Saturday, May 30, 2020

5 Ways to Help You Understand Your Social Employer Brand

5 Ways to Help You Understand Your Social Employer Brand The ability to attract, as well as retain, your ideal employee is integral to your business. Attracting that individual can be very competitive and in today’s modern mobile climate, one of the best ways to compete is to create a strong social employer brand. 1. Understand each platform Each social platform has its own unique benefit to your employer brand. You should first and foremost understand what they are. Facebook is the most used social media platform in the world and is a great place to start. Potential candidates, especially millennials, will definitely be going on your Facebook page as one of their first assessments of your business to see what your follower base is like, and what photos and videos you have to show off.  They will also go to your page to find out your contact information, your location and to see any reviews you have received from clients. So be sure to keep it constantly updated. Twitter is more of a place for communication and engagement. For example, you could use twitter to share relevant trends, and retweet quotes from key industry influencers and stakeholders. Instagram is your platform to tell stories, a topic we will delve into later on in this piece. Use Instagram to share pictures and videos about your employees, your achievements and the events you attend. It’s a behind the scenes look into your business that offers real transparency and authenticity. LinkedIn is your brand’s professional social presence, and is a great place to reach out to, and identify, potential candidates. There are more social platforms that I might have ignored such as Pinterest, Google+ and more that are important to your business and the image you want to communicate. So just continue to evaluate, improve and develop your strategy on the platforms you want to use and make sure you are utilizing the distinct capabilities of each platform to the best of your abilities. 2. Employee advocacy: Get your employees involved There really is nothing more authentic than employee advocacy when it comes to promoting your social employer brand. Enable your employees to share information about your brand on relevant social platforms. Allow them to post, share and like industry relevant information that intrigues them. Potential candidates want to see what type of employee is at your company. They want to know if they match the type of person they want to work with, and what they should expect if they were to join you. Dell has a social media training program for over 10,000 employees, in order to help them engage their online community and post brand-related content. Along with their great company culture, employees feel happy to post about the company, as seen below. How Dell Helps Female Students See What They Can Be #iwork4dell https://t.co/QJ6pGujrJS #Iwork4Dell pic.twitter.com/1ZM65w7ryw Jennifer J Newbill (@JenNewbill) April 5, 2017 3. Go behind the scenes Use social media platforms to tell a story about your employer brand. Your candidates want to know more than what they just read. They want to see your brand and get a real feel for your business. At the same time, your current employees want to feel they are a part of your story and that each individual person means something to your brand. Be sure to be sharing photos of company events, funny videos at the office and pictures of your employees. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are great places to do exactly that. Your candidates will enjoy the transparency, in terms of the day-to-day culture currently being offered at your brand. 4. Monitor employer review sites Employer review sites have become extremely important for potential candidates to get a real understanding of a brands management style, benefits system, workplace culture and much more. These reviews are trusted among candidates and employees because of their anonymity and un-forceful nature. Leaving a review is voluntary and reviews are an authentic overview of a business’ employer brand. So be sure to be reviewing these sites as much as possible. Dedicated review sites like Glassdoor, Great Place to Work, and even Indeed are useful places for you to get a real understanding of how employees and former employees are communicating your employer brand. Does your employer brand, and the value proposition you offer,  line up with what reviews are saying online? Does the work culture you think you have actually line up the work culture your employees are communicating online? Check out this example review on Glassdoor below about Facebook: This Facebook employee enjoys the staff culture but is confused by the organizational structure. So an employer brand manager can use this information to improve the clarity of Facebook’s organizational structure by reminding their employees what their responsibilities are and who they report to. Organizational structure is extremely important in large organizations like Facebook, and by just going on a review site like Glassdoor, you can make some very important changes to your business. Employer review sites are an integral place for you to continuously audit your employer brand; in terms of what youre doing right and more importantly, what youre doing wrong, so that you can continue to improve. 5. Spy on competitors Lastly, dont be ashamed to evaluate what your competitors are doing. Use it to benchmark your social employer brand in concurrence with what others are doing. If a competitor is getting more likes or more retweets on a post, try to understand why. Why are they getting more engagement than us? How often are they posting? What type of content are they posting? Essentially, what are they doing right and what are you doing wrong. Create a social strategy based on this information and use it to develop your social brand. Competition is healthy what ever way you want to put it, and assessing your competitions social media efforts regularly is a great place to stay ahead of them. Let us know your tips to staying on top of your social brand, how you keep your social presence fresh enough to retain and recruit the best talent for your business.

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Writing a New Grad Nurse Resumes Cover Letter

Writing a New Grad Nurse Resumes Cover LetterWriting a new grad nurse resume cover letter can be somewhat of a challenge, and there are many things that you should consider before you get started. This document is not only going to be a very important first step in your career search, but it's also an important first impression in the eyes of potential employers. You want to make sure that you have every element that is needed to impress a potential employer.There are two major parts to writing a new grad nurse resume cover letter: the content of the letter itself and the application of the cover letter. This document will be critical to the success of your job search, and it's important that you put all of your energy into it. It can be difficult to read an inexperienced, poorly written cover letter, so here are some things to consider when you are preparing to write a new grad nurse resume cover letter.The content of your new grad nurse resume cover letter should be carefully thoug ht out and written properly. You need to know what you are expecting from the application and the cover letter itself, and you want to know where you are going in your job search. If the company has a specific requirement for these documents, make sure that you know that before you begin to write the letter.When writing a new grad nurse resume cover letter, there are a number of things that you should consider when you are trying to communicate your knowledge of the job you are applying for. You want to remember that the more experience you have with the companies that you are applying for, the better off you will be. Therefore, do not worry about the specifics of your position. Just make sure that you understand the job responsibilities of the job and how much responsibility you will have.It is also important to state specific instructions on how to respond to the company if the application is received. This is another area where you want to follow the rule of thumb, 'Practice make s perfect.' When you are applying for a job, you want to get the skills down so that when the time comes, you will be able to communicate clearly and honestly with the company. Be sure that you can meet the requirements of the company.When you are writing a new grad nurse resume cover letter, you will also want to consider the layout of the letter. Most of the time, the company will want you to fill out a number of different forms, so it is helpful to have a template for the letter. There are also a number of professional letter writers that can assist you with this process. You want to make sure that you understand all of the deadlines involved with the letter, and that you know when the letter should be sent out.Even though the cover letter is the most important part of the document, you want to make sure that the body of the letter is carefully constructed. You should be able to use the letter to outline your qualifications for the position, to provide a basic description of your work experience, and to provide a summary of the education that you have acquired. The letter is the final piece of the puzzle, and you should take every opportunity to shine in this section.As you can see, writing a new grad nurse resume cover letter is an important and necessary part of your application. Remember that the information contained in this document will be scrutinized and used by the employer, so make sure that you understand every aspect of the document.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

How to Decide Whether Entrepreneurship is Right for You

How to Decide Whether Entrepreneurship is Right for You You’ve been dreaming about leaving your day job for some time.   It seems so exciting: being your own boss, choosing how and where to spend your time, as well as raking in all the profits of your labors. However, owning your own business is not always glamorous.   Here are some questions to ask yourself to gain clarity if the entrepreneurial life is a right fit for you. 1. Do I have enough capital? As the old saying goes, it takes money to make money.   There are many costs associated with starting your own business such as supplies, marketing tools, licenses, and subscription fees, just to name a few.   While loans, grants, dipping into savings, or borrowing from family might be options to increase your cash flow, if you are currently struggling with bills or have quite a bit of debt, you may want to wait until your financial health improves before striking out into business for yourself. 2. Am I prepared to become “legal”? While many people hold the image of the exuberant, smiling entrepreneur toiling away in her home office, even if 100% of your business is online, there are still specific steps you must take to starting a legal business.   Registering your business, as well ensuring that you have the correct banking and tax information are important steps to guarantee that your business is functioning within the parameters of the law. 3. Am I comfortable with being uncomfortable? The number one reason most employees don’t leave their jobs is because they value security.   When you become an entrepreneur, you step out of the realm of a steady paycheck, paid vacation, and great benefits. When you run your own business, all the responsibility of the success of your company rests upon your shoulders.   If you find yourself feeling terrified of the thought of not having consistent pay or benefits, you may want to reconsider the riskiness of entrepreneurship. 4. Do I know how to delegate? While doing things all on your own may cut down costs, it likely will increase stress and overwhelm, leading to burnout before your business is even off the ground. Delegation to virtual assistants, interns, or specialists will be a necessity to not only ensures your success, but to maintain your sanity!   If budget or personal preference makes it difficult to delegate work to others, you may want to re-think your business structure. 5. Am I covered? Perhaps one of the areas that many business owners often forget is making sure they have the right insurance to protect themselves and their company.   Depending on your business, there are several types of insurance that you may need. The best bet is to use a site such as Biz Insure to help you see what types of insurance match the specific needs of your company. Starting your own business can be one of the most rewarding things you will ever do in your professional life. Likewise, it can also be one of the most difficult.   Take some time to reflect on the reasons for starting your business, as well as all of the practical things you will have to do once you take the leap.   Then, ask yourself: Am I truly ready? The answer might surprise you.

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Does Your Small Business Need a Coach - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Does Your Small Business Need a Coach - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Small business owners face many challenges. They wear multiple hats every day because they lack a complete, professional management team. They juggle long lists of action items that are important for the success of the business. They monitor their cash flow closely because most small businesses are underfunded and lack a proper line of credit for working capital. And, last but not least, they make many (if not all) critical business decisions without strategic input from other experienced owners. Most small business owners enjoy the freedom to make their own decisions when starting out. But, a few years down the line, many begin to recognize that they may not be making the best and most profitable decisions. That’s the point at which they begin to recognize that they could use outside input or guidance. One option for filling this need for input is a business coach. If you are a small business owner, consider the follow two recent situations I have encountered: When I met with Bob,  he spoke about being tight on cash. This led to a discussion regarding how he structures customer payments on his construction projects. I shared examples regarding how people do this in my industry, which is different from Bob’s. I explained how I decided to deviate from the typical practices in my industry and asked why he chose to structure his payment terms as he has traditionally done. By the end of the session, Bob made a decision to increase the initial payment amounts for future projects, the net effect of which will be an estimated improvement by 90 days of $100,000 of cash flow. He said at the end of our meeting that “I have been told in the past that I should change my terms to make them more favorable for me, but until you explained things in this way I never felt comfortable doing this.” In a recent meeting with Jim, he mentioned that he has difficulty keeping focused on critical actions. One of the main reasons for this was the sheer volume to changes taking place in his small business. We discussed a wide array of things that were going on in his business, including the acquisition of a small competitor and the need to integrate the new employees into his company’s work process, the need to focus more business development resources into the products portion of the business rather than the services portion, and deciding whether and how to bring an equity partner into the business. We talked through these and other issues. By the end of the session, he had selected the top three areas on which to focus. He agreed to place these three issues at the top of each day’s action items list and delegate more of his  lower level tasks to others so that he could complete   his top 3  within 30 days. These examples highlight common challenges faced every day by small business owners. With a coach, owners  don’t have to face such challenges along and make critical decisions in a vacuum. Coaches don’t consult. They ask thoughtful questions and challenge business owners to think deeper. They help them focus on what is important. They encourage them to set specific goals and dates by which they will be achieved. They act as a source of accountability to better insure the important things needing the owner’s attention get done rather than slide. If any of this sounds familiar, perhaps you should consider getting a coach. Most high performers have multiple coaches!

Saturday, May 16, 2020

How to Write Competing Sales Letters Across a Range of Mediums

How to Write Competing Sales Letters Across a Range of MediumsA great way to boost your sales and profits is to write compelling copy across a range of mediums. But you have to be willing to do it yourself, as any good copywriter knows that the old adage of there being two kinds of people in the world still holds true.Creative - This is the first type of person who would benefit from this type of copywriting. They are people who love to have something new and different in their life and writing can bring a whole new dimension to the writing experience. The person will be able to get their point across in creative ways and they will also get better sales from their current customers.Sales - Nowadays there are many salespeople who will often struggle when writing sales copy. This means that they will not be selling as well as they could. The reason for this is that they cannot deal with the process of writing compelling copy across a range of mediums. They often feel stumped by what th ey are supposed to write and how to go about it.This article should give you some insight into how to get through the process of writing compelling copy across a range of mediums on a full-time job. You should learn to deal with the process of selling yourself and think creatively about how to sell to those people who will buy from you. You need to be prepared to deal with the process of writing so that you can write with passion and without losing track of your current clients.You will need to write in a way that is motivating and that has great passion in it. When you are feeling creative about your job, the next step is to focus on the material that you are going to write. For example, if you are going to write an introduction to your sales letter, then you will need to prepare for what comes next, namely, the body of the sales letter.You will need to work out what material goes in the body of the sales letter. You may be writing about the product itself, about your company or ab out its uses, but whatever you end up doing you need to make sure that you have your own unique personality behind it. Without that you are likely to alienate those people who are reading the sales letter.After you have written the body of the sales letter, you will need to set it apart from everything else. You will need to write a powerful sales letter that will not only attract the attention of your prospective buyers, but will also convince them to buy from you. To do this you will need to write an introduction and use your powerful sales letters to convert the prospects to customers.You will also need to make sure that the content of the sales letter is interesting and captivating enough to keep your readers reading through the entire letter. In conclusion, you need to understand the process of writing in order to make it work for you.

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

[Video] How to answer Tell me about yourself question - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

[Video] How to answer Tell me about yourself question In this quick video, I share how to answer a very common interview question So, tell me about yourself? In just 2 minutes, you  will find out how to separate yourself from competitors and be positively remembered: If you want some support with creating personalized answers to interview questions, please feel free to schedule a no-obligatory phone chat to see how I could help:  http://www.vcita.com/v/daba43a1   ______________________________________________________________________________________ Margaret Buj  is an  interview and career acceleration coach  who specializes in helping others to discover what their unique strengths are so that they feel confident about selling themselves with ease and confidence during job interviews. In the last 10 years she’s recruited thousands of people for major American corporations and since she started her own career coaching business 7 years ago, she’s coached hundreds using the unique knowledge gained on the other side of the desk. If you want to find out how recruiters read resumes, why you’re not getting hired, how to sell yourself successfully in a job interview and how to negotiate your best salary yet, you can download her ‘You’re HIRED!’ free video course at  http://www.Interview-Coach.co.uk

Friday, May 8, 2020

Kudos To Moms And Tips For Returning To The Workforce - Hire Imaging

Kudos To Moms And Tips For Returning To The Workforce - Hire Imaging At work, you think of the children you have left at home. At home, you think of the work you’ve left unfinished. Such a struggle is unleashed within yourself. Your heart is rent. Golda Meir Sunday, May 9th is Mother’s Day, a day started nearly 150 years ago in the U.S., when Anna Jarvis, an Appalachian homemaker, organized a day called Mother’s Work Day to raise awareness of poor healthy conditions in her community, thinking mothers would be the best advocates. After her death in 1905, her daughter (also named Anna), began to lobby prominent businessmen and politicians to support her campaign to create a special day to honor mothers. In 1914, her hard work paid off when Woodrow Wilson signed a bill recognizing Mother’s Day as a national holiday. Today, it is celebrated in more than 46 countries around the world. At the time of its conception, women had little independence or power. They were expected to frame their lives around their husbands and family. In the U.S., they were not allowed to vote until 1915. It would be 1920 before this right became part of the United States Constitution. Today, women have the right to choose to enter the workforce, stay at home in full-time parenting roles, or to delegate their time to both. For some, the choice is made for them, as finances warrant the fast road back to work. For others, numerous factors emerge that contribute to the final decision. According to AARP (AARP Bulletin Today, February 10, 2010), women are on the brink of outnumbering men in the workforce. Economics points to both long-term changes in women’s roles in society, as well as massive job losses in many male-dominated industries as the root. As of January 2010, women held 49.9% of the nation’s jobs during the course of this current recession, excluding farm workers and the self-employed according to government data. According to Heather Boushey, editor of The Shriver Report, a partnership by Maria Shriver and the Center for American Progress that explores women and the workforce, “Women, particularly mothers, are breadwinners or co-breadwinners in 63% of families and 39.3% of mothers are actually their family’s breadwinner. They’re either a single working mom or a married mom who brings home as much or more than her husband.” If you are a mom preparing to return to the workforce, you may have concerns about addressing that time period on your résumé. Here are some tips on preparing a great résumé that will market your value and ROI to potential employers: Showcase relevant activities Community/Volunteer Involvement (Charities, Fundraisers, Outreach): Not having been paid for your experience does not lessen its value. Treat volunteer work like a paid position. If you held leadership roles or positively impacted organizations and their initiatives, highlight your success stories and key skills developed through these. You can include this under a heading like “Relevant Experience”. Listing volunteer with paid experience will fill any employment gaps. Professional Development and Continuing Education: Establish your commitment to the field by including membership in professional associations or participation in professional events. Demonstrate that you’ve maintained current skills through online learning, independent study or other coursework. Self-Employment, Freelance or Work-at-Home: If you did the books for your husband’s business, include it (give the name of the business; no references to whether it was your spouse). Perhaps you’ve done some consulting/freelance work relative to your job target, i.e. website design, interior decorating, taxes, etc. Sell it. Choose the best résumé format: Recruiters and hiring folks tend to prefer the chronological résumé which gives a historical timeline of your work experience, but this may be tricky if you have been away from the workforce for a time. You may wish to use a hybrid or combination format, which incorporates the best of both the chronological and functional formats. It typically starts off with a skills summary, followed by a section that highlights skill clusters and concludes with a chronological section at the bottom of the resume that includes specifics about education, places of employment, job titles and dates of employment. The skill clusters provide you with a structure that highlights your most relevant skills (ROI to employer), while de-emphasizing dates and gaps in your work history. An example of a possible lead-in… Career Focus: Association / Non-Profit Management Professional Summary 2007 â€" Present: Juggled multiple tasks as President of the school PTA and Chair of Rotary Club’s Membership Committee. Negotiated sponsorship with major local business facilitating Rotary Club’s membership increase from 32 to 94 within 6 months. Founded and led neighborhood’s first Watch group, contributing to a 12% crime decrease (cited by city’s police department). Managed books for local food shelf program; implemented an aggressive reorganization that increased cash flow by 28%. Completed coursework toward Master’s Degree in Public Administration. Prior background highlighted by 9-year career path in project/operational leadership with United Way, Catholic Charities and Garvin Housing Partnership. Core Competencies Advocacy, Fundraising, Budget Allocation Oversight, Foundation Management Corporate Giving, Membership Retention, Public Relations, Event Management Talent (Staff Volunteer Management), Public/Private Partnerships, Mission Planning Connect with professional associations: There is a well-known saying that everyone is connected to everyone else in the world by no more than six degrees of separation. Research professional and business associations of interest, sign up for their Internet newsletters, visit their websites, read their blogs, connect through LinkedIn or other social media sits. Contribute to discussion forums, and attend meetings where you can. Meet and network with those can help you. Stay current with your computer skills and education to remain marketable: Use the Internet and various software programs regularly. Stay current with what the educational and work requirements/certifications are for your field. You can often keep up with online courseworkâ€"one of the beauties of technology! Maintain your network/connections: If you have been out of the workforce for some time, it is very important to continue to cultivate relationships with those in the business world. Occasional lunch dates, passing on referrals and keeping in touch with cards, on LinkedIn, Facebook or other ways can help you stay connected. Create an elevator pitch about what you want to do, and give it to not only your former business contacts, but to everyone you meet, from parents at your kids’ schools to your hairstylist. Interview as a Professional: Do not focus on being a mom out of the workforce. You are now a job seeker in charge of your job search campaignâ€"a professional amongst professionals. In preparation for interviews, practice, practice practice! Know your success stories relative to your goals. Ask a friend or family member to role play. Video tape it to see how you present yourself and how you sound. Think about potential tough questions and proactive answers. For you moms going back into the workforce, kudos! You are embarking on a new life chapter. View it as a positive event, prepare yourself, and enjoy the adventure! All mothers are working mothers. Author Unknown