Why We Dont Meet Our Goals (and, does it matter)

Why We Dont Meet Our Goals (and, does it matter) A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about not hitting my 2010 walking goal of 500 miles.  One of the comments was really profound (read the post and this comment will make more sense). Tom J says: First of all, congratulations on the achievement. You may not have reached the goal, but you made tremendous improvement. That said, there can certainly be some *process* lessons drawn from this that can be applied everywhere, including to a job search. First, you allowed great initial progress to distract you. You shopped looking at whatever you were using to measure your mileage when you got ahead of the pace. How many of us do that when networking or looking for opportunities or otherwise doing “grunt work” behind an important endeavor? Then, when thrown off track by a setback, you didn’t come back to the goal. How many of us do that when (for instance), the first great opportunity doesn’t pan out? Finally, the tried and true … the tortoise and hare fable. You behaved like the classic hare in your pursuit of the goal .. you started quickly, became confident, and before you knew it had lost. We have all done that in one form or another. Good luck on the goal this year .. I suspect you get there! Thanks for the reminder to me about how to approach my resolutions. Exercise is among them! I think this is great  analysis  of my failure, regardless of my rationalization. Initial progress distracted me? Yes, I think so.  Not until about April or May, though but my strong start was something that distracted me and let me think it might be okay to miss a day here, trim a mile there. When thrown off, I didnt come back to the goal? I think I did, but not with the same enthusiasm as I did earlier in the year (like 6 miles although I was worried that pushing it might cause re-injury). Strong start creates confidence that creates sloppiness? Yeah, kind of, although I do think that twisting my ankle and feeling stress on the calf that was ripped the year before didnt help. I agree with what Tom J writes one comment later Shane Smith wrote Great job with 3,400% increase! I didnt meet my goal of 500 miles, but as far as Im concerned I gained a lot and actually didnt fail.  The process was awesome, and 2011 will continue to be awesome Why We Dont Meet Our Goals (and, does it matter) A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about not hitting my 2010 walking goal of 500 miles.  One of the comments was really profound (read the post and this comment will make more sense). Tom J says: First of all, congratulations on the achievement. You may not have reached the goal, but you made tremendous improvement. That said, there can certainly be some *process* lessons drawn from this that can be applied everywhere, including to a job search. First, you allowed great initial progress to distract you. You shopped looking at whatever you were using to measure your mileage when you got ahead of the pace. How many of us do that when networking or looking for opportunities or otherwise doing “grunt work” behind an important endeavor? Then, when thrown off track by a setback, you didn’t come back to the goal. How many of us do that when (for instance), the first great opportunity doesn’t pan out? Finally, the tried and true … the tortoise and hare fable. You behaved like the classic hare in your pursuit of the goal .. you started quickly, became confident, and before you knew it had lost. We have all done that in one form or another. Good luck on the goal this year .. I suspect you get there! Thanks for the reminder to me about how to approach my resolutions. Exercise is among them! I think this is great  analysis  of my failure, regardless of my rationalization. Initial progress distracted me? Yes, I think so.  Not until about April or May, though but my strong start was something that distracted me and let me think it might be okay to miss a day here, trim a mile there. When thrown off, I didnt come back to the goal? I think I did, but not with the same enthusiasm as I did earlier in the year (like 6 miles although I was worried that pushing it might cause re-injury). Strong start creates confidence that creates sloppiness? Yeah, kind of, although I do think that twisting my ankle and feeling stress on the calf that was ripped the year before didnt help. I agree with what Tom J writes one comment later Shane Smith wrote Great job with 3,400% increase! I didnt meet my goal of 500 miles, but as far as Im concerned I gained a lot and actually didnt fail.  The process was awesome, and 2011 will continue to be awesome

Love Your Career Success Story Vickie Chapman - Classy Career Girl

Love Your Career Success Story Vickie Chapman Vickie Chapman, a Love Your Career Formula member, recently got a job as a Customer Success Manager!! I am so proud of Vickie and how much effort she put into her job search. Its not easy and I hope this case study with Vickie gives you the motivation to keep going. Tell me about the beginning of your job search. What were you thinking before you joined Love Your Career Formula? I was working in a job that I loved as a project manager. We had a heads up that the opportunity was going to come to an end. So, I had started trying to build my LinkedIn profile, my resume, but at the same time I was feeling stuck. Finding the Love Your Career Formula was terrific! It allowed me to get out of this mindset that I am just a project manager. It gave me all the right questions to ask myself and to really think about what I like to do. The really enlightening question was thinking about what those moments that were most satisfying to me were. That really lead me to breaking out of just “I’m a project manager” to “I help people”. I invested in my customer success and I like working with clients. When did you learn in Love Your Career Formula? I started with the Resume Makeover Bootcamp and it just seemed like there’s so much more wonderful content available from getting to know people on the Facebook group side and looking at the other blog entries. So, when there was an opportunity to try out the larger community, I went for it. What did you think when you first joined Love Your Career Formula? It took me a little while to get that there were people starting a business as well as people who are trying to figure out what that next career step is, what their path was. It was also eye-opening to see that there are people who do all different kinds of work. I think I had in my head that I found you on the internet so this might be “technology people”. But to find out there are people interested in different roles in HR, in technology, and all sorts of things. It expanded my idea of a  career. What did you learn in the very beginning? Having the discipline of setting those goals for myself week-to-week was important. Part of the hard part was that I was job searching while being employed too. Once the job ended in December, my full-time job became looking for the next thing. I did take that discipline and set up those goals to keep myself on track. Time management and organizing and goal-setting was all good and timely advice for me. I also worked hard on my elevator pitch and knowing myself better. I attended networking events that I pushed myself to go to. Also, I worked on the top of the resume replacing the objective statement that a lot of resumes used to have. Overall, getting across that enthusiasm and I really felt a big difference in the number of responses that I was getting. When did you decide to make the commitment to dive in and really do it? It was in December. It was a little nerve-wracking to make that investment in myself but it just felt like a good fit. But this is part of it, investing in myself. And I got so much out of it than I can initially thought I would. It was wonderful! What do you think life would have been like if you didn’t decide to commit to Love Your Career Formula? I probably would have got to a point where I was just going to take the first job opportunity that came to me. I probably would’ve stayed with a project management role that I could do but wouldn’t have those opportunities that I was hoping for. Tell us the results.  After looking at different roles that fit more of those things that move me and motivate me, I started working as a project manager in a larger customer success organization but I started looking at the specific customer success manager role. This is perfect for me because I’m still working in the same department but just a smaller piece of it. That really changed. Just looking a whole set of different roles, identifying those spots where I can immediately contribute, and those areas that are going to be new exciting challenges for me. Having that focus was terrific and also led me to a great recruiting firm in this area. What are you most proud of in this journey? I’m proud that I stayed true to my values more than I have in my careers in the past. And I am proud that I really looked for a good fit for me not just from title or salary or location but just that opportunity to grow in those areas that I care about. Do you have any last words of wisdom for those who are just starting and thinking about starting Love Your Career Formula? It’s going to be uncomfortable at times but it’s so worth it if you work through it. You’re capable of learning more about yourself. The next person you’re going to talk to whether it’s for an informational interview or a job interview, they’ll feel that from you. Want what Vickie is having? Click here to learn more about Love Your Career Formula.

World Map Of All Jobs On Twitter In Real Time

World Map Of All Jobs On Twitter In Real Time We all agree that Twitter is very useful for finding job leads, but is there a creative way of looking for jobs on Twitter? Well, there is a way and its called  TwitJobSearch. TwitJobSearch overlays job tweets with their location. It is actually quite clever in what it does. Here is a map of jobs on twitter overlayed on the map of the UK. You can zoom in further and get even more local jobs. This is cool isnt it? Oh, and for those of you who like the good old-fashioned way of finding jobs, then the same platform allows you to look for jobs on Twitter using the browser functionality, which gives you the option of selecting the industry and the field you are interested in. For example, I wanted to see jobs on twitter for the Engineering industry in the Mechanical Engineering field. This is what the browser came up with. I love this platform. Whats also good is that you can use their different widgets or the map itself and embed it on your website. We tried using it and embedding it on WordPress but for some reason it did not work. It might be a clash of languages. But we are sure it works in HTML. We hope you enjoy this tool, and if it works for you, do drop us a comment below. Alternatively, if you know of something cool like this youd like to share, please comment below. Whilst you are at it, why not follow us on Twitter @Career_Geek or like us on Facebook. 10

Personal Branding News June Roundup - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding News June Roundup - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Starting this month, I will be capturing Personal Branding news from around the world and sharing it right here on my blog. The Art of Branding your Newborn. Meghan Fitzgerald, in her Careers by Choice blog, wrote about how The Wall Street Journal had mentioned that people are hiring baby naming consultants to help them choose names for their children. Parents are actually Googling possible names to asset how suitable they might be. These consultants are charging upwards of $500 for their services. The thought process is that hiring one of these consultants will give that child a head start. Small Actions Build your Brand. Krishna De, in her Biz Growth News blog, describes how personal branding is not expressed in just one or two actions. For example, missing a meeting and taking but never giving back to your network. She ends her post with an action plan: consider the touch points with your colleagues and customers and to start changing your operating style, so you can manage all aspects of your brand. How to Enhance Your Personal Brand. Jason Jacobsohn, in his Networking Insight blog, discusses the correlation between building relationships and your Personal Brand. The focus point for his post was on how significant credibility is and how everyone should invest time in educating others on your topic. He also mentions how writing articles, creating your website and speaking at events also help your brand. Blogging Secrets. Jason Alba, in his Jibber Jobber blog, reveals some of his blogging secrets, such as identifying a title for yourself first before writing in a blog. He also made decisions not to compete with particular groups and focus on a specific audience. Also, he mentions that writing controversial posts is a way to attract attention and create a conversation between members of his audience. Is Shock And Awe Publicity A Viable Branding Strategy. Kevin Levi, in his Small Business Branding blog, speaks of how a CEO in the late 90s did a web conference in his underwear, which attracted attention. The reputation of that company decreased over the long-term though. Creating an ad or marketing piece that will be remembered is equally as important to make sure the viewers recollection is one of your brands value. Companys need to use communication vehicles that differentiate their services and clearly state there value. There is Such a Thing as Bad PR. Neil Patel and his Quick Sprout blog, mentions that if you generate bad publicity, it will in fact sabotage your brand. He points out that you will not only lose money, but that people will remember the bad. On the upside, if you focus on pleasing and gaining respect from peers you will be more successful. Video Resumes stop or play?. Deb Dib of Career Hub, furthers the discussion of video resumes. She takes the side of not having a video resume, but rather using a traditional resume, blog, web page or LinkedIn. In her opinion, the real job of the video resume is to create a connection and interest. She says the only people that should do video resumes are those who can be bold and compelling. Use blogs as a career tool for becoming super-connected. Penelope Trun of Brazen Careerist, explains that the best way to leap into your career is to blog. It allows you to create a high-quality network for yourself based on passing ideas around. Most of the time you spend blogging will be reading other peoples blogs and linking to them and writing your own commentary. Finally, she states how the most efficient way to build a brand name for yourself is through blogging.

8 Essential Modern-Day Interviewing Tactics Every Job Seeker Should Know CareerMetis.com

8 Essential Modern-Day Interviewing Tactics Every Job Seeker Should Know â€" CareerMetis.com Source: Shuttershock.comThe day has finally come. After putting in seemingly countless job applications, you’ve finally gotten a call from someone who would like to interview you. That’s awesome, and congratulations are definitely in order! Landing an interview is no easy task in today’s highly competitive job market, and it’s something that’s worth celebrating. Unfortunately, though, the hard work doesn’t stop once you’ve scored an interview.No matter how intelligent and qualified you are for a particular job, you still need to prepare for the interview. You could have all the degrees, certifications, and real-world experiences in the world, but if you don’t know how to ace an interview, you’re likely to get passed by in favor of someone else.The good news? Even if you aren’t good at interviews now, you can be. Interview skills aren’t necessarily something that you are born having. They are learned. By familiarizing yourself with some common modern-day intervie wing tactics, you’ll be one step closer to landing the job of your dreams. Here are a few tactics and techniques that every job seeker should know.1) Study the CompanyevalevalIt’s incredible how many hopeful candidates go into job interviews without knowing anything about the company where they are hoping to work. With all the information you could ever need just a few clicks away, there is no excuse for not taking some time to study the company. Learn about current events that may be impacting the business, and familiarize yourself with the company’s goals, core values, etc. Gaining this knowledge shows that you are interested in the company, and it helps you make a great first impression.2) Know Your Resume Inside and OutA polished resume is excellent. It showcases your experience and gives employers a good feel for your career goals and why you are applying for a particular position. There is a good chance that your interviewer will reference it during the interview, so itâ €™s important to be familiar with it. Whether someone else put together your resume, or you did it yourself but haven’t looked at it in a while, take some time to study it. Make sure you know everything that’s on it and why it’s there so that you can confidently answer any questions that may arise.On a side note, it’s also important to make sure your resume looks great. Whether you have it professionally printed or print it yourself using your laser or inkjet printer, use high-quality resume paper. Make sure the text is crisp and clear, and, if your resume includes any images, make sure you print them in high resolution.3) Non-Verbal Communication MattersSource: Shuttershock.comSometimes what you don’t say is just as important as the things you do say. While interviewers are concerned with how you answer their questions, they also pay close attention to your body language. Standing or sitting up straight, making eye contact, and connecting with a firm, confident handshake are essential types of non-verbal communication, and they have a significant impact on whether or not you get a position.4) Dress for the JobThe days where men always had to wear suits and ties to work and women were expected to wear dresses, or nice skirts are long gone. Casual is in, and many companies now have more relaxed dress codes than ever before. That doesn’t mean, though, that it’s appropriate to head into an interview wearing a hoodie and a pair of jeans. At the very least, you should wear business casual attire and show up well-groomed. Even if casual wear is fine once you land the job, it still makes a good impression when you show up looking like you put some effort into your appearance.eval5) Know When to Stop Talking and ListenA job interview should be a two-way conversation. In addition to asking questions, your interviewer will most likely provide you with information about things like the job, the company’s culture, etc. Getting too caught up in talking abou t yourself could result in missing that critical information and give the interviewer the impression that you don’t care what they have to say.Answer questions concisely. Don’t ramble. Listen carefully to what the interviewer says and asks, and respond appropriately. Pay attention to the interviewer’s pace and conversational style, and match it to the best of your ability to ensure successful two-way communication.6) Show Instead of TellevalIt’s one thing to tell an interviewer about your skills and experience. It’s another to show them off. Use concrete examples that demonstrate your skills. If you say you’re a great multi-tasker, for example, provide an example of a situation in which your ability to successfully manage multiple tasks has helped you complete a project.7) Be YourselfSource: Shuttershock.comThere is nothing wrong with studying interview questions and crafting useful, solid answers. It’s important, though, to not lose yourself in the process. Many inter viewees make the mistake of trying to fit into a particular mold rather than just being themselves. Interviewers are usually good at detecting insincerity, and, if they can tell you aren’t yourself, they’re going to wonder what you are hiding.Even if you make it through the interview without anyone discovering your act, your real personality is going to come out eventuallyâ€"and if that personality doesn’t fit into the company’s culture or if you lied about things like your experience and skills, you will have a severe problem. Be the best version of yourself possible. If that doesn’t work, the job isn’t right for you anyway.8) Don’t Fall Through on the Follow-UpFollowing up after an interview could set you apart from your fellow applicants. Send either a handwritten note or an email promptly to thank the interviewer for their time. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy. A brief message is fine, and you can even print out a note for little more than the cost of a few drops of toner and a piece of paper. Many people no longer take this simple step after an interview, so doing so could make you stand out from the crowd in a positive light.CONCLUSIONevalJob interviews are intimidating, and acing one isn’t always easy. By employing the tactics outlined above, though, you can walk into any interview better prepared and more likely to land the job.

Why I Have No Fear of the Instagram Algorithm Change - Cubicle Chic

Why I Have No Fear of the Instagram Algorithm Change - Cubicle Chic Why I Have No Fear of the Instagram Algorithm Change Career, Digital Marketing, Lifestyle November 13, 2017 17 CommentsInstagram algorithm, huh? Is that edible?If you’re an influencer and you’re reading this, chances are that the Instagram Algorithm is like a set of curse words for you now. If you’re NOT an influencer and you have no idea what I’m talking about, well, depending on how you look at it, it’s something that the almighty Facebook (who owns Instagram) decided to implement in the early part of 2017. It involved a set of changes in the way users experience Instagram, that has shaken many influencers’ popularity (aka impression, likes, and comments) on the app. It’s been described as a controversial move on Instagram’s part that has been met with widespread outcry.The change in the Instagram algorithm redefined the influencer industryIt’s been more than 6 months since the insidious Instagram algorithm kicked in and it’s already changed the influencer industry by leaps and bounds. It’s weeded out many influ encers that simply couldn’t deal and decided to give up. It fueled the growth of an ancillary part of the influencer market â€" alleged experts and businesses offering solutions to “beat the Instagram algorithm”, many charging exorbitant fees for their service (this topic REALLY gets my blood pressure going because there’s a lot of preying upon the innocent happening; more on that later). It’s slightly leveled the playing field between the OG influencers that have incumbent status vs. the new entrants/micro-influencer. Heck, because of the Instagram algorithm change, micro-influencers make up a significant portion of the influencer industry now. I should probably be grateful.Oh, yes. It got me moping, tooI won’t deny it. The Instagram algorithm change definitely impacted me and my social media presence. It bothered me, too. Like, a lot. I resorted to some desperate measures like many other influencers did â€" joining more comment pods than I could handle, paying to boost my posts, begged friends and family to spare some love on some of my content. But nothing offered a permeant solution and nothing was sustainable to keep doing. At one point, I felt like my Instagram account was a corpse that refused to react to any resuscitation efforts.I tried to defy the gods of Instagram algorithmI spent countless hours researching the subject. I clicked on numerous click-baity Pinterest posts. I’ve followed and subscribed to more “expert’” newsletter than you can imagine. I am a marketer by training, I can smell marketing bullshit from a mile away. Yet I continued to succumb to these so-called experts dangling the shining object of “beating Instagram algorithm” in front of me. I even paid $99 on an Instagram hashtag course. They’re hashtags for goodness’ sake. The class turned out to be totally bogus and offered nothing I couldn’t find from a 10 minute Google search. I demanded a refund and thankfully received it in full. Each and every inter action with these self-proclaiming experts left me more frustrated than before.The Instagram algorithm couldn’t stop Cubicle Chic â€" Why?For those of you who have been reading this blog for a while now, you know I started a new full-time job back in June. Since then, my blogging productivity along with my Instagram posting frequency has plummeted to a new low. Since June, my average posting rate on Instagram has dropped to once every 3-4 days. And yet, miraculously, my account following continued to grow. At 4,100 followers, my Instagram is still in its infancy in the influencer marketing. The sliver of hope comes from the fact that it grew from 3,800 to 4,100 in the last few months during my lowest period of productivity. Why??1. I’m crystal clear on my “raison d’être”“Raison d’être” is one of my favorite French words because, well, for one, the letters together just look really pretty, don’t they?  The phrase means “reason for being” and is something that all influencer needs to have before they put any effort into building anything. For me, Cubicle Chic is a portal for me to help people. Every time I get a reader email me and ask me about a career move, an office situation, or a change in environment, I get a boost of energy and happiness. This is why Cubicle Chic exists. So, if Instagram is not where I will find new folks to connect with, so be it. There is still Facebook, Twitter, Bloglovin’, to name a few, where people can find me and my blog. I believe in the value I provide through Cubicle Chic, therefore I’m confident that people will continue to tune in.2. I have a network of like-minded individuals to count on and learn new things with.I have my Instagram posse â€" a group of amazing bloggers Instagrammers who I call friends and regularly consult with all things blogging.Jenny @ www.stuffilove.com/ || Jenny and I share the same blogging audience â€" professional women’s workwear fashion. And we both have been going through some home renovation so we are always talking about home decor with each other!Elle @ www.thegrayasparagus.com/ || Elle and I bonded over Poshmark years ago. She became a trusted source of Poshmark expertise, and I developed Cubicle Chic. We are both cat ladies and bookworms.Amy @ www.theluxilook.com/ || Amy and I both have our day job in Corporate America and share the passion for reading new books and writing soul-searching, self-reflective, and insightful posts about life!I also have my career personal development minded bloggers who I talk to with business goals, my own career challenges, or I just need sanity-check on my career moves:Emily @ www.cultivitae.com/   || She is basically my life coach best business brainstorming friend! She offers career coaching service on her website and is just an amazing human being. Oh, she JUST re-designed and launched her new website (we share the same web designer, Jaclyn.) Go check it out!Chanele @ www.Dowelldresswell.com || Chane le blogs about building a strong brand and how that’s related to growing your career. She has impeccable style and is an expert in wearing different bright colors in career work wardrobe.3. Just like in life, I refused to let one setback define me.As an influencer, having your Instagram likes per post shrank by 50% is a devastating thing for those of us that are trying to build something online. It may be hard to understand if you’re not an influencer, but let’s just accept it for now.Yet, much like the way that we can’t change the climate we live in, what family we’re born into, or the way we look, the Instagram algorithm change is one of these things that are simply beyond our control. I just choose to accept it as fact and move on to worry about other things I CAN control. I continue to read about the new developments in social media (like Snapchat is launching a new interface and Twitter is allowing for 280 characters in a tweet now!). I continue to develop Cubicle Chi c’s editorial calendar. I have decided to learn my way out of this seeming lack of growth because of Instagram. I have faith that I will still get to build something for myself despite it! Gucci $ 980 Get Sale Alert Gucci $ 980 Get Sale Alert Louise et Cie $ 118.95 Get Sale Alert Louise et Cie $ 118.95 Get Sale Alert Wrap Tied Back Blouse $ 29.64 Get Sale Alert Shein $ 26 Get Sale Alert New York Co. $ 59.95 Get Sale Alert All photography by Natalie Alvarado @ Stylenfuse

Resume Writing Services - Use Resume Writing Services to Stand Out

Resume Writing Services - Use Resume Writing Services to Stand OutThere are many ways to get a job, but there is one sure way to stand out above the rest and that is by utilizing resume writing services. When your resume is unique and not just typical you will be able to get the job that you want.There are all kinds of companies out there that offer various services for resume writing and they can tailor to your specific needs. If you need an information packet that includes your resume and cover letter then you can have one sent directly to you.For many people who are not familiar with it, it is much like a mail service and basically gets your resume and information together for you so that you are ready to start your job search. There are many advantages of using these services, such as having a specific landing page for your resume so that you know exactly what to put in each section.This way you will know exactly what you need to include and what section you should not include an y job or personal information. Your employer will not see anything else on your resume except for the skills and experience that you have and this will make it easier for them to focus on your skills and talents.Another benefit is that you will know what to say on your resume without worrying about what your competition is saying and this can mean the difference between getting the job and not getting the job. You can only lose the race to get the job if you do not know what you are doing and that is not good.If you are unsure about what to write in your resume and how to format it properly, a resume writing service can help you out. In addition, they will also help you develop a resume that is visually appealing and easily understood.Also, many services will be able to take your resume and send it straight to the employers that you are hoping to get a job from. This means that you can avoid wasting time on those that you do not want to work with or get lost in the crowd.A good resu me writing service will be able to find jobs for you so that you do not have to sit on the sidelines of a job searching process. All you have to do is provide them with a resume and they will do the rest of the hard work.