How to Be More Creative in Your Career Development Building Your Future Now

How to Be More Creative in Your Career Development Building Your Future Now Although the artist is typically a trained professional he or she must be original and creative in order to be truly successful. Same goes for your career developmentyou yourself are a trained professional, yet to separate yourself from the pack being creative is essential to building something special. How can you be more creative in your career then? Always look at new and exciting opportunities to build your career development. Seek out people who are creative then. Read books about being creative and thinking about your work in different ways. Read biographies and autobiographies of writers, artists and people who think outside the box! Try studying how you can re-train your mind to open up and find ways to branch out your career. Look for companies that reflect your ideals and always challenge the status quo. This might not be for everyone however think about itdiscover the options that you have around you to formulate a career that is unique and exceptional. Lastly, try doing creative things. Draw, paint, photograph or write. Let your creative juices flow and it just might bleed into your career! Image: BridgesWard

Personal Branding bookshelf - my recommendations - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding bookshelf - my recommendations - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career The following are my recommendations for must-read book. Each author has a lot of credibility to their brand and I hope you enjoy reading this fine selection of books! Feel free to recommend a book in the comments section. _____________________________________ Career Distinction: Both William Arruda and Kristen Dixon have written a book that will help you shape your brand. It even has an assessment, which will help you identify your brand health and attributes. This book is based on Personal Branding best practices, as used by in the Reach program, as led by William and Kristen. Career Distinction demonstrates how to express who you are and the value you bring to your organizationâ€"branding you as an indispensable, memorable, and unique professional. Take my word for it, its a book that will inspire all. Im on LinkedIn Now What???: Jason Alba is a very well known and savvy networking professional. This is his first hard copy book and I believe that it will prove to be a significant reference point for any professional looking to expand and track their network from birth till death. Millions of people around the world use LinkedIn, but most either dont use it properly or have little experience with many of the features. By reading this book you will have a great foundation for one of the most popular social networking websites to date. Brazen Careerist: Penelope Trunk gives anything but standard advice to help the new workforce succeed on their own terms in any industry. Trunk asserts that a take-charge attitude and fresh perspective are the only ways to make it in todays job market. These 45 tips will get you thinking bigger, acting bolder, and blazing trails you never thought possible. The workplace has changed and to confront it head on read the Brazen Careerist. Drop Dead Brilliant: Lesley Everett, the UKs personal branding expert has helped celebrities and business icons become fabulous. With this book, she helps you develop a personal brand with “drop-dead brilliant” advice on appearances, body indicators, and everything else needed to present your best self in every situation.   Lesley has been promoting her book through all forms of media and Im sure you will enjoy learning how you can become a celebrity just like her.

Your Parents Dont Like Him- And Its Okay!

Your Parents Dont Like Him- And Its Okay! Sometimes your friends and family will not like the person you are dating. Sometimes your friends and family will like the person you are dating. But truthfully, until you like the person youre dating, it doesnt matter. So many times in my life, my friends and family have  voiced their opinions  about my relationships. And I want their opinions (when I ask for them), their opinions do matter to me. But eventually, whether they like the person Im dating or not, I am the one that makes the ultimate decision as to whether a person stays or goes. And so far, even though Im still single, I think Ive done okay. Sure, Ive dated some airheads and some selfish guys, but Ive always ended up on my feet. Even if Ive dated the biggest idiot in the world, at the end of the day, Im still meand Im better for it. So I guess this week what Im saying is listen to your family, listen to your friends, but most importantly, listen to yourself. You know what you want and what you need. If someone isnt happy with your decisions, just remember that is okay. It isnt their decision to make! And yes yes yes they care for you, they want the best for you. But the best thing for you to do is to live your lifemistakes, idiots, airheads, and all. Life lessons are built on mistakes (and triumphs and failures and bad dates). Happy dating people! Go out there. Go through those datesterrible ones and all.   Once you figure out what you  dont want, it will be a lot easier to find what you do want. Relate? Ever have someone not like a boyfriend? Lets talk. Happy Thursday yall!

How To Dig Out Of Credit Card Debt

How To Dig Out Of Credit Card Debt Ten years ago I was thousands of dollars in credit card debt and it was getting worse by the month. Spoiler alert: I not only got out from under it, I started  building my  savings. Here’s how. In a (surprisingly fun) compliance meeting, the head of regulatory shared the following anecdote. Compliance Dad: “I’ll never forget the time my daughter landed her first job out of college. She was so excited when she earned her first paycheck that she came home with this big Prada gym bag!” Me: [Surprise face followed by grin slash attempting to imagine the bag…was it like that hot pink lulu bowling bag style I once had?! Was it a sleek black crossbody?!] Everyone else: [groans] Fellow Dad team member: “Yeah unless it has four wheels and a steering wheel, that’s not the kind of purchase you’re expecting her to come home with!” Me: “Ah yes the paycheck purse! I remember my first paycheck shoes…” [Trails off fantasizing about the Stuart Weitzman floral suede lace-ups from 2006.] Compliance Dad: “The next day she returned that big Prada gym bag and we had a serious, educational discussion about financial decisions.”   Fellow Dad team member: “Yeah, financial literacy is not something they really teach in school.” Me: “I know! I had never really learned about it and then I was suddenly thousands of dollars in credit card debit. I finally learned the hard way that you can’t spend money you don’t have!” Compliance Dad: “That’s right!” Me: “Soooo what color was the Prada bag???” Everyone else: [laughter, groans] Annnd Scene. Obvs I was KIDDING wondering the  color of the  clearly fabulous Prada gym bag. But, being $1,000’s of dollars in credit card debt was no joke. Gratefully, a  former bf taught me fiscal responsibility 101, perhaps the most important way to “stop the bleeding” when in financial trauma: How to Get Out of Credit Card Debt Do not spend money you do not have I know, this seems obvious, but years ago for me, so was buying Stuart Weitzman floral suede lace-ups! If you HAVE to pay for electricity, rent/mortgage, car payment, food, then ask yourself do you really have money leftover for those amazing shoes? Which leads me to my second point. Create a budget Figure out your take home pay. Determine your expenses (see above: electricity, rent/mortgage etc.) Ensure you can afford to live where you reside (read: avoid being house poor). Once you have a budget, become and remain aware of it to avoid spending money you do not have. Track every expenditure Years ago, I had minimal awareness of where my money was going. There are many money management apps like Mint and these others to help you track your cash flow. Being an excel guru (nerd emoji with glasses) I prefer to go old school and track my spending in a spreadsheet. That’s right, with every swipe of my debit card at Trader Joe’s, Gas Stations, Yogurtology (if we are being honest here, and we are!), I request a receipt, place in my wallet, and at the end of the day or the next day, I enter my expenses. Like any nutrition log or diary, you can start to see the patterns right on the page. Racking up the receipts  at Target? On what? Necessities or nice-to-haves? Spending hundreds at the salon? Can you paint your own nails every other week? Are there hair products that are good for you that you can purchase for less elsewhere? You get the pic: track the money, identify the patterns, and get real with yourself about necessities vs. wants and viable substitutes that will still m eet your needs. Sell your sh!t I will get to the point in a minute, but first, a story. I have this awesome best friend. Her hubs had to work the weekend of their huge neighborhood garage sale. She invited me to come over and hang out with her and bring my stuff to sell. It worked out beautifully: I made approx. $300, we each got to take water/washroom breaks while the other one watched the stuff. The clothes I didn’t unload, she advised me to “just put on Poshmark and sell”. I told her I had no clue how to do that (clearly she is wayyyy cooler than me), so instead of throwing my lulu’s in the already-bursting donations box, she offered to sell them on Posh for me. A week later, I awoke to a $48 PayPal email from her for my goods. What. That weekend I joined Poshmark and while to date I did purchase ONE THING (a $7 cute pink plaid flannel shirt because hey I’m moving to Wisconsin and having a flannel shirt is basically mandatory to cross the state line,) in the past couple of months I have earned hundred s of dollars in selling clothes I no longer need. #Minimalist (If you have a washer, then you really only need 5 workout tops. I know, you are shocked at this coming from Miss best dressed. Work with what you have. Even if  it’s only 5 super cute workout tops). As long as you are happy, that is all that matters. We are so materialistic, but it does not make us happy. What makes you happy? Is it something priceless like loving your family? Then spend your time on that. It’s free. Columnist Archive Image credit: Simon Cunningham

Make Your CV and Resume Writing Service Free!

Make Your CV and Resume Writing Service Free!A number of people have been receiving CV samples and online resume samples from job websites, but they are still puzzled as to which one to choose. They want to avail of a service that is able to give them a quality resume free of charge. Nowadays, the need for these services has become very prominent in the face of so many job searching sites popping up around the web.Online resume writing service has become necessary due to the lack of free writing materials in our daily lives. With the passage of time, the internet has become an important part of our lives, but it is also a source of hazards as well. There are several sites that offer free resume writing services, but most of these are just scams.Resume samples offered by the site owners are often not trustworthy as well. They usually post the same sample without disclosing that they have paid for them. Since they offer these services for free, it is pretty much impossible for job seek ers to distinguish the genuine ones from the shams.Instead of using free resume writing services, it is much better to go for professional writers. Though the prices for these services may differ a bit, you can always expect to get better output and quality. The companies that offer these services are not interested in getting money on the side as they would prefer to get your results paid for.Many professional writers who work with a company offer their services for free and are only interested in making more money. This is the reason why it is necessary to be wary of these services as they do not produce quality results. Resume writing service does not give a single cent to people who avail of its services.It is the job of you to keep this from happening. Just make sure that before you provide your details or fill out an application form, you do thorough research to avoid getting scammed. When you are going through the online resume samples provided by the websites, be sure to che ck if the content is reliable.You should not only look at the free sample and try to determine if it is a scam. The content must also meet the expectations of the consumers. There are some people who place the CV samples in places where people will be able to read them freely.However, this does not mean that the CV samples offered by the sites are completely free service. Some of them are only free to look at, but you have to pay for submitting your resume. Moreover, it is important to look at all sites before you hire any writer to produce quality CV and resume samples for you.

Summary Sunday Be Better At What You Do

Summary Sunday Be Better At What You Do Burnt out? Over-worked? Discouraged? It happens to all of us. This weeks roundup of posts will help you be better at what you dofrom  learning how to search LinkedIn to being more productive at networking or your job! LINKEDIN LinkedIn Privacy Settings and How they Effect Your Job Search By Dana Levy, Brooklyn Resum Studio | YouTern How much do you really know about your privacy settings on LinkedIn? Learn what information you can control and what you cant. How To: Search the New LinkedIn Search Interface (Properly) Using Field Commands by  Holly Fawcett | SocialTalent This should really be titled, how to search LinkedIn now that advanced search is gone! It is written for recruiters, but all the same instructions apply to you as well. NETWORKING How To Network Your Way To A New Job by  Phoebe Vertigan | Firebrand Talent Ignition You know you should be networking, but the thought of it repulses you. Keep in mind this one tip from the articleand please, go read the other 4 tips: Focus on sharing knowledge and learning something new CAREER Lets Stop Calling Them Soft Skills by Seth Godin | Its Your Turn Anything written by Seth Godin is worth your time to read! He talks about the importance of soft skills- which shouldnt be overlooked. WORK SMARTER SUMMIT: Free videos from experts   If youve never taken part in an online summit, heres your chance. Over 35 experts share advice, tips and hacks for working smarter, not harder! But you only have 36 hours left to access them at no cost. Register here now Here are a couple of my favorites! Dorie Clark On How To Get Your Work Recognized Mark Babbitt On How Working Social Is Working Smarter How to Build a Great Reputation by Frank Sonnenberg It isnt enough to do your job well. People have to know about you! Here are 8 things you can do to shine! How Proper Use of Work Breaks Greatly Increases Productivity [Infographic] by QuidCorner on YouTern Research proves youll do better work if you take breaks! Everyone is different, so find a routine that works for you! by QuidCorner

Best and Worst U.S. Cities for Finding Employment-Should We Care

Best and Worst U.S. Cities for Finding Employment-Should We Care My colleague over on the AOL Jobs and Careers Channel, Lisa Johnson Mandell,   just wrote a post about the ten toughest and easiest cities to find a job in. St. Louis, Detroit, and Miami top the list for worst cities for finding employment and Washington, D.C, San Jose, and New York are at the top of the list of best cities for finding employment. CNNMoney.com recently ranked the top ten cities to live in and cities with low unemployment rates were the ones that made it to the top including Eden Prairie, MN, Columbia/Ellicot City, MD, and Newton, MA.In the past year Ive noticed that many more of my clients are flexible about the geography of a particular position. They are either willing to commute longer distances or relocate for the right position. But Ive also noticed that geography is becoming less of an issue for employers as the world of work becomes a flatter place and more work can be done remotely.If you found your dream job in another state would you relocate or explore th e possibility of working remotely? If you could consider one of these options, think of how quickly your potential company targets would expand. Maybe its time we stop thinking so much about location and start thinking about the value we could add to an employer regardless of geography. This may not be feasible for every position right now, but thinking differently about how we work is the first step towards changeClose to 20 years ago I created a pilot for a work at home program for operations positions for a large financial services firm. This was considered cutting-edge at the time.   Remember, this was before the Internet and before we had anywhere near the capabilities we have today for monitoring productivity and performance. The pilot was put in place to retain a group of high performers who were considering leaving the company because of work/life balance concerns. The company made the program work, despite the obstacles because they recognized that these employees were too valuable to lose. Could you prove to an employer that you are too valuable not to have?Think of how much the world of work has evolved in the past 20 years.   Jet Blues entire reservations staff works from home. Who would have imagined that such a thing would be possible 20 years ago?   Is it really that unrealistic to live in St. Louis but work for a company in Newton, MA? Maybe not.