With the Internet as loud as it’s ever been, any writer will tell you that you can have the best blog or article piece the Internet has ever seen but it won’t mean anything if you can’t reel your audience in with an enticing headline. Think of a headline as a first impression and (almost) everybody likes making good first impressions. Coming up with strong headline is the easiest, most difficult part of creating a blog or article. A good rule I use when crafting a headline is to brag and back it up. What does that mean exactly? It means that you want a headline that is going to immediately get the viewer’s attention and have them curious to read on to the article or blog, almost as if they have to. As a quick note, keep in mind that the tone should be appropriate when called upon to do. I mean, you don’t exactly want to make light of reprehensible news unless you’re into the dark comedy niche. One obvious thing more than anything is to be accurate about what your blog or article is portraying. Don’t make an article about how to leverage Microsoft Excel functions for monetary budgeting and I read an article about relationship problems and how to solve them using Microsoft Excel instead (as intriguing as that sounds). For the technical aspects, one of the most popular things many headlines use is numbers, let me assure you that readers love numbers (especially when paired with adjectives) so go wild especially with uncommon numbers (often odd numbers) such as 17 or 23. Also make sure to keep your headlines short as this has many benefits such as fitting into various formats through channels such as Google and e-mail messages, easier for sharing and lets you craft more impactful headlines. With a few exceptions, always aim for crafting headlines around action verbs. The idea is that you want the readers to subconsciously want to read the article, instilling a sense of urgency in them. Now let’s apply these concepts in action. Using titles like “5 Weird Ways Penguins secretly lead society” or “8 Crazy Things Humans Eat” or “20 Surprisingly Awesome Lessons that Shakespeare Taught Us” can increase the likelihood of someone sticking around to read your content. Creating snazzy headlines is no easy task and it often takes a while to build experience and savvy on how to attract readers while retaining the integrity of your blog or article. Remember, creating the greatest article ever doesn’t mean jack if you can’t reel your audience in with an attention grabbing, earth shattering, galaxy bending headline so make sure you got one ready so people will actually read your article or blog. Any unique tips and tricks you’ve done to create killer headlines or titles? Let us know in the comments. Many of us are typically perfectionists when it comes to how we hope the interview will play out then spend all day thinking about what we could’ve done better. However there are also times where you think you absolutely killed the Interview process, absolutely blowing the recruiter away. Well, I hate to be that guy but you’re likely not getting the job and here are some reasons why. 10 You Didn’t Dress Properly So you’ve walked in with your blue jeans, flip flops and sweet new Aquaman t-shirt with some beard fuzz cause the ladies love them a manly man, conducted the interview and walked out thinking you absolutely nailed it but there was a glaring problem. The interview wasn’t long and the interviewer weren’t exactly running through walls singing your praises (I confirmed that HR staff does this when they score a great hire). I hate to break it to you, but you lost the moment you stepped in the door and their expression should’ve gave you a pretty good idea of your chances. Note that it is important that you look clean and well presented even if there is no preferred dress code. Some dress pants, a dress shirt and a tie isn’t going to break your bank and if you’re too poor to afford new, hit up the Thrift Shop as you’ll likely find killer deals on barely worn clothing. 9 You Smelled Funny Look, you can have the best and most likeable personality this way of the galaxy but your potential employers were not able to get a feel for you because they were forgoing the 6-inch rule for the 6-foot rule. Groomed hair, snazzy custom made suit or dress, million dollar smile and couldn’t even bother to spend that money on some soap and mouthwash. In your home it’s certainly your rules, but if you’re going to step outside let alone step into a job interview it can’t hurt to jump (figuratively, don’t say I didn’t warn you) in the shower for 8 to 10 minutes. Take a moment and think how much more awesome you would’ve been if in addition to getting all dolled up, you actually smelled the part too. As a bonus note, don’t try to mask your odor with cologne/perfume it’s not a good mix… it’s just isn't. 8 You Weren’t Happy Enough Your credentials were on point and you were thinking to yourself that you were definitely the most qualified for the position, and quite frankly you were likely right so where could you have possibly gone wrong? Well, you weren’t happy enough. Yep, someone had to tell you but you weren’t on cloud 9; you didn’t show them that you were not only going to ace the tasks required of the job but you were going to be pretty damn ecstatic doing it. A huge part of presentation is being happy and that means walking into their office with a big ol’ bright sunlight beaming over you and you absorbing it in and powering the workplace like a walking solar panel. It’s rather unfortunate that they skipped over you, the interviewer didn’t want to let you go but there’s a corporate culture to uphold and they don’t need you being all nonchalant trying to dim their sunlight. Next interview, take your fake happy voice and turn it up to 10 so even if you don’t score that interview your fakeness is likely to give them a snicker so they can’t accuse you being a downer. 7 You Didn’t Smile Enough To go along with number eight; you were in such a great freaking mood and the interview was cake you know you got this job in the bag… yet you’re back on LinkedIn and Indeed.com and working your network looking for the next catch. You were happy to have the interview, very happy in fact ecstatic even, whelp too bad you didn’t smile and yes I am serious. As our grandmother taught us it’s what is on the inside that ultimately counts, well not during the job interview as you got to wear your heart (or more appropriate your happiness) on your sleeve. Interviewers like to see that their candidates genuinely have an interest in doing their job. They also understand (I’d hope) that extended job hunting can wear you down so you’re not exactly skipping up and down Times Square for four hours straight. They know that you would be very happy to get back to work, but they want you to show that to them so don’t leave your pearly whites at home next time. 6 You Didn’t Conduct The Interview… Someone Else Did On both sides of the table, I think we all can understand how interviewing can for many be quite the nerve-racking process so HR tends to cut some slack if you’re sweating a few bullets. However, what you did was unthinkable, unfathomable, unforgivable; you thought you won the job… because your “partner” did all the work for you. You spend weeks waiting on that elusive phone call but your partner tells you that they offered them the position. At this point, I sincerely hope you’re not asking yourself why they got the offer and you didn’t, you can say they didn’t apply but they did however do the heavy lifting. If you’re qualified for the position, they want to interview you, not your mother, brother, sister, cousin, best friend, job coach, son, daughter, pet, etc. Have enough confidence to believe in yourself because your credentials will most of the work for you. 5 You Didn’t Know Anything About The Company Given the current economic climate, in moments of desperation you’ll likely take just about any job you can get your hands on. In other moments, you may be very excited at the possibility of even being able to walk into the location of a certain job which is good because without knowing about the company that’s about as far as you’ll get. Remember that recruiters can often tell whether you actually researched them or not and in only a few instances can your qualifications override that fact. You’re not expected to be a walking encyclopedia about their organization but at least have a good idea of who they are, what they’re like and what they do. This again goes back to doing your homework and showing one form of enthusiasm for the employer. This is important because quite frankly, for something as simple as finding out who they are beyond the name and job description, not a lot of people actually do it. Do your homework. 4 You Dissed Your Old Employer You hated your last job; it was awful and your old boss was a douche and when you quit that job, you told her to get bent. Now see that may well be true but spilling that stuff out to an interviewer is a real quick way to get the “we’ll call you” line and it’s highly likely why you didn’t get the job. In the working world (and now more than ever due to the widespread adoption of the black hole that is the Internet) reputation is everything and a general rule is that most people don’t want to work with someone that is petty and bitter fair or not. We’re human and we know that some people just rub us the wrong way so leave all that stuff out next time you interview. You have friends (and e-friends) you can vent to, don’t do it to your potential employer. 3 You Said Something Stupid You know that little witty remark you made to the interviewer while you two were engaged in icebreaker talk, yeah that’s why you didn’t get the job… in fact that short awkward silence should’ve been your cue to leave and fight another day. A lot of people have a pretty unfortunate habit is not exercising a few seconds to process what is said to them and then formulate an appropriate response. During the entire interview process it is imperative that you think before you speak. Shaking an interviewer’s hand and telling him or her that "they’re hot as f***" is not the best way to start a conversation. Telling them about the time you masturbated in front of a blow dryer and how euphoric it was is not appropriate. Telling them that you still sleep with your parents is not advised. Just use common sense and don’t say anything stupid. 2 You Didn’t Sell Yourself You may have done a fair job during the interview in terms of presenting the recruiter with what you can do, however when considering the vast amount of competition, fair doesn’t cut it anymore and neither should you hold yourself to such an average standard. Selling your value is just as important as having the appropriate qualifications. A good rule of thumb concerning interviews is to professionally brag, hype yourself as the second coming yet keep a professional wit. This is a problem that many can run into, especially if you’re more introverted or not generally charismatic but there’s nothing wrong with that as there are many ways to impress HR. You can let your credentials talk for you, or you can be articulate in your points as if you’re one step ahead of the interviewer to name a few. Next time you walk into an interview have confidence and play to your personal strengths. 1 You’ve Been Unemployed For Too Long So you’ve read all of this after your interview and still wonder how in the world could you still not ace the interview? Well, check your resume because that unemployment gap might be just a tad too big for their liking. I don’t have to tell you how truly unfortunate this is, but chronic unemployment discrimination is a very real thing and it can be hard to get back into the market. A large majority of employers will only hire candidates who’ve been out of work for less than 6 months and even then candidates that already have employment are highly preferable. Despite these unfortunate events, all is not lost however and you can still beat the odds, what you need to do is start producing work or samples and build a portfolio. This basically tells employers that you haven’t been sitting on your rump all day watching NCIS marathons. With the elimination of jobs, underemployment, discrimination, overwork, micromanagement, etc. With the right mindset, elbow grease and discipline freelancing can be a very rewarding path. Here are 3 reasons why. Freedom and Flexibility: Perhaps the biggest selling point is the opportunities to set your hours, be your own boss and control your own destiny. If offers you the ultimate work-life balance since you can balance it how you like without the worry of repercussions that come with corporate jobs. No worrying about emergencies or unexpected events as you are given free time to immediately address these concerns. This is especially huge if you love to travel because you have the opportunity to work from anywhere. Do Something You Love: While not true in every instance (let’s be realistic here) there are a wealth of freelance opportunities and some form of paid work is bound to click with you and your desired lifestyle. Perhaps you’ve been looking to pick up some new skills and put them to work, freelancing gives you the opportunity to do just that. If you know where to look and how to market, the opportunities will come. Unlimited Earning Potential: The beautiful thing about freelancing is that there is no financial ceiling and with enough work you could find yourself making a good living off it with the benefits of my previously mentioned points. As good paying regular jobs become more and more scare, freelancing offers the potential to bypass the fluff and expand your revenue net in less time versus a regular job, in freelance clients will still pay top dollar for top talent. Freelancing certainly isn’t for everyone and it takes a vast amount of self discipline, hustle, patience and perseverance to become successful but for those who want to live on their own terms, freelance offers the gateway to freedom. Some jobs are never fun and we all have mouths to feed but that’s no good if your health is waning and you’re on the edge of insanity. Taking everything into account here are three legitimate reasons you should consider looking for something else. You’re Miserable. At the top of the list should be your personal health. Stress often goes hand in hand with jobs, but too much stress can seriously damage your health both physically and mentally. It can hurt your productivity, damage relationships and in some cases lead to depression and in worse case, work related suicide. If it gets to the point where the pain is too much to handle for any reason, walk away and if others get upset at you they’ll get over it. No job is worth your life, period. The Pay Doesn’t Cut It. Underemployment is at an all time high, wages have stagnated while the cost of living continues to increase. Some jobs these days often put you on erratic scheduling which locks you out of getting a second job. This means if your current job isn’t paying the bills and leaving a little extra on the side then either negotiate or walk. Before you do make sure to scout around for the best offer but don’t be afraid to take a month or two off (no longer than three ideally) if you have the funds to recharge your batteries and treat yourself. No Sense of Fulfillment. Motivation plays a huge role in job satisfaction, employee morale and production rate. If you feel like you’re twiddling your thumbs and going nowhere, make the effort to switch to something more in-tuned to your tastes, your personal goals and ultimately your happiness. Plan out your method and whether it is short term or long term to reach your destination, you yourself have to put in work to get where you want to be. Life is tough, but the most important thing to remember is that work doesn’t own you and shouldn’t be a barrier to your personal growth and happiness. When things get tough, sometimes it best to step away from it all to regain peace and perspective. Despite the job market settling back into a decent groove for the short term unemployed, for the long term unemployed the market is still bleaker than ever. Over 3 million people have been out of work longer than six months and this doesn’t count those who’ve stopped looking; chronic unemployment is still persistently higher than it was during the Great Depression period. Problem for the long term unemployed is that companies won’t even look at their credentials no matter what; your length away from work overrides everything else. When you’re long term unemployed, even after you get a job you’re more likely to lose it. If you lost your job or graduated during the recession or post recession period, then odds are you fell into the long term unemployed sector. Basically, for them it’s still a massive catch 22 that is near impossible to escape from. Did I mention the government cutting unemployment benefits?
Probably the worst thing about this is that no one is really making any noise about this issue. Those who’ve maintained jobs live in a bubble since they’re largely unaffected and politicians smear over their issues with similar generalizations without taking economic factors into account (see: globalization) and systemic discrimination by corporations (which they won’t address for “obvious” reasons.) So while job market numbers may look nice on paper, we’re likely to witness an entire generation of misplaced workers, which will have long term, damaging effects on our economic future… fun times. Happy New Year everyone, hope you had a wonderful holiday season. I’ve been meaning to do this for a while but the New Year is as good a time as any so let’s get to it.
It was recently announced that two of the more popular online staffing platforms in Elance and Odesk would be merging and pooling their resources together. While the merger in theory sounds rather ambitious, there are still many questions to be had in the long term implications of this move. My main reservation as it has always been is the price disparity when it comes to competition in the freelance space. It is well known the difficulties that freelancers from wealthier nations face when competing against others from international markets who offer their services at a much lower cost. Another issue is effectively convincing potential clients (businesses, entrepreneurs, etc.) of the value in building relationships with freelancers and convincing potential candidates that there is value in pursuing freelancing. Both Elance and Odesk use algorisms to match candidates with clients with little else in between, much of the shoulder work is paired onto the client thus making it more bothersome for them to consider building relationships with the candidates and potentially hiring them full time. Freelancers across both platforms average less than one hundred dollars and while this could probably be explained away, it still does nothing to convince promising candidates why they should pursue freelancing if the income opportunities are so small, scant and virtually meaningless. The quality and volume of work must improve across both platforms and new development should be put towards making the busywork between matching clients and candidates as seamless as possible. There needs to be protection for both businesses and freelancers and convincing arguments must be made for more freelancers to enter the competitive space and encourage a market where freelancers can prosper, both professionally and financially. As a freelancer, I have a vested interest in this and I want to see this industry prosper; however with such a monopolistic hold on the marketplace between Elance and Odesk, I again can’t say I don’t have my reservations for the long term implications of this deal. In the end we shall see. Big Trouble for Little Millennials: Why They will have to get reative to compete for Jobs.11/6/2013
If you're a Millennial (roughly aged 18-29), odds are you are either unemployed or underemployed which, if the job market is any indication, its going to stay that way for the foreseeable future. Now I'm" sure that young people have probably been beaten over the head with this but in case you've been missing out on the party, refer to these links to get you caught up: 10 Reasons Millennials Are the Screwed Generation http://www.alternet.org/corporate-accountability-and-workplace/10-reasons-millennials-are-screwed-generation?paging=off¤t_page=1#bookmark Millennials Have Nothing To Celebrate When It Comes To Employment http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2013/09/06/millennials-have-nothing-to-celebrate-when-it-comes-to-employment/ Do Millennials Stand a Chance in the Real World? http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/31/magazine/do-millennials-stand-a-chance-in-the-real-world.html?_r=0 Now with that said, no one wants to hear about problems so what are the answers? Well, perseverance is one, dedication is another, a whole lot of patience can do you good and a good idea always helps. In case you didn't "get it" I'm" talking about the Internet. It may sound cliche and this option damn sure isn't for everyone, but there is indeed a lot of opportunities available to you on the Internet if you willing to put in work and hustle. This includes telecommuting opportunities, freelancing, blogging, supplementary income generators, etc. Back in the good ol' days, you were reliant on taking jobs to build your personal brand but now it is in some ways, expected for you to do it all yourself but with the freedom, passion to do what you like and unlimited income cap you may not even pursue traditional employment if it all takes off. For the more traditional route, in order the fight the more experienced in the job market you have to get knowledge savvy and pump in a lot of research. Using resume editing tricks, stressing knowledge and know-how, taking on volunteering work and building a network of connections. When I say get creative, you got to think outside of the realm of traditional job hunting tactics and build yourself up out of the box to help you get back in and land employment, or at the least a sustained relevant network. The important thing for our future generation to remember is that your lack of a meaningful job isn't inherently your fault, it is a result of situations out of your control. However, don't let that or statistics hold you back from your potential, your future is still yours. If anyone has anything extra to add, feel free to comment. One question I (and as I'm" sure many others) often get asked is how to address their employment gap on their resume. Honestly, this topic has been beaten to death and back so I'll just add my input as well as a few pointers based on my personal experience and people I've spoken too. In the current economic climate more than likely you've been enjoying an "extended vacation" and the longer you have it the less likely your chances in finding some honest work. Your chances get even more daunting if you're in the 18-24 and 50+ age brackets. The job market has become the buyers market which (in simple terms) means you're screwed more often than not. So in that opportunity that you bypassed the company's keyword scanning system, you make it to the interview. Nice suit, million dollar smile, showing enthusiasm that'd make the best of actors blush, acing those interview questions like it was amateur until... "I see you have been out of work for quite a while." Its a statement many long term unemployed expect but never know how to prepare for nor respond. In the chance that the interviewer actually cares to hear you out (hint: never assume otherwise) it is best to have an idea of what you want to say and then attempt to steer the conversation back in your favor. The easiest thing to fall back on is what you've been doing since you quit, got fired or laid off. This can include anything related to work (i.e. freelance, blogging, volunteering, networking, etc.) to life circumstances (parenting, school, military, illness, accident, etc.). With a good coherent statement that still highlights relevant your skills, more than likely you're back in the ball game. If you didn't do anything, as much as popular opinion goes against it, be honest because they can tell when you're lying (they really can). The interviewer has probably already made up their minds on hiring you or not within the first 5 or so minutes so it can't hurt to "keep it real" however this does not mean spill out your life story and even more so, act desperate. If you're long term unemployed, you haven't got much to lose on lying anyway. If you have a cover letter, provide a brief explanation of your situation in there. In the interview, use a modified approach to your previous statement but again don't sound desperate even if you are. It sucks to be sure, but that's how the game goes. Remember to always be aggressive in your job search and not to sell yourself short because of some discriminatory practices; every setback is a learning experience. if anyone has any other tips or advice feel free to leave a comment. In the current era of inter-connectivity and interacting with your audience, the popular trend is to simply point to social media. However, it is important to remember that building a relationship with your audience via e-mail is just as or (depending on your industry) even more important than social media. The beauty about e-mail marketing with an inbound strategy is that it always tailored to the information that fits them on their schedule. With e-mail, you’re delivering directly to them without the “noise” of social media. If you’re potentially selling a product or monetizing your services, this allows you to engage your followers on a personal level and help them to the product they’re going to purchase in addition to other products of interest you may offer in the future. The personal nature of an inbound e-mail strategy allows for a much higher chance of closing a sale versus again, the busybody of social media. It does make sense after all when considering the reasons that many access their e-mail versus their social media; in different environments they are receptive to different things in different ways. As useful a tool that e-mail can be it’s always important to remember that, like with anything it is all about content and execution, make sure your e-mail strategy is cohesive with the rest of your engagement offerings so that it is positioned in a way that is not intrusive to your followers but engaging. If you have any experience with e-mail as a relationship tool, feel free to leave a comment. Something that I've noticed come up recently and quite often regarding the job search process are the validity and effectiveness of cover letters; there seems to be a growing sentiment that cover letters are, by their concept, useless. An argument most often posed against cover letters is that, among other factors, it is simply a matter of time. Most HR professionals (whether that'd be HR Managers or Staff) simply say that don't have the time to read cover letters when there are hundreds of applications sitting on their desk (or their computers). Another argument is that what is stated on the cover letter should already be explained in the resume and comes off as "window dressing" in some circles. They are however, not without their supporters. Proponents of cover letters believe that it is an extra step that is used to differentiate yourself from your competitors; an immediate opportunity to quickly provide a snapshot of your knowledge of the organization and how your skills fulfill their need(s) before even getting to the resume. Mastering the art of a strong cover letter is tough, but supporters believe that when done right can immensely improve your stock on the by-chance that an employer actually reads it. Both sides present a valid argument all things in the current job market considered. I believe both sides to an extent, when you think about how many applications are coming into HR (or related department) on a regular basis in a downturn, it can be pretty overwhelming to process so many resumes and find the most suitable candidate. Right or wrong, a good portion (if not more than that) will probably take any shortcut they can to screen out candidates which effectively means a cover letter is useless. On the other hand, the chance that you do get through the screening out process and they take a look at your resume, they may take a look at your cover letter and it may result in a higher chance of you landing an interview. I'd say in 2013 the effectiveness of a cover letter largely depends on your industry (smaller skill focused jobs, writing/communication jobs, etc.) and whether or not you're using cover letters for networking or job hunting. I recommend networking personally as from my experience, recruiters are much more receptive than databases but that's just me :D, I know it sounds cliche and well it is, but in this situation it is really up to the individual to weigh their options and pick the route that serves them best. Are cover letters truly necessary, not as much these days but that doesn't mean you can completely disregard it as an effective tool in the job hunt if you know how to leverage it into results. What is your experience with the use of cover letters? If you have any experience in this field or subject matter, feel free to leave a comment. |
Frank Sheppard
NOTE: all opinions/views represented here are my own and do not reflect on any third party that I am affiliated with. Archives
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