New JibberJobber for Military Spouses

New JibberJobber for Military Spouses This post has been a long time coming. Without further ado, let me announce that we are extending the one year premium upgrade offer to  military spouses. This simply means that if you are a military spouse, you can get a JibberJobber account and then use the Contact form to let us know you qualify for the one year JibberJobber upgrade (like we have done for veterans since 2006). Please share this with everyone you can think of. There are veterans, and military spouses, who need this. If you have no idea what Im talking about, check out this JibberJobber page: Military and Veterans. Download information for veterans and military spouses as a one page flyer (pdf) New JibberJobber for Military Spouses This post has been a long time coming. Without further ado, let me announce that we are extending the one year premium upgrade offer to  military spouses. This simply means that if you are a military spouse, you can get a JibberJobber account and then use the Contact form to let us know you qualify for the one year JibberJobber upgrade (like we have done for veterans since 2006). Please share this with everyone you can think of. There are veterans, and military spouses, who need this. If you have no idea what Im talking about, check out this JibberJobber page: Military and Veterans. Download information for veterans and military spouses as a one page flyer (pdf)

New Start-up Business Costs You Shouldnt Ignore

New Start-up Business Costs You Shouldnt Ignore The dream of creating your own business and watching it grow into an empire is something many of us aspire to. You can build a name for yourself, a successful reputation, be your own boss and leave something for your children â€" not to mention turn a profit! And while designing your business is arguably one of the most thrilling aspects of building a business, some of the other crucial components can get left behind in the excitement.   Often, there are start-up business costs that are overlooked. Creating a logo, a powerful mission statement, choosing office equipment are all things we can easily get lost in, allowing us to unwittingly neglect some of the more important business costs that we should be prioritising. Unsure of what you could be missing? Check out the start-up business costs you shouldn’t ignore. Health and safety If you’ve only ever worked for someone else, then the idea of health and safety has probably never occurred to you. But as a business owner and employer, the safety of your employees and your clients falls to you. That means everything from fire safety and high visibility jackets to the appointment of first aiders and even the signs for visitors in the car park â€" such as these. Discovering potential risks and isolating potential dangers is imperative, and you’ll need to organise risk assessments and in turn reduce those risks. Marketing Having a fantastic logo, a bold mission statement and an incredible website is definitely a step in the right direction and yes, they’re an important factor in your success. However, all these things mean very little if no one know that your business exists! This is where marketing comes in, and marketing is an area of business you need to set aside plenty of money for. From targeted ads to SEO and of course social media ads, you need to showcase your business in as many places as possible. And don’t neglect the more traditional types of marketing: flyers, posters, business cards, stationary, business apparel etc â€" it all adds up and if done well, can really help your business succeed. Your website Having an eye catching and professional looking website is crucial. Not only does it have to look the part, but it also needs to be user friendly and managed correctly. Many start-ups try to save money by purchasing a domain and building the website from scratch themselves. Although a good idea in practice, it’s much more complicated then you think! The best way to have a website that ticks all your boxes is to have one created for you by professionals. Remember, you get what you pay for!   So you should create one that: Is visible in Google. Is user friendly. And creates a positive experience for your customers. The little things It’s often the little things that keep any business ticking over. And now its up to you to ensure that you can finance everything you’re going to need. From paper clips, to staples, printer ink and ergonomic office chairs. Make sure you’re budgeting for all the little things too!

Are You Underutilized in Your Career - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Are You Underutilized in Your Career - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career I attended a luncheon last week with  150 highly motivated business people, 85-90% of which were women. The audience was skewed by gender because the sponsoring organization  was focused on helping promote more women on corporate boards.  And things seem to be looking up. Their latest study  revealed that although only 11.5% of  public corporation board members in our state are female, women were selected to fill 21% of board seats that came open in 2013. This luncheon was arranged in a classic way, with networking in advance and meal seating that provided up to  10 people at each round table. This presented the classic challenges of communicating  with  nine strangers around a large table. The conversation dynamics changed from one-on-ones to small groups to one person addressing the entire table. At one point, I had the entire tables attention and decided  to  propose one of my favorite conversational challenges. It went  something like this I believe that most people are vastly underutilized like only 10% of their potential. I want to assure you that I do not go around making these types of sweeping statements frequently. But, every once in a while, I cant resist putting them out there and seeing what kind of reaction I get. In this case, it appeared to fall on deaf ears. The general lack of reaction forced me to take an honest self-assessment and deem my comment a bombastic blunder, a conversational clunker, a definitive dud. While I am waiting for one of those attendees to call and tell me that my comment inspired them to reach for more in their careers, I want to share and expand on my proposition with you. Are you underutilized in your career? See if you can relate to any of these situations that might indicate you are in fact underutilized: You are pretty sure you are underpaid Your income has gone backward or has become stagnant Your job title has gone backward or has become stagnant Your job is not consistently challenging You have multiple valuable skills that are not being utilized You are working in a company that doesnt match your values You dont see any reasonable opportunity on the horizon for a job you desire You have friends who are less capable but more successful You have been in the same job for too long So, what about it? Do you think you are underutilized? While you could view my last question as focusing on a negative, you could also choose to take stock of your positive potential and challenge yourself to find a new job or entrepreneurial venture that will fit you better. In addition to believing you are underutilized, I also believe that you have the power within you to identify and capture the new career opportunities you desire. People are finding these opportunities every day. I truly hope that you will share my beliefs and achieve your dreams. As I mention in Chapter 4 of my career book, There is a popular expression that there are three types of people in the world â€" those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who fail to notice things and eventually wake up to ask “What happened?” To succeed in the 21st century, you need to become someone who makes things happen… especially when it comes to your career satisfaction. I hope you will accept my challenge and begin today to create a more rewarding career that more fully utilizes your unique talents and abilities.

Building A Killer Professional Wardrobe Maximize Your Style

Building A Killer Professional Wardrobe Maximize Your Style It only takes a split second to make a first impression, and much of it comes from your clothes. In the work world, your look signals your level of accomplishment and the degree of respect you deserve. It also gives insights into your personality. How can you always look good? Buy the best you can afford Set aside some money for a wardrobe budget. Then get the best you can afford. It’s better to have fewer pieces of higher quality and classic style, than a closet full of trendy clothes that fall apart after a couple of wearings. Shop the sales, the outlets, off-price shops and even better consignment stores to stretch your budget. Buy clothes that complement you Are you an hourglass shape? Rectangle? Pear? Whatever your shape, theres a style that complements it -and styles that don’t! There’s plenty of advice available online. Brigitte Raes and Lori Berkowitz’s book, Style Rx: Dressing the Body You Have to Create the Body You Want even shows you how to accentuate or de-emphasise individual body parts. Choose colours and patterns that complement your complexion and help you look your best. Anchors and accessories Every wardrobe needs anchor pieces. These are basic items that can work in multiple settings by using different accessories. Spend the bulk of your wardrobe budget on the anchors, because you will wear them again and again. They are: Classic pantsuit in black, navy or dark grey Comfortable and elegant shoes to match the suit. A shawl or wrap to brighten the suit and keep you warm in chilly meeting rooms Tote Handbag, the smallest size that will still hold your computer and essentials Simple earrings These should all be simple and classic styles: that’s the executive look. Then match them to your personal style with brighter shirts, pins and other accessories that show your individuality and reflect style trends. These accent pieces can be less expensive; they are going to change every year. Your Style, Your Image Your wardrobe is an important part of your image at work. If you want to be seen as a professional, you have to look the part. Look in your closet now: is your wardrobe a killer, or is it killing your image? Get started now! . Image credit.

The Bifurcated Job Market In Demand Skills Required - Career Pivot

The Bifurcated Job Market In Demand Skills Required - Career Pivot Bifurcated Job Market? The definition of bifurcated according to Dictionary.com is as follows: verb (used with or without object), bifurcated, bifurcating. to divide or fork into two branches. The bifurcated job market is one where employers are looking for highly skilled (or in-demand) individuals or, on the opposite end, people with limited skills. Think Java programmer versus McDonald’s cashier. A new termâ€"at least to meâ€"has been created by the bifurcated job market: income inequality. We can also see this as the haves and have-nots. Income Inequality This term is coming up in the news more frequently. Sometimes it is referred to the 1% rule. 1% of the population makes significantly more than the rest. The top 1% have the highest proportion of total income since the great depression. Another way to look at this issue is to compare the median versus the average wage in the US. In 2014, the average wage earner made $44,569, but the median wage was only $28,851. For those of you who are not statisticians, half of working Americans made less the $28,851. The gap between average wages and median wages has exploded over the last 25 years. Skills and the Bifurcated Job Market I live in Austin Texas, which is the most economicallyeconomically segregated city in the country. It is a truly bifurcated job market. Here, we have a lot of high-end jobs in the tech sector and many low-end jobs in the service industry. Fortunately, Austin is home to the Texas state government and the University of Texas, which are the top two employers in the city. This is all about skills. I am briefed at least once a year by the Texas Workforce Commission on the state of the job market in central Texas. Just about every time, 5-7 of the top job categories require skills that did not exist 5-10 years ago. It is all about having the right skills at the right time. The only exception to this appears to be healthcare. As boomers age, there will always be demand for healthcare workers. However, that does not mean that those positions will pay well. One of the largest groups to fight for $15 an hour minimum wage are healthcare workers. It is about acquiringrelevant, in-demand skills and being vigilant when those skills are no longerin demand. Have Your Skills Been SMACed Previously, I wrote about how jobs and skills are being affected by SMAC (Social Mobile Analytics Cloud). Listen to the most recent episode I am currently working with a 65+-year-old gentleman who has been a Microsoft IT specialist for the last 10+ years. Demand for his skills have fallen off a cliff as server virtualization and later cloud technologies have automated much of what he used to do. This shift happened very fast. He is now retooling himself as a data analytics expert, which is currently a hot market. We just don’t know if it is hot for a 65+-year-old guy! Contingent Labor Force Growing Fast While I was writing this post, I received an article from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College titled Contingent Labor Force Growing Fast. The opening couple of paragraphs say it all: Most workers quickly realize that the best solution to low earnings in a job with scant or non-existent benefits is to move on to something better. But this is increasingly difficult to pull off because technology and other powerful forces are reshaping the 21st-century economy â€" and degrading the quality of the jobs that are available. As companies seek to cut labor costs, technologies like scheduling software for retail and fast-food workers and platforms like Uber and Task Rabbit are making it easier to do. This is also referred to as the gig, sharing, or on-demand economy. It provides workers with the freedom to work when and for whom they want. The downside is that this is suppressing wages. What Does the Future Hold I believe we are headed for greater and greater specialization in our jobs and skills. For those of us who entered the job market in the 60s and 70s, we were expected to become generalists. Starting in the 1990s, there was a major shift to the specialization of skills. I wrote about this previously in the post, Are You a Generalist or Specialist. I predict this trend will continue. What will change is that the demand for new skills will continue to accelerate. We all need to stay vigilant or be sucked to the bottom of the bifurcated job market. Is your localjob market bifurcated? Which side are you on? Are you on the in-demand side? If not, what are you going to do about it? Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

3 Smart Tips for Excelling at Your Career - CareerAlley

3 Smart Tips for Excelling at Your Career - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. No one wants to put in a significant amount of work at their job, only to find that what theyre doing is going very little way if any way at all towards actually enhancing and improving the future trajectory of their career. We all like to feel that we are heading in a positive direction, rather than just sitting around and grinding through the daily chores, over and over again, ad nauseam. There are all sorts of different factors that go into establishing a successful career, and these will often vary quite significantly from one field or industry to another. In any event, there are some basic principles that are likely to help you out pretty much irrespective of your specific working environment. Here are a few smart tips for excelling at your career. There are all sorts of different factors that go into establishing a successful career, and these will often vary quite significantly from one field or industry to another. Tweet This Always be on the lookout for smarter ways to get your work done, rather than just relying on sheer grit The advent of labour-saving devices, such as the Steamaster steam cleaner, is largely responsible for the fact that so many of us enjoy so much more leisure time today than our recent ancestors could ever imagine. And while these kinds of tools and technologies have virtually miraculous benefits in the home, the basic principle they embody also carries over to the workplace. There are always going to be smarter ways of getting things done, versus less sophisticated approaches that require and rely on sheer grit. Everyone wants to be successful in their lives and careers- it is what many of us spend decades striving for and what many of us feel proud to achieve. If you want to get ahead in your career and make a difference you must be willing to always keep an open mind, and understand that there will always be something new for you to learn. It is impossible for anyone to know everything, and you need to stay willing to learn new things every single day. Get Ahead In Your Career The better able you are to identify and utilise smart working strategies, versus just muscling through with things, the more you will be able to achieve in a given span of time, and the likelier you are to rise to the challenges presented by your job and to excel. Read books such as Tim Ferrisss Tools for Titans, and work to implement smart strategies in your career. Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay Work on mastering daily systems management Scott Adams is famous as the creator of the Dilbert comics, and has also picked up a bit of a name for himself within productivity circles for advocating the idea of systems being for winners and goals being for losers. By systems Adams is referring to daily habits and routines that help to move you in the desired direction reliably, day after day whereas goals are more of a hit and miss proposition. According to Adams, one of the best bits of advice ever given to him came from a CEO he met at the start of his professional life. The advice in question was your job isnt to do your job, your job is to always look for a better job. By working on mastering daily systems that incrementally increase your chance of success, you give yourself the best chance of a fruitful career going forward. Image by Wokandapix from Pixabay Take care of your own health and well-being You could be the most skilled, most well-educated, most experienced, and most well-intentioned person out there, but if your health and well-being are wrecked, its highly unlikely that youre going to manage to take your career to the heights you might otherwise have reached. Always make a point of taking care of your own health and well-being, not just because it feels good, but because it influences every dimension of your life. The healthier and happier you are, the better company you will be for your loved ones, more creative and insightful you will be, and the likelier you are to perform to a high standard in your career, and to advance accordingly. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to find the opportunities that help you grow your best career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

Grown Up Gigs Millennial Career Coach Crystal Marsh - When I Grow Up

Grown Up Gigs Millennial Career Coach Crystal Marsh - When I Grow Up Click here for the story around the birth of a new business from  Millennial Career Coach Crystal Marsh! Crystal Marsh is a millennial career coach, but shes only been doing it full time for about a month. Before that, she was a divorce lawyer. And before that, she was on the path to being an accountant. And before that, she loved to dance. In Episode 14 of Grown Up Gigs, we talk all about: why she made time to get back to dancing for fun even though she was working full time  and building her business when she knew  that accounting wasnt for her, and her breaking point story around being a divorce lawyer the conversation that made her realize she wasnt stuck, and just because  I spent a lot of time and money doesnt mean I cant do something else. how she felt out being a career coach, and what prompted her to quit her full-time job Click here for the story around the birth of a new business from  Millennial Career Coach Crystal Marsh! Show Notes: Find Crystal on her website, Twitter, and LinkedIn This podcast is sponsored by branded.me, a platform for professionals to build personal websites in minutes Claim my last 2015 one-on-one coaching spot right here before prices go up tomorrow! Get yer freebie info for September right here! On September 17th, Episode 15 will feature my chat with Jess Lively, all about making multiple career changes and listening to your intuition. Hit Subscribe to make sure you dont miss it!