8 Building Blocks to Bolster Your Employer Brand

8 Building Blocks to Bolster Your Employer Brand Today’s best employee candidates are busy, and may not be looking for your job or any new job. They have many competing sources of information, advice, and networking, and are choosy â€" often cynical â€" about what they read and hear. Thus, in reaching your best potential candidates requires finding and entering the world they live and work in, and inviting them into yours. And that requires creating your employer brand, just as you do for branding your products and services. Your employer brand must be consciously built, nurtured, promoted and reinforced in all the ways and places your potential employees access and are exposed to information â€" general interest media, business-to-business press, social media, special-interest websites and networks, word-of-mouth, and on smartphones, mobile devices, and computers. So if you need to build or refresh your employment brand, or just want to reinforce and promote it, consider (or reconsider) these requirements: 1. Be clear about what you want to accomplish There’s been a lot of buzz around employer branding as the war for talent has heated up. Before embarking on the employer branding journey, ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to scope, objectives and success metrics. 2. Don’t assume you know how employees feel Would you go with your gut when it comes to understanding your customer wants and mindset? That’s a high-priced gamble. Strong employment brands are derived from research that gets to the heart of what makes working for your organization special. 3. One size does not fit all Design your employer brand research and methodology to address your organization’s specific needs and culture. An off-the-shelf, “one size fits all” approach will, most likely, result in generic outcomes. 4. Employer branding is not only an HR initiative While it’s often driven by Talent Acquisition and the need to attract top talent to your organization, defining your employment value proposition and crafting your brand should be viewed as a business imperative.  Active involvement from key stakeholders across the organization and in the C-suite is critical for success. 5. I want to be the employer of choice Always a lofty goal, in the grand scheme of things it comes down to the fact that you can’t be all things to all people. That just leads to generic “me-too” positioning that doesn’t differentiate your organization from your competitor down the street. 6. The experience is the message Building brand loyalty requires every brand to live up to its promise. So if perception doesn’t match the reality, you’re in trouble. Your employer brand builds trust when it’s anchored in your core strengths as an employer, but also needs to speak to where the organization is headed. 7. Do you have Brand Ambassadors? Do managers understand and embrace the employer brand? Do their behaviors reflect and support the brand promise? Having managers and employees fully engaged brings the brand to life. 8. What’s in it for me? A common mistake of many organizations is to speak from the company perspective. Your employment brand is designed to set mutual expectations, telling candidates what you expect, and what they can expect in return. Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, employer brands aren’t built and maintained with scattered efforts and isolated job postings. It takes careful positioning promoted with systematic and thoughtful content and messaging. It takes a compelling story, distributed in effective ways that surround potential employees, creating awareness and attracting interest. About the author:  Steve Graham, SVP, Global Employer Branding at TMP Worldwide oversees the global employer brand group, evolving the practice and driving innovation, while capitalizing on the ever-changing digital, social and mobile landscape. He assists clients in identifying, defining and communicating their employer brand, both internally and externally with an emphasis on developing innovative ways in which employees of an organization can organically embrace â€" and live the company’s brand attributes.

When to Submit DOC or PDF Resumes

When to Submit DOC or PDF Resumes You see the selection offered on almost every online job application,“Submit yourresume as a DOC or PDF”.Most people have a copy of both a DOC and PDF resume. You probably do as well, so how do you know which one is best to submit?The answer is a little more complicated than most realize.Reasons for Submitting a PDF ResumeA PDF resume removes the possibility of your resume accidentally being altered by unknown parties during the application process. You do not want to give strangers the ability to edit all the hard work you put into your resume. This way, people who receive your resume will get the polished resume you want them to see all of the time. In addition, a PDF resume will guarantee the formatting and design of your resume will remain unchanged.Reasons for Submitting a DOC ResumeIt is hard to argue with any reasoning based on “fear of what strangers might do with your resume”, but there are reasons to use DOC files, too.Most importantly, applicant tracking systems ha ve an easier time scanning all the words in DOC files. Some ATS software may have a difficult time scanning your PDF file, which means your PDF resume may fail to reach an actual person. Of course, as software improves this will no longer be an issue but for now, the problem still exists. Only about 80% of all ATS software can handle PDF while nearly 100% can handle DOC files.ConclusionIt is a good idea to have a PDF and DOC version of your resume. PDF’s will be better for sending to people you know, will be virus-free and much better looking in format than a DOC file. PDF’s are great resumes to send to referrals and they will look the same each time.A DOC file is a better choice when using online applications that will go through an ATS of some kind. You want to make sure all the important keywords are scanned properly. DOC files are also size-friendly for those online job application websites that have size limits on file attachments. If your PDF is too big, it is great to hav e the same resume on DOC. At the end of the day, you are going to need both because finding work requires a combination of networking with people and applying through online job applications.

How to Start Blogging in 5 Easy Steps

How to Start Blogging in 5 Easy Steps Today is the second post of a series of 5 posts about blogging: why to start, how to start, how to get readers, how to build community and how to monetize your blog. Step 1: Decide What Your Blog is About Dont over think this one.  You dont have to have all the details figured out to start a blog.  Although marketers will tell you to pick a very niche topic, I know tons of great popular bloggers who just write about their lives, their experiences or post pictures and videos of things they like.  If in doubt, pick a general direction and get started.  Your blog will naturally evolve over time.  For example: at different points over the last 3 years Ive considered focusing  solely  on personal finance, marketing to women and job searching- all very different topics.  These days Im writing more about entrepreneurship because thats where Im at in my life. And guess what?  Youre still here reading, right!? Once you start writing, youll start to realize what you truly enjoy writing about vs. what you thought youd enjoy writing about.  Ideas will come to you at strange times and youll have more to say than you thought. Note: if your end-goal is to monetize your blog, consider writing about products you can sell as an affiliate, topics that you could teach classes about or create e-books/information products about. Or, consider writing for demographics that are highly valued by advertisers (for example, Mommy Bloggers are huge). Step 2: Buy a Domain Name Anyone can buy a domain name, and everyone who is even thinking about starting a blog, business or building a personal brand SHOULD buy a domain name.   I use namecheap.com for my domain names but there are tons of providers out there that do about the same thing.   Domain names on namecheap.com currently cost less than $10/year. Buying a domain name will also allow you to have a custom email address ([emailprotected] instead of [emailprotected]).  It looks way more professional and it is super easy to set up.  Once you buy your domain name, go to manage domains and on the left side of the screen there will be an option called Email Forwarding Setup.  Enter the email address you want and where it should be forwarded (your primary email address). DONE! What if you can’t get the name you want? You can always consider buying a domain name with an extension other than .com. For example, .biz, .me, .tv, .info and .org are also popular choices. Step 3: Decide if you want to do a Self-Hosted Blog or WordPress-Hosted Blog Every blog needs a host.  Heres an analogy that may help you understand a little better.  Like your home, you cant build a website unless you have a plot of land to build it on.  So think of the host as the land/yard, your domain name as the physical house, and the content of your website (articles, pictures, graphics) as your furniture and belongings. Make sense? What the heck is the difference between Self-Hosted and WordPress-hosted then?! If you get your blog at  WordPress.com, your blog is hosted by WordPress.   This means FREE hosting that updates, upgrades, backing-up and site security is taken care of by WordPress.   In other words, wordpress.com is the way to pop up your site within minutes without any technical knowledge. If you can use Facebook, you can do this- I promise! Those who choose to go self-hosted will still use the same same free WordPress software, but will need to maintain the updates etc. independently.  Hosting usually costs about $80/year max depending on which provider you use. So, what are the perks of choosing a self-hosted blog? If you think youd like to grow a big following or even run your blog as a business someday, I highly recommend going with a self-hosted blog.   It may seem more expensive (and intimidating!) up front because of the hosting, but it gives you several more options right off the get go. You can install plug-ins which enhance your site big time.  You can think of plug-ins kind of like iPhone apps, there are some amazing plug-ins out there that really enhance the functionality and customization of the site. If you arent self-hosted, you cant add plugins to your site. You can completely customize your sites design whereas WordPress.com sites are limited to pre-made themes only You can post advertisements (banner ads) What kind of Plug-ins can I get? The list is seemingly endless, but here are some popular types of plug-ins: Spam blockers (for comments) Search engine optimization plug-ins Cool looking social media and sharing buttons Shopping cart Add ratings to your posts I started my site on WordPress.com but then had to pay someone to switch it over within 6 months  because  I wanted a more professional looking site. BUT, if self-hosting scares you to the point of preventing you from moving forward, just start a WordPress.com blog! Step 4: If youre doing a self-hosted blog, get a hosting package I use Host Gator for all of my hosting. I really like them in comparison to GoDaddy and BlueHost.  One of the most important parts of your hosting package is customer service. Ive always had great experience with Host Gators email, live chat and phone customer service no matter what time of day.  They are always quick to respond and Ive always had my issues resolved immediately.  Ive heard nightmares about other hosting companies that might be a few bucks cheaper. Often times my issues were simply a lack of understanding of how certain technology/processes work.  Youll probably call your host a lot in the beginning and thats ok. Youll learn a lot by spending some time with customer service! Full disclosure: Im so loyal to Host Gator that Ive become an affiliate for them, meaning I get a commission when people sign up for their Host Gator packages through these links. I buy at least a one year basic package so I dont have to worry about my website not being live one day  because  I forgot to renew. 1 year of hosting with Host Gator currently runs $60-80/year. Once youve purchased, sign into your “c-panel” (control panel) using the information in the “Welcome” email sent to you by your host.   It will include the login name, password and the URL for how to access your host.     Keep your Welcome Email with hosting info filed electronically handy for future use!  Scroll to the bottom of the control panel and click Quick Install then select WordPress.  Heres a video with instructions to give you a visual! Step 5: Create an About page, a Contact page and Write your 1st Post! Once people start reading your blog, theyll want to know who you are and how they can reach you.  Be sure youve created an About page with your picture, and a Contact page.  Include your social media contact info too!  If youre not comfortable posting your email address, create a contact form (for free) by using Wufoo.com.  Creating forms is so easy and all you have to do is copy and pate the code into the page you want it on.  When people submit the contact form, Wufoo will forward you their inquiry via email. Like I said in yesterdays post, you may feel weird when writing your first post.  Thats totally normal, and 99% of bloggers will tell you they felt the same way.  Dont worry about what people will think, who is reading it and dont worry about not having much traffic.   Congratulate yourself on taking a personal challenge and becoming a blogger! Want to learn more about turning your idea into a profitable blog or small business?  Consider taking our  WordPress Setup Camp  or joining a  Ladies Launch Pad  Incubator. Both classes are taught via Skype and in-person (Chicago).

5 Best Volunteering Opportunities for the Solo Woman Traveler in 2016

5 Best Volunteering Opportunities for the Solo Woman Traveler in 2016 Volunteering is one of the best ways to spend your holidays, especially when the journey is a solo effort. I used to do this when I was still single because there was no one to make me think twice about my choice destination. The advantage of volunteering is that you get to enjoy yourself while making an impact in other people’s lives. If you are the volunteering species, here is a compilation of the five best volunteering opportunities that you should try out as a solo traveler in 2016.   Elephant Camp Volunteering â€" Chiang Mai, Thailand There are many meaningful and enjoyable volunteering opportunities spread out across the globe. In my list, however, I chose Chiang Mai, Thailand as my top priority. You can participate in the most popular volunteering activity in Thailand of caring for elephants. This work entails saving abused elephants in the Asian country. You can clean their enclosures, construct their homes, prepare their food, care for sick or injured ones as well as feed their young. In fact, this becomes voluntourism; volunteering plus tourism! Summer Volunteering Program â€" Kathmandu, Nepal Second, you can go to Nepal in summer as a volunteer. In the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, there is an orphanage for children where poor and mentally-disabled children are taken care of. The volunteering activities include cleaning their houses, teaching them English, mending their laundry, cooking for them and providing the much-needed affection and attention. Childcare Project â€" New Delhi, India Third on my list is volunteering under the Childcare Project in New Delhi, India. There are many abandoned and destitute children that lurk on the streets. Luckily for them, the Childcare Project gets them off the street and distributes them in orphanage homes run by well-wishers; you, too, can be one. Just travel there on your next expedition and touch some children’s lives. You can take part in educating them, cooking, cleaning after them and so many other related activities. Teaching Project â€" Tamale, Ghana Next, we cross over to Africa. Let us go to Tamale in Ghana. In this city, many challenges affect the dwellers, such as poor sanitation, inadequate infrastructure, high unemployment rates and limited education opportunities. I will talk about the latter (education). If you can assume the roles of a teacher, then the children of Tamale need you very much. Apart from teaching in the many under-staffed local schools, you can help in stopping child labor, fighting preventable diseases or constructing classrooms. During your leisure time, move prestamos rapidos around and enjoy authentic African culture and meet African wildlife. 2 Weeks Special Volunteering and Travel Program â€" New Delhi, India Last on our list of the top volunteering destinations for 2016 is a 2-week special volunteering and travel program to India. In this package, the volunteers that have less than two weeks’ time to spare are brought together in one package. They give their contributions and are taken around several volunteer centers in India, such as the street children rehabilitation projects. Their mission is combined with leisure traveling for the two weeks that they are in India. There you have them, lone woman traveler; perfect volunteering opportunities for the coming year. I guarantee you that these are excellent opportunities. Hopefully, by the time you have visited them all, I will have more incredible destinations for you, right here! Enjoy yourself.

8 surprising things you should consider when applying for jobs - Debut

8 surprising things you should consider when applying for jobs - Debut Choosing what to do when applying for jobs can seem confusing and daunting. If you know what career path you want to follow, how do you decide what company you want to work for? And if you’re still deciding on a career, how on earth do you go about choosing your first money-earner? Salary. Location. Reputation. These are all factors that everyone considers before applying for jobs. It is easy to choose jobs just based on these types of considerations, but there are plenty of other factors to think about when looking for a job which suits you. No-one starting out should expect to know exactly what they want from their job, and anyway, this will probably change over your lifetime. But start by looking at other areas of your life â€" hobbies, studies, beliefs and relationships â€" and think about what is important to you when it comes to them. Then consider some of the following points alongside the usual ones. Company culture What does this actually mean? Even after doing some research and asking people around my office, I find it hard to define. But I’ll give it a go… A company’s culture is essentially the personality of the company. It comprises of different elements, such as company mission, working environment, employee treatment, and business goals. The company’s stance on these issues add up to create what it feels like to work for them. So overall it’s pretty important, but easy to avoid thinking about because it can be difficult to define. The best thing to do is to find out as much as you can about the company, including how it views the above issues, before you apply. It might even help you with the application questions! The commute You might think this is a silly thing to consider. If you find a good job, you’ll put up with any commute, right? Wrong. You must work out what your commute is going to cost you in both time and money. Consider; is your salary enough for you when you minus your travel costs from it? Does your commute time leave you with enough of an evening to enjoy? Can you face your commute on a dark Monday morning in January? If the answer is no, think about whether you want to apply to the job. Values and vision To be passionate about your work, you need to believe in what you’re doing; what your contribution means to the business and what your business means to society. Trust me when I say it makes a difference; it inspires you to be successful, ensures you work hard, and gets you out of bed even when you feel shattered. First work out what your vision is. Do you want to work for a company which directly improves the lives of people, makes better an aspect of our society such as healthcare, provides happiness and entertainment, helps run the country, or contributes to the economy? Or something else entirely? Then do your research! Delve through the promotional material, and find out what a company is truly all about. Look at what its aims are, what it delivers, and the successes it has had. What are its promises to society? Would you be proud to say you worked for the company? Opportunities or requirements to travel What’s your opinion on travelling for work and what type of travel do you have in mind? These are some important questions to ask yourself before applying to a job. You might crave a job that requires some international travel, in which case look at applying to global companies. Perhaps you’re interested in travelling to different places within the UK, to different company offices or to different clients, to add some variety to your role. Try to find out whether the job will lead to these opportunities as you progress even if they aren’t possible when you first start. Equally important is being honest with yourself if you don’t want to travel and checking that the job adheres to this. If you’re the type of person that doesn’t like the idea of spending nights away from home regularly then don’t apply to a role which needs this, even if you like another aspect of it. Employee expectations Every company is unique and therefore expects different behaviour and actions from its employees. Expectations can relate to anything; socialising, dress code, formality of behaviour, how many hours you work, and the list goes on. Ask yourself how you want to be treated as an employee. Do you desire a strict working environment with high standards of dress code to help you concentrate? Are you happy to work in a competitive atmosphere in which people will often stay late but get the salary to reward this? Or do you fancy a more relaxed environment with more casual dress codes and the radio on in the background? Company size This might be more important to you than you think. Company size can have a direct influence on the relationships you have with your employees, the opportunities you get within your role, and your chance for progression. There are pros and cons of all sizes. Mid-larger companies will often already have a reputation and be a good name to put on your CV, and they also might have well-established benefits, volunteering opportunities and the chance to travel. Smaller companies might give you more responsibility and more chance of progressing quickly to higher positions. It is a given that you will know more or all employees if you work for a smaller company. Contractual agreements You won’t see an official contract until you are made a formal offer of employment, but you can get your facts straight before this. The trick is to keep asking questions, the whole way through the process of applying and being made a job offer. It’s easy to feel worried about asking certain questions, particularly around salary, but the way I see it, the more useful questions you ask, the more interested you look. So check up on factors such as how long your contract would be, will you be offered a job at the end of your scheme, are you required to pay for anything like training, and is there any vital travelling involved. Write a list of you think your job could impact your life, and ask any questions relating to it. Work/life balance This is a huge deal, but people rarely weigh it up properly before accepting a job. I personally have friends who opted for a graduate scheme which paid them well, but now want to change jobs because they have to work late, have very little time to themselves in the evenings, and feel exhausted by the time the weekend arrives. I’m not saying choose the easy ride. If you love your job or you are pursuing a specific career path to get to the place you want to be, then working hard is vital and you should be prepared to put in every effort. You just need to decide what is important to you. Do you need a reasonable amount of time away from work to pursue interests that you see as just as important as your job? Or are you determined to follow a dream which requires you to work hard and leaves you with less of your own time? Your own work/life balance is up to you to decide. Connect with Debut on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for more careers insights.

The Surprising Truth About Employers Who Are Hiring - CareerAlley

The Surprising Truth About Employers Who Are Hiring - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. It doesnt work to leap a twenty-foot chasm in two ten-foot jumps. American Proverb It is ridiculous for career experts or major web sites (i.e. Yahoo, AOL, etc.) to write articles to notify job-seekers which employers are hiring. Guess what? Every great employer is ALWAYS hiring! Hiring someone is nothing more than an investment. Every employer can and should create a job any time the right person comes along. If you can prove to the real hiring decision-maker that you will provide a positive Return on Investment (i.e. your value will significantly exceed your salary), then it would be stupid for the employer not to hire you. Great employers recognize this. Employers who dont understand this are organizations you shouldnt want to work for anyway. If an organization is not consistently looking to hire top talent, then that organization is headed absolutely nowhere in the future. Great organizations recognize that they need to have a pipeline full of talent since they will inevitably experience change and turnover within their organization. If someone tells you his organization is not hiring, he either doesnt want to hire you, or he isnt the real decision-maker. That might sound harsh, but its the truth. At the start of the recent recession, I was able to get multiple 6-figure offers from organizations in industries I had never worked in before. While none of these employers was officially hiring, each organization was willing to create a job for me. How did this happen? In brief, I used networking to get connected with real hiring decision-makers (i.e. not the HR department), and I presented myself as a solution for the challenges each organization was facing. Im not sharing this with you to brag or to try to impress you. Instead, I want to open your mind and get you away from the typical job-seeker mindset that the only way to get hired is through an advertised job. Applying for advertised jobs (i.e. through major job boards, newspaper ads, career fairs, etc.) is actually the worst way to try to get hired, especially in a tough economy. While I landed multiple 6-figure offers at the start of the recession through networking, I found it incredibly difficult to stand out (like most job-seekers) when I applied blindly to advertised job openings. There was a very logical reason why. When a job is advertised to the public, you are not the only person who can see or apply for the opening. For example, a senior hiring person from a Fortune 500 company recently told me that his company received over 12,000 applications for one position last year! Its pretty hard to stand out if you are in a stack of hundreds or thousands of resumes, which is usually the case with top employers, especially in a tough economy. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that over 70% of jobs are filled through personal contacts and networking. Less than 10% of all jobs are filled through online job boards. Theres a very logical reason why this happens as well. Pretend you are an employer for a second. Would you rather hire someone you found on Craigs List or someone that was referred to you by a person you trust and respect? Its a no-brainer. Employers only advertise jobs to the public as a desperate, last-ditch effort if they have been unable to find someone through their existing network. As a result, most jobs are filled behind-the-scenes, while most advertised jobs feature intense competition. If you want to get a better job faster, you need to stop looking for jobs and start looking for people. Do whatever it takes to get yourself in front of people who have the power to hire you or people who can refer you to other individuals with the power to hire you. When you spend the bulk of your job search on networking with people from your ideal employers/field/industry, you will get hired much faster than the typical job-seeker who only applies for jobs being advertised to the masses. Byline: Pete Leibman is the Founder of Dream Job Academy and the Author of the new book, I Got My Dream Job and So Can You. His work has been featured on Fox, CBS, and CNN. You can visit www.BestCareerBook.com for a free video series from Pete on how to get your dream job. 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

How to Have A Successful Resume?

How to Have A Successful Resume?The professional resume writing services in Brisbane are the top sources of company information for individuals who want to make their way in the highly competitive job market. This is because these companies offer their expertise to several companies, which results in a big list of clients.Any paper resume, whether it is meant for use by the hiring manager or the candidate himself, needs to be designed and written in a way that it will be convincing at the same time. Writing a resume that will get you a job will be possible only if you understand how to write it well. This is where the professionals from professional resume writing services in Brisbane come in.Resume writing services that are based in Brisbane offer a variety of services to the company looking for unique resumes. These services can be customized according to the need of the employer, either for a one-time job or a series of job interviews.The best part about the professional resume wr iting services in Brisbane is that they help the applicant to tailor his resume according to the exact requirements of the company that he is going to work for. By using their expertise, the person applying for the job can be sure that his resume will be put together according to the requirements of the company. This means that it will be appealing and convincing enough for the person to get the interview.Different types of resumes are available for different industries. These professional resume writing services have experts who know the specifications of each industry and therefore, can customize your resume for the specific industry you are applying for.If you want to have a customized professional resume, you will find various forms of services provided by the professional resume writing services in Brisbane. You can avail online form so that you can customize your resume according to the industry you are applying for.One can have custom resume by adding details about his skills , achievements, and other requirements of the company that you are applying for. The company does not need to be an expert or someone who has previous experience to customize a resume. By using the advanced technology and the professional resume writing services in Brisbane, you can have a personalized resume that will be effective for a job.Most people trust on technology when they want to do something that is personalized. People have started to trust on the technology and with this people are changing from manual method of resume writing to the highly sophisticated online forms that will give them a chance to apply for a job. This is the reason why companies are looking for the help of professional resume writing services in Brisbane.