Why Should You Care About Personal Branding

Why Should You Care About Personal Branding Personal branding keeps growing in importance, you can barely go online without reading about it. We are now at a stage where most professionals and business owners really need to dedicate time and effort to strengthen their own brands as a part of their daily routine. With business being ever more competitive, your best way of staying ahead of the pack is to stand out and have a unique brand amongst peers. In the end, it’s all about what you are known for. Others should be able to say what your unique promise of value is once they see you or your name. Here are 5 great reasons for creating and building your personal brand: 1. Grow your network Expanding your network is hugely important to business success, it opens up avenues you never thought of. When you have a strong brand you will notice that people want to know you and help out any way they can. Your personal brand works like a magnet and it attracts like minded people which can be very useful for your business or career, just like you can be useful to them. Networking is all about karma, help others and they will help you. 2. Attract opportunities As a result of your expanded network and you having a strong presence online, not only will people help you but some will actually have relevant opportunities for you. This could be a customer referral, a joint venture, co-writing a book, a new job or an investment in your business. Your personal brand demonstrates success and that is what others will be looking to tap in to. 3. Establish credibility Your personal brand is your unique promise of value and as long as you add this value to others on a consistent basis, you are gaining trust and credibility. This trust will be your best and cheapest promotional activity, as word travels fast when you do great work. Let your customers be your fans and become your brand ambassadors. 4. Increase your online clout As you build your personal brand, you will notice that you get a loyal following online. This following will put you in a position of influence, as others listen to what you have to say. You can turn your clout into business as long as you do it in an authentic and trustworthy manner. 5. Securing work A magnetic brand will ensure that you keep busy. You and your services will always be in demand, as long as you live up to your personal brand. This is a good comfort in case your workplace is facing downsizing, or one of your biggest clients are in financial distress. There is little you can do about external factors but you can rest assured that your strong brand will help you attract other opportunities instead. Bottom line Your name is your greatest asset and will stay with you for the rest of your life. Transforming it into a personal brand that others will recognize and appreciate is your best strategy for long-term success in business. By standing out from the crowd and showing the world how unique you are, you will be equipped to tell your customers why they should choose you instead of the competition. Remember, the stronger your personal brand, the more likely you will be to have a great demand for your services and you will be in a position to charge a premium for it. Related: How to Build Your Personal Brand in 10 Simple Steps Image: Shutterstock

8 Time Wasters that Ruin Your Productivity - Classy Career Girl

8 Time Wasters that Ruin Your Productivity We all know the feeling, it’s 8 at night, you’re in a food coma, and you are wondering where the day went? You woke up that morning feel so ready to tackle the day! Seriously, this was going to be the day that you finally took down the Christmas tree! The day you were going to re-vamp your resume to land your dream job! The day you were going to get back to the gym! All too often we fall prey to these 8 time wasters that ruin our productivity: 1. Not sleeping enough People who sleep less than 8 hours are more prone to making mistakes, headaches, and falling into other distractions. Also be careful of waking up in the middle of your REM cycle, this is your sleep cycle that usually takes 90 minutes to fully cycle through. If your alarm wakes you up in the middle of this, you can feel sluggish the rest of the day. Try getting to bed and waking up around the same time each day (even on the weekends!). 2.  A disastrous inbox   Crowded and disorganized inboxes lead to missing deadlines or taking too many mid-day breaks to check out that lunch-time sale your favorite store just emailed you about. Also be careful of obsessively checking your email. Why? Studies show it harms your memory and can lead to increased anxiety and depression. 3. A messy workspace A chaotic workspace leads to a chaotic mind. A messy workspace means more clutter competing for your attention, which makes it harder to shrink your to-do list for the day. 4.  Working too hard Are you trying to finish a marathon rather than working in sprints? Trying to work for 5 hours straight never ends well. Use the Pareto Principle to your advantage, which states that 20% of our effort is responsible for 80% of our productivity. In other words, work smart not hard. Get things done in chunks, followed by a quick revitalizing break, will keep your energy levels and mood up so you can get more done. 5. Social Media Of all the time wasters, this is probably the worst offender.  Do you really need to watch that cat video? How about the latest cake pop recipe? Honestly, when was the last time you made cake pops?! 6. Being a “YES” girl Saying “yes” to things you don’t want to do (or worse you don’t have time to do) can drain your energy, mood, and ultimately productivity. You have to learn how to say no a lot. The worlds most successful people all have this in common, they say no. 7. The Bachelor First off, how perfect is Ben?? Secondly, if you’re anything like me you have to be careful of falling down the rabbit hole reading twitter chats about the dramatic Monday night show, revamping your Bachelor fantasy league, or spending way to much time talking about it when you should be working. 8. Multitasking The more we switch between tasks, the less we are getting done. Research shows one thing at a time is best for our daily productivity.   Falling prey to these time wasters once in a blue moon is okay â€" just be careful to not make them habits. Focus on identifying and breaking your time-sucking habits and you’ll be able to increase your daily productivity and make it possible to accomplish anything on your to-do list!

Like To Fly This Way Up!

Like To Fly This Way Up! I remember the first time I read Richard Bachs Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah  It didnt take long before I was hooked.  Captivated by the call of the wild blue yonder.  So I knew that someday, Id find a way to complete this part of my bucket list.  I was going to make owning and flying a small aircraft a reality. A few years back, the opportunity came. The Plane:  A Piper 250 A friend who is an aircraft wizard told me about a 1960s era Piper 250 that was sound but needed a full restoration.  Of course, that ignited all my imaginations. In an instant it was me on the pages of Illusions.  I was all in. For those unaware, quality restorations on vintage aircraft can make them just as desirable as newer models.  Even more so in some ways, because the total cost can be significantly less.  That said, undertaking aircraft ownership is nothing to take lightly.  The financial requirements are larger than one might expect, even after the purchase. The Process:  Aviation Isnt Cheap! Over the course of my life, like everyone I had experience with auto repairs.  And Id been actively engaged in house flipping for quite a while.  None of that prepared me for the cost of the pieces and parts on an airplane.  Not to mention the process of parts and work certified by heavily regulated professionals. Even with my help at searching sites such as AERO Aviation  to find parts, I had multiple bouts of serious sticker shock. Prior to the Piper 250, if youd mentioned to me that I needed to buy a new radio, my inner financial calculator would have said, okay, whats that, maybe $1,000 for a really good one? Not even close. Radios for an airplane are the essential devices that provide communications between your plane, other aircraft, and the airport.  And a good radio setup can easily exceed $10,000.  Gulp!  As for the restoration, it was all downhill from there.  I still have cramps from the constant demand to write more checks. Fortunately, there was a payoff in pride of ownership that did make up for a lot of the financial pain. The End Product The finished product took much longer than anticipated.  But there was no denial that it was a masterpiece.  We named her The Maiden.  See for yourself. There will always be, as Bach called it . . . . . . an impulsion . . . this is the place to go now.  But the sky knows the reasons and patterns behind all clouds, and you will know, too, when you lift yourself high enough to see beyond horizons. While I decided to let the Maiden leave my world, the memory of it will always linger.   Like having tasted an exquisitely fine wine, I will always have the experience to treasure.

Tips For Writing A Resume That Will Get You Interviewed

Tips For Writing A Resume That Will Get You InterviewedA good resume is a collaboration between the reader and the writer. It is a reflection of who you are, what you know, and what your experience and talents are. Therefore, it is important to be able to communicate with the reader. Here are some tips on how to do just that.Speak from the heart. It is rare to hear the term 'pay check' when it comes to writing a resume. It is much more likely to happen when writing resumes for a company. You should never say 'I'm not looking for anything in particular,' unless you are still in your employment at the company. These phrases can be really frustrating to the reader.When you are writing a resume, it is important to be able to speak with a warm voice, but also to convey an authority. The first part of your voice is the conversational tone, as well as a tone that many people feel comfortable with. The most successful resume writers use this in all parts of their writing, from the first sent ence to the last one.Do not list your job description at the end of your resume. It is always a good idea to summarize everything first, and then briefly describe what exactly you did. It will give the reader a good idea of what the responsibilities are in your new position. At this point, the reader can either read or skip the rest of your resume.Even when writing a resume for a company, you want to keep the reader interested. The first section of the resume should be about you. Why you are applying for the job. This section will set the stage for the rest of your resume.Make sure you follow the resume format and rules of grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. If you are unsure of these things, ask an expert for help. Many companies have a particular format for writing resumes, and that format is usually the same for everyone who applies. It can be a very time consuming task, so asking someone to help you get started can be a real asset.Finally, take the time to prepare a sa mple resume for the reader to look over. This is important for the reason that the reader will be using the sample resume as a guide for when they read the rest of your resume. It will be much easier to sell yourself if you can match your style to the reader's expectation.Writing a resume is a lot like playing an instrument. A good musician does not just sit down and play the next song, he or she has to listen to the music and then form their own composition. By making sure the writer is comfortable with the material and follows the rules of grammar and punctuation, they will be able to focus on the words and get their point across.

3 for Friday - The Power of 10 - Sterling Career Concepts

3 for Friday - The Power of 10 3 for Friday The Power of 10 Ten is a nice, round, manageable number so its not a surprise that a lot of bloggers and columnists write how-to articles based on the power of 10 10 ways, 10 solutions, 10 tips. Todays 3 for Friday is a collection of three such recent career and job search-related posts.   Enjoy! 1.  You’ll Receive Many Opinions of Your Résumé; Rely on 10 Sure Things. Whose advice should you follow when you’re writing your résumé? The answer is…  http://thingscareerrelated.com/2013/07/25/youll-receive-many-opinions-of-your-resume-rely-on-10-sure-things/ 2. 10 Ways to Get Your References to Rave About You.  When a company wants references, it usually means they’re seriously considering hiring you. it’s important to prep your references so they say all the right things about you.  http://www.timsstrategy.com/blog/ 3. 10 tips to Turn Every Business Meeting into a Networking Event. Take advantage of the time and effort you spend attending meetings. Tips to uncover valuable contacts and referrals.  http://www.careerthoughtleaders.com/blog/10-tips-to-turn-every-business-meeting-into-a-networking-event/ Take 10 (minutes) right now and assess what job search challenges you are encountering. Working with a professional may help you overcome those challenges and get back to work faster. Call or email today!

155 Femi Opaneye LinkedIn Optimization - Jane Jackson Career

155 Femi Opaneye LinkedIn Optimization - Jane Jackson Career I met Femi Opaneye at a #linkedinlocal event at Old Street in London and found his career journey from law to investment banking to entrepreneurship fascinating.Femi is the Founder and CEO of Linked Optimization, which provides LinkedIn account management as a service, to enable sales professionals and businesses to generate B2B leads on LinkedIn.By working with LinkedIn Optimization, Femi’s clients are able to establish authority status, save time and increase revenue by booking sales appointments with their top prospects.Femi founded the business in 2017 because he identified a gap in the market for premium LinkedIn services.I chatted with Femi about his career journey from graduating from law school in London and commencing his career journey in the legal profession, to transitioning into investment banking, during which time he worked for Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank and HSBC for over 10 years.He always felt that investment banking wasn’t his true career path, and when he took a serious look at himself during a very dark period in his life, it took him less than a day to take the decision to completely quit corporate life.If you are struggling with self-confidence due to stress in the workplace, How to Build Confidence online course will help to get you back on trackHowever, that decision was made 5 years before he was able to fully make the transition. There were times in his life when he struggled with depression and thoughts of suicide during the Global Financial Crisis.This was the trigger for him to take control of his life and follow his dream.Listen to his story and find out how he was able to regain control of his life and fulfill his dream of becoming an entrepreneur.Where to find FemiLinkedInLinkedIn OptimizationTwitter: @linkedopt

What Do You Know About Social Recruiting

What Do You Know About Social Recruiting The vast majority of employers today look on social networks before even considering bringing a candidate in for an interview. Too many executives believe they don’t need an online presence since the experience on their resume speaks for itself. However, sometimes not having an online presence at all is perceived as being just as bad as having a negative presence. At the very least, it’s important to work with a LinkedIn profile service to develop a profile you can point to online for recruiters. Here’s what you need to know about social recruiting today. Why Employers Look For Social Proof Any professional LinkedIn profile writer will tell you a resume is great, but you have to back it up with social proof. Employers want to be able to validate who you say you are from your resume and learn more about your life in general. They will look at your LinkedIn profile, Twitter, Facebook and any other profiles you have to gather this information. They aren’t necessarily stalking you, but rather, they just want to be sure you are who you say you are before they make an investment in hiring you. Social Networking Can Help And Hurt Your Personal Brand A good rule of thumb before beginning a job search is to clean up your online presence. Start by doing a Google search of your name and see what results show up. A good LinkedIn profile service can help you incorporate the right keywords into your profile to give it a better chance of showing up higher in the results. If all the right things show up with a Google search, then you will likely enhance your c-level personal branding significantly. On the other hand, you can hurt it just as quickly if you have some things about yourself you don’t want others to know on your profiles. Always Be Consistent Across All Platforms When it comes to c-level personal branding, recruiters and hiring managers look for consistency across all platforms. A professional LinkedIn profile writer can help you develop your profile based on your resume, and it’s up to you to make sure your other social networks are consistent as well. Nothing will hurt your chances of landing a job more than when a recruiter can’t get a feel of who you are by looking at your resume and online presence. At Professional Resume Services, we know social recruiting is more of the norm today than it has ever been before. That’s one of the reasons why our LinkedIn profile service is helpful for executives. Details matter when crafting the perfect profile, just like a resume or cover letter. We are always available to help with every aspect of a job search as well as offering helpful advice to boost your c-level personal branding. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us at any time if you need assistance with any stage of your career.