Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Key Decisions That Could Kill Your Business

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Key Decisions That Could Kill Your Business Numerous studies and polls have been conducted on the failure rate of small businesses. Some experts estimate that 50 to 70 percent of new businesses fail within the first 18 months. While those numbers seem bleak, we dont often stop to wonder whether these promising initiatives failed due to cultural decisions made along the way. Take a look at these three companies failures and the lessons learned the hard way. Wrong Environment In 2010, after Damian Kimmelmans London-based digital design agency, We Are VI, posted a loss of approximately a quarter of a million pounds and let go 25 staff members, Kimmelman, who was the sole owner, shut down the company. Last year, when Kimmelman discussed his businesss closure with CNBC, he blamed the failure on his having spent too much time planning and not enough time doing. We Are VI was unable to juggle the demands of its big name clients, he added, and said that it hadnt established a recognizable niche in the advertising space. He also claimed that the firm would have grown if it had stuck to a single, distinctive product offering. But perhaps most telling was Kimmelmans comment that he gave up the business because he really hated agency life. This suggests that Kimmelman wasnt fully aware of the day-to-day rigors involved with managing a creative agency, and a firm with an unenthusiastic CEO at the helm will not be able to survive in the long run. The lesson? Before you launch a new business, make sure that the type of company youre planning to run, including the company culture, is a good fit for you. For more decisions that could kill your business, check out my full post at the AMEX Open Forum.

Should You Really Write Your Resume Without Any Experience?

Should You Really Write Your Resume Without Any Experience?When it comes to resume writing, most students do not have much experience in this field. This usually puts a lot of potential employers off and is the main reason why they do not produce a well-written resume. So if you are a student looking for a job, the following article should help you prepare for your future employer by giving some tips on how to improve your resume.Firstly, you need to look at your CV and find out how many years you have had a job, where you have worked and what you have worked on. It is also worth finding out about any awards and recognition you may have received, as this can boost your chances of being employed in the future. Secondly, talk to people who know more about resume writing and ask them if you have a chance of improving your CV with experience. Although many people claim to be experts on resume writing, there are always a few out there who may not be able to write your CV.Thirdly, you shou ld make sure that your CV is eye catching, contains relevant information, and is formatted well. Then you should identify what areas are needed to work on, as this will help you make sure that your CV is perfectly prepared. Finally, check to see how this CV was completed. Most people tend to only see the end result, so make sure that your CV is well written from the start.Finally, when writing your resume you should check if it has been written properly. You should always check that all the information is correct and any grammatical errors have been corrected. By doing this you can ensure that any potential employer who sees your CV knows exactly what they are getting into.Do not simply get your CV together without checking that it is correctly formatted. A poorly written CV will look sloppy and even make your potential employer think that you do not know how to write a CV. Therefore, before you go ahead and get it printed, make sure that you check that your CV is written correctly and that it is formatted correctly.Another good idea is to gain some experience in writing a CV. This can be achieved by joining a CV writing course, which is usually held once a week at some place near you. Many of these courses are a week long and you should take advantage of this.By gaining experience you will learn some essential things that can help you when writing your CV. This way you will avoid some mistakes that students make and you will also be able to tell when a person's CV is badly written. By taking on this form of training you can actually make sure that your CV is written correctly and that it is ready for a potential employer to see.You will then be in a better position to find out which CV writing classes have helped students to be able to write their CV. The CV writing course should also tell you what areas need work on and what changes need to be made. By doing this you will be able to improve your CV so that it is ready for an employer to see.

Brand Yourself and Your Business Simultaneously - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Brand Yourself and Your Business Simultaneously - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career I get a lot of questions around the difference between branding a person, relative to a business. The main idea, especially with entrepreneurs, is to BE THE BUSINESS. When this occurs, you are both the corporate spokesperson, as well as the credibility and reputation behind the actual product or service. Customers will be purchasing based on your brand, as well as the offering. Personal brand spotlight G.L. Hoffman is a prime example of an individual who has become his business. When you think of JobDig.com or digging your job in general, he comes to mind. To me, digging your job is like career nirvana. Your job, in this way, becomes a mere hobby, instead of work. G.L. is a serial entrepreneur and wears other hats, such as a venture investor, operator, incubator and mentor. Hes also a blogger and writer for the US News and World Report.. Although G.L. may have put his hands in a variety of businesses, he recognized and applauds those who actually enjoy what they do for a living. Business brand spotlight JobDig is an employment-focused media company that delivers multi-channel recruitment advertising solutions to employers. G.L. also publishes a free weekly jobs newspaper and he owns LinkUp.com, which aggregates and publishes only jobs listed on corporate sites. G.L.s brand strategy So now your asking, what is so special about the way G.L. is marketing his brand? Why are you writing about him and not me? G.L. understands how important it is to build relationships virtually and in reality. We both had made contact a long time ago and rekindled our relationship about a month ago. G.L. has embodied his brand in a dog, which he has used as a stuffed animal (right), an award and all over his website. In this way, the brand becomes mobile, traveling from website to website and even into your physical hand (Thanks G.L.). In my opinion, G.L. has gone far beyond most marketers to deliver a product, some knowledge and an experience met by a brand. Key take-aways 1) Branding is not just about gathering as many links as possible to increase your visibility and standing in Google. Its about people viewing your logo, your picture and your name as many times as possible, so you are remembered. 2) Rewarding others (in the way I do with the Personal Brand Awards) is a great way to connect with another individual and the reciprocal nature of networking will reward you right back. 3) Going the extra mile by sending a gift in the mail goes a long way. A simple letter or promotional product is something that is not expected but always enjoyed.

Heres How You Can Get a Full Day of Work Done before Lunch -

Here’s How You Can Get a Full Day of Work Done before Lunch - If you are self-employed or if you have set tasks that you have to accomplish before you can go home then you will understand how frustrating it can be when those tasks take way longer than expected. You may find that you end up working in the office until the early hours of the morning and you may even miss out on spending time with your family as well. Luckily, there are a couple of ways for you to avoid this and by following these top tips, you may even be able to get most of your work done before lunch! Schedule Everything Every night, you need to write down the tasks that need doing, and how you are going to do them. It’s a known fact that organisation and productivity go hand-in-hand, so this can really help you to kick-start your morning. A lot of people make the mistake of overscheduling and this can cause problems if you miss the deadline on one of your tasks because everything else gets pushed back as a result. The solution to this is to create a light schedule that gives you a guideline as to when each task should be completed by. This way you have some wiggle room, but not so much that you can have a spontaneous 30-minute break. If you struggle to find time for everything, even with scheduling, then look into things like document automation as this can save you hours in the day. Clean your Office Clutter can be distracting. If you have sticky notes all over your computer reminding you of what you have to get done, then this can throw you off your game. For this reason, you need to try and clean your office the night before. When you do this, you can come in the next day feeling fresh, organised and productive and this can work wonders for your work performance. Wake Up Early If you really want to get things done, you have to get up in plenty of time. 6am is probably the latest you should be getting out of bed. If you know that you take longer to get ready in the morning, consider getting up even earlier to accommodate this. When you get up earlier, you have way more time in the day, you have a higher level of focus and you can also finish way earlier as well. Exercise There is actually scientific evidence that shows morning exercise can help you think better. It can also help you to work smarter and harder, which in turn, encourages productivity. You don’t need to sign up to the gym in order to get these benefits either, a quick 30-minute jog in the morning is more than enough for you to sharpen your mind and it can also wake you up as well. If you don’t think that you have time for this then getting up even earlier may be the solution. Sure, you won’t like it the first few mornings but eventually you will get into a routine and the results will speak for themselves.

Resume Writing For Senior Executives

Resume Writing For Senior ExecutivesIf you're looking to impress your prospective employer, you'll want to know some tips on how to make a resume. A well-written resume can help you land that high paying job in no time. Of course, your resume is not the only piece of work you should be submitting, but it does have a big impact on whether or not you get that interview.To be considered for a position, you will need to have a good resume. However, you might find that the question you often get when asked about the resume you have is 'what kind of senior executive job do you want?'. It's important to know what kind of job you want because then you can craft a resume that will showcase your skills and achievements in that field. Fortunately, there are many options available. Of course, a good resume writing for senior executives will focus on several types of positions.Senior executives are those who have held leadership positions in their companies for at least five years. This means tha t if you have worked in a company for the last three years, you would be a senior executive. There are many types of senior executives. If you find that you enjoy your current job, your resume could focus on these.Junior executives are also senior executives with less than five years experience in the same role. Seniority in any business comes from longevity in a position, as well as providing leadership. For these positions, a resume should focus on performance management. Such information is important if you hope to receive an interview.The job title itself is often used to determine an employee's level of authority. For example, the head of sales or a department head may have a different level of authority than a manager. In addition, if you have worked in a different department, you may have a different title than you currently have.Another consideration in writing a resume for senior executives is your work history. If you have a lot of experience, you will likely have more wor k history on your resume. However, many employers view all of your work experience as a resume that focuses on your education. Of course, this doesn't mean that your education is not important.Your degree will speak for itself. With so many options available in many industries, it's important to be aware of what type of senior executive position you are looking for. However, don't forget that education is very important as well. If you have special abilities, you should consider emphasizing those abilities when crafting your resume.With all of the possible choices for resume writing for senior executives, you should be able to create a resume that will help you land that interview. A resume is just one of the tools you will use. Other things such as interviews and references will also be used to determine if you are the right candidate for the job.

Summary Sunday New and Different Ways To Stand Out

Summary Sunday New and Different Ways To Stand Out In order to get noticed as a candidate or star performer today, youll have to try new and different ways to stand out. If you continue to do what youve always done, youll get the same results. So if you are reading this, I hope that means you are ready to try new and different strategies or approaches to your job search (and career). This weeks summary features tips on new elevator pitches, different resources within Indeeds job site, examples of what college graduates can put in their LinkedIn summary section, a different strategy to writing a resume and new ways of breaking out of your comfort zone. As you read these articles, think about subscribing to the sites mentioned and/or following their social media accounts so you can get their updates! NETWORKING 2 Ways to Create a 1-Line Elevator Pitch (Thatll Make People Want to Keep Talking to You) by Priscilla Tan | The Muse The title says it all- How will you answer the What do you do? question concisely and interestingly? Youll find two modern formulas to zoom in on a short but interesting answer! Start practicing your new pitch today! JOB SEARCH 10 Tips for Finding Your Next Job on Indeed [Infographic] by Indeed | The Savvy Intern by YouTern Make the most of your time on Indeed by following these 10 tips. I bet youll be surprised by all the information you can find and use in this infographic! LINKEDIN 5 Stunningly Good Graduate Student LinkedIn Summary Examples by Andy Foote | LinkedInsights.com The Summary section of your LinkedIn profile is too important to ignore. But what do you put in that section if you are a college student and about to graduate? See examples, good and bad, of what to write. RESUME A woman created a stunning résumé to land her dream tech job â€" it got her immediate interviews with Airbnb, Uber, and LinkedIn by Lisa Eadicicco | Business Insider While this story is from 2015, a strategy like this would work today! As the article says: What made Muflehs résumé so interesting to recruiters is that it doesnt really focus on her past experience, although an employer could find that on her résumé if they wanted to. Instead, it showcased her knowledge of the travel industry, what she could contribute to Airbnb, and areas she thinks the company should tackle next. CAREER 15 Ways To Trick Yourself Out Of Your Comfort Zone Forbes Coaches Panel There comes a time when you know you need to do things differently, but it can be challenging to climb out of your comfort zone. 15 career experts provide tips to help you break free!

Our latest CHO Academy was a huge hit - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Our latest CHO Academy was a huge hit - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog In June we had our latest?Chief Happiness Officer Academy, which is our longest and most intensive training on creating happier workplaces. The Academy was completely sold out with 25 participants from 15 countries (and a long waiting list) and it was a huge pleasure to share our tools and methods over three days with such an engaged group. The participant feedback has been amazing with an average rating of 9.7 out of 10. Participants wrote: ?THANK YOU! This was really fantastic.? ?I think it was just very well organized. You were just really good at taking care of us and making sure that everyone would get a good experience. The venue was perfect ? very personal and cozy and super inspiring. I would like to come back.? ?It has been really an amazing experience. Amazing students, amazing teachers, amazing future that we have outlined. I have found myself for my next career :) Thanks.? Our next two Academies?have been announced. They are: February 12-15 2019 in San Diego June 24-28 2019 in Copenhagen Read more about the Chief Happiness Officer Academy and sign up here. 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