Two Rabbits = Too Many Distractions

Two Rabbits = Too Many Distractions My friend, resume writer Robert Dagnall, has posted this a couple of times recently on Facebook: The first time I saw it I didnt think anything of it. But then, Friday morning it popped up again and I guess I was feeling a little philosophical. What if, in a job search, you are chasing two different rabbits?  Well, maybe thats a bad example. In a job search you are likely working on multiple job opportunities at the same time, and you should be. You cant go after one for months, and ignore everything else that comes up. But maybe the job opening isnt the rabbit maybe the rabbit is not focusing enough. What are you looking for? Oh, I dont know, anything really. I can do anything. Sounds kind of dumb, doesnt it?  I hear that all too often. Im not exaggerating. But what if its true? It usually is true.   That is either a symptom of (a) not understanding the importance of focusing, and worrying about missing out on something we havent considered.  That is a real fear (Fear Of Missing Out, or FOMO). Or, its a symptom of (b) not understanding the incredible (and seemingly unintuitive) power of focusing on a niche. I was at a business seminar with small business growth coach Mark LeBlanc. I dont remember his exact words but he said something that was profound.  Something like pick the line of revenue that it most important (or biggest, or whatever), and FOCUS on that one. Pretty much ignore the others (as far as marketing goes).  The growth youll see from your first revenue priority will increase the other revenue lines. As a business owner I thought: that is scary. That seems negligent. Irresponsible. But, as I thought about it, I realized that not putting enough marketing focus in one area really amounted to spreading yourself too thin in all areas.  Giving a half-or-less effort on anything resulted in half-or-less results.  But 100% focus on the right thing helped the right thing grow, and that growth resulted in growth in other areas. Its an interesting concept.  Its scary to think that you will focus on one and pretty much ignore others. The concept, though, is really encapsulated in the Confucius quote above which rabbit do you chase? Which rabbit do you focus on? This concept is so important that in 2011 I wrote something very similar: 2011 THEME: The Job Search Rabbit Hole.  Great complementary thoughts to Roberts idea. Two Rabbits = Too Many Distractions My friend, resume writer Robert Dagnall, has posted this a couple of times recently on Facebook: The first time I saw it I didnt think anything of it. But then, Friday morning it popped up again and I guess I was feeling a little philosophical. What if, in a job search, you are chasing two different rabbits?  Well, maybe thats a bad example. In a job search you are likely working on multiple job opportunities at the same time, and you should be. You cant go after one for months, and ignore everything else that comes up. But maybe the job opening isnt the rabbit maybe the rabbit is not focusing enough. What are you looking for? Oh, I dont know, anything really. I can do anything. Sounds kind of dumb, doesnt it?  I hear that all too often. Im not exaggerating. But what if its true? It usually is true.   That is either a symptom of (a) not understanding the importance of focusing, and worrying about missing out on something we havent considered.  That is a real fear (Fear Of Missing Out, or FOMO). Or, its a symptom of (b) not understanding the incredible (and seemingly unintuitive) power of focusing on a niche. I was at a business seminar with small business growth coach Mark LeBlanc. I dont remember his exact words but he said something that was profound.  Something like pick the line of revenue that it most important (or biggest, or whatever), and FOCUS on that one. Pretty much ignore the others (as far as marketing goes).  The growth youll see from your first revenue priority will increase the other revenue lines. As a business owner I thought: that is scary. That seems negligent. Irresponsible. But, as I thought about it, I realized that not putting enough marketing focus in one area really amounted to spreading yourself too thin in all areas.  Giving a half-or-less effort on anything resulted in half-or-less results.  But 100% focus on the right thing helped the right thing grow, and that growth resulted in growth in other areas. Its an interesting concept.  Its scary to think that you will focus on one and pretty much ignore others. The concept, though, is really encapsulated in the Confucius quote above which rabbit do you chase? Which rabbit do you focus on? This concept is so important that in 2011 I wrote something very similar: 2011 THEME: The Job Search Rabbit Hole.  Great complementary thoughts to Roberts idea.

Brand Ambassador Resume - How to Write One?

Brand Ambassador Resume - How to Write One?A brand ambassador resume is an excellent tool in enhancing the image of any business. A brand ambassador can display his/her personal attributes and his/her skills to bring new business to the business. A brand ambassador will make a tremendous impression upon the client as well as the potential client to make the client to opt for his/her services.Every business owner should possess general knowledge about the industry. This helps to make decision on the branding strategy that will be adopted by the company. The market value is high when a person makes a choice. An executive who exhibits his/her knowledge about the industry can bring the best out of the business.An important aspect of a business owner is his/her ability to work under pressure. This will provide the necessary expertise to increase the sales. A brand ambassador does not have to possess experience. An experience can still bring immense results when the people are already conv inced about the product or service offered by the company.Knowledge can make a difference. This knowledge will help the client to have a better understanding of the product. An experienced brand ambassador will manage to build a positive rapport with the potential client. This will in turn help the potential client to buy the product from the company. He/she will also be assured that his/her money is safe as there will be someone who will look after his/her interest.One thing that every candidate must do is create a brand ambassador resume which portrays his/her personal characteristics in a way that makes the reader feel attracted towards the candidate. After this, one must pick the organization that is providing the most suitable services. He/she must be a part of the organization. It is good to know the organization where the candidate has worked earlier.Short resumes are an effective tool for showcasing achievements. It is recommended to use more than one page. There are numerou s organizations that provide templates for different industries.When completing the resume, it is better to use only one to two colors. A brand ambassador resume must carry an interesting content that makes the reader come back for more. Wordiness and monotony can attract the reader and the potential client. Do not be at all suspicious about the wordings and grammatical errors. It is always better to go through the document carefully before signing the document.Always make sure that the online document is professionally designed. Remember that the job of an online document is to enhance the profile of the candidate. Make sure that the company you choose is able to stand in the competitive marketplace. Make sure that the company gives proper guidance to the candidates in terms of the way of presenting the resume.

5 Easy Healthy Workweek Dinner Ideas

5 Easy Healthy Workweek Dinner Ideas I was in a routine of rotating the same meals. But given I am on the verge of obtaining my next fantastic vocation; I had more time last month to play around with new dinner ideas in the kitchen. At the encouragement from some of my high school friends to share my findings, I promised to reveal my killer (but super easy) ideas. No more boring workweek dinners; let’s get this party started. CARBLESS GAME CHANGER: ZUCCHINI NOODLES (ZOODLES) Ever the mindful spender, instead of buying a scmancy spiralizer, I opted for the old school cheese grater that set me back a mere $3.99 at the grocery store. Not only was I saving money, I would sneak in a bonus arm workout. Shred/spiral  two zucchinis and set aside. Brown 1lb  lean ground beef (or turkey or you could go beyondmeat), seasoned to spice tolerance/taste liking with crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, garlic, and basil and mix with zoodles and marinara sauce. For more vegetable noodle recipes that taste like pasta, click here. EXOTIC FLAVOR: TJ’S THAI RED CURRY SAUCE What if you could have curry without ordering takeout?! Thaw pre-cooked shrimp the night before by placing in a strainer, covering, and placing aforementioned strainer in a bowl. Hit up Trader Joe’s for their prepackaged ready-to-eat lentils, riced cauliflower (so hot right how), and a can of garbanzo beans. In a large pot, heat lentils, cauli, and garbanzos with coco oil, curry, and garlic powder. Place thawed shrimp in a skillet with TJ’s red curry sauce and once hot, pour curried shrimp over lentil mixture. GRAB-N-GO: TURKEY MEATLOAF MUFFINS HEY MA! THE MEATLOAF! Use your muffin pan to bake up cute little hand held portions. Also, in lieu of crackers or breadcrumbs, I pulverize oats in the nutribullet to help with binding, and in a large mixing bowl, add egg, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, mustard, sage, crushed red pepper, garlic, salt, pepper. Bake, and enjoy with a pickle and some mustard. SLOW-CLAP-AT-FIRST BITE FISH TACOS So summer. Line a pan with parchment paper or foil. Mix olive oil, chopped cilantro, chili powder, crushed red pepper, and cumin in a bowl. Brush over fish filets and bake. Warm corn tortillas on the stove and complete with fish, sliced cabbage for a crunch, lime-juice, and a dollop of Greek yogurt. NOT A DINNER BUT IT COULD BE: PROTEIN PANCAKES Since I have been making these hotcakes for a few years, this idea is  not hot n  fresh out the kitchen but nevertheless, it still needs to be shared. In a large mixing bowl, combine vanilla protein powder, honey, salt, ground oats, banana, vanilla extract, cinnamon, almond milk, and eggs. Fold in raw pecans. Heat coco oil in skillet and pour ¼ cup mixture into HOT pan. Flip when you see bubbles, approx. one Murray/Djokovic rally. You can also swap the banana + pecan flavors for sweet potato or for berries. When was the last time you had blueberry pancakes? Images via www.bettycrocker.com

How to Job Search With Pinterest - Classy Career Girl

How to Job Search With Pinterest Pinterest is now a full-blown cultural phenomenon, people have started considering it for uses other than inspiration for recipes, home decor and the latest fashions. Pinterest users has grown, the site has evolved from a fun online scrapbooking network, into an increasingly useful platform for job seekers and prospective career changers of all ages. So for those who are looking to change jobs, Pinterest is now being used as a job search tool. If you are new to Pinterest, don’t worry it’s so easy. After you register for an account, Pinterest allows you to “pin” and share items that interest you â€" like recipes, photos of dream vacation spots and blog posts â€" via online bulletin boards known as pinboards. As you build your boards, so do your friends, who spread your content by “repinning” your pins and sharing them with their networks. Pinterest’s “Pin It” button lets you link to content you’ve spotted on a website or another pinboard as well as images you’ve uploaded from your computer and share them with your friends. The site also allows you to register through your Facebook and Twitter accounts, so you can share with those networks, too. Here are 8 ways to use  Pinterest in your job search: 1) Research a Potential Career Just by simply typing your relevant terms into the search box in the top navigation bar, you can find inspiration and information about new career and entrepreneurial possibilities. 2) Research the Companies You Want to Work Because Pinterest is such a visual medium, employer pinboards offer a great way to get a feel for a company’s culture, sensibility and work environment. To see if a prospective employer is on Pinterest, type its name into the search box at the top of the navigation bar. If that generates too  many possibilities, go to Google and search for the Pinterest page of the company or organization. You can even use Pinterest to attract the attention of potential employers by following their boards, repinning their content and commenting on their pins. 3) Pin Your Resume If you search my resume on Pinterest, you will get thousands of hits. Be more specific with your search terms to really find what you are looking for, like writer resume, business resume, or graphic design resume. The goal of pinning your resume to Pinterest is to get it shared throughout the site, so make sure it’s somewhat eye catching, error-free and compelling. 4) Create a Resume Pinboard Create an entire board that represents the different parts of your resume with different pins. Pin pictures of the companies you’ve worked for, schools you’ve attended, places you’ve volunteered and hobbies you enjoy. Utilize the text box given with each pin to describe the image, how it relates to your career and why it’s important to you. 5) Create Project Boards to Get a Job Create a pinboard that showcases your portfolio so prospective clients can see how great you are and hire you. 6) Follow and Get Advice From Career Experts Pinterest has a lot to offer from job posting to job search advice. Look for sites that use pinboards to showcase inspiring ideas and items related to finding work that makes people happy, give tips geared towards newbies in the workforce, and those who caters career advice for the unemployed. 7) Link to Your Pinterest Resume People need to know. Once you’ve created a board for your resume, you need to tell people about it. You can include it to your LinkedIn portfolio, your Facebook and Twitter profiles and even in your paper resume. Add it in your email signature and business or calling cards if you have them. The more places you show off your Pinterest page, the more it can help your job search. Keep all your boards clean and professional because they’re all viewable by anyone, at any time. 8) Be Motivated in Your Job Search If you’re not ready to pin your life’s work experience to Pinterest, you can always use it for its original purpose â€" for personal inspiration. Job searching can be disappointing and stressful. If  you’ve just come back from a particularly bad job interview, or sent 10 applications with no response, head to your Pinterest board for images that help you smile, laugh and cheer up. Using Pinterest in your job search shouldn’t take up an excessive amount of time. It is one more tool to add to your job search resource. If you’re a visual person, Pinterest is for you! Photo by Roxanne Ready

What Is Hard About Writing a Resume Or Cover Letter?

What Is Hard About Writing a Resume Or Cover Letter?What is hard about writing a resume? This is the question that almost every employee who is considering making a career change should ask themselves before submitting a resume or cover letter. After all, it is not a one time thing, nor is it easy to write a resume that is going to stand out from the rest. There are some common mistakes people make when writing resumes that is what this article is for.The first common mistake is not including your contact information on your resume. While it may seem like common sense, there are a lot of people that do not even know their phone number or email address. It is surprising how many people simply do not have their contact information on their resume, if they even have it. This is a big mistake, as these are the two most important parts of your resume.On the other hand, having a phone number and an email address is very helpful. This is something that you do not want to leave out, but you should also make sure that you have them included. By using a cover letter and then putting in your contact information, you will ensure that people who see your resume will remember who you are and what you have to offer. You can always include your email address and phone number as well as a signature line that will let people know that you wrote the letter and that you are someone that they should consider hiring. This will make your resume stand out more.The second common mistake that people make when writing a resume is not using the right fonts. This is especially true for some of the newer screen readers, which cannot read fonts. The reason is that these programs are designed with blind people in mind, and they are programmed to only be able to read certain fonts. If you don't use the right fonts, the screen reader may not pick up your resume at all, which is not what you want when trying to make a career change.In addition to this, the third thing that is hard about writing a resume is not addressing the fact that what is included in your resume is not the only thing that matters. While there is nothing wrong with including other jobs that you held, the truth is that the resume that you are creating will stand out more by including your achievements. Also, what is hard about writing a resume is being able to relay your accomplishments to a potential employer without embarrassing yourself. This is especially true when you are trying to impress an interviewer.Also, what is hard about writing a resume is giving people your resume without giving them a copy of your cover letter. Again, these are the two things that are going to send you to the top of the pile for interviews. These are the things that are going to get you the job that you are trying to get.Last, what is hard about writing a resume is using keywords correctly. Keywords are the words that people type into Google or other search engines to find information on a certain topic. The way to use th ese keywords correctly is to ensure that the words used are specific. It is very important to read the work sample you will be using, because you will have to incorporate these keywords into your resume.This is a short list of some of the mistakes that people make when writing a resume and cover letter. Hopefully these tips will help you avoid some of the problems that can arise while writing your next resume.

A question for ya Happy companies in Mexico.. - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

A question for ya Happy companies in Mexico.. - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog I got a very nice email from Jorge who writes: I would like to ask you if you know of any company in Mexico doing this radical stuff. Being a Mexican myself, I would love to work in happy-democratic-radical Company. Are there any here in Mexico? Thats a great question. I dont know of any but maybe you do? Write a comment if youve heard of any happy Mexican companies! Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

How to Manage Stress - Jane Jackson Career

How to Manage Stress - Jane Jackson Career Do you need to manage stress? Are you under the pump and feeling the pressure?   Is the stress getting to you?   Its time to take action now!If you’re feeling the pressure of too many obligations weighing down on you, stop, breathe and ask yourself, What, specifically, is making me feel stressed?Are you facing a tight deadline?   Are you feeling guilty if you don’t follow through on an obligation you’ve committed to?   Do you feel pressured to do something that someone else wants you to do?      The answer could be as simple as saying, “No.”Of course there will be consequences to saying, “No.”   Evaluate your obligations and decide upon what is important to you.   Not whats important to other people, what is important to YOU.   Then identify what is urgent and what is not urgent.A useful resource is Steven Covey’s ‘First Things First’ in which he identifies the four quadrants of time management:How to Manage StressCoveys principles assist you to prioritise your t ime.   Learning to say “No” will simplify your life and help you to manage stress, so that youll be more productive without feeling stressed and constantly under pressure.There are plenty of things out there just waiting to eat up your free time and increase your stress.  If you never turn down requests for your time and talents you may be viewed as a fabulous person who is constantly giving.   And giving.   Are you the ‘go to’ person whenever anyone is in need of anything?It can feel so  good to be so needed, as it is like validation of your self worth.   It feels like validation but it isn’t if you really think about it. (In one of my earlier posts I asked if you believe you are ‘enough.’   Enough just by being you.   Not for what you are DOING. Take a breather and read  Have You Ever Been Still?)If you dont say, “Yes,” then who will bake the cakes for the fundraiser or coach your daughter’s netball team?  How will your friends manage without you if you don†™t attend the latest social event?   What will happen to the committee if you don’t continue to be the treasurer?   What will happen to your career if you don’t work overtime every single night?   The answer may not be simple, but you should still consider these reasons for not saying, “Yes.”Can saying No be good for you? Saying no does not mean that you are being selfish.    If might be the best thing for your family and your other commitments. When you say no, youll be able to spend quality time on the things youve already said yes to.Is saying Yes good for you? If you do too much and become so exhausted that your immune system suffers, you get sick, tired and bad tempered.   Then you won’t be much good to anyone and you certainly won’t be taking care of yourself (the most important person in your life, after all!)Could saying No give you more time to be YOU? Just because youve chaired a committee for the past two years does not mean that you have to keep doing it for ever if your priorities have changed. Saying no will free up time to pursue what you REALLY want.Recognise that others are competent too. Give others a chance to take responsibility.  Have you ever thought of delegating whenever possible?   What would happen if you did?What’s important to you? Saying no helps you prioritize the things that are important to you such as leaving work at a reasonable hour to make time for whatever relaxes you at the end of the day.  Consider your current obligations and overall priorities before agreeing to any new commitments. Ask yourself if the new commitment is important to you. If it definitely is something that you feel strongly about, then by all means do it.Weigh the “Yes vs. Stress” ratio. Is the new activity that youre considering a short-term or long-term commitment?  Spending one evening giving a talk on your area of expertise to a networking group will take far less of your precious time than leading the networking committee for an entire year. If an activity is going to end up being another source of stress in your life â€" especially for the long term â€" give it a miss.Stop the guilt.  It’s ok to decline a last minute invitation for dinner or a party if you were looking forward to a quiet night in.   Do what youve set out to do and dont get sidetracked because of feelings of guilt or obligation. It will only lead to additional stress in your life.Be realistic. If you are having people over for dinner because you enjoy their company, do you HAVE to spend 1-2 days preparing a meal worthy of the MasterChef finale or would it be just as much fun letting everyone know it’s pot luck and it’s the company everyone can look forward to?Think first. Are you tempted by an offer of more responsibility? Take a day to think over the request and respond after youve been able to assess your current commitments as well as the new opportunity.To help build your self confidence to handle lifes challenges, How to Build Confidence online course guides you step-by-step to take control of your life and careerHow to say NO!It’s a very small word.   However it is hard to say at times.    Here are some things to keep in mind when you need to say no:The truth.    Dont make up excuses to get out of an obligation. The truth is always the best way to turn down a friend, family member or co-worker.   You simply have existing commitments and priorities to take care of first.Be kind. Many good causes will present themselves, and it can be hard to turn them down. Compliment the person or groups effort and state that you are unable to commit at this time.If you are used to saying, “Yes” all or most of the time, it will take some practice to say, “No” at the right times.   Learning to do so is an important part of simplifying your life.     A better, stress-free life.Do you need help to gain clarity in your life or in your career?   Book a complimentary exploratory chat and connect with me on LinkedIn :