PRM

Dont Use Outlook as a CRM/PRM A couple of weeks ago I went to Orlando for a conference.   When I got back to my office my computer was rebooting. I think it had been rebooting for days. In fact, it was stuck and each time I tried to restart it I either almost got it to start (in Safe Mode) or it would remain hung in the rebooting process. Finally, I took it back to the place I got it and they replaced the hard drive.   Diagnosis?   Unfixable, hard-drive failure Cool I got a new hard drive probably faster and better! Uncool: I had to reinstall EVERYTHING on it. I loaded Camtasia (for webcast recordings) and Snagit (for screenshots) and Skype (for my phone system) and Windows Live (for chatting) and Dymo Labels and Dymo Stamps (to ship my LinkedIn DVDs) and my printer driver (took way longer than it should have) and Adobe Acrobat (which should come with the OS installation) and GoToWebinar (for my webinars that I do at least twice a week) and GOM Player (to view videos from my video editor). So far Ive loaded all of the mission critical stuff. So far I havent had to load Microsoft Outlook, Word, or Excel. If I were to have had all of my contact information in Outlook, including names, phone numbers, email addresses (I use Gmail and Google Apps so I have this anywhere I have an Internet connection) then I would have already loaded Microsoft Office.   And then I would have to go to my backup and retrieve the backup. If you are using a desktop application to manage your professional relationships, I sincerely hope you have the disks for the application so you can easily reload it on your machine. I also hope you are somehow backing up YOUR DATA so that if something happens, after you reload it, you can get your contact information back. Managing your career is hard enough without worrying about being your own IT Manager. Thats why Ill not use Outlook beyond what it was designed for. Obviously I use JibberJobber for my Personal Relationship Manager (PRM) and Customer Relationship Manager (CRM).   During the time my PC was down (about a week) I could still access all of that critical information from my laptop, just by logging into JibberJobber.com. I still have important information in my Outlook, but it hasnt been important enough for me to load outlook and then figure out how to restore my files.   So far JibberJobber has carried me through the mess of a failed PC. By the way, I have used and strongly encourage a third party backup system the one Ive used is Mozy.com, which is owned by EMC.   It costs $5/month and runs backups when Im not using the PC. Use Outlook for what it was intended and if you use it for more, or dont have proper measures in place in case it goes down, you are risking sanity and productivity. Dont Use Outlook as a CRM/PRM A couple of weeks ago I went to Orlando for a conference.   When I got back to my office my computer was rebooting. I think it had been rebooting for days. In fact, it was stuck and each time I tried to restart it I either almost got it to start (in Safe Mode) or it would remain hung in the rebooting process. Finally, I took it back to the place I got it and they replaced the hard drive.   Diagnosis?   Unfixable, hard-drive failure Cool I got a new hard drive probably faster and better! Uncool: I had to reinstall EVERYTHING on it. I loaded Camtasia (for webcast recordings) and Snagit (for screenshots) and Skype (for my phone system) and Windows Live (for chatting) and Dymo Labels and Dymo Stamps (to ship my LinkedIn DVDs) and my printer driver (took way longer than it should have) and Adobe Acrobat (which should come with the OS installation) and GoToWebinar (for my webinars that I do at least twice a week) and GOM Player (to view videos from my video editor). So far Ive loaded all of the mission critical stuff. So far I havent had to load Microsoft Outlook, Word, or Excel. If I were to have had all of my contact information in Outlook, including names, phone numbers, email addresses (I use Gmail and Google Apps so I have this anywhere I have an Internet connection) then I would have already loaded Microsoft Office.   And then I would have to go to my backup and retrieve the backup. If you are using a desktop application to manage your professional relationships, I sincerely hope you have the disks for the application so you can easily reload it on your machine. I also hope you are somehow backing up YOUR DATA so that if something happens, after you reload it, you can get your contact information back. Managing your career is hard enough without worrying about being your own IT Manager. Thats why Ill not use Outlook beyond what it was designed for. Obviously I use JibberJobber for my Personal Relationship Manager (PRM) and Customer Relationship Manager (CRM).   During the time my PC was down (about a week) I could still access all of that critical information from my laptop, just by logging into JibberJobber.com. I still have important information in my Outlook, but it hasnt been important enough for me to load outlook and then figure out how to restore my files.   So far JibberJobber has carried me through the mess of a failed PC. By the way, I have used and strongly encourage a third party backup system the one Ive used is Mozy.com, which is owned by EMC.   It costs $5/month and runs backups when Im not using the PC. Use Outlook for what it was intended and if you use it for more, or dont have proper measures in place in case it goes down, you are risking sanity and productivity.

What Writing a Great Resume Means

What Writing a Great Resume MeansWriting a great resume is not as easy as just sticking to your usual resume format. If you have never tackled this before then you are in for a big surprise.Your entire purpose in writing a resume is to land that job and start on your new career path. If you are not up to par with how to write a great resume and how to present yourself as an employee, then you are wasting your time and the company's time by not applying.Your resume is not just your introduction. The content should reflect well on you as a person, so there are no unnecessary gaps. A good resume writer can easily fill any hole that is not necessary.It does not take much to do a good job at keeping a resume up to date. As you know, the market is changing daily and your resume is subject to change as well. Keeping your resume current will give you the edge and make you stand out from other applicants.A resume is like a person's life story; it is telling a prospective employer all about yo urself and how you fit in. A resume gives your potential employer a sense of who you are and what makes you tick.Your resume should be professional but still personal. People will see your resume and immediately know that you are someone they want to hire. This gives them a feeling of comfort knowing they can trust your judgment and your potential employer can be sure that you will perform well.The content of your resume should be free from any slang words. Using these words can lead to jokes being made about you or your company. Keep your resume informal and professional while still reflecting who you are as a person.Your resume is the first contact that a future employer will make with you. If you do not make the most of it by being professional, it is as if you are missing out on the best possible chance you will ever have.

A first night, not a dress rehearsal acting professionally during a graduate internship

A first night, not a dress rehearsal acting professionally during a graduate internship Calling all students and grads: before you step into the workplace, think about your behaviour and the impression you want to create. In this post, Im going to address the thorny issue of professionalism in the workplace Your first forays into a professional working environment as a graduate can be unnerving. Leaving full-time education  where you are increasingly encouraged to consider yourself a favourite customer, entitled to all sorts of services and facilities, can be a shock. Even during the holidays, when many students perform the same role as full-time, permanent staff, there can still be a sense for both parties that this is part of the student experience. It is only after graduation that the familiar sense of context falls away, removing all of your usual cues and references for expected attitudes and behaviour. Insecurities can set in: How do I act? Will I be treated like an adult, or the “new kid”? Am I allowed to ask for help? What is professionalism? Professionalism, as a set of behaviours and values alongside your key employability skills is your armour against these insecurities. Acting professionally in a work environment is vital in order to uphold your organisation’s standards and brand and avoid potential embarrassment. Its also your key to gaining the respect and support of your colleagues, with the sense of understanding and belonging that these bring. Longer-term, developing a reputation for professionalism can benefit your career; in an environment with high stress or conflict or where discretion is highly prized behaving in an appropriate and professional manner will get you noticed. For the right reasons! Monster, the career management portal, lists ten ways to be professional at work adapted below. Perhaps you’ve learned these the hard way, but its worth checking in now and again to make sure you embody and reflect positive working values: Competence.You have the skills and knowledge that enable you to do your job well. As an intern, your job may be to learn first,then do! Reliability. People can depend on you to show up, and submit work, on time. Honesty. You tell the truth and are upfront about where things stand. Careful not to be outspoken or rude, and make sure you’re ready for any repercussions if offering criticism. Integrity. You are known for your consistent principles. Respect for Others. You treat everyone as if they matter. Grasping the preferred level of formality when speaking to your managers is a quick win. Self-Upgrading. Rather than letting your skills or knowledge become outdated, you seek out ways of staying current. As an intern, showing you are an eager, self-starting learner goes a long way. Being Positive. Avoid pessimism. Having an upbeat attitude and trying to be a problem-solver makes a big difference. Supporting Others. You share the spotlight with colleagues and work well as part of your team. Staying Work-Focused. Not letting your private life needlessly impact on your job. Listening Carefully. You check understanding and give people a chance to be heard. In reality, professionalism could be dictated by company policies (e.g. internet/social media/mobile phone use), by the examples made by senior members of staff (it could be important to sense-check whether you have chosen the right person to emulate!), or by the more intangible “culture” of your office or organisation (e.g. dress-code). It’s important that you bring yourself up to date immediately with any company policies, as failing to uphold these could result in dismissal â€" ask your line manager or HR department if you are not sure what applies to you, or where to find it. Your team’s notion of professionalism will be more subtle â€" notice when colleagues make disapproving comments or display negative body language in response to someone’s behaviour, particularly regarding personal boundaries, communication with customers, or teamwork. Think before you act When you are on an internship, it’s important to run through a quick internal checklist that will immediately put you in the best position: Who is my direct “boss”? Who else has control of my workload/line management? Who will I work closely with? What policies are in place that I might need to read through? What are other people wearing, and how are they behaving in their work areas? (check dress code and food/drink/lunch arrangements as a bare minimum) When will I need to actively demonstrate my professionalism? Who or what might tempt me to behave unprofessionally? Behaviours to avoid CV blogger Kate Seidametova, writing on US website Resumark, notes some of her top behaviours to avoid:  Arguing or engaging in an open conflict with a co-worker. Disagreeing is OK (and can sometimes produce a more informed decision) but do it respectfully and politely and don’t cross the line. Use good judgment and watch your manners. Dressing “too casually”. If you come to work sloppily dressed your looks will portray an image of a disorganized and messy worker. Dress professionally, especially if you your boss is on a conservative side. Making comments or jokes that could be offensive to others. Always avoid references to anyone’s personal characteristics such as nationality, race, gender, appearance or religious beliefs at work. (Be careful not to be lulled by “office banter” â€" you’ll still be responsible for your own words, should you be overheard) Raising your voice or acting on emotions. If you’re an emotional person, try to take a break and calm down before an important conversation. People often do and say things driven by a spur of the moment that they later regret. Lying. Being deceitful or dishonest will tarnish your reputation for life if you get caught. It is just not worth it. Over time, you will begin to define your own idea of what constitutes professionalism, based on the behaviours you have seen in yourself and others, good and bad. You will be influenced by the cultures that you have worked in, their level of formality and the specific challenges of those environments. Wherever you go, and wherever you end up, Kate’s final words on the subject make a mantra worth repeating: Professional behaviour is never having a need to prove that you are superior to anyone else

Business Success Begins With These 5 Investment Tips - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Business Success Begins With These 5 Investment Tips - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Starting a new business can be expensive. In addition to business fees, licenses and registrations, you also need to purchase equipment and materials. This can be a lot of money out of pocket, but with the the right saving and investing strategies, you can open a business with minimal financial stress. Investing is a challenge for many people. Because investments involve some kind of risk, it can be scary to get started on an investment plan. Fortunately, there are many tips and tricks you can use to start saving and investing your money so you can open your dream business. Here are a few to help get you started. Give Yourself a Budget If you want to invest your money, you first need to save it. Look for different areas in your personal spending where you may be able to cut back so you can save more money to invest in your business. This may even be something as simple as brewing your coffee at home rather than frequenting a coffee shop. Create a budget for yourself to help you stay on track. Cut out any frivolous spending that isn’t important, such as a gym membership you don’t use, or cancel your cable subscription if you mainly stream your shows. Any money you would have spent in these areas should now go into savings to later be invested. Invest in Mutual Funds Mutual funds are an easy investment tool for people just starting out. Because there’s a wide variety of investment funds to choose from, there’s something for everyone. With varying levels of risk, you can find a mutual fund you’re comfortable investing in. Investing in a mutual fund is also a good idea because it’s easy to buy and sell your shares. Without the long-term commitment that other forms of investment strategies have, you can take the money out when youre ready to open your business. Know the Signs of a Scam Unfortunately, scammers are not uncommon in the investing world. Fraudulent companies may try to get you to invest your hard-earned cash by telling you they have a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity for you. When you send them your money, you never hear from them again. Knowing the signs of a scam can ensure you safely invest your money with an established and reputable company. If a company is promising you a high return with very little risk, this may be a clear sign of a scam. If the deal sounds like it’s too good to be true, you may want to do some additional research before you send anyone cash. Reduce Interest and Fees If you have credit card debt or loans youve taken out, you want to pay them down as quickly as possible to reduce the amount of money youre paying in fees. While paying down your loans and debt can be a bit of struggle at first, you could potentially save thousands of dollars in the long-run if you have high interest rates. If you’re unable to fully pay down your debt in the near future, try to make more than the minimum payment on your debt or contact your bank and ask if they’ll provide you with a lower interest rate. This can still allow you to save money in the end and help you get out of debt faster. When you’re saving money, you’ll have more money to invest in your business. Invest in What Will Advance Your Business When youre looking for things to invest your business money in, youll first want to look at the things that make your business stand out. Because you need to differentiate yourself from your competition, you want to put your money into equipment, strategies, processes or technologies that can give you an edge over your competitors. You should also invest in things that can eliminate or reduce the challenges you face as a small business. Take a look at where your weaknesses as a company lie and come up with a few ways you may be able to improve them. Spend your money in the areas that can boost your business the most. Putting your money into an investment can feel stressful, especially when you have big plans like opening a business. But being smart about the way you invest your money can help you get the money you need to open your business sooner. When saving money to invest, cut out all extra spending and either set it aside to be invested or put it toward paying off your debt. Once you’ve managed to save up enough and you’re ready to invest, look into a few funds that you believe will provide you with the best return. As always, be aware of what you’re doing and listen to your gut. If it seems like it may be a scam, don’t risk it.

Career Resume & Writing Co

Career Resume & Writing CoWriting a career resume and applying for a job, is not as easy as it sounds. While there are many different career sites that can help you write your resume and apply for a job, writing a career resume and applying for a job yourself still presents many challenges and will have to be done in the right way to get the results you desire.The first thing you want to do is check out career resume and writing courses. While the basics will be very similar, there will be some key differences that need to be covered. Career resume and writing co will teach you the basics of how to properly format your resume and apply for a job, but you need to learn how to write a resume and apply for a job that will be appropriate for the position you are seeking.It is much easier to explain why you need the job than it is to talk about why you want the job. Not only should you be able to explain why you want the job, but you also need to be able to explain why you would be a good hire for the position. In addition, you should be able to outline your skills, work experience, education, and work history, along with why it is a good idea for you to have these skills and experience.There are many things that you should emphasize on a resume to make it easy for a potential employer to see exactly what you can do for them. When applying for a job, you will need to emphasize some things that will make you stand out from the crowd of applicants. You can also go a step further and take the extra step to emphasize your personality and make your resume stand out as much as possible.On the website that you select to use for your career resume and writing co, there will be guidelines for creating your resume. These guidelines will help you create a resume that is properly formatted and meets all of the requirements for an employment application.Once you have completed your career resume and writing to, you will need to upload the document to your employer. Make sure tha t the person who receives your resume understands that you are applying for a job, rather than just the review or offer of a job.If you are applying for a job that does not require an interview, you should not send your resume directly to the employer. Instead, you should send the resume to the human resources department or management office at the company you are applying for. Once they receive the resume, they can give you the go ahead to apply for the job.If you follow the advice listed here, you should have no problem creating a career resume and writing co that will be just right for your needs. Following these steps will allow you to create a resume that will be viewed by those that are reviewing your application and allow you to get the job you want.

Claim your Dream Job with These Tips

Claim your Dream Job with These Tips Are you tired of being told that you have no chance of getting your dream position or career?Well, we’re here to tell you that the door to that career is wide open. You just need to be willing and ready to take that first step towards it. There are three challenges to getting your dream career.The first is to write a winning resume.evalThe second is to wow the employer at the interview.The third is to have the confidence to succeed when you claim the job you love.Let’s start by thinking about the resume or CV.1. Writing A Winning ResumeUsually, before they even check your resume, they’ll have a look at your cover letter. Cover letters are quite tricky to write. But there’s an easy lesson, and if you learn it, you’ll always get that interview. Make the cover letter personal to you.A lot of people think that they can get away with copying a cover letter from online. They then just quickly change some of the information to make sure that it fits the job they want. You won’t get caught for plagiarism, but you also won’t get that interview. The truth is that there’s no step by step guide to writing a winning cover letter.Employers want something different, and you need to give it to them. Make sure your cover letter is focused on your goals, achievements and what you can offer.The CV again, doesn’t fit a perfect mold. You might think that you should limit your CV to one or two pages. But what about if you have a massive amount of experience in the desired area. If that’s the case, you might be better off keeping your CV long. You can dazzle them with the massive amount of experience that you already have. Similarly, you need to present a few USPs on your CV. Anything that makes you stand out from the crowds.2. Ace the InteviewevalThere’s an unwritten rule that an employer will know whether they’re going to hire someone in the first five minutes. We’d say this probably isn’t true. Instead, they’ll decide who they’re not going to hire i n the first five minutes. That’s why you must be confident and make a great first impression.Remember, you should ask questions about the job. Don’t be afraid to ask about pay as this is always going to be an important factor. If they state it in a way you don’t understand, you can check what your annual income will be with a wage calculator.Finally, always try to present a new idea for the company or business that could give them a fresh perspective. This is sure to impress your employer.3. Confidence is KeyLastly, if everything goes smoothly, you’ll be offered the job, and you should accept. But don’t just assume you’ve secured your dream job. For the first few months, you will probably be hired on a trial basis. You’ll have to massively impress your employer if you want to keep the job. In this instance, confidence is key. Believe that you can handle the tasks at hand, and you will succeed.Photo Credit â€" Flickr

Ron Santo and Legacies

Ron Santo and Legacies As a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, I was excited to see that Ron Santo was elected into the baseball Hall of Fame by the veterans committee this year. This achievement and Ron’s dedication to find a cure for diabetes, a disease that he suffered from, led me to think about two broader career topics. What is your career end goal? Ron Santo’s goal was to reach the Hall of Fame. What is the highest level you are hoping to achieve in your career? Is it to be awarded a patent in your field? Achieve a level of Subject Matter Expert? Pass a certification test? Speak at a conference on a topic related to your field? Become published in a book or article? Spend some time thinking about the highest level you want to achieve. It will be different for everybody depending on the work you do and the work you want to do. Once you write down what you want to achieve, spend some time thinking about the actions you are going to take to achieve that goal and the timeline you have. What will your legacy be? Ron Santo loved baseball. In addition to his career playing the game, he was also a radio announcer for the Cubs. Beyond baseball, though, Ron Santo spent a significant amount of time raising money for diabetes research. He raised over $60 million for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. This leads me to ask, what do you want your legacy to be? Spend some time thinking about what legacy you want to leave after your death. For some people this will be directly correlated to their career. For others, their career won’t be a part of their legacy. Once you decide what you want your legacy to be, spend some time thinking about how you can begin working towards that now. The beginning of the year is a time that many people spend setting goals for the upcoming year. This year, consider including goals related to your career and the legacy you will leave behind.

Empower Yourself for Career Success - Hallie Crawford

Empower Yourself for Career Success Happy Monday! Today, I’m happy to share a guest post from my new career partner, Miriam Salpeter. With over 10 years of experience, Miriams mission is to encourage, enlighten and empower job seekers for success. Dont launch your search without her toolbox of up-to-date tips and support. Miriams clients gain confidence, clarity and job search know-how! By Miriam Salpeter, M.A. While there is much we as  individuals cannot control (e.g., the stock market, whether or not the industry  we chose for our career will thrive in tomorrow’s economy and if layoffs will  be necessary in our company),  careerists still have a lot of power. My advice  for those who expect thrive in today’s marketplace… Seize control of what you  can! Don’t  be a victim of circumstances. Drive your own career bus. Steps to take: Draw your own career map.   Design your vehicle. Take the keys and start the ignition. Don’t let fear drive you. Back out carefully, but do get rolling… Draw Your Own Career Map Identify your goals. You  can’t get anywhere until you decide the destination! Stop and evaluate. What  characteristics and traits make you special? What are you (or do you hope to  be) known for in your field? Review trends and industries  with career potential. See if there are matches between your skills and  interests  and the  fields and organizations most likely to have  opportunities. If not, consider  re-focusing slightly without altering your  dream. When setting your goals, be open  to the possibilities that new industries provide. Consider the glass “half  full.” Instead of cursing a business with a shrinking job market, be willing to  re-adjust, re-tool and re-train  to take advantage of possibilities coming  down the road. Design Your Vehicle  Brand YOU! Once you identify a destination, you need to drive there! Take the time and  effort necessary to learn how to position yourself as the expert in your field  of choice. Use all of the tools at your disposal to create a “vehicle” (your brand)  that will drive you where you want to go.   If you haven’t looked for a job  in a while and/or aren’t tuned in to managing your “digital  footprint” what comes up when someone “Googles” your name it’s time for  a quick lesson in social media. The long and the short of it is this: an online  presence is key to how people will perceive you. Presenting yourself well both  online and in person will help open doors that seemed closed to you. Dan Schawbel, Personal  Branding Expert, suggests these steps  to  get you started: “Buy yourname.com to secure your brand, make a video resume,  start a WordPress  blog, use Google  Reader, participate (comment on blogs and link to them), get on Facebook and LinkedIn, network and more.” The key is to become the “go to”  person in your field. When you leverage your expertise online and become part  of the social networking community, doors will open that you otherwise would  never have even considered knocking on! Take the Keys! The key to a successful  career is to network generously. There is  nothing more important or more useful than networking.  In  our digital, Web 2.0 world, success will depend more and more on your ability to broaden your professional circles and to reach out to a diverse socio-economic  group of people representing a mix of opinions and beliefs. Professionals who  habitually introduce people who otherwise may not meet earn goodwill and  reputations as valuable resources and colleagues. Become that professional  to help you overcome obstacles to career success. Start  the Ignition Communicate Your Value Your ability to promote,  communicate  and connect your value to colleagues and superiors is crucial.  Hone this “soft” skill practice your writing, emailing,  speaking,  interviewing  and presenting skills. Join Toastmasters. Make a point  to  learn  how to communicate  well.  There is no doubt that the superior communicator in a  field  has  the best chance to  win the job. When you can  articulate why your role is vital, you will certainly help secure your future.   Confidently  Forge Ahead   Start Rolling Adjust your rear-view mirror, but keep your eyes on the road! Move forward  with your plans knowing that you DO control your career. Is it as easy as  reading these steps? No, but if you follow this plan, you will be on your way  to managing your job hunt and/or your career with finesse and aplomb! Enter your Email Address to Subscribe to Blog Updates Preview | Powered by FeedBlitz Heres to having a career you love! Career Seekers Career Coach