How To Say Thanks in a Job Search [INFOGRAPHIC]

How To Say Thanks in a Job Search [INFOGRAPHIC] As it is Thanksgiving, many Americans are reflecting on little ways that they can express how thankful they are.  While you might say thank you after being passed your first slice of pumpkin pie, it’s often all too easy to forget the weight those two words when they’re put together. A simple thank you has more power than we often give it credit forand there are a million ways to show your gratitude. The way you say thank you (or don’t) could make or break your chances with potential employers. This infographic from Careerleaf  will provide you with everything you need to know about saying thank you during your job search. Takeaways: DO send a handwritten note after the interview (91% of HR manages considered this very, or somewhat, helpful) and make sure you post it on the day of the interview. DO connect through social media and  DO send an email 87% of HR managers agreed it is  appropriate  to send an email after an interview. DO be creative with your thank you online videos are 5.33 more effective than text. DONT send a thank you gift this may be seen as bribery. DONT forget to say thank you 22% of HR managers say they are less likely to hire a candidate who doesnt say thank you after an interview. DONT show up at the office,  DONT send something too long and DONT call the day after these can all be off-putting or seen as agressive. RELATED: 6 Clever Ways to Improve Your Job Search Tactics Image: Pablo

Personal Branding Interview Josh Mullineaux - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Interview Josh Mullineaux - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today, I spoke to Josh Mullineaux, who is the Director of Marketing and lead business development manager at Unique Blog Designs.   Josh and his team have helped a lot of big companies and personal brands build their blog platforms, such as Yahoo!, MySpace, ShoeMoney and I.     Ive been their client for about a year now and theyve helped me craft my dream with Personal Branding Blog and Student Branding Blog.   I recommend Unique Blog Designs because they are creative geniuses and technical wizards in the blog arena. In this interview, Josh emphasizes having a goal in mind before you start blogging, then goes over blog themes, some lessons hes learned and more. You founded a custom blog design agency and have worked with some of the top bloggers, internet marketers, as well as worked with some larger companies like Yahoo! and MySpace. What are some best practices that everyone can take note of? Everyone should start with a goal in mind when either creating a blog themselves or having one created for them. That is of chief importance in order to have a successful design or re-design. The more specific the goal the better. Can you talk a little about blog themes and how someone should go about selecting the right one? UBD creates special themes, but what makes them so unique? I think this goes back to the first question Everyone should have a goal in mind when they are selecting a theme. Most people who are in the market for a theme are looking to purchase one for a specific reason. Whether it be for personal branding, branding a business, increasing RSS subscribers or an email subscriber list. Therefore, the bottom line is that you should choose a theme that will at a minimum accomplish your goals. Then, you can decipher based on other types of functionality, colors, layout, etc. If you know the audience that you are trying to reach then you can make an educated decision when selecting a theme. We try to create themes that look create, have lots of cutting edge WordPress functionality, and user requested features. Our themes can be found at themewars.com. We also create very specific themes that are use as tools. Such as Affiliate Theme and Squeeze Theme. What are some of the most valuable lessons that you have learned from working with the top bloggers and internet marketers? There are so many things that I cant possibly list everything but I can tell you what has been the number one lesson! We launched a theme built specifically for those who do affiliate marketing called, Affiliate Theme, about 6 months ago or so and did podcasts with many of the top internet and affiliate marketers that we work with. One of the questions we asked was, If you could give people one piece of advice to help increase their online money making potential, what would it be? To my surprise, every single person gave the exact same advice!! It was to start building and putting major effort into a targeted email list! We were blown away that everyone gave us this same advice. Consequentially, as a percentage, we sold more copies of Affiliate Theme to our own email list than to any other source. This advice should not be taken lightly. So is that why you created Squeeze Theme? Absolutely. We have seen the results first hand of actively building a targeted email list and it is the advice that we give to all of our clients. Therefore we wanted to make it as easy as possible for anyone to start building their email lists. Not to mention, that Squeeze Theme also has a killer blog layout and tons of functionality built into it like the color-picker. Squeeze Theme will be available to purchase starting today. Does the theme make a blog successful or the content? Do you need both to be perfect? Well, the content more so than the design of blog makes it successful. However, the design should be used to enhance the experience of the user. So, you should be more successful by having an awesome design, for whatever success is to you. If you have a bad design it is also possible that visitors of the site will not be able to effectively find the content that was created for them and immediately leave the site. A site isnt much without the content, but the design should be good so that you can make the most of the content. - Josh Mullineaux is the Director of Marketing and lead business development manager at Unique Blog Designs.   Josh is a blog consultant and expert who excels at defining blog visions.   He writes a personal blog on the topics of finance, personal development and business development.   Through Unique Blog Designs, he has served top clients, including Shoemoney.com, JohnChow.com, MySpace, Yahoo!, and Blog World.   If you want to learn more about Josh, follow him on Twitter.

Should Your Credit Score Be Fair Game for Potential Employers

Should Your Credit Score Be Fair Game for Potential Employers A note from Nicole Thanks to Dave Thomas for his timely and relevant post that hits home for me in a few ways. 1. Ive had to get my credit checked as a stimpluation of employment during a job interveiw process.  I got the job and worked there for almost 3 years, but the whole process was a surprise to me and  something  that made me uncomfortable.   Thank God I was on top of things getting your credit score in order isnt something that you can remedy very quickly. 2. Since being laid-off/self-employed I can see how ones credit score could tank during times of uncertain cash flow.  Hello occasional credit card dependence and cash flow paranoia.  For those who are job searching, have you taken your credit card use and general credit score into consideration?  Believe it or not it could make or break your next job opportunity. 3.  Ive always struggled with trying to live within my means and staying organized with my bills which is why this months Ms. Career Girl Connect event is all about personal finance.  Its a topic most of us dont want to talk about but most of us really NEED to talk about. The event will have a panel of 4 personal finance experts (a mortgage broker, financial planner, insurance agent and realtor) who are going to get real and honest about women and personal finance.  If you havent registered yet, get your ticket here.  For those who are not in Chicago, well be streaming the panel discussion and taking your questions live! Nicole Think your credit score will play a role in whether or not you get your next gig?  Much to the surprise of many Americans, your credit score can play a role in an employer’s decision on whether or not to hire you. The legality of whether or not employers can and should be allowed to use a credit score in the consideration of hiring someone has come under scrutiny in a number of states. More Lawmakers are Standing on Side of Job Applicants Lawmakers in 19 states and the District of Columbia have been taking steps to prohibit employers from reviewing an applicant’s credit report. Unless someone is under consideration for a job involving finances, doesn’t it make sense to avoid singling someone out as unworthy of working for a company just because their finances hit a rough patch over time? To date, just Washington State and Hawaii have put in place law to protect job applicants, while Oregon approved anti-credit-check legislation earlier this year, with an exception for positions where fiscal matureness is tied to a certain job. So, what can applicants with less than stellar credit reports do to avoid potentially losing out on a job because their credit history was revealed? It is not uncommon in many interviews for the employer to ask a candidate to sign off on a form, thereby giving the company permission to contact one or all of the three major credit bureaus for the individual’s present and former credit scores. For those individuals who have been out of work for some time now, it should come as no surprise that in many cases, they’ve been living to a degree off their credit cards. When that’s the case and there is no regular stream of good income coming in, it stands to reason their scores will take a hit. How to Fix the Problem In the event you are applying for a job and are asked to agree to a credit report, what should you do? First off, know that not every potential employer is going to ask for such information. Unless you’re going to have direct access to a company’s purse strings, most will probably not care if you overspent on that new dress or went a little overboard on your last vacation. Secondly, skirting the issue is like being asked to provide references or asking why you left your last job and not being able to satisfactorily deal with those matters. If a business asks for permission to run a credit check on you, I would say go ahead. In the event you’ve been hit hard by the recession and/or had major credit card bills due to medical matter, divorce, etc. explain that ahead of time without going into great detail. There is a good chance the man or woman sitting on the other side of the table from you during an interview has had some financial issues of their own over time, so they should be able to appreciate your circumstances. Lastly, even while financial times may be tough, do all you can to bring down any credit card debts, car payment loans, mortgages etc. Most importantly, continue to your best ability to make on-time payments. One potential red flag for an employer is discovering that you’ve been late with payments on more than one occasion. The first thought that may pop into their head is what else will this individual be late with if I hire them for my company? While it may not be a fair world we live in, checking one’s credit before potentially hiring them is becoming more common in today’s work world. Give credit to those who know how to handle the situation. So, have you ever been asked to sign off on a credit report when interviewing for a job? If so, what was your reaction and did you ultimately get the position?

CaliMojos Colors In Motion

CaliMojos Colors In Motion Vibrant, versatile, and full of character!  This is a pair of flipfops that gets what a Career Girl is all about! CaliMojos are the latest beach must have. Lightweight and ultra comfortable, these sandals feature vibrant designs inspired by nature (so you can be down to earth) and a touch of bling to make your feetsies shine in the sun (so you can still sparkle). But aside from their cute, bright look, CaliMojosâ„¢ are not your ordinary flip-flops. Their  brand  promise and tagline is colors in motion. More than just a bright summery accessory,  the special part about the fashion forward Calimojosâ„¢ is that they are manufactured with color changing technology (by  SolarActive ® USA)  and the straps change colors when in the UV rays of the sun. What color + design combo  #CaliMojos are you going to get?    Share with  us @MSCareerGirl  Columnist Archive

Seasonal Jobs in Great Places [Podcast] - Career Pivot

Seasonal Jobs in Great Places [Podcast] - Career Pivot Episode 69 â€" Marc interviews Kelcy Fowler and Matt Moore, Owners of CoolWorks.com Description: Coolworks is a website that is focused on jobs in great places. The site has been around for 23 years. It launched in 1995 from the Tower Ranger Station in Yellowstone National Park, and ever since then, its focus and mission has been to connect employers in destination locations with adventurous job seekers that are looking to take on a different type of career or maybe just have a brief adventure and everything in-between. Matt learned about Coolworks long before he became a part of it. Matt grew up in North Carolina and got a degree in business but on graduating he wasn’t excited about traditional banking or finance roles. He had more of an entrepreneurial spirit. He wanted to take some time before jumping into a career to find something he was excited about. He went out West to find a job somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. He found Coolworks, found a job in Grand Tetons National Park, and it really changed the trajectory of his life. That seasonal job turned into a short career in hospitality that led to Matt and Kelcy meeting. She hired him for the position. Kelcy had also found jobs through Coolworks. They started traveling together and Kelcy began to work for Coolworks. Matt joined the team a little bit later. Kelcy was at a crossroads. She was 21 and had used up the resources her parents had set aside for her to pursue higher ed. She either needed to get a loan or to leave school. She decided to take time to evaluate what she wanted to do. She stumbled upon the Coolworks website. She had had a cousin who worked in Wyoming. That’s how she learned about the subculture environment that exists around seasonal jobs. On the website, she found a job in a wonderful little spot in Grand Teton National Park. She took a front desk agent position for six months. Then she was promoted to an HR Assistant position, which was a year-round position that allowed her to work and live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. After a year, she was HR Manager. She lived in the Tetons for just about six years. She hired thousands of people over that time, including Matt Moore. She calls it a full circle adventure. It is a great resource that puts a pretty powerful “magic wand” into each of our ow n hands to choose and make our own destiny. It has charted the course of Matt’s and Kelcy’s lives. Without a college degree, Kelcy received workplace training for a career in HR that she had never imagined she would be interested in. It’s a very powerful opportunity and potential for folks to do something different. Maybe that balloons into something couldn’t really ever have imagined. Download Link |iTunes|Stitcher Radio|Google Podcast|Podbean|TuneIn|Overcast Key Takeaways: [:44] Marc welcomes you to the episode and invites you to share this episode with like-minded souls. Please subscribe wherever you listen to this podcast, share it on social media, and tell your neighbors and colleagues. [1:11] Marc gives an overview of the podcast series. The first in the series is an interview with an expert. Last week, Marc interviewed Marcia LaReau and Neil Patrick, co-authors of Careermageddon: Cracking the 21st Century Career Code. [1:31] This episode is a special interview with Kelcy Fowler and Matt Moore, owners of Coolworks.com, the Mecca of seasonal jobs at places like the U.S. National Park Service and other cool places. Next will be an interview with Barbara Weibel, owner of HoleInTheDonut.com travel blog. She has an inspiring reinvention story. [1:59] March and April episodes may vary a bit, as Marc and his wife leave for Mexico on March 14 for four weeks as they are exploring the possibilities and working on all of the uncertainties. Marc will record several episodes in Ajijic, Mexico. [2:23] The last week in the series is a QA episode. [2:28] Marc introduces Kelcy Fowler and Matt Moore. They begin by telling their story so Marc does not read their bios. [8:17] Kelcy and Matt are not the first Millennials on the podcast. Marc also interviewed Taylor Pearson who wrote the book End of Jobs. This podcast is focused on people in the second half of life. Marc asks what Kelcy and Matt would like Marc’s audience to know about Coolworks. [8:39] The opportunities on Coolworks are for individuals at every stage in life. We get a lot of questions from folks in the second half of life that are really interested in the potential of these positions and opportunities. People of all ages use Coolworks. [9:22] Recruiters at these locations are thrilled to get applications from folks in the second half of life. Some are in retirement, some are looking to change careers. Those candidates show up, they have a great work ethic, they do their job, they’re reliable. They have the opportunity to be mentors to younger employees. They add diversity. [10:26] Kelcy says from her HR experience, it’s really important for people to know they will be wanted, valued, appreciated, and celebrated. They will be able to form incredible relationships across generations. Kelcy lists a few of the locations available. [12:08] Marc tells of summer jobs he had growing up in New Jersey working for Manpower and the variety of people he met. [12:39] Kelcy speaks of the wide variety of jobs available on Coolworks. A large portion of the employers is in the hospitality and tourism realm. There are all sorts of wonderful industries focused on guest services. The one qualifier is to be in a great place. [14:39] Every employer that posts on the site goes through a screening and registration process first to make sure it’s a good fit. [15:00] A few years ago, a person posted for a personal assistant to manage their administrative affairs sailing around the world on a sailboat for a year. [16:04] For a more gritty and unique opportunity, there are positions in Alaska at fish processing plants or canneries. They make great overtime working hard in a short season Marc notes the North Dakota sugar beet harvest has similar conditions. [17:21] Matt says people in the second half of life are eligible for the majority of these jobs. Recruiters welcome people in the second half of life for reliability and their work ethic. Some of the younger generations are still learning. People in the second half of life bring life experience. [18:46] We see a lot of Boomers and a lot of Millennials striking up great friendships, working alongside one another and really gaining some wonderful value from that relationship. [19:38] Boomers were raised to get an employment resume. Millennials work for a college resume. Most Millennials don’t get a job until after high school or college. [20:41] Kelcy talks about housing options. It is different at every property. Just ask the questions you need to know. For people in the second half of life, RVs are popular, but there are diverse options.Right now it’s a job seeker’s market and there are so many opportunities available. Make sure you get the right fit. [23:37] The unemployment rate is low. Matt says this is definitely the most difficult recruiting year they have seen in over a decade. There’s just a very limited supply of labor. [24:34] Matt says if your thinking about seasonal employment at all, just go for it. Over 20% of the traffic on the site is from people in the second half of life. Sometimes people hesitate because they think they won’t be hired. Matt invites you to reach out if there are any concerns you have. [27:25] Coolworks just published an 80-page e-book with a supplement workbook that answers questions and helps people educate themselves, written by Susan Shain. [28:35] Kelcy says most people on the site are flying solo. It’s very intimidating to pick up your life and move to a new state where you will not only work, but also live alongside your coworkers. Making the journey is very much worth it. Whatever’s holding you back, reach out and drop Coolworks a note. [31:24] Marc hopes you enjoyed this episode and are now ready to try seasonal work in someplace great. [32:24] Check back next week when Marc interviews Barbara Weibel. It is one of the most inspiring interviews Marc has done for this podcast. Mentioned in This Episode: Careerpivot.com Careermageddon: Cracking the 21st Century Career Code, by Marcia LaReau and? Neil Patrick CoolWorks.com HoleInTheDonut.com The End of Jobs: Money, Meaning and Freedom Without the 9-to-5, by Taylor Pearson Manpower Nomad Land: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century, by Jessica Bruder MyCoolworks.com The Ultimate Guide to Seasonal Jobs: How to Have Fun, Make Money, and Travel the World, by Susan Shain in Partnership with Coolworks.com Help@Coolworks.com Please pick up a copy of Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey. The paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats are available now. When you have completed reading the book, Marc would very much appreciate your leaving an honest review on Amazon.com. The audio version of the book is available on iTunes app, Audible, and Amazon. Marc has the paid membership community running on the CareerPivot.com website. The website is alive and in production. Marc is contacting people on the waitlist. Sign up for the waitlist at CareerPivot.com/Community. Marc has two initial cohorts of 10 members in the second half of life and they are guiding him on what to build. He is looking for individuals for the third cohort who are motivated to take action and give Marc input on what he should produce next. He’s currently working on LinkedIn, blogging, and book publishing training. Marc is bringing someone in to guide members on how to write a book. The next topic will be business formation and there will be lots of other things. Beta groups will be brought in 10 at a time. This is a unique paid membership community where Marc will offer group coaching, special content, and a community where you can seek help. CareerPivot.com/Episode-69 Show Notes for this episode. Please subscribe at CareerPivot.com to get updates on all the other happenings at Career Pivot. Marc publishes a blog with Show Notes every Tuesday morning. If you subscribe to the Career Pivots blog, every Sunday you will receive the Career Pivot Insights email, which includes a link to this podcast. Please take a moment â€" go to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or Spotify through the Spotify app. Give this podcast an honest review and subscribe! If you’re not sure how to leave a review, please go to CareerPivot.com/review, and read the detailed instructions there. Email Marc at Podcast@CareerPivot.com. Contact Marc, and ask questions at Careerpivot.com/contact-me You can find Show Notes at Careerpivot.com/repurpose-career-podcast. To subscribe from an iPhone: CareerPivot.com/iTunes To subscribe from an Android: CareerPivot.com/Android Careerpivot.com Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

4 unconventional ways of searching for the right job - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

4 unconventional ways of searching for the right job In the market, when you are trying to look for a new job, you are obviously asked to try things like looking for a job that serves your passion, trying to beef up your resume and applying through mainstream ways of job application. However, when we really observe these ways of getting a job, we can safely say that these are all foundational methods of getting a job that you are looking for. In the competitive world of today, things might not be that easy and you may have to improvise with other creative ways that can get you into the job finding circle with much more effectiveness than these mainstream methods. Some of the methods of applying for the jobs that are being used have now become pretty conventional and students who rely on them usually have to test out a lot of patience before they can find the fruits of their effort. However, there are ways that can seriously get you around with much more ease. Things like connections, friends and social media are some of these avenues where job finding can be improvised and made possible. Today’s blog is going to talk about some of the best and unconventional ways to help job seekers in finding the right job for themselves. Look for mentors and advisors People, especially graduates, think that applying for a job means sitting indoors at home and just filling out online applications, but that is a complete myth. When you are serious about finding the right job for yourself, then the first thing you should do is to approach some of the key experienced people you know around you. These can be your teachers, your bosses during the internship program or your supervisors. You can go and talk to them about the struggles you are facing and the best circles to look into for jobs. Do not always follow the straight path This might sound a little unethical, but there is nothing wrong in trying to get a backdoor to find the job where there is a lot of competition. When you see there is a job posting and you have the right sources to get towards a more direct channel, rather than waiting for applications, then easily use that instead of waiting for your turn to come. Today’s world is all about finding and utilizing your sources smartly. Make connections both online and offline If you are aiming to find good opportunities early on in your career and later on as well, then you need to be really active both online and offline. Make strong connections by having a legit presence on popular social media networks as well as attending various events for networking and developing connections. Talk to employers In the modern world of today, people do not wait for employers to contact them, but rather they directly try to approach the employers and talk to them in a passionate manner about the position they have available for the job. This is one of the great new ways of getting through to your potential employers. Author Bio Jonathan Mark is the author of this blog post. Jonathan works for a recruitment agency in Canada. He likes to write blogs for the site Essay Writing Service and his blogs are really famous when it comes to job insights.

How to Write a Resume That Is Outstanding

How to Write a Resume That Is OutstandingWhile the type of writer you are and your particular niche in the market can determine how you write, good resume skills should always be a consideration. If you want to be the best candidate for the job, it's crucial that you are able to write a successful resume.The market is being flooded with thousands of individuals all vying for jobs, so to get noticed as one of the best skilled writers available, you must be able to generate compelling writing samples that stand out among the rest. You can never have too many good samples, especially when you're applying for a specific position.Of course, if you're interested in writing resumes, chances are that you are already proficient at writing. If that's the case, then you know what to expect and how to create a successful resume. However, if you've never written a resume before, there are still a few tips you can follow that will ensure that you create a resume that stands out among the rest.You need to write something you're passionate about. Even if you are passionate about your current industry, write about a position that you feel passionate about. This will make it easier for employers to appreciate the time and effort you put into your resume.Although good writing skill can certainly be developed, it's often a good idea to take a writing workshop. These workshops are commonly offered at colleges and technical schools that focus on writing. Take advantage of these opportunities, so that you can hone your skills and learn from others who are already experienced at creating great resumes.As you improve your writing skills, you'll find that you can improve your resume as well. Take your time with it and don't be afraid to include a bit of creative thinking in your resume. Employers are generally looking for fresh ideas that demonstrate initiative and expertise.When you follow these tips, you'll find that you are well on your way to being an accomplished and well-qualified resume writer. Remember that just because you know how to write a resume doesn't mean that you should actually write one, so use your writing skills for the purpose of creating a resume.It's up to you to be able to utilize your writing skills and learn from others who know how to effectively create a resume. When you take the time to practice on a resume, you'll find that you can develop better skills and more confidence in your abilities.