Engaging LinkedIn Profile Tips to Build a Strong Online Presence

Engaging LinkedIn Profile Tips to Build a Strong Online PresenceBuilding a strong online presence is a major component of contemporary career management and can make or break your job search success, too. LinkedIn remains at the heart of that online presence for many, if not most, professionals, with over 500 1000000 global users.In spite of this popularity, a quick LinkedIn search reveals that many users only go so far as to create an account and add the skeleton resume that includes position titles, company names, locations, and dates.Those that go beyond this tend to include very stiff, dense, corporate-speak content that sounds more robotic than conversational. Finally, many people simply copy and paste their resume content into the appropriate section of LinkedIn and dont really consider the differences between a resume and a LinkedIn profile across audience, platform, and overall objectives. If you are nodding your head yes to any of the above categories, it is probably time to revamp your profile.Why is LinkedIn Important for Job Search?1.) Potential employers will compare your resume to your LinkedIn profile side by side and look for any disconnect.2.) Recruiters and potential employers are always looking for promising candidates through LinkedIn, so your profile needs to stand alone without your resume and stand out.Tip 1 Align Your LinkedIn Profile with Your ResumeEverything that is included on your LinkedIn profile needs to dovetail with your resume, particularly facts, figures, position titles, company names, and dates. A small mistake on your end might look highly suspicious to an employer who doesnt know you and has no reason to give you the benefit of a doubt.Once you have unterstellung details nailed down, you can use LinkedIn to provide additional insight into your personal brand.Tip 2 Keep the Summary Content Narrative and ConversationalThere is nothing engaging about the dense corporate-speak content we can find on any number of LinkedIn prof iles today. Keep in mind that if you want a recruiter or employer to read your entire profile, it is important to make it compellingIf your summary reads like thisFinance professional with expertise in PL Management and track record of revenue growth and sound strategic planning for both short- and long-term business goals.Consider replacing it with something like thisMy life-long love of math coupled with my passion for business development makes me an exceptional finance leader. I am capable of understanding both the numbers on the spreadsheet and the big picture business goals in order to drive revenue growth through strategic planning and sound PL management.These two statements are basically conveying the saatkorn information and keywords, but my eyes glaze over halfway through the first sentence. Why? Because it does not speak to the persons emotion or story. When writing your summary, think about your goals, values, passions, strengths, skills, and aspirations. These are the ingredients for a compelling personal brand.Tip 3 Open Your Summary as if You Are Answering a QuestionThe best summaries dive right into a specific story that hooks the reader. The following opening lines all have one thing in common they are all setting up a story, and that is why I want to keep readingEver since my first summer job at McDonalds, Ive been told that I have a rare talent for training new associates.Little did I know that when I signed up for an Geography class back in high school, that it would ultimately lead to a 20-year career with the largest construction and civil engineering company in the US.Even though I was promoted 5 times within 5 years at GW Hospital, things havent always been easy.Questions to ask yourself to help evoke unforgettable summary content1.) How did you first get into your current line of work?2.) When did you first realize you were a natural for your line of work?3.) What about your job excites you and makes you get up in the morning?4.) What are your top 2 career achievements?5.) What are you most proud of about your career?Tip 4 Use the Summary for Improved Keyword DensityWhile the best summaries weave keywords and phrases in throughout a narrative, sometimes it can be difficult to artfully work in all of the major buzzwords you want. Feel free to include a short list of your core competencies at the end of the summary section like thisCore CompetenciesIT Infrastructure ManagementStrategic PlanningCost SavingsProblem SolvingBonus Tip If you have a commonly misspelled name or if you use a nickname but not with everyone, consider also adding a line to the very end of the summary like thisFor Chelsea KerwinCommon Misspellings/AKA Chelsey Kerwin/Chelsie Kerwin/Chelsea KerwenThis way, searchers will still be able to find you even with the wrong name.Tip 5 Avoid Positioning Yourself as Desperate for a JobIve seen LinkedIn profiles with headlines in all caps CURRENTLY JOB SEEKING. That might as well state OUT OF WORK for the cringes it induces in readers.Most of us, when unemployed, are feeling pretty desperate. But that is a major turn-off for your readers. If you think of job seeking like dating, the problem with coming across as desperate might be clearer.So how do you clarify that you are open to new opportunities without being perceived as desperate? One solution is ending your summary with a call to action like thisPlease feel free to contact me to discuss how my business acumen and expertise in financial planning will benefit your organization.It doesnt state outright that you are unemployed, but it does make it quite clear that you are happy to be contacted.Tip 6 Provide Context and Personal Branding Throughout the ProfileDont forget to keep up the conversational approach in your professional experience entries. Think about the context surrounding each role. Were you hired for a particular reason, like jump-starting a lagging project? Were you recruited or promoted into the role, and if so, why ?Imagine yourself at a dinner party and how you might explain your job in that setting. You want to be entertaining, and you definitely dont want to come across as stuffy or dry. But you also want for your role to be cast in the best possible light. You might say something likeI was hired by X Company to help transform the stagnant culture and rebuild trust between lower-level employees and management. I quickly became known as one of the hardest-working people in the company after I accidentally got locked into the building overnight when I stayed late to work on a project. In the end, that mistake made my job much easier since everyone knew my name after thatWhen writing your profile, keep your audience in mind, and your resume open in front of you. If you are struggling, talk to a friend, trusted colleague, or family member about your personal brand, and/or browse through profiles of other professionals in your industry to look for inspiration.

U.S. Officially Has Its First Openly Transgender State Legislator

U.S. Officially Has Its First Openly Transgender State Legislator We have a long way to go in making the world of politics more diverse and inclusive, but some of the victories celebrated on Election Day (Nov. 7) suggested were moving in the right direction. Danica Roem, a former journalist who won a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates, made history as the first-ever openly transgender state legislator in the U.S. The 33-year-old Democrat, who hails from Manassas, was up against Bob Marshall (R), 73, who had held the seat since 1992 and has consistently attempted to restrict the rights of the LGBT community. In fact, Marshall has deemed himself Virginias chief homophobe, hes refused to refer to Roem using female pronouns, and hes authored a failed bathroom bill that aimed to require people to use bathrooms based on their gender at birth.Needless to say, even though Marshall refused to engage in debates with Roem during the campaign, the race garnered national attention. Meanwhile , Vi Lyles, 66, was elected as the first African American woman mayor in Charlotte. After defeating incumbent Democrat Jennifer Roberts and state Sen. Joel Ford in the primary, Lyles, whos served two terms on council, beat Councilmember Kenny Smith (R) on Tuesday. And in Seattle, Jenny Durkan (D) also celebrated an important victory, becoming the citys first female mayor since 1926. After a contentious primary race, Durkan ultimately beat Cary Moon, earning 61 percent of the vote as of Tuesday night.

The Incredible Details About Resume Writing Services Chicago Suburbs That Some People are not Aware Of

The Incredible Details About Resume Writing Services Chicago Suburbs That Some People are bedrngnis Aware Of The Characteristics of Resume Writing Services Chicago Suburbs Among the few organizations to bring me in for an interview was a small mystery. Coding challenges are a frequent way for recruiters to parse through plenty of applicants quickly. Its also wise to be ready to ask your interviewer some questions. You also need to be ready to ask your interviewers questions at the conclusion of your interviews during the onsite too. The Battle Over Resume Writing Services Chicago Suburbs and How to Win It You may have a look at IT resume sample. There are lots of graduates of things like code bootcamps who dont meet the normal mold. The peak of your resume should consist of critical search phrases and a fast snapshot of your core strengths, Leavy-Detrick states. You have a good deal of similar issues but your distinct use case has special constraints. Finding Resume Writi ng Services Chicago Suburbs Writing daily is among the simplest methods to begin building your body of work. On occasion the ideal dream job doesnt exist in the very same town, city or even country. The attractiveness of a daily writing habit is the fact that it doesnt expect a fortune or resources. Thus, its quite obvious that if you truly need to join a region, you must have many questions concerning the work culture there or what type of role are they seeing you in. If you get a neighborhood address you are able to use friends, family members, etc. include that on the resume. Dont make the error of answering each job posting with the identical generic resume. If theres a powerful and genuine reason for those conditions of the relocation, such as family or a partner, recruiters might be mora inclined to assist. Employers expect you to have a LinkedIn account. Both recruiters and possible employers will want to observe a portfolio. Interns have lots of opportunities to network and learn from one another and leaders from a number of our agencies, including our CEO, Nick Colucci. Home base at this time is Los Angeles. The point is, he says, if you believe you have what is needed to sell a house for sale by owner, make sure that you understand all the pitfalls and what youre giving up by not have agent representation. Also, the majority of the projects have prefixed architecture and youve got to work on that. If youre still considering selling your own house, you want to be certain you go about things the proper way. You dont need to advertise a new role, you merely have to tap into those who have the skills you require, because you helped build them. Employers are constantly looking for good developers. Tell us what you believe you wish to do, or tell us what your skills are and what you want to know so that were able to help you locate the perfect fit. Say it requires 15 interviews to land your very first job.

8 Survival Techniques for Tax Time

8 Survival Techniques for Tax Time8 Survival Techniques for Tax TimeThe busy season for accountants is officially in full swing, and you could use some survival tips. Perhaps, you were tipped off to this fact by the piles of paperwork overtaking your desk. Or maybe its the recurrent nightmares about falling into a swirling sea of W-2s and 1099s.For accounting professionals, tax season is synonymous with managing epically large workloads, putting in extra-long hours and consuming copious amounts of coffee. But despite the inherently frenetic nature of tax time, there are steps you can take to avoid work burnout - and possibly even thrive.Consider these eight survival tips during the remainder of this hectic stretch, this crazy-busy season for accountants1. Give yourself a breakKeep burnout at bayrumbaum by taking short breaks to relieve the tension of tax season. Collect your thoughts by going for a walk, stretching or briefly engaging in water cooler chitchat. If you cant leave your work area, force yourself to rest your strained eyes, take some deep breaths and try to clear your head - even if only for a few moments.2. Go with the flowAdaptability is one of the invaluable soft skills accounting professionals should have, particularly in high-pressure situations. If priorities change, and your manager quickly asks you to move from one project to another, embrace the new challenge. Remember If youre always flexible, youll never get bent out of shape.3. Ask for helpEven with talent and tremendous effort, some things simply cannot be completed by one person during tax time. If youre doing everything possible to accomplish a task and still encounter problems, ask for assistance. Identify duties that can be delegated or request backup. Its likely your manager would rather divert resources or bring in reinforcements to help now than hear of a missed deadline later.Find out how staffing agencies like ours can help employers find top talent for temporary hiring needs .4. Stay coolEven the most affable and well-mannered people can become flustered and temperamental when under stress. Dont contribute to the tense atmosphere. Although its not always easy to display grace under fire during this busy season for accountants, try to take crunch-time criticism and perceived slights with a grain of salt. Think before speaking, and dont let anyone elses negative attitude drag you down.5. When in doubt, seek clarityDont be afraid of asking too many questions. If a hot assignment is dropped on you with no warning, its better to clarify all concerns, timelines and expectations with your boss on the front end, instead of making incorrect assumptions that prove costly later.6. Take care of yourselfWhen work becomes all-consuming, it can take a toll, mentally and physically. While youve no doubt heard this advice before, combat stress and fatigue by getting adequate sleep and exercise. Moreover, give your body the fuel it needs by eating healthy. Working throug h lunch and scarfing down vending machine fare at your desk isnt a recipe for success, wohlbefinden or energy.7. Foster good office karmaIts always a smart move to generate goodwill with coworkers. If a colleague is facing a fast-approaching deadline and has files piled to the ceiling, offer to help if you can. By lending a hand, youll make an ally wholl likely return the favor when youre in a pinch.8. Put fun on the agendaLast but not least, meetings and deadlines shouldnt be the only items listed in your datebook. Schedule some fun, relaxing social events or a post-tax vacation from work so you have something to look forward to once the pace slows down. Focusing on the light at the end of the tunnel during this busy season for accountants can make even the craziest of workdays seem less, well, taxing. Tags

Using the FINRA BrokerCheck Database

Using the FINRA BrokerCheck DatabaseUsing the FINRA BrokerCheck DatabaseBrokerCheck is a FINRA service that allows investors to check the backgrounds of brokers (many, but not all, of which are called financial advisors these days) and brokerage firms. It also contains information on formerly registered brokers many of these people may still be working in the securities or investment fields, and thus information about them may be of use to investors. The service is free, and data searches may be conducted through a website. Reports on Brokers For brokers who have been registered with FINRA within the last 10 years, including brokers who are not currently active, a BrokerCheck report contains Summary data on the broker and his or her credentialsA list of his or her current registrations, licenses and industry exams passedRegistration and employment history all FINRA-registered securities firms where he or she ever has been registered and also, for the past 10 years, all other work (both inside and outside the securities industry), military service, unemployment, and full-time educationDisclosures about customer disputes, disciplinary events and financial matters on the brokers record, whether or not the broker actually was found to be at fault The brokers fruchtwein recently submitted comments, if any Be aware that not all actions and allegations on a brokers record actually indicate wrongdoing. If the broker ceased being registered with FINRA more than 10 years ago, the only difference in the typical BrokerCheck report concerns the section dealing with disclosures. It includes certain criminal, regulatory, civil judicial, or customer complaint actions against the broker. Events are included in the report if the broker was Subjected to a final regulatory actionConvicted of (or pled guilty or no contest to) certain crimesPlaced under a civil injunction involving investment-related activitiesFound by a civil court to be in violation of investment-related laws or regulationsNamed as a respondent or defendant in an arbitration action or civil suit alleging that he or she violated sales practices, and which produced an award or civil judgment against him or her FINRA lists each event as reported by securities regulators, the individual broker, and any involved firms. Reports on Brokerage Firms The typical BrokerCheck report on a brokerage firm consists of An overview of the firm and its backgroundWhen and where the firm was establishedThe people and organizations with controlling shares or influence over the firms operationsA history of mergers, acquisitions or name changesThe firms active licenses and registrations, the types of businesses it conducts and other details pertaining to its operationsDisclosures about any arbitration awards, disciplinary events, and financial matters on the firms record Note that pending or unresolved actions may be included, and the presence of any such actions are not necessarily indicative of wrongdoing . Information Sources The information in BrokerCheck comes from the Central Registration Depository (CRD), which compiles the registration and licensing filed by brokerage firms and brokers. Regulators also supply information to CRD about certain disciplinary actions involving brokers and brokerage firms. Currency of Information Registered brokers and brokerage firms usually must submit updates to CRD within 30 days after he/she/it learns of an event. BrokerCheck reflects the new or revised CRD data immediately. Information normally is not updated for firms that are no longer registered with FINRA, or for brokers who are no longer registered with FINRA. What BrokerCheck Does Not Include Examples are Judgments and liens originally reported as pending that later were satisfiedBankruptcy proceedings filed more than 10 years ago.Social Security NumbersResidential history informationPhysical description information In general, BrokerCheck does not include any data that never flowed into CRD, nor does it include information that once did, but no longer. FINRA seeks to protect confidential customer information, exclude offensive or defamatory language, and suppress information that raises significant identity theft or privacy concerns. New Disclosure Proposals In 2012, FINRA has been considering increased disclosures in BrokerCheck, such as Reasons for and comments related to a brokers terminationEducational backgroundOther professional designations, such as CFA or CFPMore detail about investor complaints against brokers Meanwhile, calls from investor advocates to include the scores obtained on exams such as the Series 7, are being opposed by FINRA, and are highly unpopular among brokers. Experts quoted in The Wall Street Journal (Keeping Score Investor Advocates Push for More Broker Disclosure, Including Grades on Exams, May 29, 2012) question the utility of reporting test scores, since they show do not correlate with future investment performance or service quality, the main drivers of client satisfaction.

Career Resume Objective Statements to Catch Attention

Career Resume Objective Statements to Catch AttentionCareer Resume Objective Statements to Catch AttentionProfessional resume writers have abandoned the objective ansicht for an executive summary, but young professionals still rely on them and many amateur resume writers still insist.Time was, you would use the prime real estate atop your resume to declare your objective, to tell prospective employers how you wanted to obtain a lage at a well-established organization with a stable environment where you could maximize your management skills and effectively utilize your experience to blah, blah, blah.Resume objective statements were all about what you wanted, not about what you could do for a prospective employer.And that is precisely why your old-fashioned, objective-topped resume will make many professional resume writers shudder. Professional resume writers have replaced these messages with Executive Summary sections that sum up what skills the applicant brings the employer.Amanda Collins, chief of staff at The Grammar Doctors, explains the attitude adjustment Objectives disappeared years ago when resumes switched from applicant-oriented to employer-oriented. They need to instead share the WIIFM Factor Whats in it for me? from the employers prospective.But the objective statement has not entirely disappeared. Young professionals, with little to include in an executive summary, still rely on them and many amateur resume writers still insist on them. If youre in the latter group, the best advice is to make the transition to an executive summary, say professional resume writers and human resources (HR) executives. But if you are still a young professional, and still rely on the objective statement to introduce yourself to employers, there are best practices to follow. Ladders spoke to hiring managers and certified professional resume writers to determine the best way to structure this pithy alternative to an executive summary. Heres what they had to say.Be cl ear, and be what they needIn a nutshell, a worthwhile objective statement mustBe crystal-clear about your career directionlokalitt yourself as someone who wants to do exactly what the employer is offeringBe tailored to fit the job for which youre applying.Jillian Zavitz is the programs manager for TalktoCanada.com, an online English language-training course based in Canada, where she is responsible for hiring. She said that she does in fact see objective statements that catch her eye because they point to a candidate whos exactly what I am looking for, which, in her case, is somebody with experience related to teaching and specific to the job offer.Here are some examples of objective statements that have crossed her desk, some of which are spot-on and some of which are from the school of me-me-me resume writingBad objective statementsCareer employment or contract (twelve months).My Goal is to find employment that will help me begin paying off my student loans.ESL Teaching position w ith Talk to Canada.To obtain a challenging position where my education, skills and experiences can be highly utilized and later be applicable for growth and possible advancement.Good objective statementsPosition of ONLINE ENGLISH TEACHER with MarcMedias TalktoCanada, where I can apply my education, teaching experience and native linguistic skills to the delivery of quality language instruction.English-Language coach/Tutor of ESL or standard English. To assist, encourage and motivate students of every age to demonstrate and improve their verbal and written skills.Be relevantChristine Richardson, director of the career-services office at Cazenovia College in Cazenovia, N.Y., said that employment objectives can serve as the glue that pulls together the content of the resume and gives the document finesse. However, theyre a waste of space unless they highlight relevant information that speaks directly to employers needs, she said.Richardson provided objective examples from new college g raduates with limited experience that are too general to make an impact.Too generalTo obtain a position that will enable me to use my educational background and transferable skills to manage and create new opportunities in international trade and networking.A full time position in the Human Resources Training Department.A position in the Business and Marketing Administration field.To obtain a position which will enable me to utilize my education and experience in the fashion industry.Fall Internship.More specific, but still needs workRichardson cited this next objective as being appropriately specific. Its from a sports-management graduate whose goal was to manage an athletic facility.Service Manager, interest in ensuring facility is well equipped and advocating for best guest and member experience.However, as written, it is unclear about the industry this job seeker is pursuing. And in the job seekers mind this was a very clear position title to list, but this title would probably have multiple meanings in multiple industries.She rewrote the objective this wayAthletic Facility Management Team Member PositionThat version might work, but Richardson said she still believes that other headings can be more useful on a resume, since objectives seldom highlight skills and experience and generally serve the job seeker more than the employer.The upshot If you really want to use an objective statement, make sure its about the employer, not just about you. Mention your skills and experiences. If youre not getting interviews, consider graduating to an executive summary and a summary of qualifications and/or career highlights, the standard for a modern resume.

City of Austins SXSW coordinator in trouble for refusing to meet with female coworkers alone

City of Austins SXSW coordinator in trouble for refusing to meet with female coworkers aloneCity of Austins SXSW coordinator in trouble for refusing to meet with female coworkers aloneIts much harder to work together with your colleagues if they dont let you meet in the same room. But even if it would help get the job done, some employees avoid one-and-one interactions with employees of the opposite sex because they believe that proximity leads to unwanted sexual attention. Case in point, the City of Austin, Texas has issued a formal reprimand to the city official in charge of overseeing the annual South by Southwest festival - saying he violated city code of conduct rules by refusing to meet with female city employees he thought were attracted to him, according toThe Austin American-Statesman.Austin official William Manno allegedly skippedwork meetings because a communications consultant he thought had romantic feelings for him welches going to be in attendance, refused to eat lunc h with female coworkers and threatened to reassign some of his female coworkers to different departments because of problems in his marriage, according to emails, memos and statements collected as part ofthe citys internal investigation that were obtained by the Statesman.City employee Having lunch with female co-worker alone is elend appropriateAccording to a July 10 memo, Manno told a female communications consultant that he could not eat lunch with her because Ive been told it is not appropriate for a married man to have lunch with a single lady.The consultant found Mannos statement odd because she thought they were getting lunch for mentoring purposes, not for dating purposes, and told him so, according to the investigative report obtained by the Statesman.A business specialist tipped off the citys menschengerecht resources department, who found after an investigation that Manno differentiated in his mentoring of subordinate employees based upon gender and marital status, and he likewise made decisions regarding which meetings he and a subordinate would attend based on marital status and factors unrelated to his role as a manager for the city of Austin.In other words, the city found that making decisions on who gets face time with the boss based on subjective judgments about their attraction to you is discriminatory.While Manno was reprimanded in August, he was allowed to keep his job on the condition that he does not engage in misconduct again, according to reports.Manno is fighting the decision, and filed a grievance that acknowledged that while he agrees that bringing personal issues with his marriage into the workplace is unprofessional and inappropriate conduct, the citys memo included misleading and incorrect information.One-on-one time between men and women makes employees anxiousManno is not the only employee who is anxious about how men and women should behave when they are alone together. A 2017 Morning Consult/New York Times poll found that men and women avoided one-on-one time with each other because they worried about the situation turning sexual, flirtatious, or into a case of sexual harassment. The poll found that the majority of men and women are okay with meeting alone with co-workers of the opposite sex at work. But outside of work, 60% ofwomen and 48% of men surveyed believed it wasinappropriate to have drinks with a person who is not your partner.Thats a finding U.S.Vice President Mike Pence would agree with. In an interview that went viral and sparked outcry, Pence told reporters that he never eats alone with a woman other than his wife.And a2010 Harvard Business Review report found that men avoid being womens sponsors in the workplace because sponsorship can be misconstrued as sexual interest.What that means for womenStudies show the division of the sexes candisproportionately hurt womens career chances.Between the scarcity of women in the C-suite, and the quiet advantage of the old boys club through male-centri c golf games, sports games and other clubs, if youre a boss who doesnt let employees have equal face time, youre effectively shutting down a path to long-term career success for the women in your office, experts say.In one extreme case, a boss attraction to his employee cost the employee her job. In a 2012 case, an Iowa dentist fired his assistant because she was too attractive to work with and a threat to his marriage. The Iowa Supreme Court bought the dentists irresistible attraction argument and upheld the firing, saying that it was motivated by feelings and emotions, not gender.The fired assistants lawyer argued that this case unfairly set a precedent that Iowa women are the ones who have to monitor and control their bosses sexual desires.