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Your #Career : The 15 Best Freelance Websites to Find Jobs…Whether you’re a Programmer, Designer, Expert, College Student or Something in Between, there’s a Freelance Platform Out there for You. Check out the Sites Below to Get started Today!

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Whether you’re looking for another way to pay the bills, seeking more professional development opportunities or just love the freedom that freelancing offers, there’s no question that millions of people have discovered the benefits of professional freelancing. As trends like the digital nomad lifestyle grow in popularity, the number of freelance resources out there has increased as well.

Free- Man at Desktop at Night

There are plenty of guides for striking out on your own, but as a freelancer, getting higher-paying gigs isn’t just a matter of signing up on popular platforms. You’ll have to branch out, establish a great portfolio of past work and maybe even prove yourself through tests that showcase your skills. Here’s a list of the 15 best sites to find work as a freelancer.

1. Upwork

With over 1.5 million clients, Upwork (previously oDesk) offers something for every type of freelancer. It accommodates both short- and long-term projects, hourly or per-project work and expert-level and entry-level engagements. Regardless of where you are in your career, Upwork is likely to have something for you.

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2. Toptal

With a distinctly different approach than the other services on this list,Toptal is for seasoned, talented freelancers. Passing Toptal’s screening process gives you unparalleled access to meaningful projects with great clients (JPMorgan, Zendesk, Airbnb, etc.) and fair compensation (no low-bid contests). You’ll also be able to join the Toptal community for frequent meetups and tech events.

3. Elance

Elance removes a lot of the hassle that comes with freelancing. You’ll be able to make a profile right away without jumping through any hoops, enjoy payment protection to ensure you’re always paid for the hours you work and more.

4. Freelancer

Unlike most other platforms, in addition to offering millions of projects, Freelancer allows you to compete with other freelancers in contests to prove your skills. If you’re competitive and confident in your expertise, it’s a great way to showcase your abilities and attract more clients.

5. Craigslist

Although most people see Craigslist as just a platform for buying and selling miscellaneous things, it’s actually a great source of freelance jobs. You can easily browse for local offerings if you prefer something in-office, or you can search by major cities if you prefer working remotely.

6. Guru

This site lets you easily showcase your past work experience and offers a daily job-matching feature to make sure you don’t miss out on any good opportunities. The Guru Work Room lets you easily manage all your work.

7. 99designs

A platform for freelance designers, 99designs lets you compete in design contests and get feedback as clients choose the best ones. It’s a great way for talented designers to prove their talents.

8. Peopleperhour

This is a great platform, focusing on freelancing for web projects. If you’re a designer, web developer, SEO specialist, etc., peopleperhour is definitely worth checking out.

9. Freelance Writing Gigs

Whether you’re a writer, editor, blogger, publisher or any combination of those, Freelance Writing Gigs is a great option for freelancers who have a way with words.

10. Demand Media

Demand Media is a platform for creative types, including writers, filmmakers, producers, photographers and more. You work with the site to create unique content, engage audiences and promote your talents.

11. College Recruiter

As the name might suggest, College Recruiter is for college students or recent graduates looking for freelance jobs of any type. In addition to being a source for part-time work, it can be a great way to jumpstart your career.

12. GetACoder

This site is for freelance writers, web designers and programmers — exactly what small businesses need to get a website idea off the ground. GetACoder offers millions of smaller-scale projects to choose from.

13. iFreelance

This platform accommodates some of the usual suspects of the freelancing world (writers, editors, coders, etc.) but also features freelance marketers as well. Unlike other sites, iFreelance lets you keep 100 percent of your earnings.

14. Project4hire

With hundreds of project categories, Project4hire makes it easy to identify jobs that suit your skillset, without scanning through large volumes of posts. It’s great for coders, consultants, designers and more.

15. SimplyHired

With a wider range than most other freelance platforms offer,SimplyHired is perfect for everyone from salespeople to construction workers. It includes a blog with hiring tips, a company directory and location-based search.

Whether you’re a programmer, designer, expert, college student or something in between, there’s a freelance platform out there for you. Check out the sites above to get started today!

Entrepreneur.com | May 12, 2015 | Anna Johansson

Your #Career : 7 Face-to-Face Networking Mistakes That Could Kill Your Professional Image…While Face-to-Face Networking can result in Prospects(Jobs) Gravitating to you, it also Holds the Potential to Drive Them in the Opposite Direction. Could your Networking Habits be Turning Off other Professionals & Causing you to Lose Out on Business(Job) Opportunities?

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Despite all the online ways to link up with potential clients, I still believe making in-person connections needs to be a part of every business person’s networking regimen. When you’re face-to-face with people, you can form bonds more easily because they get a more complete picture of who you are through your voice, body language, and appearance.

networking

That’s powerful and wonderful … unless you get careless.

While face-to-face networking can result in prospects gravitating to you, it also holds the potential to drive them in the opposite direction. Could your networking habits be turning off other professionals and causing you to lose out on business opportunities?

Avoid these networking no-nos:

1. Interrupting conversations. “How rude!” That’s what I think when someone walks up without apology and interrupts a conversation I’m having with another person.  Although discussions won’t typically be too in-depth at networking events, it’s still in bad taste to cut off conversations between others.

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2. Practicing the “hard sell.” Want a surefire way to make connections eager to avoid you? Then push your products and services right from the start when meeting them. Doing so makes you appear aggressive as well as desperate—definitely not the impression you want to make!

3. Complaining. Remember, you’re there to connect with other professionals. While commenting on the venue location, décor, hors d’oeuvres, or other amenities can help ease you into a dialogue with someone, it can have a negative impact if your words are uncomplimentary. Others might perceive you as snide and ungracious.

4. Being all “me, me, me” and not taking an interest in others. Sure, you’re doing great things and everyone should know more about that. But you’ll do yourself a greater service if you forgo making yourself the center of attention and instead listen to what others have to share about their businesses. By asking open-ended questions and turning a keen ear to their needs, you can assess whether or not they may be a viable prospect. And then later you can follow up to share more about what you can offer them.

5. Having a few too many cocktails. Woot! Yes, networking functions often come in the form of mixers with a bit of a party atmosphere. But I’ve seen otherwise polished professionals turn into hot messes because they didn’t control their alcohol consumption at events.

6. Speaking ill of someone else in the room or about your clients. No, no, no. Don’t EVER do this. You never know who knows whom. Need I say more?

Despite all the online ways to link up with potential clients, I still believe making in-person connections needs to be a part of every business owner’s networking regimen. When you’re face-to-face with people, you can form bonds more easily because they get a more complete picture of who you are through your voice, body language, and appearance.

That’s powerful and wonderful … unless you get careless.

7. Dressing like you don’t care. Although many networking events are relatively casual, take care not to go too far with the informality. If you’re not sure what the dress code is, I recommend erring on the side of slightly overdressed. Worst-case scenario will be that you look a tad more professional than everyone else. No one will think less of you for that.

Done with attention to making a first-rate first impression, face-to-face networking can open doors to lasting professional relationships. Put your best, most engaging you out there every time—and take care to avoid networking missteps that could turn off prospective customers.

While face-to-face networking can result in prospects gravitating to you, it also holds the potential to drive them in the opposite direction. Could your networking habits be turning off other professionals and causing you to lose out on business opportunities?

 

Forbes.com | July 5, 2016 | Nellie Akalp, Contributor

 

 

Your #Career : 7 Ways To Make Your LinkedIn Profile Job Search/Contacts Ready…There’s a Lot of Great Advice Out there on Using LinkedIn to Find Jobs/Networking. This Post is Different because I Include Actions to Make your Search so Fruitful that the Jobs/Contacts Find You.

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Here are your 7 Ways:

1. Get Your Headline Right

Although the search algorithm at LinkedIn is a closely guarded secret, one thing many experts agree on is that the words in your headline play an important role in how search results are ranked and displayed. That means you need to make sure the most important words hiring managers and recruiters would use to find are included in your 120-character headline. One way to identify all the right keywords is to go to indeed.com, put in the title(s) of the job for which you are searching and look for the words that come up over and over among the job listings.

 

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2. Grow Your Network

It’s as simple as this: The more connections you have, the more frequently you show up in search results. This makes some people nervous – connecting with people they don’t know. Let me allay your fears. LinkedIn provides a way for you to remove, block or report a connection if they become a problem. So the risk of accepting connection requests from people you don’t know is low. You also get to see the full profiles of first- and second-level connections. The more connections you have, the more full profiles you will see – making it easier for you to check out hiring managers and others you will meet before those interviews!

3. Follow Desired Companies

Get clear about your ideal employers and follow their company pages in LinkedIn. This keeps you up-to-date on what they are talking about – giving you great fodder for your interview. Some of their posts can also include the names and other information about your potential hiring manager or others who could help you open doors in the company. And LinkedIn allows you to follow 10,000 companies – that’s probably a lot more than your full list of targets.

4. Use the Alumni Feature

Including your education in your profile does more than show potential hiring managers what degree you earned from what school. Perhaps more importantly, it gets you on the radar of hiring managers who are your fellow alumni. But the alumni search tool works both ways. Get familiar with this extremely valuable feature. It is one of the best ways to find warm leads inside companies. By searching on your alma mater, you can find people who also went to your school. Then you can reach out, asking them for an informational interview or finding out if there is someone in the company to whom they can connect you. It’s the antidote to cold calling.

5. Add AKA/Common Misspellings

Save some of those 2,000 characters in your summary for a section called AKA/Common Misspellings and include all the different ways people may spell your name, your nicknames, maiden or married names, etc. That way, people can find you whether or not they know exactly how to spell your name.

6. Get Your Skills In Order

Literally. Sure, LinkedIn endorsements seem silly. Most of us have been endorsed for skills we don’t want to be known for – or we don’t even possess. The challenge is that even though we roll our eyes when we think about endorsements, they matter. A New York Times article underscores this, quoting Bill Peppler, a managing partner at the staffing firm Kavaliro. He seeks out the most endorsed person with specific skills in a particular city: “It’s hard to know how meaningful that will be in the long run, but to me, it makes them one of the most influential people in that region for what they do.”

7. Be Redundant

Take every opportunity to repeat all the keywords for which you want to be known. Make a list of them. Then prioritize them and add them to all parts of your profile. Make sure they are in your headline, summary and all relevant experience sections, too. Include an additional section at the bottom of your summary called Specialties. Repeat your keywords there, separated by commas.

These easy-to-implement actions will help you get found and make you more attractive to the hiring managers and recruiters who hold the key to your ideal next job.

William Arruda is the CEO of Reach Personal Branding and host of the Reach Interview Series. His full podcasts are available here.

Forbes.com | May 18, 2016 | William Arruda

Your #Career : Left on Bad Terms? When Not to Include a Job on Your Resume..It Happens to Almost All of Us at One Time or Another. You’re Working at a Great Job, Things are Going Well, & Then Before you Know It, All Hell Breaks Loose.

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Before you can even blink your eye, you’re given a couple of cardboard boxes so you can pack up your desk and go home for good. If you had a bad work experience, there are times when you may want to exclude it from your resume and just forget that job ever happened.

ResumeInHole

Most times, omitting a job isn’t going to hurt you. Suzanne Lucas, founder of the career blog Evil HR Lady, said short stints at a company may not be so important to include. As long as your resume isn’t riddle with lies, you may not have much to worry about. “So the reality is a prospective employer is very unlikely to find out about a short-term job that isn’t listed on your resume. After all, resumes are marketing documents, not historical records. Everything on your resume must be true, but you don’t have to list everything that is true on your resume,” said Lucas.

When to omit a job from your resume

Your best bet is to leave off a job if you were fired as a result of ethical misconduct. Some examples would be if you stole company property, you lied, or you harassed someone. It would be very hard to explain your way out of a situation like that. And more likely than not, if the issue comes up during an interview, you won’t get the job. Who wants to work with someone who can’t be trusted? Sure, people change, but you may not be willing to look past this and give you a chance to redeem yourself.

 

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 Could an omission land you in hot water?

Sometimes leaving a job off your resume is a good idea. However, there are also some gray areas. In some cases, omitting a job is not the best thing. One example would be if you are applying for a job that requires security clearance. Your lack of transparency could cost you a job. Also be aware that your work history is part of youremployment credit report. Consequently, past jobs could be researched by your potential employer. It’s a risk you may not want to take.

Lucas said you’ll want to be careful if you’re asked to sign paperwork that requests a complete job history. “Where you run into a problem is if the company asks you to fill out an application and asks you to list every job you had over the past 10 years or so. If you leave it off there, they still won’t likely find out about it. But if they find out about it five years down the road and somebody has a bee in their bonnet, you’ll be fired for lying on the application,” said Lucas.

Also be aware of large gaps in your work history. This could raise a red flag with an interviewer. You’ll want to make sure you have a reason for the time lag. “One of the quickest ways to get recruiters and hiring managers wondering about your suitability for the position is by having gaps in employment on your resume. Yes, the recent economy affected numerous people and resulted in long-term unemployment for many. However, that doesn’t release you from the obligation of explaining what you did during your time off,” said career expert Darlene Zambruski.

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CheatSheet.com | May 20, 2016 | 

Your #Career : These are the Worst Mistakes we Have seen Young People Make in Job Interviews…You Have One Shot to Demonstrate your Knowledge & Skills — So Make Sure you Get the Details Right, the First Time.

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At Business Insider, we have interviewed hundreds of job applicants. We are usually impressed with the calibre of candidates. Most people we meet seem smart and accomplished, and applicants “get” our all-digital, fast-paced, antiboring way of handling business news.

head teeth jaws crocodile

But … young people are human, too. They make mistakes. And the following mistakes have cost them the jobs their CVs and résumés otherwise said they were good for …

23. Showing up 20 minutes early.

23. Showing up 20 minutes early.

REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton

It may seem like a good idea to show up early, but it puts pressure on the interviewer to meet with you. A time was set for a reason. You should never be late, but five minutes is enough for showing up in advance.

Tip: Find a nearby coffee spot and hang out there until your interview time.

 

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22. Being too general.

22. Being too general.

REUTERS/Gary Cameron

You have one shot to demonstrate your knowledge and skills — so be as specific as you can when answering questions. Don’t answer questions with “yes” or “no.” The interviewer shouldn’t have to feel as if he or she is carrying the conversation.

Tip: Review the projects you’re most proud of before heading into an interview. It’s easy to forget the details even if it’s your own work.

 

21. Not bringing a printed CV to your interview.

21. Not bringing a printed CV to your interview.

David Goldman / AP/Press Association Images

Bring a printed copy of your CV even if you previously emailed a copy. It shows that you’re organised and prepared, and it’s less work for the interviewer.

Tip: Bring several copies in case you are being interviewed by more than one person.

20. Typos in your cover letter, CV, or résumé.

20. Typos in your cover letter, CV, or résumé.

REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Your command of written English — spelling, grammar, and punctuation — is a shorthand test of your intelligence, or at least of your ability to memorize the rules of the language. Typos make you look unintelligent, even though smart people make mistakes all the time.

Tip: Get someone else to edit your letter and CV before you send them.

 

19. Having bad breath.

19. Having bad breath.

DaveOratox/Flickr

Everyone suffers from dry mouth at the office.

Tip: Chew a piece of gum and then remove it five minutes before the interview.

18. Not telling a good story about your life.

18. Not telling a good story about your life.

20th Century Fox

Who are you, what are you good at, and what do you want to do with your life? We want a quick, clear history of your life and career so far. At Business Insider, storytelling is literally what we do, but at any company, communication is key. If you cannot communicate who you are quickly, you’re not getting the job.

Tip: Write it down beforehand and rehearse with a friend.

 

7. Being overly sarcastic or negative.

17. Being overly sarcastic or negative.

Business Insider / Matt Johnston

We do not expect you to be a cheerleader. But if we hire you, we’re going to be spending a lot of time together, so we don’t want you killing the buzz.

Tip: Just be nice. Smile.

16. Being arrogant.

16. Being arrogant.

Lara Cores / Flickr, CC

Sure, we’re interested in hiring you. But that doesn’t mean you’re a rock star, and our company won’t collapse without you.

Tip: Just because you got the interview doesn’t mean you got the job. You still have to sell us.

 

15. Not knowing anything about the field you’re interviewing for.

15. Not knowing anything about the field you're interviewing for.

racetraitor

If you’re interviewing for a job that requires you to stay abreast of the technology industry, obviously we’re going to ask you what you think is so interesting about tech. So if your answer is “Er … ,” then we’re going to be less than impressed.

Tip: Prepare! Literally write some speaking points on a notepad before you arrive at the interview. It will help you in case you freeze.

14. Sending email attachments.

14. Sending email attachments.

REUTERS/Frederick Murphy/CDC/Handout

We hate downloading email attachments because of the malware risk they pose. If you use only text and links in your application email, we can see your stuff on our phones as well as on our laptops.

Tip: Your CV or résumé is best displayed as a LinkedIn URL. Examples of your work are most easily seen if they come as links within the email.

 

13. Wearing a Ramones T-shirt to a job interview.

13. Wearing a Ramones T-shirt to a job interview.

conejoazul / Flickr, CC

We get it. You’re young and cool. And we love the Ramones, too.

Tip: Make us feel as if you’re a safe bet by wearing a shirt and tie (men) or go conservative but stylish (women). One candidate impressed us by wearing a shirt and tie to a Google Hangout video interview.

12. Letting your cat escape out of a window during a live video chat.

12. Letting your cat escape out of a window during a live video chat.

Peter Hellberg / Flickr

We often use Skype and Google Hangout. A video interview may feel casual, but you need to prepare: In the background, we can see the dishes piled in your sink or the laundry hanging off your bedroom door.

One candidate interrupted her conversation with us when her cat jumped out of an open window. We hired this person anyway.

Tip: Take a screengrab of what your laptop can see so you can tidy your room before the interview starts.

 

11. Trying to negotiate your salary in the first meeting.

11. Trying to negotiate your salary in the first meeting.

Flickr, CC / quaziefoto

We get that you’re trying to make sure you aren’t wasting anyone’s time. But asking salary questions early marks you as a rookie.

Tip: Remember that this is a process. The further you get through the process, the more it shows we want to hire you, and the stronger your negotiating position eventually becomes.

10. Using a photo of your dog or kids — or a bad picture of yourself — on your Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ accounts.

10. Using a photo of your dog or kids — or a bad picture of yourself — on your Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ accounts.

Flickr/Jason Vasquez

If you’re using those personal email accounts to apply for jobs, then we also see Mr.Snuffleupagus when you send us your CV/résumé.

Tip: Send test messages to a friend who will let you see how all your email/social accounts appear to others, and sanitize accordingly.

 

9. Forgetting to follow up via email.

9. Forgetting to follow up via email.

Nate Grigg/Flickr

When we reject a good candidate, it’s usually because we never received an email follow-up. We want to recruit people who really want to work here, and a simple thank-you note ticks a big box for us.

Tip: This needn’t be a big production. Just a single sentence offering to answer any further questions is all it takes.

8. Putting career “objectives” at the top of your résumé.

8. Putting career "objectives" at the top of your résumé.

Skye Gould/Business Insider

Young candidates pad their CVs with fluffy, clichéd career-goal statements.

Do not do this!

Tip: We want to see only a simple list of your education and work experiences, and maybe a list of other useful skills at the bottom.

 

7. Trying to impress us with your off-the-wall creativity.

7. Trying to impress us with your off-the-wall creativity.

Wikimedia Commons

We’re looking for people who seem reliable and trustworthy. We’re not looking for weirdos who want to blow our minds. One job application began, “I am a chameleon …” It went downhill from there.

Tip: We want to be able to trust you. So behave and communicate in a way that feels reliable and trustworthy.

6. Sending us a video résumé.

6. Sending us a video résumé.

Virgin

We need résumés to be sent easily by email to other HR staff, and we may want to print them out so we can compare candidates side by side. Off-format CVs are useless for this.

Tip: Your best bet? LinkedIn.

 

5. Failing to provide a link to your LinkedIn profile.

5. Failing to provide a link to your LinkedIn profile.

LinkedIn

We can’t emphasize this enough: When you have to compare hundreds of CVs, LinkedIn is really useful because it makes all candidates’ résumés look the same — and that makes it easier for us to figure out who is relevant and who isn’t.

Tip: A LinkedIn URL in an email is a lot easier for us to deal with than a Word or PDF attachment.

4. Eating a sandwich during our meeting.

4. Eating a sandwich during our meeting.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

If you’re discussing a potential job with an employer over “coffee,” don’t break out one of Starbucks’ “Sure As Eggs Is Eggs” sandwiches. It’s distracting.

Tip: Drink coffee, tea, water or nothing if offered.

3. Being “low-energy.”

3. Being "low-energy."

REUTERS

Demonstrating the correct level of “energy” during a job interview is a tough call. You want to demonstrate that you’re a low-drama person — but not a monosyllabic introvert. You’re happy to be here, but we don’t want you bouncing off the walls like a crazy person.

Tip: If we can see you’re excited at the idea of working for us, we’re more likely to get excited about the idea of giving you a job.

2. Men forgetting to shave.

2. Men forgetting to shave.

flickr user Ben Smith

Beards and mustaches are fashionable on men right now, and many guys brought them along on their job interviews. But what looks good at a 19th-century bare-knuckle boxing match is sometimes not so great when you’re up close and personal with a prospective employer.

Tip: If you’re rocking facial hair, make sure it is impeccably groomed.

1. Making your CV three pages long when you have no experience.

1. Making your CV three pages long when you have no experience.

Wikimedia Commons

Don’t worry about your CV not looking full enough — that’s OK. We don’t have a lot of time to figure out what your job history is.

Tip: Less is more with résumés — we skim them for only about 30 seconds, an

Businessinsider.com | May 17, 2016 | Jim Edwards

 

Your #Career : 7 Mistakes For Rookie Job Seekers To Avoid… Mistake #1. If you Have Spent the Last 8 Hours Posting for Jobs Online, you Have Wasted 7 Hours & 50 Minutes.

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A job search is like a marathon. You can’t cut corners on the preparation and expect to cross the finish line in record time. Everyone who is in a job search wants the silver bullet. There isn’t one. Job searching, even under the best of circumstances, is a lot of work. Be prepared for a lot of rejection, but also for a lot of kindness and support along the way.

Free- Door to Building

I meet many job seekers who have never had to conduct a formal job search. After coaching over a thousand clients at every professional level and across practically every industry, I’ve found that most make the same rookie mistakes.

If you’re looking for a new job, below are some tips for starting off your search on the right foot:

1. If you have spent the last eight hours posting for jobs online, you have wasted seven hours and 50 minutes. It can be tempting to apply to jobs online. So many positions are listed, and so many appear to be a fit. But while you are hitting the send button, so are 500+ other people. Job postings represent the open market; the jobs everyone gets to see. Most people source their jobs through the hidden job market, the ones where opportunities are shared through close contacts and conversations. Shift your strategy and spend most of your time networking for job leads, and limit your time applying to jobs online.

 

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2. Just because you did it doesn’t mean it belongs on your resume.Many people’s resumes read like a laundry list of everything they’ve ever done. A resume should be targeted to the needs of an employer and prove where you can add value. The employee recognition award you received for a Y2K conversion back in 1999 probably isn’t going to cut it with an employer in 2016. Instead, tell stories of initiatives you are involved in today that are helping to move your company, industry or profession forward.

3. Don’t tell me about the things you were expected to do; write about the things you did that no one ever dreamed possible. Most resumes describe tasks that hundreds of others perform in their jobs every day. What catches the hiring manager’s attention is the value you brought to that job task. For example, if you are an operations executive, don’t just write that you ran a call center. Instead, explain how you transformed its performance, implemented metrics to improve accountability and the customer experience, or saved money or time.

4. If no one returns your calls requesting a networking meeting, you are leaving the wrong message. Many people approach their contacts by saying something like, “If you know anyone who is hiring, please let me know.” It’s highly unlikely that your contact knows someone who is hiring for a position with your skill set right now. A better message would be to say, “I’m in a career transition and I would love to pick your brain to learn more about your company, the industry and trends in the profession. I wanted to reach out to you because I trust your opinion and value your advice.” By asking for information rather than a job, you are more likely to get a response and initiate a conversation. Many will be flattered that you asked and will reciprocate with whatever help they can offer.

5. People who don’t think online networking is relevant to their job search will become irrelevant to the hiring managers who think it is. Many job seekers are still reluctant to create an online digital footprint. But it’s becoming more difficult to substantiate being an expert in your profession when there is no online proof of your thought leadership. LinkedIn will be the social media tool of choice for many professionals — but don’t just create a shell of a profile. Optimize your professional image with proof of your accomplishments via strong stories of success, keywords, the LinkedIn publishing platform, and even case studies and videos if appropriate.

6. People think they should talk in general terms about career successes, but you build trust with interviewers by talking about specifics. The goal of the interview is to build trust and engagement. This is best done by showcasing stories about business problems you have solved that are relevant to the organization, not by focusing on the typical personality clichés. Telling the interviewer how you influenced the entire senior management team to fund a multimillion-dollar technology upgrade that in turn protected them from a cyber-security breach will be much more memorable than simply telling him you are a good communicator.

7. When hiring managers ask you in an interview what your weakness is, they already know. The goal is to figure out what they believe is the gap in your candidacy and address it head on. Perhaps you lack experience in a particular industry or don’t have the MBA they say is preferred. Show that while you don’t have a certain qualification, you have other skills that are more relevant and transferable. For example, an HR professional who doesn’t have hospital experience and is interviewing for a role in a hospital can focus on the similarities within the HR function that transcend industries. The candidate who lacks an MBA can show how they’ve solved business problems that are frequently solved by candidates who have the degree.

A job search is like a marathon. You can’t cut corners on the preparation and expect to cross the finish line in record time. Everyone who is in a job search wants the silver bullet. There isn’t one. Job searching, even under the best of circumstances, is a lot of work. Be prepared for a lot of rejection, but also for a lot of kindness and support along the way.

 

Forbes.com | May 10, 2016 | Forbes Coaches Council 

Your #Career : 5 Mistakes People Make Straight Out of College…Whether you’re eady or Not, you will Need to Move Forward after College. Here are 5 Mistakes you Want to Avoid.

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Finishing college is a big accomplishment, and for many people, a big relief. College can be a lot of fun, but some people are just ready to start their careers and start the next phase of their lives. Whether you’re ready or not, you will need to move forward after college.

College Graduate

The years after graduating college should be exciting, and you can learn a lot and advance professionally and financially if you avoid financial and career mistakes.

Once you graduate though, making wise choices in your job search and at your first job, and smart financial decisions, will help set you up for a successful life and career. On the other hand, spending money like you will never run out, or failing to appreciate your first job and learn as much as possible, can set you down a bad path that can be hard to come back from.

Here are five mistakes you want to avoid.

1. Failing to take your job search seriously

Ideally, you will have a job set up before you graduate. If you don’t, you will want to make finding one your top priority. According to USA Today, you can get a job coach, and also network and reach out to people at a company that you want to work for. Don’t make the mistake of assuming a job will simply fall into your lap; you need to get out there and apply.

Also, be careful of taking just any job. While you have to pay your bills, you will be in a much better place career-wise if you can find a job in your field. This is another reason why you should start searching early.

 

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2. Coasting at your first job

Landing a job is a big deal, but don’t assume that just because you get a job, you will keep it. It’s important to work hard and prove that you deserve to be at the company. Particularly when you are working at your first job, you want to establish yourself as an asset to the company. Being lazy or doing the bare minimum will only hurt you later.

Even if your first job isn’t ideal, you can still make the most of it: learn as much as you can, grow professionally, and network. You never know how your hard work will pay off. Even if your first job isn’t as interesting as you want, or isn’t at the level that you want, working hard and showing that you are a loyal and innovative team member may lead to just the job you do want.

3. Spending money impulsively

Once you have a job, it can be exciting to spend the money you make. Having a lot of money for the first time can be exhilarating and it can be very dangerous as well. As tempting as it is to go out and buy a new car, new furniture, and splurge on many dinners out, try to limit your extravagant spending. You probably have some time before you need to start saving for retirement, but spending wildly just because you have a job won’t pay off in the long run.

According to U.S. News & World Report, you should consider the benefits your employer offers and take advantage of them; also, think about your fixed costs and about your future savings.

4. Ignoring debt

If you took out student loans, you probably have a grace period before you need to start repaying them. If you have other debt you need to pay off, then it’s reasonable to wait to pay off your student loans, especially if you have other debt with higher interest rates. However, it’s a good idea to pay off as much debt as you can now. You don’t need to pay the minimum due for your student loans, and if you have credit card debt, the same is true. The more you can pay off now, the more available funds you will have to save for traveling, a house, or retirement.

When you graduate college, you will most likely have as few responsibilities as you ever will. Now is the time to pay your debt if you can.

5.Forgetting about your health

Yes, you’re young, and it can be tempting to spend money on the things you want instead of investing in health insurance. However, if you are no longer on your parents’ plan (which you usually can be until you are 26 ifdependents are covered), you do need to think about coverage. Even if you are still on your parents’ plan, you won’t be forever and you need to look at what plans your company offers and the cost of those plans. Also, it’s important to consider how many years you have before you need to pay for the insurance, or how it will affect your budget.

If your parents can’t cover you, then be sure that you do sign up for coverage. Without health insurance, you risk a serious financial hardship if an expensive health surprise comes your way (this is also a good reason to have an emergency fund).

Also, when you are working full-time, it can be easy to neglect other aspects of your health, such as exercise or diet. Maintaining a healthy diet, and finding time for exercise, will help you save money on expensive health care costs later.

The years after graduating college should be exciting, and you can learn a lot and advance professionally and financially if you avoid financial and career mistakes.

 

CheatSheet.com | May 8, 2016 | 

#Leadership : 24 Tricky Job-Interview Questions the Best Companies in America are Asking….’If You Could be Remembered for One Sentence, What Would it Be?’ —Google Associate Account-Strategist Candidate

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With excellent perks, great pay and benefits, and high job satisfaction, employees at this year’s 50 best companies to work for in America seem to have a good thing going for them. But before you start seething with envy, you should see some of the questions they had to answer to get there.

Interview

 

To find these difficult and sometime odd queries, Business Insider sifted through hundreds of reviews on Glassdoor submitted by people who recently interviewed at the top companies.

If you’re thinking of tossing your hat in the ring, be sure to prepare yourself for some real head-scratchers:

‘If you could only choose one song to play every time you walked into a room for the rest of your life, what would it be?’ —Google associate account strategist candidate

 

‘How many Big Macs does McDonald’s sell each year in the US?’ —Facebook data scientist candidate

 

‘If this wall was a brick wall, and you were a brick, where would you be in the wall? What impact does this have on the wall as a whole?’ —Expedia market associate candidate

 

‘Design a spice rack for the blind’ —Intel hardware engineer candidate

 

‘Choose a city and estimate how many piano tuners operate a business there’ —Google product manager candidate

 

‘How much do you charge to wash every window in Seattle?’ —Facebook online sales operations candidate

 

‘How many children are born every day?’ —Apple global-supply manager candidate

 

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‘If you were to go camping with friends, where would you put your tent?’ —Expedia Senior Financial Analyst candidate

‘What kind of tree would you be?’ —Cisco Systems senior technical writer candidate

‘Why are manholes round?’ —St. Jude Medical electrical-engineer co-op candidate

‘If I was talking to your best friend, what is one thing they would say you need to work on?’ —Apple red-zone specialist candidate

‘If you could be remembered for one sentence, what would it be?’ —Google associate account-strategist candidate

‘If you were standing in a crowd of people, how would you stand out?’ —Microsoft site manager candidate

‘If you were to help a customer who is stuck on a boat in the middle of nowhere, what would be the first thing that you would say to that person?’ —American Express CCSG candidate

‘If I give you $1 million right now, what would you do?’ —Google associate account strategist candidate

‘How would you build Facebook for blind people?’ —Facebook product Manager candidate

‘Sell me this pen’ —Pfizer pharmaceuticals sales representative candidate

‘If you had a choice between two superpowers — being invisible or flying — which would you choose?’ —Microsoft high-level product-lead/evangelist candidate

‘How do you estimate the safe distance from shore given that there could be a tsunami?’ —Ebay analytics manager candidate

‘At this stage in your life would you prefer earning or learning?’ —Google software engineer candidate

‘What were you like as a child?’ —Biogen area business manager candidate

‘Write a program to simulate the writing of a ransom note given a magazine from which letters can be extracted’ —Microsoft software engineer candidate

‘What was your best day in the last four years? What was your worst?’ —Apple engineering Project Manager candidate

‘How did your parents feel about your performance in high school?’ —Eli Lilly senior care sales specialist candidate

 

 Businessinsider.com | May 5, 2016  |  

Your #Career : 3 Skills You Need To Rock Your Interviews & Your Career…I’d Like to Share My Take on What Interviewing Really Is, & Why you Need to Be Interviewing & Out there Consistently & Regularly Talking to Other Employers, Leaders & Managers.

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If you can’t answer these questions, you can’t present a compelling story of who you are and what you have to offer. Secondly, you’ll not be able to guide your career to the level you want it.  Amazing careers require a great deal of planning, vision and management, as well as a big dose of clarity, courage, and connection.

Two serious business partners listening attentively to young man at meeting in office

As a career coach, I work with hundreds of professional women each year who are in various states and stages of growth, leadership, and ascension.  In our work together, there are key steps we walk through over a period of weeks and months to help them achieve what they’re hoping for (and everyone’s desires are different and special, of course).

One of the steps that corporate professionals are most resistant to, and intimidated by, is interviewing. And they don’t understand that they need to be interviewing regularly – every three to four months – regardless of how happy or unhappy they are in the current role.

Interviewing is essential for your growth, expanding your network, understanding your value in the marketplace, and crafting a career that will meet your highest goals. Interviewing is connecting in a powerful way, and articulating your highest visions of who you want to be in the working world, and finding people who are excited by that vision.

I’d like to share my take on what interviewing really is, and why you need to be interviewing and out there consistently and regularly talking to other employers, leaders and managers.

 

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What is the best kind of interviewing?

Interviewing at its best is an open, honest dialogue – a conversation between two interested people sharing their needs, preferences, and visions, and determining if there’s a match.  So many corporate professionals don’t understand how critical it is to get out of your own company’s mindset, and explore and “try on” other avenues and approaches. In a recent talk I gave for the University of Connecticut and the National Association of Women MBAs, one senior-level executive shared with me that her mentor (at her company) advised strongly not to interview or find a job elsewhere, but to stay where she was. In my opinion, that’s bad advice. Always interview, so you can fully understand (and expand) your options and make the right choice based on as many opportunities as possible.

Interviewing for other jobs with other companies helps you see more clearly what you have and what you want next.  Once you begin to embrace and enjoyinterviewing on a regular basis, you’ll find these positive outcomes will naturally occur:

  1. You’ll understand your perceived value in the marketplace, and how well you’re faring against the competition.
  2. You’ll see other ways of operating – other types of work, cultures, politics, policies and procedures, new exciting outcomes that other organizations are striving for, and other “ecosystems” that will inform your personal and professional desires and preferences.
  3. You’ll make great connections (including powerful mentors and sponsors), who will open thrilling doors for you.
  4. You’ll begin to see more clearly and refine exactly what you want to do with your talents and gifts.
  5. You won’t feel so stuck and limited when it comes to the job you have.
  6. Finally, you’ll be able to discern more clearly if what you have today at your current job and employer is really want you want.

What needs to happen before you can interview successfully? There are three essential skills you need to master before you can rock at your interviews and make the most of meeting new hiring managers and leaders at new companies:

Know and communicate precisely what you have to offer and what makes you, you

Again, in working with thousands of professionals, I’ve seen that that vast majority or working people simply can’t answer these fundamental questions:

    • What are you especially great at?
    • What stands you apart from the competition?
    • What do you adore about your current work, and what would you like to let go of?
    • What are visions for how you’d like to contribute professionally, in an ideal world and workplace?
  • Why should we be interested in you over others with your same training and experience?
  • What’s the ideal next role for you?
  • Why are you interested in us?
  • What types of people motivate and inspire you best?
  • What kinds of work outcomes are you most excited by?

If you can’t answer these questions, you can’t present a compelling story of who you are and what you have to offer. Secondly, you’ll not be able to guide your career to the level you want it.  Amazing careers require a great deal of planning, vision and management, as well as a big dose of clarity, courage, and connection.

Network socially

After reviewing so many LinkedIn LNKD -0.93% profiles (and hearing from lots of my followers – now over 170,000), I can read your LinkedIn profile and in three minutes, identify a great deal about you that you didn’t realize you were communicating.

After all,

How you “do” LinkedIn is how you do your career.

I’m always stunned to see how many people just aren’t utilizing LinkedIn or other social networking tools to the fullest (or at all). They haven’t uploaded a photo. They use only their job title as their tagline. They don’t fill out their summaries or list in a compelling way the amazing accomplishments they’ve achieved.  They don’t tell a story about who they really are and want to be in the workforce.

The harsh reality is that how you approach developing your digital profile and footprint is how you approach your professional identity. If you’re lazy, shy, uninspired, scared or reluctant to do the work to build a profile and connect with others in a committed, excited way, this is a strong indicator of how you’re operating at work as well.

In addition, you can’t just rely on digital networking to move you forward. You have to meet new people in person as well. Get out of the doldrums by “bringing yourself to market.” Attend industry association meetings, conferences, meetups, build a new networking group, etc. In other words, bring yourself forward in all ways possible to show the world who you really are. The people you meet with inspire, uplift and support you.

Envision and articulate what you want next

Because the majority of professionals I see come to me when they’re stuck, I’ve observed that human beings see only what’s at the tip of their noses. They forgot who they’ve been at their best or who they can be. If they’re unhappy in their careers, they experience only limitation, confusion, paralysis, exhaustion, toxicity, crushing politics, disillusionment, fear, malaise, and reluctance to change.

The problem with all that is that if limitation is all that you see regarding your own abilities and your past – then limitation is all you’ll get coming back at you in your future.

What to do instead?  You need to think bigger and higher than what you see in front of you, and what you have been. Find new ways to be inspired by what’s possible for you, and talk in those terms – what you’re looking for, what lights you up, what compels you, what you’re capable of — rather than only what you’ve done and focused on to date.

If you need new sources of inspiration, go out and get them. For instance, watch one TED talk a day, or connect via social media with people who are 100 steps ahead of you doing what you long to do, and share their tweets and posts.  Write an article on LinkedIn, or take a class that will inspire you. The more you connect with others who are making the impact you dream of, and with work that lights you up from the inside, the more you’ll see that what you dream of is not as far out of reach as you imagined.

Join me in my Amazing Career Project online course today to build a happier, more rewarding career.

 

Forbes.com | April 16, 2016 | Kathy Caprino

 

 

Your #Career : LinkedIn Thinks it Can Tell you How Likely You are to Get a #Job ….A New Patent Awarded to #LinkedIn on Tuesday Describes a System that Could Score your Success Chances & How your Strengths & Weaknesses.

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Applying for a job can be anxiety-inducing, but LinkedIn has come up with a way to tell you what your chances of getting a job could be — and what you can do to improve them.

Linkedin Coffee

A new patent awarded to LinkedIn on Tuesday describes a system that could score your success chances and show your strengths and weaknesses.

LinkedIn

The LinkedIn system seeks to fix a problem that the company sees in today’s job hunting process: Employers often automatically reject candidates whose experience or education don’t match up exactly to a job listing. But the candidate has no idea why they were rejected.

“The user may not be informed about the basis of the rejection. Further, in the case of other users who may be competing for the same requirement, the user may not be informed about the cause,” the patent states. 

The LinkedIn system is designed to give you that feedback when you apply for a job. LinkedIn could even offer suggestions like taking a professional course or moving to Los Angeles to gain better odds.

 

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There’s also a “predicted date of achievement” for how long it would take to get the job offer, according to the patent filing.

Talent business boost

Because it’s only a patent there’s no knowing whether success scores will be coming to LinkedIn any time soon. LinkedIn confirmed that the company was awarded a patent, but a spokeswoman reiterated that “patent acquisitions do not necessarily foreshadow new product innovations.”

LinkedIn ratingsLinkedInWhat the feedback for premium subscribers looks like today.

For now, premium account holders can already see where they rank when they view a job posting based on their experience and company. That percentage only identifies where a person falls compared to other applicants, but not the likelihood of success or the weaknesses in an application.

Offering recommendations, though, could boost part of LinkedIn’s talent business.

The company bought Lynda.com, a site filled with online tutorials, and has been trying to turn it into a money maker for the company. Some things, like a move to LA to improve odds, are out of LinkedIn’s hands, but pushing its job training programs could easily fall into LinkedIn’s priorities.

 

Businessinsider.com | April 6, 2016 | Biz Carson