Is Google+ the Personal Branding Tool of the Future

Is Google+ the Personal Branding Tool of the Future Targeted messaging for personal branding in social media can be tricky. The types of messaging that are appropriate for Facebook may not be right for LinkedIn. A one size fits all approach to personal branding may not be the right tactic when you have multiple social media platforms which each have a different audience profile. You don’t want to use the same kind of messaging for casual acquaintance networking as you do for professional networking and job search networking. And to further muddy the networking waters, what do you do when you have a significant social media overlap? You may have professional contacts and former professors who are also Facebook friends. When you add casual acquaintances and family members into the mix, personal brand messaging can become unnecessarily complicated. It can become far too easy to lose track of the fact that you’ve got professional contacts included among Facebook friends. Breezy status updates which may be perfectly compatible with personal brand messaging for more intimate acquaintances may be entirely inappropriate for consumption by professional colleagues or academic peers. And LinkedIn status updates which should be focusing on a more serious manner of reflecting your personal brand should normally never be used in the casual relaxed way that can be entirely appropriate for much of your Facebook audience. Google+ may prove to be a personal branding tool that could avoid these mixed audience pitfalls. Instead of using multiple social media sites, Google+ offers the potential of using just one platform for crafting tailored messaging to distinctly different audiences. Google+ has a series of ingenious circles in which you can place contacts according to the type of relationship you have with each individual. All of your professional contacts can be placed in one circle making it easy to target specific messaging appropriate for professional networking. A more relaxed approach to personal branding through less formal messaging can be accomplished by addressing friends and acquaintances with the appropriate forms of communication based on the specific kinds of relationships you have with them. And the ability to build distinct circles based on relationship type is infinite. One possible advantage of a single social media platform approach is that none of your contacts will know which circle they’re in. If a Google+ contact has you in their acquaintance circle, but you’ve placed them in the less intimate professional networking circle, they have no way of knowing. Google+ also allows room for a lot more nuance in social media interactions. If managing your messaging is most easily accomplished by keeping individuals in one circle only, that’s fine. But if you want to incorporate a bit more nuance into the mix after noodling about on Google+ for a while, you can do that too. You may have situations where someone is a work colleague as well as a close personal friend. You can have them in your professional networking circle as well as in your friend circle. Many professional contacts may not be friends, but it may be entirely appropriate to include them in an acquaintance circle. Google+ certainly has the potential to be an extremely effective personal branding tool going forward. But whether its potential can be realized is uncertain. Google has a track record of producing excellent services which are sometimes not big hits with the public. Among some of the more memorable Google offerings which never lived up to their potential are Google Buzz and Wave. No matter how great the potential of Google+, if people don’t recognize how great the platform is and flock to it in great numbers, it could result in another well-conceived and brilliant product that never reaches its true potential. Author: Jesse Langley lives near Chicago. He divides his time among work, writing and family life. He writes on behalf of  coloradotech.edu  and has a keen interest in blogging and social media. He also writes for professionalintern.com.

6 ways to have a killer wardrobe on a student budget - Debut

6 ways to have a killer wardrobe on a student budget - Debut This post was written by a member of the Debut Contributor Network. Seren Morris shares her tips for looking box-fresh at university for half the price Living on a student budget doesn’t mean your style has to suffer. There are ways to maintain your style queen status on a student budget if you know where to look. Thankfully, being thrifty is a lot easier than it may seem, made all the more simple with this handy guide. So, embrace your inner Bargain Hunter and follow these six steps to building your killer wardrobe on a student budget. Head to your local charity shops Venture into the trendy area of town and you will find that the charity shops are selling less itchy cardigans that look like something your crazy, elderly aunt might have hand woven, and are offering more unique, sometimes vintage, items. Everything will be a one off and you never know what you might find Except for a bargain! Charity shops are having a cool resurgence, there is no need to feel embarrassed sifting through old men’s jumpers on a Saturday morning; you could come away with a new favourite piece. Make the most of your student discount, it won’t last forever There are so many perks that come with being a student, but a student discount might be the best. Websites like UniDays, StudentBeans and NUS offer some amazing deals for students; make sure you use them! Before heading out, check which shops these websites are offering discounts at and make the most of your student status. We all have to graduate at some point; grab these deals before it’s too late. Shops sales wisely   If you are well organised, you can plan your shopping trips around peak sale times. (January sales are coming up!) So hold out on buying those shoes for now, they could be half the price in just a few weeks time. Researching into when shops might be holding sales, or buying clothes out of season, is a thrifty way of saving a few pounds on high street items. However, make sure to not get caught in the sales trap; don’t buy something just because it’s on sale. Shop smart! Swap don’t shop   Try something a little bit different and host a clothes swap party with your friends! Ask everyone to bring any clothes, shoes and accessories that they no longer want, and go through each other’s stuff. You will all come away with some brand new pieces for free, and you might end up wearing something you wouldn’t have bought yourself. Clothes swap parties are also a great way to experiment with style and to keep your wardrobe fresh, as well as being a fun way to hang out. Know where to find inspiration   Look to those around you for inspiration. Your friend’s outfit is probably more attainable than something you’d find on the pages of a glossy magazine. While sites like Instagram and Pinterest are flooded with gorgeous fashion, models’ and bloggers’ outfits are often aspirational rather than achievable. So, take note of what your trendy friends are wearing; they might even spill a few style secrets of their own. Quality over quantity Finally, to have a killer wardrobe, invest in pieces rather than buying in bulk. You could attempt to put together a capsule wardrobe, or try to collect a few reliable pieces you can wear whenever. Pay attention when buying pieces and your outfits will look a lot more chic than if you were to buy tonnes of pieces that you’d only wear once. Also, it is worth noting that quality doesn’t always have to mean more expensive; it can mean well made, unique, versatile or all of the above. Think carefully about the wear you’ll get out of a piece before buying it, and your wardrobe will stretch a lot further. Connect with Debut on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for more careers insights.

Sales 101

Sales 101 People with a background in selling understand the job search process. They have lived it daily as they sold whatever product or service they represented for their previous employers. Networking uses those same principles. Identify your target audience: This means identifying which companies need your services. If you were selling something, you would develop a large pipeline of potential customers. You would do this by identifying what they are currently doing and using. You would identify them as having a problem your product or service could solve. Create your value-add: Once you have identified these targets, you would create a sales pitch for each individual company based on what they would gain by using your service. In many instances, you already know some of their problems or why your service would benefit them. In other instances, you will need to gather information about what the company is doing and how they are doing it. How might you gather that information? You could speak with people who are currently working there. You could read about them in publications and on their website. You could speak with people who used to work their or have some connection. Once you have this information, you would better understand which benefits are of the greatest value. Who to pitch to: You wouldnt dream of trying to sell your product or service to someone who doesnt control the budget. It would be a waste of your time. Instead, you would identify the Decision Maker for the department or company. They are the people who ultimately make the final decisions. Do they want to talk to you? Of course not. They are busy. And in many cases they dont believe they have a problem that needs solving or fixing. However, the great sales person, finds the magic words to get the meeting. It takes persistence. It takes confidence. Trying to push the concept from the bottom up is generally seen as a long and fruitless process. Sure, it has been done and can be done, but, the ultimate pitch has to be made to the decision maker. As job seekers, we absolutely have to follow the same process. We need to keep the bigger picture in mind. It is great to meet new people and develop our network. It is equally important to remember our targets and goalsto present to the ultimate decision maker. Trying to push your message from the bottom up is difficult. Peers can be threatened by your experience/talent. How likely are they to become your cheerleader or advocate? Why would they do that for you? Sure, it can happen. Your return on these peer to peer conversations will seldom be as beneficial as a single conversation with a decision maker. We dont know many decision makers. It is a difficult process to identify them. It is even more difficult to gain access to them. Begin by using LinkedIn to identify whos who in target companies.(Great article from Personal Branding on how to do this.) If that fails, you can read trade publications and local newspapers. If that fails, consult the local chamber of commerce. One job seeker recently followed her targeted decision maker to a presentation he was giving. She attended and after his presentation,created the opportunity to connect with him and introduce herself. She demonstrated an interest in his company and began the process of developing a relationship/connection. As sales people know, this can be a long and arduous process. She, most likely, will face many rejections in trying to follow-up with this company owner. But, if, in her persistence, she demonstrates that she can solve a problem or be a solution, she will win the coveted meeting she is hoping for. Connecting with decision makers is the brass ring job seekers must strive for. Anything less is like pushing a boulder up a huge mountain.

Wreck This Journal!

Wreck This Journal! You can now purchase Wreck This Journal in my Spectacular Stuff Store! I am so super excited to be part of The Next Chapters book blogging group for Wreck This Journal that starts today! Ever since I found the work of Keri Smith, Ive been wanting to jump in with both hands and make a mess, gain a new perspective, create. Something always held me back though because, well, I aint no artist! Even my stick figures arent so, uh, sticky. It was a great excuse to keep my hands clean not make a mess. But then my virtual buddy Jamie Ridler announced that Wreck This Journal would be the next book in The Next Chapter series, the one only word that popped into my mind was: Yes. The extrovert in me loves the virtual support Ill receive in joining a group of almost 150 bloggers ( counting!) that will withhold their judgment on my scribbles and my stick figures and my messes (right, guys?) . Theres something just so freeing about taking a nice new book being forced to crap all over it. If you wanna get dirty with us, theres still time! Click here scroll down to the bottom of the page to join the fun. Meanwhile, cmon back here every Friday until July 31st to see the mess Im making!

Writing a Check to Federal Government Resume

Writing a Check to Federal Government ResumeTo write a check to the federal government resume is only a matter of taking that amount from you wallet and turning it in to the government. So, what are the things to consider when doing so?The first thing to remember is that a check to the federal government resume is usually accepted for federal grants or awards. When you start thinking about writing a check to the federal government resume, you have to understand that this is not just about writing a check to the government. What the government actually does is accept money in return for the services rendered by the individuals. In other words, your effort will definitely get you a check.Now, once you've turned in your federal government check, the agency will definitely pay you back for the services that you have given to them. But, in reality, there is a limit to the amount that you can request. The government may impose a certain limit on how much a particular person can request fro m the government.Here's what you should do with your check. Since the government is requiring a certain amount from you, it is your responsibility to ensure that the check has an account number. You need to check the bank statements to see if there is a balance left in the account. If there is not, then you need to contact the bank and ask for a change in the amount, preferably at least twenty dollars.Remember that once you send the check, you need to send the same back to the government. As a result, you need to remember to use stamps, counters, and other paraphernalia to prove that you wrote the check. Be sure to send the same with your checks as well.Remember that you will need to write a check in the form of a credit card or even a debit card. This is because you need to pay a fee and you need to have a complete physical address with you when you turn the transaction in. Now, all you need to do is to leave a copy of the receipt along with the physical address you have in case th e service provider decides to send you another check. By doing so, you will be able to prove that you did indeed write the check to the federal government resume.Writing a check to the federal government resume is not only about writing a check but also about being compliant with the law. With this, you are increasing your chances of getting the government to pay you.

Best New Cities for Tech Jobs

Best New Cities for Tech Jobs A diaspora of tech talent, driven by Silicon Valley’s tumbling job market and sky-high rents, has pushed tech job seekers to some surprising places. Job search site ZipRecruiter recently analyzed its database of more than 8 million active jobs, and ranked the 20 fastest-growing tech markets based on year-over-year data. Job growth for engineering, software, and IT roles may be losing steam in the Bay Area, but smaller cities are picking up the slack, the company says, Huntsville, Ala. topped the list, with over 300% tech job growth from 2016 to 2017. Thousand Oaks, Calif. (200%) came in second, followed by Phoenix, Ariz. (188%). “The tech industry is no longer bound to the coast,” says ZipRecruiter’s Chief Economic Adviser, Cathy Barrera. “As a result, we’re seeing the tech industry expand out of the major metropolis areas, and into smaller regional cities that have since flown largely under the radar.” Many of the cities on ZipRecruiter’s list are in the Midwest â€" Kansas City, Kan., Cincinnati, Ohio, and Indianapolis, Ind. are three standouts. The South also had a strong showing, with Nashville, Tenn. and three cities in Florida (Orlando, Jacksonville, Tampa) all making the cut. Barrera credits government policies, like tax breaks that attract entrepreneurs and business startups for much of this growth. But the main impetus, she says, is the skyrocketing cost of living in coastal tech hubs like San Francisco and New York. The median home price of a home in Huntsville hovers around $150,000, according to the report â€" a fraction of the $1.5 million it costs to buy a home in the Bay Area. “Big cities can only grow so much â€" and at a certain point, the skyrocketing living costs make it nearly impossible to find a job with a salary you can live off,” Barrera says. Here’s the full list, complete with average salary (as per PayScale), rent, and home costs: 1. Huntsville, AL Top tech jobs: Software Engineer Systems Engineer Systems Specialist Help Desk Support Information Technology Specialist Growth in tech jobs YoY: 309% Early Career Median Pay: $59,500 Mid Career Median Pay: $96,400 Median rent: $950 Median home price: $152,170 2. Thousand Oaks, CA Top tech jobs: Project Manager Network Engineer Project Manager Coordinator Quality Assurance Specialist Software Test Engineer Growth in tech jobs YoY: 200% Early Career Median Pay: $59,500 Mid Career Median Pay: $105,000 Median rent: $3,200 Median home price: $673,000 3. Phoenix, AZ Top tech jobs: Project Manager Software Engineer Software Developer Data Analyst SQL Developer Growth in tech jobs YoY: 188% Early Career Median Pay: $58,400 Mid Career Median Pay: $96,800 Median rent: $1,345 Median home price: $216,000 4. Albany, NY Top tech jobs: Project Manager SQL Developer ERP Engineer Software Developer Software Tester Growth in tech jobs YoY: 161% Early Career Median Pay: $55,200 Mid Career Median Pay: $87,000 Median rent: $1,625 Median home price: $175,000 5. Kansas City, MO Top tech jobs: Project Manager Network Engineer Project Coordinator Developer Web Developer Growth in tech jobs YoY: 157% Early Career Median Pay: $57,200 Mid Career Median Pay: $89,500 Median rent: $895 Median home price: $207,107 6. Orlando, FL Top tech jobs: Project Manager Software Engineer Project Engineer Network Engineer Developer Growth in tech jobs YoY: 149% Early Career Median Pay: $52,800 Mid Career Median Pay: $87,400 Median rent: $1,500 Median home price: $210,000 7. Salt Lake City, UT Top tech jobs: Software Engineer Project Manager Developer Project Engineer Technical Support Engineer Growth in tech jobs YoY: 117% Early Career Median Pay: $58,200 Mid Career Median Pay: $97,800 Median rent: $1,495 Median home price: $533,800 8. Nashville, TN Top tech jobs: Project Manager Senior Net Developer Network Administrator Project Engineer Desktop Support Technician Growth in tech jobs YoY: 114% Early Career Median Pay: $54,700 Mid Career Median Pay: $90,200 Median rent: $1,700 Median home price: $269,700 9. Jacksonville, FL Top tech jobs: Project Manager System Administrator Systems Engineer Desktop Support Technician Implementation Consultant Growth in tech jobs YoY: 111% Early Career Median Pay: $52,000 Mid Career Median Pay: $89,200 Median rent: $1,200 Median home price: $170,000 10. Baltimore, MD Top tech jobs: Project Manager Software Engineer Network Engineer System Administrator Software Developer Growth in tech jobs YoY: 109% Early Career Median Pay: $62,500 Mid Career Median Pay: $105,000 Median rent: $1,375 Median home price: $196,900 11. Cincinnati, OH Top tech jobs: Project Manager Quality Engineer Software Engineer Lead Applications Developer Scrum Master Growth in tech jobs YoY: 96% Early Career Median Pay: $55,500 Mid Career Median Pay: $90,400 Median rent: $1,095 Median home price: $137,50 12. Cleveland, OH Top tech jobs: Project Manager Quality Engineer Developer Quality Technician Software Engineer Growth in tech jobs YoY: 84.3% Early Career Median Pay: $52,100 Mid Career Median Pay: $86,700 Median rent: $1,000 Median home price: $75,000 13. Indianapolis, IN Top tech jobs: Project Manager Quality Technician Quality Engineer Data Analyst Net Developer Growth in tech jobs YoY: 84.1% Early Career Median Pay: $55,400 Mid Career Median Pay: $89,400 Median rent: $1,000 Median home price: $180,715 14. Columbus, OH Top tech jobs: Project Manager Network Engineer Quality Engineer Application Developer Java Developer Growth in tech jobs YoY: 83% Early Career Median Pay: $56,600 Mid Career Median Pay: $93,400 Median rent: $1,045 Median home price: $139,60 15. Denver, CO Top tech jobs: Project Manager Network Engineer Developer Software Engineer Systems Administrator Growth in tech jobs YoY: 81.4% Early Career Median Pay: $62,300 Mid Career Median Pay: $103,000 Median rent: $2,100 Median home price: $372,500 16. Detroit, MI Top tech jobs: Project Manager Software Engineer Quality Engineer Systems Engineer Application Engineer Growth in tech jobs YoY: 81.1% Early Career Median Pay: $59,600 Mid Career Median Pay: $94,400 Median rent: $750 Median home price: $57,000 17. Tampa, FL Top tech jobs: Project Manager Systems Administrator Project Coordinator Data Analyst Network Engineer Growth in tech jobs YoY: 80.9% Early Career Median Pay: $52,700 Mid Career Median Pay: $90,600 Median rent: $1,495 Median home price: $202,750 18. Providence, RI Top tech jobs: Project Manager Software Engineer Senior Net Developer Business Information Analyst Quality Engineer Growth in tech jobs YoY: 79% Early Career Median Pay: $55,400 Mid Career Median Pay: $90,500 Median rent: $1,800 Median home price: $194,250 19. Seattle, WA Top tech jobs: Project Manager Software Engineer Software Development Engineer Developer Technical Services Growth in tech jobs YoY: 74.9% Early Career Median Pay: $76,200 Mid Career Median Pay: $117,000 Median rent: $2,700 Median home price: $620,000 20. Chicago, IL Top tech jobs: Project Manager Quality Engineer Network Engineer Devops Engineer Software Engineer Growth in tech jobs YoY: 74.1% Early Career Median Pay: $62,200 Mid Career Median Pay: $102,000 Median rent: $1,750 Median home price: $270,000

What Prevents You From Getting Hired - Work It Daily

What Prevents You From Getting Hired - Work It Daily There are many reasons job seekers give for not getting into a new job quickly enough. “The economy is bad,” is probably the biggest one. Another is, “I’m overqualified.” But then I hear “I’m not qualified enough!” My personal favorite: “I’m working on getting my resume updated.” Read, “I’m procrastinating.” I’m joking around here, but I’ve been there. I’m guilty of having said these things and more! Job searching is fraught with insecurities, anxieties, and self-defense mechanisms that can prevent you from getting the job you want. What’s the real thing that’s preventing you from getting hired? In a very candid talk with a client last week, he confided he had really not been trying very hard in his search. When exploring this further, he told me some things that we agreed were true for many job seekers. I’ve heard these reasons from other clients, and my client confirmed that he’s not the only one among his friends who struggles with this. It got me thinking. The following isn’t a comprehensive list by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s a place to start a frank discussion. If the economy, your qualifications, or your resume weren’t issues at all, what would you be left with as the reason for not having your ideal job yet? 1. Marital Problems This is such a delicate subject. But one that often needs to be addressed with job seekers. Ask yourself: Does your spouse or significant other support you emotionally in a way that facilitates your success? Or, are you so bogged down in discord that you don’t have the energy to make this big of a change? Some clients are expected to do extra chores or activities with the kids while being unemployed, sometimes so much that they don’t have much time left for their search! Some realize that if their spouse becomes more independent with their own salary, they may not want to stay in their current relationship. They’ll have the resources to leave, which is so scary that the job seeker sabotages his or her search. There are a myriad of problems that can arise between you and your loved one during your job search. Career changes or financial hardships might bring about the need for therapy, or at least honest discussions in order to move a job search forward. Getting help for your marriage might be what you need to land that job. 2. Fear So many emotions can surface in a job search, but this one can do the most damage. It can cause panic attacks or depression â€" very real health concerns. It can cause you to say or do things to overcompensate for your fears that end up damaging your reputation. How does fear affect you in your job search? What is fear anyway? My mom told me this acronym when I was a kid (I don’t know who invented it): False Evidence Appearing Real The only way to deal with fear is head on. Make a list of all the things you fear will or will not happen in your search, or in your interviews. What’s the worst case scenario? What would you do if those things happened? What’s the flipside to this? Do you have a back-up plan? Who really has the power in the situation? Most of the time, the fear really is false! Here’s a simplistic example: Worry: “I’ll forget what I want to talk about in my interview.” Worst case scenario: “The interviewer will think I’m a loser and I’ll feel like a fool.” Flipside: “They’ll miss out on a chance to hire a great employee.” Back-up plan: “I’ll bring notes so I can stay on track.” Power: “I have the power to prepare, present well, and offer my services to contribute to their company.” See how that “false evidence” can be turned around? 3. Dabbling Are you taking your search seriously? Or, are you just playing around with it? There are countless reasons why people don’t put in the effort required of a successful job search. Number one and two above are reasons why people dabble, but sometimes people are really enjoying not having to work. Or, they can’t manage the organization that’s needed to be most effective in a search. Regardless, dabbling is a job search killer. If you don’t take yourself seriously, neither will an employer. Maybe you do need a little time to sort things out before you take this on. When you are ready, be committed. Experts vary on the estimates, but I’ve found that if my clients don’t put in a good 20-30 hours into their search every week, either in online activities, in-person networking, or whatever, it takes a LONG time to make a change. So, ask yourself, “What’s the deal? Are there deeper reasons why I’m not making progress?” Does your marriage need help? Is the fear of your job change keeping you stuck? Are you taking this seriously? Do what you must to get back on track. My client is dealing with his issues and has a newfound energy for his search. You can, too! Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!