3 Ways to Transform Your Job Hunt With Help From a Graphic Designer

3 Ways to Transform Your Job Hunt With Help From a Graphic Designer Todays post comes from Jerry Hunter of  Job Hunting University, This is a very interesting time to be job hunting because were faced with constantly changing technologies tools. It seems that every few months, a new and better job hunting strategy arises because of some development in social media, mobile technology or the internet in general. And as a job hunt guru,  I make it my business to stay abreast of the changing trends and emerging strategies. Back in 2008, I remember desperately pleading with job seekers to create a LinkedIn profile. And now, six years later, I am desperately pleading with job seekers to hire a freelance graphic designer. Really? A Graphic Designer? Yes, a graphic designer. Times are changing and job seekers must face the truth: it’s no longer just about applying to jobs online and sending out basic resumes. Being successful on a job hunt today requires creating content relating to your expertise, finding ways to stand out from the competition, and taking full control of your online brand identity. And using a skilled graphic designer will make life easier as you tackle those tasks. Dont shy away its not as pricey or difficult as you think. Well cover those details later in this post. But first, here are three important job hunt strategies on which a graphic designer can assist: Strategy #1: Create a Visually Compelling Resume Every week, I review hundreds of resumes. And I’m always amazed at how far people go to make their resume stand out and look unique. Vibrant colors, custom fonts, watermarks, profile pictures, graphs, charts, bolded text and everything else that pushes Microsoft Word to its limits. This approach is becoming the norm: we all want a resume that stands out! Did you know that on average, a job posting gets 100+ applications? You need to find a way to catch the attention of hiring managers and stand out. To do that, you need to go beyond the borders of a boring black and white resume. The most noticed resumes are the ones that have a unique template and are aesthetically pleasing to view. Check out the set of before-after resumes below. Which would you rather read? Clearly the resumes on the right are more impressionable than the simple black and white text resumes on the left. Drop the amateur game and hire a professional to transform your resume into a something that will catch the attention of any hiring manager. Sure, you can hire a resume writer to build you a world class CV, but you might rather write it yourself and go the graphic designer route (for a much lower cost) to enhance its appearance. Finding a freelance graphic designer is simple, watch the video below to learn how. Here are the sites I mentioned in the video above to find a freelancer at affordable prices:  Elance   Guru. Strategy #2: Build Your Personal Website Careertopia covered this topic previously, asking “Did you know there’s one thing you could do right now that would give you a leg up over 93% of the professionals you’re competing with for jobs, promotions, and opportunities?” Starting a personal website is a phenomenal way to separate yourself from the competition and stand out from the millions of candidates looking for a job. Such a website allows you to  display your work, your accomplishments, and what you’re looking for in your next gig. And a graphic designer can help make your site visually compelling showcase you in all your glory. For examples of appealing websites that generated powerful results, check out this prior post. Again, setting up a personal website is easier that you think. Careertopia sells an ebook with step-by-step instructions; even with limited technical skills, you could have the shell of your site set up in a weekend. You provide content and direction, and your designer can provide attention-getting graphics that reflect you and your job hunting goals. Many designers also know how to help you register a domain with your name, make the site mobile friendly, and integrate it with social media. That way, youve built something you can be proud to show potential employers. Strategy #3: Start a Blog Are you thinking what’s the point of having a blog? Its for the same reason as the first two strategies: to make you stand out and separate yourself from the competition. If youre already planning on creating a personal website, youll want a blog integrated into it. And thats another simple step thats covered in The Ultimate Guide I mentioned above. But if you have no intent to go the personal website route, you should at least consider starting a blog to increase your visibility. Blogging allows you to knowledgeably reveal your industry expertise, and allows you to inject a little personality into your online presence. All you need to get started is a few paragraphs about your professional experiences plus a free WordPress or Blogger account is all you need to get started. But after you realize how a blog is a great way to personify passion and expertise (both of which hiring managers are looking for!) you’ll want to step up your game and hire a professional graphic designer. I recommend a blog with a custom url, that’s mobile friendly, free of third party advertising and that looks stunning. I hired a graphic designer from  Elance  to build my blog at Job Hunting University. Take a look at it. Here’s a quick, 1 minute video to explain how to best use a blog to help you find a job. Alternative Approaches As personal websites, blogs and social media become norms for job hunting in the future, people will slowly realize that these are invaluable tools to find a job. Investing in these tools by hiring a professional graphic designer will likely become the norm, even though it may feel like a think-outside-of-the-box approach today. If you’re hesitant, or don’t have the budget to hire a graphic designer, you can still use the strategies discussed here. I’ll leave you with some free/cheap alternatives that can significantly improve your job hunt. If you enjoyed this article and learned something, please share it on your social media of choice; it really helps us spread the word. Graphic Resumes Alternative 1: Head over to GraphicRiver and type in “resume” in the search bar. You can buy a great resume template that you can edit yourself for as low as $4. Each resume template indicates what type of file is delivered, so make sure you have the software to use your template of choice before buying. Alternative 2: Learn PhotoShop basics by watching YouTube videos for free and download a free 30-day trial of PhotoShop to play with. I learned PhotoShop via video classes on Lynda.com and it was definitely worth the time investment. Being able to do some basic image editing and graphic creation will open up a lot of possibility for you with the strategies discussed in this post. Personal Website Alternative: There are website builders for as low as $10 a month that make it incredibly easy to build a great looking site. Check out any of these web site builders to make a beautiful personal website and save some money on the front end: wix.com, weebly.com, webs.com, imcreator.com, wix.com, jimdo.com, squarespace.com Blog Alternative: Start a free blog using WordPress  or  Blogger, but settle for the un-customized version, using whatever standard graphics they offer. While the basics of these freebies wont be as visually compelling as some of the examples we provided here, youll still be expanding your online presence, and that certainly wont hurt your job hunt efforts! Id love to hear about your success with these strategies be sure to comment below, or send us an email about your experiences results.

I asked a bunch of LinkedIn experts to rate my profile - Debut

I asked a bunch of LinkedIn experts to rate my profile - Debut This article is the third and final instalment of our Confessions of a LinkedIn amateur series. Follow Debuts own Content Creator Alex Ekong as he navigates the minefield of employability and personal branding on his way creating his very first LinkedIn profile. Hello, precious Debutants. First of all, lets all take time to welcome me back to the realm of the living. Shortly after the publication of LinkedIn The Chipmunks 2: The Squeak-uel (AKA I tried to nail the exact science of a LinkedIn header if youre boring) I got sidelined with tonsillitis. But as I lay there, choking down tomato soup and staring, mouth agape, at 13 Reasons Why, I plotted how I would make my glorious comeback to the world of the employable. See, shortly after I made the decision to make a LinkedIn, I made the decision to become the best at it out of spite and revenge for the childhood it made me give up. Hence why I have spent the better part of a month hate-improving my profile. Im a healthy, well-balanced person, honest. Now that Ive finished my LinkedIn header my business card, if you will the connection requests started rolling in. As it turns out, building your LinkedIn as part of a series is great advertising. By the time I accepted all the pending ones in my inbox, I was up to 60 connections. Not bad for an amateur. Well on the way to 100 connections, I realised that in order to have truly conquered the LinkedIn beast, I needed approval from its elders. So I decided I would submit my LinkedIn profile to a bunch of already-ordained professionals to see if it passes the test. But to appeal to their appetites, my profile would need some more meat. The skills Like Homer Simpson once said about Canada, its easy to miss the skills section, all tucked away down there as it is. But this right here is one of LinkedIns most valuable elements, particularly if youre going to use it from a recruitment standpoint. People who list a skill on their profile get 13 times more views than average. Push that up to 17x if you have five or more. Im told thats a good thing. Its hard to be skillful when youve only been working for nine months. So I just put down all the things Ive done at work at least once. As you can see, its quite a bouquet. Ill be honest, I was surprised at how competent I look now with all these things listed. This couldnt have gone better. I also see that you can have skills endorsed by other professionals, so Im going to ask my team of LinkedIn experts to support your boy when they are meticulously judging my page later. The experience This parts just like a CV so really it should be pretty straightforward. At least, so I thought. Filling in my previous jobs did go rather swimmingly though, with me getting a chance to show off some of my famous prose. The stats say that potential employers like you to have at least 3 jobs on here, to show your confidence and comfort in an office setting. I didnt have 3 previous jobs, but having two still very fresh in the memory made this section a breeze. After I was done sounding important, I realised that you could add even more to the bottom of this section, from languages to awards to projects. This didnt seem compulsory, nor were there any stats to suggest it was necessary. It just seemed like the kind of thing you would put in if youre extra. But am I extra? YOU BETCHA. So in it all goes; my French proficiency, my personal blog, even my Redbrick Award for Best Review. I think Im starting to get the hang of this. The connections And so at last, my profile was completed in its vast array. Now, I needed a base level of connections who could bask in it with me. I was sure I had enough content on my profile to entice people into my web of professionalism, but in order to truly embark on the #RoadTo100, I needed a strategy. So I asked two people who I was sure would know. First, Dan Doherty of QA Apprenticeships. Dans a friend of Debut and a mastermind of corporate personal branding. He gave me a pro-tip which I may not have lucked into by myself. “Optimise the university Career Insights sections, he said. You can at a glance, see where your university (and subject area) alumni are working, who for and what skills they’ve attained. So I did. And its pretty sweet. You can find link to the Careers Insights section on your universitys LinkedIn page and itll give you some valuable inside knowledge about what sectors people you studied with are working in now. Very useful if youre looking for a direction to go post-graduation. The part of me that wants to network loves it, and the part of me that wants to make sure I never run into anyone from my seminar group again, loves it even more. Something for everybody! Next, for a sense of balance I asked my good friend Jonny Morris, whom regular readers may remember as the founder of InfoEve. Hes still a student at the University of Sheffield but hes a networking pro and had some simple, but sage advice. I went to a workshop on networking a couple of years ago, and one of the things the guy said was to always, always include a message when you add someone on LinkedIn. So: Hi Alex great to meet you at *FUNCTION*, hope we can sort something out regarding *OPPORTUNITY* in the near future. So this is the approach I took to reaching out to people who werent old school chums. I remember all the employers I collaborated with on Insight articles and start with them first. Because hey, they owe me. A little bit of work later, and Ive finally passed the magic 100. The time of reckoning has come. The LinkedIn experts weigh in This is what I trained for. Several weeks lost in employability wilderness, 3 articles, one profile offered up to please the gods. Would the LinkedIn experts smile on my efforts? I asked them to break it all down and rate it out of ten. Heres what they said: Marilyn Benjamin, Commonwealth Secretariat Head of Office, Mother Your LinkedIn profile tells me that you are dynamic, progressive, tech savvy and results-oriented â€" desirable traits of millennials.     Having been in the job for less than a year and being given the responsibility to manage others is an indication that you have demonstrated a level of management and leadership which can only improve with the right kind of nurturing and development. Your profile shows diversity and your smooth and engaging writing style shows flexibility and an ability to tailor your articles to your specific audiences.  8/10 Ive always had a face only a mother could love. The same, apparently goes for a LinkedIn profile. A nice high score to start off with. Brenda Wong, Debut Social Media and Community Manager You have a strong short-descriptor at the top. It has personality and sums you up to a T. Your work experience probably needs more concrete examples. So, its great that youre a content creator, but what sets you apart from other content creators out there? Results-based descriptions will probably help you stand out. Numbers and examples will give your claims more weight. Overall, its a great start. I think once you move forward with your work experience and get involved with more projects youll just have more content to put on your profile, which will make it better over time.  6/10 Oh Brenda, how could you? Tbf though, shes a personal branding expert, not easily impressed by my amateurs overtures towards LinkedIn. And she raises a good point. Its all well and good to write attractively about your achievement, but without numbers and numerous examples, it means nothing to the discerning employer. Cristina Astorri, Debut Senior Marketing Director As Brenda has pointed out, it is important to quantify what you have achieved for the companies you have worked for. Any metric that you can use would add value to your work. E.g. how many views your best articles have brought or how may articles you have written so far. You should start writing some articles. As a writer I would expect you to be prolific on LinkedIn too.  Considering you had never used LinkedIn before, its a great start.  7/10 Cristina, surprisingly, is a lot more forgiving. I do aim to start sharing articles on LinkedIn of course, but this is another compelling the content will come with time argument. Yema Coker, Founder, Elevante Events Having looked at your LinkedIn profile, I would rate it a 7 at the moment purely because it needs more content which you will get over time. I love that it speaks to me about the type of person you are: quirky (as per your header and the round glasses), your profile pic tells me you are someone that would be fun to have in the office, good cultural fit for startup tech world.  I love that in just 10 months you have achieved so much, your LinkedIn tells me that you are an asset to Debut!   7/10 An alternative view from within the start-up community. I took a calculated risk using that very colourful Neck Deep album cover as my header photo, but it seems to have paid off. The conclusion So, overall, its a 7 out of 10 for my LinkedIn profile. Not a bad score, but considering that I set out to build the ultimate LinkedIn as a monument to the new employable Alex, it has to be said that I fell short. Its okay, though. Its been a hell of a journey. From my original descent, to wrestling my rebellious teenage instincts, to every time I accidentally typed Linkin Park instead of LinkedIn out of instinct, I feel Ive grown in a URL and an IRL sense. Student Alex couldnt have pulled it off. I think the most important thing Ive taken away from the feedback is this: you cant build employability overnight. Hell, you cant even build it over a month. Like a career, a LinkedIn profile needs constant incremental work and improvement. A LinkedIn profile is bottomless and the average grad isnt going to have everything to make a convincing one, no matter how well you lay it out. But its a continuous process. And thats what you get with LinkedIn that you dont get from any other social network. Fake it till you make it doesnt play well here. Its a long-term project. And you know what? I have to admit, its pretty fulfilling. So check out my profile to continue to follow the Adventures of Alex on LinkedIn: Amateur No More. I have a feeling this is far from over. Aaaaaand roll credits. Connect with Debut on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for more careers insights.

Well-read - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Well-read - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog I gave a presentation yesterday here in Copenhagen and one participant showed up with this: Its my first book (Happy Hour is 9 to 5) in Danish and thats what I call a well-read copy :o) Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

The Power of Saying No - Hallie Crawford

The Power of Saying No So several of my clients this week were talking about saying no, and how hard it can be to do that. I can relate! I have a pleaser gremlin who doesnt want me to say no to things. She (this particular gremlin is a she) wants me to say yes, be nice to everyone and have everyone like me. Hello-we know thats impossible and aint gonna happen. Its time to get over her. And to be honest with you, through my own personal work with a coach over the years, I have been able to corral my gremlins so theyre not running the show as much anymore. (Thank you client Curt who called it corraling the gremlins-love that image!) Sure, one gremlin escapes from the corral at least once a week. But the good news is, Im much more aware of when that happens and I can do something about it. The power of saying no is big. It can be hard for us to say no to someone or something for a myriad of reasons. We want to be liked, we want to keep our jobs so we feel we have to say yes to that new project, or we dont want to hurt someones feelings. But we have to learn to say no to assert our boundaries and frankly, to keep ourselves sane. Theres a newer book out called The Power of a Positive No by William Ury. It looks good-Id check it out if this is something you struggle with. If you struggle with saying no at work or managing your career gremlins, I suggest you take action today. Get out your lasso and corral them! Find one thing you can say no to in your life right now. If you need help with this or have other burning career questions check out my Career Seekers Mastermind Event. Thats what this event is for! Have a fab weekend, Hallie

Changing Your Resume

Changing Your ResumeWith the kind of economy that we are in today, having a good resume can really mean the difference between being able to get a good job or not. If you are not currently employed and have a good job description, you might be wondering if there is any way to change your resume to point to a better future.If you are currently employed but not receiving good job opportunities, there are several options to consider. The first is to ask for a raise. This can be an uphill battle, however if you really want a raise, your resume needs to point to what you have accomplished, not where you are.Removing the old resume and using it as a guide to how you would like to see your current resume look should be looked at as a first option. Whether or not you have an employer on speed dial on your cell phone, you can always use your current resume to list your accomplishments and why you are qualified for a new position. This can save you a lot of time and money when applying for a n ew job.When applying for specific positions, it is important to keep in mind what companies like or dislike about you. For example, if you have been fired from your previous job, you may not be eligible for a promotion and instead, you may be relegated to a less desirable position within the company.It is also important to write a resume in such a way as to not only provide information to your employer, but also information to your family. Remember that by hiring you, they are also hiring your family.Also remember that the day will come when you are no longer employed, and by then, you will not have anyplace to go. This is why it is important to maintain a positive outlook and finish your resume in a timely manner so that you can maintain a good job or career moving forward.Finally, remember that you do not need to change the entire structure of your resume, just the format and the information that you have provided. The important thing is to get something written down and then writ e it as clearly as possible and stay focused on your job or career moving forward.

Retirement Jobs 4 Things to Consider

Retirement Jobs 4 Things to Consider Over the coming decade, the fastest-growing age group of workers is expected to be those 65 and older. Many older workers are simply eager to earn extra money, but many also enjoy working and want to stay active, engaged, and involved in the workplace. Workers that are 65 and up have a few special things to consider, however. Part-time opportunities: Many people in this bracket will prefer to work part-time. If you like your work but are weighing the leap from full-time employee to part-time retiree, your best bet is to start with your existing job. Talk to your organization about downshifting to part-time or contract work. Your boss may be relieved to have a seasoned pro on the team, especially one who no longer needs benefits. If you want something different â€" or if you’ve been out of the work force for a year or so â€" turn to your network, use LinkedIn, and talk to the owners or managers of businesses you frequent to see what’s available. Consulting work: You may find business consulting offers some of the most lucrative part-time opportunities. If you hold an MBA or have specific industry experience but your own network of contacts isn’t panning out, check out HourlyNerd.com, a startup website that connects consultants to companies that need help with project work; you’ll compete with other freelance consultants for the business. School perks: If you have specific expertise and want to be connected to a broader organization, check in with your local college or university. There are more jobs than ever for non-tenure track, or adjunct, professors. The pay for these jobs is not great, but there are often fringe benefits, like access to the school’s other resources and the ability for you to audit a class or attend a great lecture. Social Security impact: If you have claimed Social Security benefits early but wish to continue working, remember that you will be subject to an annual “earnings test” that will reduce your Social Security payments. For those of you who’ll reach your full retirement age after 2016 â€" it’s currently 66, but edges up slightly for those born in 1955 and thereafter â€" the amount you can earn this year without any penalty is $15,720. (If you’ll be turning 66 this year, that amount is $41,880, and it applies only to your earnings through the month before the month in which you turn 66.) Above that dollar threshold, the government withholds $1 in benefits for every $2 earn, or $1 for every $3 you earn during the year you reach full retirement age. After that, you can collect your full Social Security benefit even if you continue to work.

Career Path of a Doctor - Work It Daily

Career Path of a Doctor - Work It Daily This is a true story as told to LatPro.com where you can find helpful career interviews and job search advice in your desired industry. Visit to find a career interview in your field today. I work as a junior doctor, specializing in pediatric care. I chose to branch out to working with children two years ago, and have not regretted it for a moment. Before that, I worked as a foundation doctor for two years. Many people describe their jobs as 'work', but my job is truly my vocation. I've wanted to become a doctor since I was about five years old and dressing up in my father's much-too-large lab coat, and I feel so lucky that I've been able to fulfill my dream. It's not about the money for me, it truly is about seeing the look on a patient's face when they realize that they're going to be cared for. I work on average fifty hours a week, although that's to be expected as I'm at the start of my career. Some weeks I work more, or less. It depends on the patients and the rotation. At the moment, I'd rate myself as being 8 out of 10 with regard to job satisfaction. Although some days can be hectic, and the very nature of the job can be stressful both physically and emotionally, the tiredness is always a satisfying feeling. It means that I've pushed myself to my limits, and that people are better off for me having done so. I wouldn't have wanted to pursue any other career in the world. I know that many other professions out there help people greatly every day --firefighters, social workers and teachers, but to me, I love to help people heal. I'm a big history buff, so the fact that Hippocrates laid down the modern ethical guidelines for doctors today more than 2000 years ago; that blows my mind. My father was a doctor, and my mother was a practicing nurse. As far back as I can remember, my earliest memories of him entail of him arriving home from his shift and telling me all about the people who he had helped that day. Although now, looking back, I know that he didn't tell me everything, the stories that he told inspired me to follow this career path. Since I had family who were already in the medical profession, I knew how stressful and busy the job would be. I also had several friends who graduated from medical school the year that I started premed. Their advice and guidance would be invaluable to me as I progressed through school. They always told me that the key to success was being organized --I wish I'd gone back and listened to their advice, as I believe I wouldn't have been as stressed if I'd managed my time better. It's definitely a skill that I've improved on the job. However, they never told me about the strange things that I would encounter on the ward every week. The craziest thing I've seen so far was a police drug bust on a patient who was about to enter theater. Luckily for the patient, his medical needs took precedence and he was able to undertake the procedure. Every day poses new challenges for me. It's part of the reason why I could never have a normal 9-5 office job. I need to push myself every day to stretch my own limits. It could be a patient with an unusual condition, a heavy caseload or an emergency situation in E.R which requires all hands on deck. The only thing that irks me is when people come in with injuries sustained while drunk. I'm not teetotal, but I don't understand why people drink heavily and then try to perform tasks like driving or home decorating. I'm happy with the money that I'm earning at the moment. I'm on just under $35,000 at the moment; but my supervisor is on about double that. Once I get more experience in the field, I'm hoping that I'll get a pay rise or promotion. It can be hard to make ends meet sometimes --I guess the strange working hours helps with saving money-- but things are never too tight to make do. Although part of me wishes I could afford to take expensive vacations three times a year, the job satisfaction is more than worth it. I get about three weeks paid vacation a year, and I like to take a trip up to see my family in North Dakota. One day, I'd love to go to Paris. To succeed in this field, you really need to want it - want the lifestyle, the stress, the emotional upheaval and the intense fulfillment - otherwise you won't enjoy it. A patient deserves a doctor who really cares about their well-being, not about the paycheck that they're taking home. Being a doctor isn't just a job - it's a way of life. Career path doctor image from Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!