisfying new career. Laura McPherson writes for Teacher Certification Degrees, a free resource for learning about how to become a teacher, education options, and teacher requirements by state. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Visit me on Facebook

Reading List Hump Day Job Search

Reading List Hump Day Job Search 4 Flares 4 Flares Just wanted to pop in and share with you what Ive been reading this week.  Each of these blog posts are absolutely the hotness for your job search.  Check out this quick reading list and make sure to follow them on Twitter as well. As @PenelopeTrunk does so often, she writes about an incredibly personal story and then ties it into resume advice.  Here is Resume Advice You Never Hear. A new favorite site of mine, @GlassDoorDotCom, brings you 3 Ways To Uncover a Hidden Job. @CollegeCandy  checks in to help new grads cope financially with I Need More Money, Honey. My friends at @Gulpfish have been writing a sweet Interview Preparation Blog Series.  Here is Part 5 of their series, and its on Knowing your Resume. The Under Cover Recruiter (@undercoverrec) discusses cover letters in 6 Mistakes You Shouldnt Put On Your Cover Letter. A long time favorite and friend of mine, @YouTern, writes 3 Simple Tips to a Successful Virtual Internship. Lastly, Im sharing a post from @TimsStrategy that discusses 10 Reasons Why People Get Fired. Thats it for todays reading list!  Maybe Ill start sharing more of these each week!