5 Digital Trends Small Businesses Need to Focus on

5 Digital Trends Small Businesses Need to Focus on What digital trends do small businesses need to focus on in 2016 in order to improve their business? From analysing data analytics, to embracing new social media platforms, new advice is being dished out all the time, so what should small businesses take on board? This infographic by Cube provides small businesses with everything that they need to know to  achieve success this year. 1) Focus on  return on investment: SMBs need to move beyond vanity metrics. Even if their audience are present on a platform such as Snapchat, they must think about whether it will bring them any sort of ROI. 2) Think global instead of local: With technology at our fingertips, businesses dont need to be limited to their local area. Online stores such as Amazon can sell globally, so theres no reason you couldnt too. 3) Personalisation is key In order to stand out online, its important to personalise your content and provide something a bit different. Different email and marketing tools allow you to customise your material before sending it out. 4) Focus on analytics Monitor you web analytics to see what tactics improved or hindered your conversion rate. 5) Prioritise mobile These days people use mobile for everything from conducting research, to making purchases. For this reason, it is essential that you have a mobile friendly website/ email software. 6) Use influencer marketing Rather than distributing your brand messages yourself, get influencers on board to get the word out. Find the full list below! Image: Pablo

Getting a Degree in IT Sector Can Be Easy With the Cursculum Vitae

Getting a Degree in IT Sector Can Be Easy With the Cursculum VitaeWhile the curriculum veta proposal is a great way to start a career in the IT industry, it's also important to know that there are many other ways to get started. Each state has different employment laws and regulations, so you will want to make sure that you get legal advice before you start working in an area that you may not be qualified for.The IT sector is a very competitive one, and many people in the field who aren't interested in the curriculum veta process are finding work in different ways. They can join a remote IT support company, which helps you get your feet wet before deciding if you want to work in this field full-time. You can also find yourself doing clerical work, but there are some areas that you need to be aware of when looking into this option.Those areas include telemarketing, which is required by some employers when you are trying to get through the certification process. If you do decide to get into this kind of work, be sure to learn how to avoid it. Remember that you won't be able to be certified in Telemarketing unless you complete the whole course. It may be a good idea to take a short course to learn how to avoid telemarketers and be prepared to deal with them at some point.Many people don't realize that the IT industry can also be good for non-IT-related jobs as well. This can include fields such as marketing and sales. A certification isn't necessarily required, but it's a good way to get a higher position and get a promotion within your current company.Depending on where you work, there may be opportunities available to you in the IT sector, but it can be hard to be recognized when you are working in a non-IT job. As long as you stick to the requirements of the job that you have, you should be able to get by just fine. This means you will want to always be aware of how you can help out the company in order to keep your career on track.If you have any doubts, conta ct your school's counselor or HR department and ask them if there are any opportunities available. You should also find out what the requirements are for the type of job you are looking for. This will help you get everything squared away before you apply for a job.Getting a degree in anything can often times be a time consuming and stressful process, but getting into the IT sector is no exception. This means that you will have to learn how to complete an application, answer questions, and take exams. This can take quite a bit of time, but it's certainly a possibility that everyone should consider when starting a career in the IT industry.The best thing you can do if you want to start a career in the IT industry is to find something that interests you and do it. The curriculumulam veta process is a great way to get your foot in the door, but you will also want to make sure that you look into other options that might be available to you. By taking the time to find something that you l ike, you can work in the IT sector and enjoy a career in your field for a very long time.

How to Turn a Seasonal Job Into a Full-Time Opportunity

How to Turn a Seasonal Job Into a Full-Time Opportunity I spent another great morning speaking about how to turn seasonal jobs into full-time opportunities at San Diego 6 News!  If you have a temporary job and you want to turn it into a full-time opportunity, you definitely to read this info. If you missed the segment, here are my tips:   How to Turn a Seasonal Job into a Full-Time Opportunity? Be a go-getter and do your best to stand out from the rest of the temporary employees Keep your eyes open for opportunities to showcase those skills your boss may not be aware of, and always offer to help with a project, stay late, or fill in for a coworker when needed. Pay attention to the business side of things. Keep a running list of potential changes or improvements that may help increase efficiency and profitability Make it known to your boss that you want a full-time opportunity.   No one can read your mind.   You have to ask for help. Even though my segment was about finding jobs in California, many of these strategies can be used no matter where you are searching for a job. What are some things you don’t want to do?   Some mistakes people make? Don’t think of it as a temporary job, think of it as a trial period before you get a full-time job, change your mindset and it will reflect your commitment on the job. Dont tell people you are really busy with school or family, etc. they will think you aren’t serious about a full-time job How can you use your network to land that full-time job? Introduce yourself to everyone that works there and attend all networking events.  Get to know as many people as possible. Identify the decision makers at your job who make the hiring decisions and get on their radar. What happens if it is over and you didn’t get an opportunity? Make the effort to keep in touch with both coworkers and bosses, because you never know where they may end up in the future. Social media tools like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter can be a great way to keep in touch with everyone and stay up-to-date on what they are doing. What if you get the job, how should you spend the first 90 days to make yourself successful? Establish expectations with your boss. Soak up as much as you can. Observe the culture. Say yes to lunch. Show enthusiasm. Write down your goals.  Have you ever turned a temporary, seasonal job into a full-time role?  What are your tips?

10 Ways to Encourage Employees to Build Your Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

10 Ways to Encourage Employees to Build Your Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career What is your top tip for encouraging employees to contribute to your company’s branding efforts on their own (like guest blogging, etc.)? The following answers are provided by members of  Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched  BusinessCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses. 1. Gamify the Process After many failed attempts to encourage spontaneous contributions, we decided to gamify and offer incentives. Internally, we created a system of perks and rewards based on the quality of retweets, the amount of shares on a blog post, etc.  At the end of a predetermined period, the employee with the most points was awarded a prize such as a mini iPad or some other cool gadget.   â€"  Marcela DeVivo,  National Debt Relief 2. Tie Participation to Performance Goals In our busy startup, even iPad giveaways couldnt get  people to  carve out time for blogging and social media. So our approach is two-fold: establish a content calendar and hold people accountable with performance goals. Thought leadership is everyones job! We are also big on company-wide shout outs and lots of praise for posts that get retweeted by Google, for example. In the end, its  win-win situation.   â€"  David Booth,  Cardinal Path 3. Give Employees Credit I see this happen a lot: junior members  never get credit for content they write. Make sure you help all team members build a body of work; it builds credibility for the entire team!   â€"  Zachary Johnson,  Syndio 4. Offer Them Incentives That Benefit Their Work We encourage employees to participate in our social media by offering up incentives that will benefit their accounts. For example, we do a Feature Friday on our social media channels that promotes one of our venues. Our sales representatives love this because it makes their accounts/venues happy.   â€"  Jayna Cooke,  EVENTup 5. Collaborate With Employees Help employees feel connected with content by sharing it around in office-wide emails, letting them pitch different story ideas and writing about what matters to them. If employees feel connected with the brand messaging, they are much more likely to share on their own social media or write for the company blog.   â€"  Aron Susman,  TheSquareFoot 6. Re-Share Their Content At times we monitor what our employees share  on their blogs or personal accounts when it comes to work-related posts.  Based on the content, we may re-share  it on  our main companys social media outlet. Their posts now  reflect the companys message.  The potential to have their content re-shared and spotlighted gives them additional incentives to incorporate the company brand in their social posts.   â€"  Souny West,  CHiC Capital 7. Help Them Explore Their Passions At One Month, people often come up with great ideas for blog posts without even realizing it. I just did this cool thing, is a great indicator that something could become a blog post. Try to  identify those moments and  respond with, That should be a blog post! Connect them with the right person internally to make it happen and develop the idea. Eventually it will become part of your culture.   â€"  Mattan Griffel,  One Month 8. Make It Competitive and Celebrate Contributions We recently ran an Instagram competition where the person who received the most likes was awarded a generous gift card. Our team was fighting tooth-and-nail to win, which produced great content and was a lot of fun.   â€"  Christopher Kelly,  Convene 9. Reward Participation But Dont Require It Id love if every team member wanted to contribute to our blog, to guest blog and to write for social media. I encourage it and give them the time they need to do a great job. But Im also aware that writing and promotion arent for everyone. If an employee is awesome at their job but hates writing, then so be it. Everyone contributes their best in their own way.   â€"  Vik Patel,  Future Hosting 10. Align Interests and Promote Individuality Encourage employees to create their own unique brand, then promote theirs and theyll promote the companys. The key is to align the goals and interests  of your employees with the companys and vise versa. Your  employees are not robots; theyre  unique and show that through their social media posts. But as long as they share common goals, theyll willingly help your companys branding efforts.   â€"  David Tomas,  Cyberclick

Resume Writing and Job Search Strategies

Resume Writing and Job Search StrategiesIf you are wondering what the resume writing and job search strategies should be, you should consider your credentials and what your skills are. Be specific about what you can do for the company and if you have ever performed similar work previously.This is important because the resume should always include your name, your work experience, your education and the experience level. With this information it is easier to find a position because everyone will know who you are. Having experience speaks for itself and everyone wants someone who has been there and done that.There are many possible reasons why someone does not apply for jobs as often as they could. Some people are sick, some have responsibilities that they cannot fulfill or simply do not want to leave their current situation. Others are worried about the reaction of their co-workers and may be nervous about appearing pushy in the application process. Whatever the reason for not looking for a job may be, it is important to show that you have the drive and desire to succeed.Before applying for a job you should prepare your resume by listing all the positions you have applied for and how many times you were interviewed. You should have a copy of the job description that you have submitted to the company with a cover letter attached to it.You should also have the resume on hand so you know what is required. One way to look professional is to have the resumes completed for the job available. The sales representative will not have the entire resume ready, but should have an address page included.There are times when you need to write a resume from scratch. You may be interviewing for a job and your resume did not go over well. Here you will also want to have a backup copy on hand, a covering letter and a resume in case you get caught short.When looking for a job it is important to include all the resume writing and job search strategies you have learned in order to get hired. These should include proper spelling and grammar and punctuation.Resume writing and job search strategies are also about being organized. It is not wise to let important information, like your employer's contact information, get lost in the shuffle. Be sure to create a chronological resume where each page is linked to the next and make a back up copy in case something should happen to the original.

Developing a Personal Brand for More Successful Job Hunting

Developing a Personal Brand for More Successful Job Hunting Today’s economy is everything but light; with a high demand of working force, enviable levels of performance history required and utmost professionalism understood, finding a job is, for lack of a better word, stressful. Regardless of the position, you are applying for or the company you are hoping to become a part of unless you have a solid reputation online â€" it’s highly unlikely you’ll be even considered. Whoever is running a successful entrepreneurship knows that a bulletproof online profile that communicates the employee’s personal success is the first step to even considering that employee. How is this online trend different to the typical job hunting methods?evalThese days it’s all about self-promotion, an appealing identity and maximizing your chances of attracting new attention online. To become successful in the job-hunting department, you need to establish your professional identity that will interest, attract and ultimately woo your future employer â€" all thr ough the social networking and profiles you build in that arena.How does personal online branding fit into the context of landing a job?As already mentioned, online connectivity is the ultimate way of communicating. An online résumé is your way of sharing your accomplishments publically Personal brands attract professional recruiters who use social media to do their scouting and vetting, so making sure your profile is up to speed is crucial. If you are looking for a job, that is.Ok, I got it. So, what do I do to brand myself online?It’s simple:Embrace multiple platforms for effectDepending on the profession you are in, different social platforms will work. Still, it’s always better to be present on multiple platforms than just one. To promote your personal brand, use Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, blog and any other online network you can think of. Still, make sure you are consistent with your web presentation â€" having a hard-partying rebel image on your Facebook an d a super-professional image on LinkedIn leaves recruiters with a bittersweet taste in their mouth and an ambivalent impression. If you don’t have any of these social networks, the easiest thing ever is to open one. Even better, you’d be starting from scratch with leaves very little space for error. The most successful business profiles to cultivate are by far LinkedIn and a professionally built blog. The only thing you’ll be investing is sometimes setting things up and browsing through WP Engine deals that suit your requirements. Build out your profiles as fully and accurately as possible and work hard to align your presence on every available channel.Pride on your accomplishmentsConsider your social platform is your arena of success. While our mums have taught us bragging about our own achievements is rude, learn to switch that tune. Any time you successfully complete a big project, show it off across all your social platforms. Update your platforms regularly with all the in formation that will have a positive impact on your business image. Get involved and reach outBeing engaged in the public discourse is key to building a reputation online. Demonstrate your expertise in the industry by showing you are engaged in all the currently trending topics and offer inputs, opinions, and solutions that will get noticed.evalGroups dealing with your specific field and discussions opened on topics you can excel at are the perfect opportunity for you to impress. You never know who’s looking. Also, don’t be afraid to reach out to a brand/company you’ve been secretly eyeing; everyone appreciates quality initiative!Keep in mind that the importance of developing a desirable online profile doesn’t relate to a specific audience only; if you don’t have an online business profile (and a successful one), it’s like you don’t exist at all. Once you build that personal brand, however â€" you are building a platform for business development, you are opening doors t o landing that perfect job and encouraging relationships with your potential partners in the years to come.

Should I Go to Grad School to Enhance my Career - CareerAlley

Should I Go to Grad School to Enhance my Career - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. If you are working you may be wondering if going back to graduate school could enhance your career. What are the pros and cons of going to grad school? Is it right for everyone? These are just some of the questions you may be wondering, and the answer is that it may be right for you, and it may not. Here are some of those pros and cons The Grad School Pro List There are some advantages of seeking to further your education and career by going to grad school. Depending on your current situation and the situation you see yourself in for the near future, it may be right. Here are some of the pros of graduate school: Advancing or Changing a Career If you are looking to go to a different job trade, such as social work or psychology, a grad school degree can open up that job path. It can also advance some careers that have higher degree of job trades at the higher education level. To Teach or Travel If you are wanting to teach at a college or university, getting a graduate degree will increase those chances. Most teachers start with a nice salary and get a pension when retired. Travel opportunities also open up when you have a good research degree, which can really be a boon to those that like to explore and see new places. Work Incentives There are some companies that will pay for a part of your education when you go back to work. Keep in mind there may be restrictions such as having to go for a job-related field but HR can help you with any questions. Earn More While this isnt a given, there are many graduate degree graduates that do not make more money, it is a possibility. However, keep in mind the two to three year (or more) commitment to earn that degree. The Grad School Con List There are also some real issues with going back to school after starting a job. Graduate school is not an easy task, here are some of the cons of going back to school: There Can Be Many Things Going Wrong While you may be able to get your grad school degree in a couple of years, there are always things that can go wrong. Your thesis may take longer, your supervisor may not like your vision, there can be money problems, you may not even get the support you need. Things to consider. Competition While some thrive on competition, others do not. There are not many spots in a graduate program and youll be in competition with others for those spots. Once in, youll still be competing for grant money and things like that. Stress Whether you are alone or in a relationship, the graduate school program is very taxing to the mind, body, and soul. You may not have the strength to take it to completion, especially if family starts to resent you being gone or studying so long. Going back to school is a serious commitment and deserves a thorough thought before signing up. Take into account all the pros and cons and see if it is going to be your best solution for enhancing your career. About the Author: Tina Samuels writes for Reputation.com and other business sites. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Joey Trebif

Dont Buy Into These Myths About Thought Leadership for Executives!

Dont Buy Into These Myths About Thought Leadership for Executives! Thought leadership is one of the best qualities any executive can have. When you are a thought leader, you have innovative ideas that help business move in a positive direction, all while influencing other employees as well. However, there are some myths you need to be aware of when it comes to thought leadership for executives. 1. You Must Be Perfect No one is perfect, and thought leaders don’t have to be either. Believe it or not, a good quality to improve your c-level personal branding is to admit you need to check resources to get answers to certain questions. Ensuring you’re providing the correct answers is much more important and enhances your credibility more than giving an incorrect answer immediately. 2. Relationships Aren’t as Important as Productivity A true thought leader places a high importance on building relationships. It will be evident to professional executive resume writers if you are a self-centered leader or if you are focused on building relationships as you become successful. Employers want to hire executives who build quality relationships as well. 3. Each of Your Thoughts Must Be Original Don’t be afraid to give credit where credit is due. Every great thought leader uses ideas from successful people before them and build off of those ideas to make their own. However,  if you think every one of your ideas has to be original in order to improve your c-level personal branding, you’re wrong. 4. You Must Control a Conversation The role of a thought leader is to present new ideas in creative and innovative ways. That doesn’t necessarily mean each idea presented is the best right away. Any time a conversation comes up about an idea you have, listen to the feedback instead of shutting the person down right away. You shouldn’t try to spark a debate or control the conversation. The top resume services suggest getting feedback from as many sources as possible before developing your idea and putting it on paper. 5. Once You Have a Great Thought, You’re Done Thoughts without actions are useless. All professional executive resume writers want to know is what actions you took to get a certain result. You can’t put a thought on a resume because employers won’t know what result happened from the thought. Put your thought into motion to have the best results as a thought leader. At Professional Resume Services, we believe thought leadership is one of the best ways to improve your c-level personal branding. If you need help determining whether you display the right thought leadership qualities, feel free to reach out to us at any time.