ExitBuddy

If you want a new direction, you need to embrace change and be willing to listen to your critics/readers. Here is my story, It was pointed out to me that just reposting other people blogs has little value. Having a blog that is only re-posting other people content is the same as being a contemporary news channel. It only works if you are constantly on the edge of what is happening right now. The value is in delivering information (news) as it happens. It is a never ending cycle that cannot be changed. In essence it is just a different job. My readers were more interested in what I have to say. I submitted a few posts that I had written and they commented how nice it was to "hear" my thoughts. Well that came as a bit of a shock to me. No, really. I mean I'm not one who is at a loss for words (duh) and usually have an opinion about most any topic. But, the idea that they wanted to hear my thoughts was surprising. So, in light of this new request, I will be writi...

Why Change? Change is a necessary part of life. Our hair grows, our skin grows and is replaced, our fingernails grow out and need to be cut. The weather changes and most people will change jobs 7-10 times in their working lives. Change is a necessary and fruitful part of our lives. So why do we think that everything else in our life will stay static? How often have you heard someone say, "now that ___ has happened, I can really start to focus on my _____" (job, hobby, losing weight, etc)? And it never happens.

You can integrate Twitter into your job search activities and you can do it in 15 minutes a day (after some learning-curve time for setting up your account and reviewing the basics). via myglobalcareer.com

Many executives share similar career paths. One of these paths involves entering a company at a job relevant to your degree or experience, and climbing your way up the corporate ladder until you’re eventually running the place. Another path involves working for many different companies for a few years at a time, while regularly being courted away with a higher salary or greater responsibilities. Both of these career paths show that you’ve got what it takes to be an executive. Whichever path your career has followed, there’s a way to write your resume to show it off. via careerrocketeer.com

AOL Jobs reached out to hiring managers, HR professionals and recruiters to hear their favorite interview questions . Here's what they love to ask and why. via jobs.aol.com

Is America still the home of the brave? Yes, Yes it is. I will admit that she lacks the luster and shine of years past. America also lacks the brave hero's that walked her streets in the recent past. Not the sensational hero's that are portrayed in TV or the movies but the everyday hero's that make up the heart and soul of America. Are you the pillar of the community? Are you the person people come to in times of trouble? When someone is in need, do they seek you out? I hope so. Being brave does not mean invincible or unerring or even perfect. It just means that you are willing to fight for the right things. It means that you are willing to stand up and be counted when things get tough. You will not shrink into the background when the situation becomes uncomfortable. Being brave also means that you have integrity and character. That you can be trusted, with a little or a lot. That you are a man of your word. My father is that kind of man. He is willing to list...

Land of the Free. Are we? Yes we are. Where else in the world can you stand on the street corner and complain about the government or the president? Where you can be a Red Sox fan and live in New York? Where you can be a Raider hater? Where you can refuse to eat your vegetables? Where you can replace the entire government in a non-confrontational, non-violent way? If you lose your job, you can start a new company. If you do not like your boss you can quit. If you disagree with the lawmakers, you can protest or vote them out. Arranged marriages are not the custom in America. Most Americans do not like being told what to do. They want the freedom to make their own horrible mistakes, whether that is in business, education or love. However, Freedom costs. It costs a price in blood and in action. Thousands young men and women sacrificed their lives for our freedom in the last few hundred years. It costs, in the risk associated with starting a new business or an investment. Freedom...

Use the active voice in your writing.  Say “I suggest we do this,” rather than “It is suggested that…” When you use the active voice your writing and you come across as strong, forceful and self confident.  If you need a grammar refresher, in the active voice the subject of the sentence does something.  Go back to the tweet.  In the first example, “I” is the subject of sentence.  To continue with the example, I does something, he or she suggests doing this… via budbilanich.com

image via johnmcnab Have you ever met someone who could say one thing and mean something else? On the surface that seems to be a really valuable skill but in the long run it will backfire on you every time. Here is an example of changing the meaning of a sentence. Speak the sentence out loud emphasizing a different word each time. "I did not say she did it." Emphasizing each word changes the meaning of the sentence. In order to be a great communicator Say what you mean. When you say something, choose your words carefully and measure the response of your audience. It is the speakers responsibility to transfer the message to the audience, whether that is an audience of one or a few. You as the speaker are responsible for your words and their impact. It is irresponsible to talk about thing you know nothing about.  Shut up, if you don't have anything to say. It is better to be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. Great communicators ...

When you first lost your job, you spent your time wallowing in your sorrows -- eating ice cream in your pajamas and watching 'Judge Judy' all afternoon. Then your determination kicked in, and you decided to find a new job. You perused job boards , polished up your résumé, searched for old co-workers on LinkedIn -- and occasionally watched 'Judge Judy' all afternoon. via jobs.aol.com

Maintaining and growing your network takes time and effort.  Having a tool to help you do this seems like the natural solution.  You know you should be keeping in touch with your network, however, you find the thought of it overwhelming.  How in the world will I have the time?  But perhaps the truer question is, how can you make it easier? With more of us using social networks and email, it seems even more difficult to manage it all. There are some super tools available to help simplify the process.  Tools however, are only the mechanism.  Your message still needs to be authentic and genuine. via blog.brand-yourself.com

If you're looking for creative ideas to boost your job search , here are a few wacky strategies-all of which have actually been tried in real life! Name Change- A fan of the radio station talkSPORT wanted a job with the company so badly that he recently changed his name to 'The Late Show on talkSPORT'. via positionignition.com

You don't want just a nibble or an interview -- you want an actual job offer! Get your foot in the door and kick it wide open with these expert tips: 1. Be a great match on paper "Getting the job offer is often a function of the quality of match between you and the job requirements. That's why your résumé needs to have key words and achievements that are relevant to the specific job," says Catherine Jewell, author of New Résumé New Career: Get the Job You Want with the Skills and Experience You Already Have. Scrutinize the job ad for tips on what might be most important to the employer. Ditch the generic résumé in favor of a document tailored to the position at hand, and consider cutting out details that don't contribute to your suitability. via jobs.aol.com Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Most people, when interviewing for a new job, forget the process is supposed to be a 2-way street. It’s as important for you, as a candidate, to determine if the job, the company, the culture, and the work environment is right for you as it is for the company to determine if you’re right for them. You do yourself no favors by accepting an offer for a job that is not a good fit. It will make you miserable, your employer dissatisfied, and likely not end well. In order to make a rational judgment as to the fit, you must have your criteria figured out in advance. Very often, when you’re in the middle of an evaluation process, it’s easy to rationalize all the things that don’t feel right to you because you want a job, any job, so much. Having a list of criteria that you created before you’re in the heat of the process helps you tremendously in determining if this role is a match, or not. via thewisejobsearch.com Posted via email from AndyWergedal

image by  despi88 When you look at your face in the mirror, what do you see? When you look at your life, so far, what do you see? Do you think that your past is the best part of your life or do you think that your best has been or is going to be? Well, you are probably wrong , if you think that the best is in the past. The best is now . Today is the day that everything changes. Today is the day. So shrug off the old you and put on the new you. Seize the day and make yourself shine. I see a great awakening in you. A great opportunity to make you mark in the world. This is your time. Go for it, move ahead ... ~Devo Posted via email from AndyWergedal

One of the frequent reasons a new client seeks me out is because they’re getting interviews, but no offers. The primary problem is always that the seeker has very little idea, beyond some basics, of what they’re looking for. But there are always additional layers, one of which is lack of preparation, and is, not surprisingly, closely tied to the primary problem. And as this pattern continues, other problems develop, the most prevalent of which is getting defensive. Ironically, the harder you try, the worse things get. Here's the prevailing - and mistaken - train of thought: "It's an interview. They want to know what I've done. It's me; it's my career; I know all about that. Piece of cake." And you want a job with a similar title, in a solid company that pays well, and a boss that appreciates his employees. Twenty minutes of research on the company website, and period. End of sentence. Nothing more necessary.

  Some rights reserved  by  bitzcelt   I read a job searching related site that recommended a work specific twitter account. I thought to myself, what would be the purpose of this type of effort? Would your readers/followers know that you are a person? Would your readers/followers know that this is not the whole you, just the professional prism on the gem that is you? So, I quickly gave up on that thought and decided to write this post. Here is the key thing you need to do to gain followers and get a job... Be the real you! When you are using social networking tools, remember that they are just the hammer, you are the architect. The hammer does not build the catherdal the workmen do. The tool does not create the contacts, you do. Too many times we become enamored with building better hammers. Do not fall into this trap. Just be yourself. Other people will relate to you, if you are real. In my programming past I spent hours building sub-routin...

At fifty, many of us feel we finally know what we are doing professionally, have a lot to offer others, and are wiser than ever before. On the other hand, we may also be sensing that this is our last chance to make our mark on the world; that our energy, while strong, is beginning to wane; and that others – amazingly – see us as ‘old’. If this is your situation, how do you think about your career?

via positionignition.com Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Too many job seekers accomplish very little from day to day because they believe they have to have everything perfect before they make a call, submit a resume, pursue a job lead, or set a meeting. They get stuck in “Analysis Paralysis”!!! I’m a big believer in great preparation, and many of my articles talk extensively about preparing and practicing thoroughly in order to present yourself as professionally as you can. However, at some point you have to just decide it’s close enough and jump in! Otherwise, you end up achieving little. Some basic realizations can help you put things in perspective and accomplish more: What have you got to lose??? Often, job seekers are afraid to make a phone call, because they feel that if they don’t do it perfectly, they will blow a job opportunity. That may be true, however, you already don’t have the job! Odds are heavily in your favor that by calling and talking to someone, your chances of gaining interest is greatly improved. By not ...

via billshrink.com Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Andy Wergedal's Pulse         17 Ways To Build Confidence While Finding A Job September 21, 2010 at 1:58 AM via Tim's StrategyIdeas for Job Search, Career and Life – Tim’s Strategy The process of finding a job can suck the life out of you. It can drain your best parts. When you need them most. Here are ways ... Read More >> Permalink | Leave a comment  »        The One Question Job Seekers Struggle To Answer September 21, 2010 at 1:58 AM via Tim's StrategyIdeas for Job Search, Career and Life – Tim’s Strategy It baffles me.  How such a simple question throws off so many. And then it doesn’t baffle me.  Because I’ve been ... Read More >> Permalink | Leave a comment  »     ...

By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert , Rob Taub If you feel your enthusiasm and focus on being the best you can be, either in an interview or on the job, may be working against you, you may want to rein in your enthusiasm and moderate your intensity to some degree. Nevertheless, and more often than not, it is a matter of developing good communication sense. Is my personality killing my chances? “Communication skills” and “communication sense” are not the same. Good communication skills is the foundation, underpinnings, for developing communication sense, just like knowing the functions of the pieces on the chess board is ultimately necessary for executing strategy. Pieces don’t win the match, how you manage them does; and perhaps that’s all you need – a better strategy for managing your communications or sound communication sense. via Read the rest of this post >> Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Contrary to what you have heard, the resume still has its place in this web 2.0 world. Despite interactive mediums, it’s still a very crucial marketing tool and essential in launching your digital marketing campaign. What has occurred? Greatly due to the explosion of social media, job sourcing and job seeker marketing has exponentially evolved. Consequently, the way in which you write and promote your self-marketing message must be hoisted to meet market demands. via careerealism.com Posted via email from AndyWergedal

If you are an unrelenting smartypants If you are lazy If you are perpetually negative If you see problems but never solutions If you blame others for what went wrong in your career If you make a habit of lying or trying to cover up things If you think you’re smarter and therefore better than everyone else If you think you have nothing special to offer your new employer If you think you have waaay too much to offer your employer If you think people who don’t agree with you are stupid If you think people in admin and/or service jobs are losers If you like to see others suffer or fall flat on their faces If you refuse to go out of your way to help others If you think the job is beneath you If you whine whine whine If you automatically disagree with everyone If you’re always trying to prove how smart you are If you think you’ve never been given a chance to really shine (we make those for ourselves) If you think it’s just bad luck that you always wind ...

These days, employers have very little time to spend looking through resumes in search of those with the right skills sets. In fact, if you do not establish right away in your resume what you have to offer, you will likely get passed over – even if you are perfect for the job! One of the best ways to do this is include a keyword list. careeralley.com via Read the Rest Here Posted via email from AndyWergedal

It’s normal to feel a bit nervous about an interview. You are meeting someone you don’t know well and you have a very short period of time to make a standout first impression. And, then they stump you with questions you’re not sure you know how to respond to. Many people misinterpret questions asked by employers, so they either say something they shouldn’t or they don’t know the appropriate way to respond. Once you know what to expect, you will likely perform better. To help you, here are some frequently asked questions and how you can answer them correctly.

There’s a big temptation in life to agree with everyone around you. It makes life easier in the short run.  More people smile at you.  And many will spend more time with you if you are open to their views reigning supreme. Personally I am not one to get into a verbal brawl with a new connection who has strong views with which I disagree.  In that case I will often handle it with silence.  Don’t get me wrong.  I like a good argument.  But I tend to have those fun conversations with people who are closer to me.

Solvate , a company that businesses looking for resources with professionals looking for work, today announced the launch of its “Talent Engine.” It’s basically a search engine that is designed to enable small businesses to query Solvate’s index of independent professionals and connect with appropriate matches.

Post by Jason Finnerty One of the great things the internets gives us is the ability to track and analyze anything and everything.  You can find out how many people are on your website, commented on your blog, or liked your Facebook status update, and it doesn’t take much more than a few clicks. Whether you are looking at it from a competitive, professional, or personal point of view, you’ve probably figured out that you should start using Twitter tools to check your stats.

This a guest post by Yehoshua Paul. If you’d also like to guest post here on JobMob, follow these guest post guidelines . Over the past year I have managed to become very familiar with job hunting in Israel. You can find yourself constantly working or not working at all. Most of the people I know who are looking for work rarely do EVERYTHING they could be doing to find work, many are doing things wrong, and some stuff which in retrospect should have been done differently. Primarily it is the difference between being passive to active while not being overly aggressive. Don’t be lazy, work is out there. Get up and find it. I am not a guru, and the lists below are far from comprehensive, but I think they will help many of you find the work you need so badly. While job hunting-

There seems to be a lot to learn about when it comes to marketing your business with social media.  The learning curve is steep, and mastery of the subject is still undefined. by Flowtown The first step is understanding the shift to social media.  Are you looking to answer the who, what, where, when and why questions? You also want resources that will keep you up to date.   I’ve compiled a list of resources I’ve found helpful in developing my knowledge on the subject.

via positionignition.com Posted via email from AndyWergedal

September 16, 2010 by sparktalk   By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert , Karen Siwak Each year for the past nine years CareerXroads has conducted a survey about the sources of new hires. The most recent survey ( full report available here ) solicited source of hire stats for 43 large companies, who collectively filled 176,000 positions in 2009. While the sample size is small, and arguments can and have been made about the accuracy and applicability of the statistics, the survey results are nevertheless revealing, and have some  important implications for how job seekers invest their job hunt energy.

via youtube.com Posted via email from AndyWergedal

via blog.careergoddess.com Posted via email from AndyWergedal

via youtube.com Posted via email from AndyWergedal

via youtube.com Posted via email from AndyWergedal

via youtube.com Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Being underemployed may be the new way of doing business in America. It allows companies to hire workers for only the hours they're needed, and to pay them an hourly rate without providing benefits, while keeping people in the work force -- at least partially. It's better than being unemployed.

Growing up my mom would always say to us, “Be a Leader and Not a Follower.” I would nod my head okay as if I truly understood what it meant. As a child, I thought it meant being bossy. This thinking got me in lots of trouble on the Bronx streets and eluded me to what the true qualities of a leader are. As a result, I spent years studying business and other leaders to figure out, “What does it mean to be a leader?” Finally, I learned much of what makes a great leader are the things both spoken and unspoken. Much of this is not taught in a classroom but through years of “real world” experience. For instance:

Somewhere along the line, our language shifted meaning slightly. “Looking for work” used to mean, “I’m capable and I’m looking for a place to apply what I know how to do.” Now, it means “I’m unemployed and hoping to find an employer to nestle me into their machine.” These are two very different things.

In the freelance world, you have the freedom to put whatever you want on your business card.  The job position you choose will show your audience a glimpse of what they can expect from you and your company.

I had lunch with a friend yesterday who recently began to market himself as an independent business operations consultant. He’s very highly qualified, however, understands clients won’t be suddenly flocking to his door. He needs to network effectively to find opportunities. He never considered himself a “networker”, but he does it very well. As we got to talking about his success so far, it reminded me how applicable his experience is to a job seeker as well. He’s becoming very good at it… and that doesn’t mean he simply connects with an endless stream of people and moves on. Effective networking is about building relationships, adding value, and building trust and credibility. Doesn’t it take more work that way? You bet. Does it work? Exceptionally! Here’s what he’s been doing, and how it applies in a job search as well…

The new Twitter revamp is nice , but one of the features that most piqued our interest—and would make us consider giving its web interface another chance—are the new keyboard shortcuts. Here's how they work. Hit '?' to Get Started

I have to make an admission here.  While in the process of finding a job back in 2007, I didn’t always send thank you notes.  It was counter to most of the advice out there.  I know.  Still is.

If you know you're not very fit – and some days you only walk from home to your car to your desk and back – then exercise advice can feel overwhelming. After all, most of the books and blogs and podcasts about exercise are produced by keep-fit types. Thin, muscular, glowing with good health... ...and kinda annoying. I know they don't mean to be. They're just sharing what they know and love. But the problem is, if you're a coach potato, it's easy to feel judged. And, it's easy to give up before you've even begun. You don't want to spend hours every week in the gym. You don't want a body like a magazine cover model.

By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert , Laura Smith-Proulx As a job tool, you just can’t beat the power of LinkedIn. With numerous ways to display your skills and core competencies, the site allows you to be found by hiring managers and recruiters, with little effort on your part. However, using it incorrectly can actually reduce your chances of being hired. Here are 3 common pitfalls to avoid when setting up and using LinkedIn for a job search:

In reviewing resumes, I often come across terms that are overused and don’t provide a lot of value to your document. Here are some examples: Great communication skills This tends to be a throwaway term because few people even recognize (much less acknowledge) their poor communication skills. I always cringe a little when I see this included in a resume that also contains improper sentence structure or awkward verbiage. Generally, unless you’re applying for a position for which excellent communication skills are imperative, those abilities should shine through in the quality of your resume—without your having to spell them out.

Over the coming months, I’ll be featuring some of the fantastic career experts I’ve approved for the career expert directory .  Through their own words via guest blog posts and by highlighting them in relevant posts where their expertise really shines. Today I get to highlight the expertise of my good friend, Thom Singer.  Thom is a career networking and personal branding expert living in Austin, Texas.  Thom’s guest post today highlights the hard work and, to use Thom’s words, “tenacity” required for successful career networking.

Confidence is a tool you can use in your everyday life to do all kinds of cool stuff, not least to stop second-guessing yourself, manage your fears and become able to do more of the things that really matter to you. But not many people realise that their self-confidence works just like a muscle – it grows in response to the level of performance required of it.  Either you use it or you lose it.  That’s why I’ve given you 63 ways to grow your confidence so that you can become a giant.