Best Practices for One Sheet Personal Brand-Building Success - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Best Practices for One Sheet Personal Brand-Building Success - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career One sheets are essential personal brand-building tools for authors and self-employed professionals. Theyre practical, effective, and efficient tools that can distributed for free as email attachments or website downloads. You can also use your desktop printer to print and mail them, as needed, or distribute them at networking events. One of the best ways you can master the best practices of brand-building success is to seek out and study examples of successful one sheets online. Modeling the success of others In a previous Authors Corner post, I described the 6 Questions Your One Sheets Should Answer.  These questions include: Who are you? Whats your background? What topics do you speak about? What kind of events have you spoken at? What have audiences said? What have clients or event organizers said? These questions provide a framework for learning how   to master the best practices of brand-building success. Deborah Shanes case study in one sheet success Deborah Shanes media kit is an excellent example of one sheet brand building success. It illustrates several one sheet content and design best practices. Deborahs singe-page/two-sided media kit provides concise answers to the above 6 questions. But, more important, her one sheet media kit illustrates several additional aspects of one sheet brand building success. Big picture focus One of the most important differences between Deborah Shanes media kit and many others Ive studied is that her one sheet focuses on her media experience and speaking abilities, not her book. Deborahs Career Transitions: Make the Shift-Your Five Steps to Successful Career Reinvention book is used as a credibility tool, not the centerpiece of her one sheet Whether youre a busy broadcast producer or event planner, the message that emerges from her one sheet is that Deborah Shane is a media professional you can trust, one who wont freeze up on stage or when the cameras begin to roll. Books come   and go during an authors career, but the authors brand should remain the focal point of their marketing. In Deborahs case, the front of her media kit opens with the headline, 5 Steps to Career Reinvention In New Book, which clearly references her book, but is more than an advertisement for the book. The headline is significant from several perspectives. Often, one sheets either lack a headline, or just contain the authors name and book title. By using a news-type headline creates a more engaging approach which segues into establishing Deborahs context her personal experiences and lessons learned but, with an emphasis on her present media and speaking abilities. Proving her offer Proof of the strength of her message is provided on the front page by the examples from her toolbox. Further proof of Deborahs media savvy is provided on the back page, which contains references to her print and broadcast experiences, with supporting quotes from individuals associated with Good Morning America, USAToday, and others. Further proof of her media competence is provided by a list of topics shes comfortable addressing. These topic examples are presented as interview themes   or as event titles. Each title provides a ready-to-use headline that engages interest and explains the topics relevance. Image, design, consistency In addition to telling Deborahs story as concisely as possible, her one sheet immediately projects an optimistic and professional image. Design elements that help the one sheet project a strong and positive image include: Photograph. The photograph projects a friendly, confident, and enthusiastic image that reflects a professional touch no amateur photograph an achieve. Layout. Notice how the design chunks, or breaks-up, each side of the one sheet into separate areas. The colored backgrounds separate and organize the text. Chunking. Subheads further organize the text and break it up   into topics, helping readers quickly skim the page and locate desired information. Colors. The limited color palette, or selection of colors, contributes to a professional image and helps direct the readers eyes from topic to topic. Consistency, of course, is the biggest lesson taught by Deborah Shanes media kit. The typeface design and the colors used in the banners at the top of the front and back of her one sheet are consistent with the colors and typeface used on her website and on the cover of her book. Indeed, one of the significant design elements on her media kit is the way it projects a web-savvy image, achieved by the size and placement of the header graphics and the web-like navigation bar that provides a visual summary of her media and speaking qualifications. Her social media links, on the back page, provide further evidence of her Web 2.0 experience. Takeaways and resources The above are just some of impressions I noticed when I studied Deborah Shanes one sheet media kit. You may have noticed things that I may have overlooked. If you did, please share your impressions and one sheet questions and concerns below, as comments. In addition, you may want to take another look at these previous Authors Corner illustrated articles about using one sheets to sell more books and build your personal brand located here, here, and here. Also, here. Author: Visit  Roger C. Parkers Published Profitable and get a new perspective on writing and publishing a book from his 99 Questions to Ask Before You Write and Self-publish a Brand-building Book

10 Tips to Boost Your Productivity Through Digital Minimalism CareerMetis.com

10 Tips to Boost Your Productivity Through Digital Minimalism There’s one space that the majority of you never clean up, sometimes you don’t even notice that this space needs any cleaning. That space is called your digital space. How many of you keep old and unused photos, videos, and apps on your phone? Or turn your inbox into a digital junkyard?Truth be told, your digital space needs cleaning just as much as your home does. But because of its invincibility, you rarely take notice. This may seem like a small problem, but science has proven that clutter can actually give you stress and anxiety.evalIf you don’t solve it immediately, this “small problem” can grow big. Stress can lower your work rate and productivity, and in the long term can prevent you from getting promoted or even get you fired.In this article, you’ll discover how to keep your focus and improve your productivityto maintain your grade-A work performance level through the implementation of digital minimalism.What is Digital Minimalism?We live in a tech-centric era, wh ere almost anything can be done using technology to the point of being addicted to it. More often than not, we’re stuck in an unhealthy relationship with our gadgets. A report suggests that on average, people spend 6 hours and 42 minutes connecting to the digital world on a daily basis.Digital minimalism is our attempt to form a healthier relationship with the digital world. Minimalism, according to Josh Millburn Ryan Nicodemus, is a lifestyle to get rid of all unnecessary things that give no value to our lives.In digital minimalism, we’re required to do a spring cleaning in all aspects of our digital space.By cleaning the clutter and junk in our gadgets, we make room for the most important aspects of life: health, relationships, passion, growth, and contribution.Digital Cleaning TipsNow that you understand the importance of digital minimalism in your life and career, I’ll give you 10 digital cleaning tips to get you started on the habit.1) Unsubscribe from newsletters you do n’t needevalevalHow many emails in your inbox that you actually open and read? Most of the time, your inbox is full of newsletters and promotional emails from companies that you no longer need.Maybe you subscribed a few years back when you actually needed it, but time changes and you no longer do. What’s worse though, sometimes you don’t even remember subscribing to that newsletter. Start unsubscribing ruthlessly all newsletter that’s not relevant to you anymore to keep your inbox less crowded and to keep you from checking your emails excessively. A study suggests that checking your emails frequently can lead to stress and anxiety.2) Empty your inboxAfter unsubscribing, start deleting spam, newsletters and outdated messages in your inbox. Only keep the ones that you still need, like your recent emails with a business partner or potential client.evalKeep your inbox clean for a couple of reasons.First, a cleaner inbox will make it easier for you to find important emails. As a result, your work becomes faster and more efficient. Secondly, fewer emails stored means less energy wasted. Most people don’t know that every single email in our inbox consumes energy 24/7.A French telecommunication company, Orange, said that if every person in France deletes 50 messages, the energy-saving will be equal as turning off Eiffel tower lights for 42 years.3) Keep your screen cleanIf your job requires you to frequently use a computer or laptop, I’ve got a tip for you: simplify your desktop screen, keep it clean from any apps and software. If you want to quickly open an app, go to the Search box in the Start menu. Store your documents in relevant folders, not on your desktop. Rename them with a complete and clear description so you can find them easier. Keep your desktop clean from any app shortcuts, to keep it tidy and organized.A clean desk and desktop will minimize potential distractions that may lessen your focus while working, increasing your productivity as a re sult.4) Uninstall unused appsToo many apps on your device will make it run slower. Imagine if you need to call someone or open an email immediately but your phone crashes. You don’t have to risk your productivity and professionalism over some apps you never even open.Start deleting unused apps that eat up the storage on your mobile phone, you can always re-install later when you need them again. Besides the performance issue, you have to also consider the security issue.evalResearch by Kaspersky found that 83 out of 100 android apps have access to users’ sensitive data and information like accounts, contacts, messages, calls, files stored, and others.eval5) Clean your downloads fasterYour downloads folder is one of the busiest folders on your computer because every file that you download on the internet will be automatically stored here before you move them one by one into the designated folder.Most of the time, we copy the files and move them to the designated folder, but forge t to delete the ones in the download folder.The next thing you know, you have 5GB of junk sitting on your computer.So, you need to frequently check on your downloads folder if there are any zipped files, photos, videos or documents that are still left there. If the files are important, move them to the right place. If not, then delete the files.eval6) Turn off notificationsCal Newport, an author of self-improvement books, did research about performance in the workplace and school. He found that people who could fully focus on their studies or work without any distraction will thrive in competition.But how can you concentrate if your phone is ringing every 10 minutes?It is scientifically proventhat checking your phone while working will make your brain works slower for the next 15 to 30 minutes. Imagine if you check your phone 5 times during working hours, you’ll potentially lose 2.5 hours of your productive time!Turn off your notification during productive hours to prevent yoursel f from getting distracted. This way, you’ll be able to meet the target and expectations of your higher-ups.7) Watch out for battery-draining appsJust like vampire applianceswho drain your electrical energy even when not used, mobile apps also have a fair amount of vampires lurking around the Play Store and App Store ready to drain your battery.Kaspersky did a study on 66 most popular apps on Android. The result showed that more than 80% of those apps, 54 to be exact, run on the background even when not used. Find out which apps drain your battery the most and disable the app’s background activity or even uninstall it if you can.8) Update your OS frequentlyOne of the most important ways to keep your devices running smoothly is to keep updating your software according to the latest OS version.There are some advantages that you’ll get when updating your operating system, which are:Bugs fixing which makes your device runs smoother.Security holes patch to keep hackers and malware f rom infiltrating your device.Personal data protection. Your personal data and information like email and bank account passwords are getting safer with every software update.Updates on new features and improvement of existing ones.9) Don’t get easily distracted on the jobLet’s be real, how many of you open your Facebook account in the middle of a meeting? Or watch a YouTube video during working hours?A surveyfound that 68% of American workers got distracted by the internet when working.Moreover, 39% of those people lost an hour of their productive time browsing the internet to read articles, watch videos, and book tickets for a holiday or certain event. As much as 59% of the respondents feel unhappy about the decrease in their productivity.If you really want to be more productive, you have to cut all unproductive activities, including connecting to the digital world when it’s not the time to. Fully focus and have the determination to finish the tasks on your hand first. Then, y ou can have your reward later when all of your targets are achieved.10) Less internet, more human connectionsThe internet is very useful if you know how to use it wisely, but don’t be addicted to it. Nowadays, people are on their mobile phones 24/7, whether on the train to work, while hanging out with friends, or during family dinner. They spend most of the time looking at their screen rather than talking to their friends and family.As multiple studies have proven, spending too much time on the internet has many negative effects on your life and career. So, take your time off the screen, socialize more, and raise the quality of your work and life in general by implementing the digital minimalism lifestyle.The TakeawayThe takeaway here is you should know how to balance your digital use, so it doesn’t lower your work ethic and productivity.You have to treat technology as a tool to achieve your goals and objectives. That way, you won’t overuse it to the point of addiction.If you want to learn more about how to increase your productivity, check out this article about time management for maximum productivity.

How To Ace Your Phone Interview

How To Ace Your Phone Interview I recently spoke with a job seeker who was having trouble getting beyond initial phone interviews and thought it would be helpful to share strategies.   Read more belowPhone interviews may be difficult from the point of view of the applicant as you cannot see your interlocutor and get the much-needed facial feedback to guide your answers, but they are very convenient for companies.   Since they receive such high numbers of applications, it’s not possible to conduct face-to-face interviews for everyone, and screening candidates via an initial set of questions asked over the phone has come to be necessary.The quality of your answers can make or break you chances of being invited to the company headquarters so the best approach is to give it as much importance as you would a regular interview and prepare in advance.What Questions Should You Expect?Since the aim of a phone interview is to filter out risky candidates, the questions are usually along the lines of “Who are you?” “Wh y do you want such a position?” And “Why here?”   There is, of course, the possibility that you will be asked more complex questions, depending on how many CV’s they have to get through, but considering the medium you’ll see that these examples are not that basic.   Patrick Algrim, CEO at Algrim.co mentioned to us that, The most tricky interview questions are describe yourself, what do you know about our company and what are your greatest strengths.   You can expect to be asked about you background, your interest in the company, what your current job responsibilities are, why you’re looking to change jobs, what type of environments do you prefer to work in and what makes you a good fit for this particular company and position.How to Prepare for a Phone InterviewIn most cases, you will be notified in advance either by email or phone of a date and time at which you can expect to be called but there are cases in which you just receive a surprise call asking you if you’re available right then.   If they have really caught you at a bad time, don’t be afraid to tell them that although you’re thrilled to hear from them, you are not at your desk and cannot give the call the attention it deserves. Then try to reschedule.   In the case of scheduled interviews, you should first research the company and if anyone has written about previous experiences interviewing with them and what type of questions they were asked.   If you’ve never had to give an interview over the phone, it could be useful to call a friend and practice answering the questions.   Check if you have the right schedule and make sure you’re clear on whether you have to wait for them to call or you have to do it.Also take care that you create a suitable environment that allows you to talk at ease, so eliminate any background noise by closing the windows, put any devices you have on silent and, if you’re living with other people, tell them not to disturb you. Have a glass of water han dy and you could also print out your cv, possible questions and answers to help you in case you get nervous.After you ace the phone interview, then its time to prepare for an in-person interview.   In those cases, its good to focus on proper etiquette as well as to always be prepared for the unexpected.   Cheers to a successful phone interview and continuing the process to landing your dream job.

What Are You Writing On Your Network Administrators Resume?

What Are You Writing On Your Network Administrators Resume?Network administrators resume is the first document that potential employers should see when reviewing a prospective employee's file. There are many factors that can be found on a network administrator resume, and it's important to get this right. This article is a guide to network administrators resume.Many network administrators are in education or industry related fields. Usually an administrative position in a university, healthcare company, consulting firm, or government agency is required for this position. Network administrators are often required to know all about the latest technology and operating systems. This is because they will use that knowledge to help keep your system running efficiently.Education is the first step. Don't just say you have some college degrees; you'll want to show that you have at least a Bachelor's degree in any science or technology that is on your resume. Even if you don't have a degree, b ut a high school diploma is acceptable. The employer may also look at this information.A practical understanding of technology is what's most needed, so include information on technical training. Again, always be sure to check your documents to make sure it is clear. If the summary is not complete, list it as a work in progress.Listed work history is sometimes helpful in creating a network administrators resume, but there is little the employer will learn from a past job. Work experience is probably going to be the best way to talk about qualifications. Think about the projects you've done to get there. It should show the employer you were willing to try new things and be the best in your field. With something interesting to talk about, and a complete list of all your previous jobs, you will attract the employer.Networking experience is usually included in this section of your resume. It isn't necessary, but many companies look for this information, especially larger ones. Show how you have helped to run a large organization by having the experience leading a team of employees.Employee feedback is generally important in your resume, especially for data entry jobs, but not all of them. This section is not only for you, but it should show your ability to take criticism and improve. If you feel it is appropriate, then mention it, but if not, leave it out.Networking experience is a good part of your resume, but is it enough? Only you can answer that question.

Writing a Resume For Yourself at 50

Writing a Resume For Yourself at 50Writing a resume for yourself is no big deal. Although you may not know that, most people have encountered that hurdle where they want to get an updated resume and wonder if they should do it at this time or wait another ten years. Why wait for another ten years? Not having a resume for the next ten years is much better than having to re-write your resume every other year.Writing a resume for yourself at 50-year-old is definitely not any different than doing it twenty years ago. The information on your resume that is obsolete will be either ignored or displayed incorrectly in your cover letter. A resume is what your future employer is going to use to hire you. While other people are trying to sell themselves, your prospective employer has no real reason to remember you at all. If he or she doesn't remember you, they'll never hire you.So it's not important at fifty-year-old to revamp your resume every ten years, unless you're an idiot. You just need to do what you can to remain relevant to the job market and make your resume visible to potential employers. The people who do not realize that their resume has no value are often the people who end up paying the price later. Of course there are a few exceptions, but you'd be hard pressed to find many.There is one caveat with the purpose of writing a resume at fifty. If you are seeking employment at a place like McDonalds or Wal-Mart, it makes sense to update your resume every other year to keep the corporate culture up to date. After all, your prospective employer can only recall you if you have a job, right?The best part about getting a resume done at fifty is that you get a month or two to think about it and consider how it would look to the reader. Yes, it does take a while to edit a resume, but there is nothing like a fresh, crisp, clean looking resume. This article was written because I've noticed an interesting trend among my clients who are at least a little older than me.Pr ofessionally trained professionals or managers often run into situations where they want to update a current resume. However, they don't have time to re-do it every month. These professionals have spent years working their way up the ranks at their jobs, but they still don't have much time for other things, like looking for a job. However, when it comes to their company, they can't put it off any longer.The reality is that what works for me may not work for you. What works for me may not work for you. What works for me may not work for you. You need to figure out what works for you and then work from there. This way you can maximize your return on investment.

The Personal Summary Resume Cover Up

The Personal Summary Resume Cover Up The Unexpected Truth About Personal Summary Resume 1 A resume summary is a brief, snappy introduction paragraph that offers a summary of your very best work. You're going to compose a resume summary which gets far more interviews. The summary is just one of the main elements in determining if it's the recruiter will call you for an interview. The resume summary will act as their sales pitch. If you do decide to move forward with a resume summary statement, be sure to take care of it as your personal highlight reel. You may want to bring a resume summary statement. A summary statement is a brief expert introduction you could increase the peak of your resume. A personal statement on your CV is a fantastic way to provide your work application extra effect. Key Pieces of Personal Summary Resume If you're applying for at least 1 position or career field, utilize a different summary for each position to make certain that you remain on topic. Resume objectives are occasionally thought to be the old schooltype of resume. Resume is a kind of document utilized by individuals that are seeking for employment. The absolute most current position ought to be listed first and it ought to be geared toward the job that you are Make sure that you gear your experience toward the work application you're making. In case you haven't written one before, you should begin by reading our tips about how to compose a personal statement. If you follow the suggestions above you are going to have an interesting, compelling resume summary that is likely to make the reader want to find out more about you even regardless of your lack of work experience! Perhaps you won't utilize words like gain a competitive edge or boost revenue in your statement.

4 Best Cities In The U.S. To Focus Your Job Search - Work It Daily

4 Best Cities In The U.S. To Focus Your Job Search - Work It Daily Whether you're ready to make a move for personal reasons, or you're simply on the lookout for a new opportunity, moving for a job can be overwhelming, to say the least. It can be particularly difficult if you haven't definitively decided on a region to focus on. The job market in America has been steadily improving, but some areas show more signs of improvement than others. Related: Moving? 3 Helpful Tips For Your Relocation Job Search Here are a few cities in America that show positive signs of growth, and would be great places to focus a job search. 1. Austin There are many benefits for job seekers in Austin. For one, its unemployment rate is relatively low at five and a half percent, below the national average of around 6%. The median household income for the city is around $50,000, which is much higher than the rest of Texas and the country as a whole. Furthermore, the Austin real estate industry is on the rise. The climate in the Lone Star State is hard to beat, too. Shoveling snow in south central Texas is virtually unheard of. Most importantly, Forbes reports that the city's job market is projected to grow by 4% annually through 2015. There's a diverse range of employers in the metropolitan area, in major sectors that include technology, health care, business, education, government, and entertainment. No matter where your talents lie, you'll find a home for them in Austin. 2. Kansas City What's not to love about Kansas City? The charming midwestern city has a lot to offer job seekers beyond the best barbecued ribs ever. The city's job market has grown modestly but consistently over the last few years, making for a stable local economy. With the city straddling the line between two states, it's important to look at information from both before making any decisions. That being said, both Kansas and Missouri added nearly 5,000 jobs in 2013, amounting to a .4% and .2% increase respectively. It's a fairly young, financially thriving city, with the median age around 36 years old, and the median income around $44,000. Staffing KC operates in the area, offering job seekers an excellent resource for their search. 3. Washington, D.C. The nation's capital is a beautiful place to put down roots. In addition to its historic architecture and political excitement, the job market has drawn more and more people out of the suburbs and back into city life. Both the private and public sectors are thriving in Washington. Though the cost of living is higher than many places in the country, the median salary of $45,000 makes it more affordable than you might think. But your job isn't the only reason you should choose to move someplace. You should also look at the recreation opportunities and other features the city offers. Washington has no shortage of those. If you could see yourself living along the East Coast, don't overlook our nation's capital as your potential next home. 4. San Francisco Lots of exciting things come out of San Francisco. It's an expensive place to live, but, like Washington, this factor is offset by an elevated median salary of nearly $47,000. The San Francisco Bay area has experienced several years of unemployment decreases and, and has recovered nearly all the jobs that were lost during the massive recession. Not only is the job market in the area improving, the opportunities for travel and exploration are virtually endless along the country's Golden Coast. As you're deciding where to focus your job search, consider heading west â€" you might be surprised what you'll find. As the country continues to dust itself off after the recession of the last decade, there are so many possibilities for those who are open to relocating for their job. If you're in the market for a new career, don't let your current location hinder your search. Get in touch with your adventurous spirit, and look at what the rest of the country has to offer you and your talents. Any one of the cities on this list can surely guide you toward your goals and aspirations. Related Posts 5 Job Relocation Tips For Changing Cities Working Abroad: 5 Steps To A Stress-Free Relocation How To Find An Out-Of-State Job   Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!