10 Tips for the Perfect LinkedIn Profile

10 Tips for the Perfect LinkedIn Profile A LinkedIn profile isnt just any old resume, its a place to showcase your best assets and successes. But with  half a billion users on LinkedIn, theres stiff competition! A great LinkedIn profile can help you have more success in your job, whether its being seen by a potential client, partner, investor or even employer. Perhaps your profile isnt perfect though and could do with a few tweaks to help take it to on its way? Last year at Link Humans we published a guide on How to Build the Perfect LinkedIn Profile which was a huge success! This year weve teamed up with the good folks at LinkedIn to bring you 10 Tips for the Perfect LinkedIn Profile the latest facts and figures with an updated guide to the perfect LinkedIn profile. Heres a summary of the tips and stats from the guide: Be active LinkedIns newest feature is the ability to publish posts. Not everyone has been given this opportunity yet but it will be rolled out to everyone in 2014. As this feature starts to become ever more popular it could really help to get you noticed as a pro-active LinkedIn user. Its still important to join and be active in groups. Not only will this look good for potential employers or clients searching for you but will actually mean your profile is 5 times more likely to be viewed. The devil is in the detail Be sure your LinkedIn profile is completely up to date with as much information as possible. For example, your profile is 15 times more likely to be viewed by adding the industry you work in and 10 times more likely to be viewed if you add your education. Remember! A summary of 40 words or more makes you more likely to turn up in a future employers search! Be visual Make your profile stand out by adding rich media (videos, slides etc). Even just adding a profile photo could result in 14 times more profile views than someone without! Groups It’s still important to join and be active in groups. Not only will this look good for potential employers or clients searching for you but will actually mean your profile is 5 times more likely to be viewed. Volunteering Lacking in formal experience? Don’t despair! 42% of hiring managers surveyed by LinkedIn said they view volunteer experience as equivalent to formal work experience. For job seekers Lacking in formal experience? Dont despair! 42% of hiring managers surveyed by LinkedIn said they view volunteer experience as equivalent to formal work experience. Its important to showcase what skills you have, members who add skills get around 13 times more profile views. Did you know you can now reorder your skills and place more important ones at the top? How would you build the perfect LinkedIn profile? Wed love to hear your comments below!

Top 9 Career Podcasts

Top 9 Career Podcasts This is a guest post by Alexis Bonari. Whether you’re currently in the midst of a career change, you’re hoping to start up your own business, or you simply despise your job and you’re looking for other opportunities, there are numerous podcasts out there on the web that can help. Some podcasts touch on how to make smart investments or start up your own business, while others focus on how to succeed in a job search, or even how to deal with nasty co-workers and employers. Regardless of what type of advice you need in terms of your career, here are the nine most popular career-advice podcasts on the web: 1.             The Career Catalyst This podcast is specifically for business executives/professionals who are either in the middle of a career transition or are planning to start a new business. Each episode focuses on providing realistic advice to those who are searching for their perfect career path, and also highlights various job searching trends and tools as well. 2.             Career Tech Talk This talk show is considered to be one of the most popular career-advice podcasts on the web, and after listening to one of the episodes it’s easy to why. Each week the host interviews numerous career experts, innovators, and policy makers who have experience in both careers and technical education. 3.             The Job Search Boot Camp Show Some of the many topics covered on this Texas-based talk show include how to spruce up your resume, how to conduct an effective job search, how to ace a phone interview, how to negotiate your salary, and much more. 4.             Larry Olson’s Working Radio Host Larry Olson has experience in working at numerous California radio and TV stations, and has worked as a producer at KTLA Channel 5 in Los Angeles. Every Sunday night Olson educates his listeners on various complex and career-related topics, like health and retirement benefits, how to deal with your boss and co-workers, how to balance work and life, and much more. 5.             Secrets of the Job Hunt Check out this podcast to get updated on the latest job hunting secrets, how to update your resume and cover letter, how to find hidden jobs in specific cities, and so much more. 6.             48 Days This is the #1 career podcast in iTunes and is hosted by Dan Miller who is considered to be “the nation’s leading authority on work, career, and business start-up.”   Miller is best known for his book 48 Days to the Work You Love and No More Mondays, and not only does he contributes to various publications, he has also been a guest on CBS’ The Early Show, MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, Fox Business News, and much more. 7.             Sales Guy’s Quick and Dirty tips for Getting the Deal Done Whether you currently work as a sales representative, or you’re hoping to pursue a career in the sales industry, then this podcast is for you. Host Jeb Blount entertains listeners on realistic and to-the-point career tips on how to succeed in sales and ultimately bring in more money to both your company and your own pocket.   8.             Money Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for a Richer Life If you’ve been eyeballing the world of investment as of late, this podcast covers various investment topics, and some episodes include “8 Tips to Invest Without Too Much Risk” and “Smart Moves to Start Investing on Any Income.” 9.             Mind Your Own Business This podcast is “by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs” and is hosted by Guy Kingston, a specialist adviser and expert on how to successfully start up your own business, (and why businesses fail). One frequent visitor on the show is writer/businessman John Richards, who works as a company director and management consultant, and is also the author of The Bluffer’s Guide to Small Business, a best-selling business book in Britain. Bio: Alexis Bonari is currently a resident blogger at College Scholarships, where recently she’s been researching army scholarships as well as tips on finding architecture scholarships. Whenever this Work at Home Mom gets some free time she enjoys doing yoga, cooking with the freshest organic in-season fare, and practicing the art of coupon clipping.

Work that fair

Work that fair Its the summer fair season again (although I use the word ‘summer’ advisedly!) and plenty of opportunity for you to scan the job horizon and see what’s out there. Careers fairs can be quite daunting â€" particularly for the uninitiated â€" it seems everyone else is smoothly working the room, chatting to employers, picking up brochures and placing one foot firmly on the career ladder. In reality, many students fail to play the fair game and miss the chance to make a really strong impression on a potential recruiters. With some basic preparation and an open mind you can turn this around. Just make sure you know  how get the most out of careers fairs. We’ve got some great feedback from employers who came to our autumn term fairs and have a pretty clear idea about what they want to hear. Make yourself memorable for the right reasons. Heres what they had to say: Some of the best questions What is the companys direction in the short and long term? What is the best way to make my application successful? What motivates you to go into work every day? How has the economy affected your business? And the worst What do you do? Who are you? What are you about?  Not a good opening line What freebies have you got?  And yes, students do still ask this Can I have your number?  Its not an opportunity to pick up a date (the recruiters words, not mine!) In terms of general tips, the recruiters pretty much covered what was in the Guardian article, with much of the emphasis directed towards good research, commerical awareness and the right attitude: be confident, enthusiastic but also respectful. A careers fair isnt a social occasion â€" dont treat it like one. Im going to have the final word (its a habit Im trying to break) and remind you that many graduate and internship opportunities are open to students from any degree background. Dont count yourself out before you even started, keep an open mind and entertain new possibilities. Ok, that wasnt quite the final word, but this is: remember its our  Summer Careers Fair on Tuesday, 12-4pm in Rootes. See you there, just dont forget to read the  fair guide  first.

Compliance Officer A Career in High Demand

Compliance Officer A Career in High Demand Compliance officer? What’s that? Well, it may be the most interesting   job you never heard of. Managing a business these days involves a tangle of issues regarding corporate governance, management of human resources (i.e., people), governmental regulations and ethics. A compliance officer oversees, reviews and evaluates these issues and keeps a company operating on the straight and narrow both in terms of internal policy and outside regulatory requirements. It’s a career field that’s expanding, and positions are available in a broad range of industries including healthcare, telecommunications, manufacturing and the financial sector. As an interdisciplinary specialty, compliance calls into play skills in the areas of business, technology, law and ethics, both of individuals and of a corporate culture. Because the primary responsibility of a compliance officer is to ensure that a company is being run legally, he or she also needs to be fully conversant with all of the applicable standards and regulations of the industry it is part of. It’s an important job, and a challenging one. If you’re intrigued, here are the answers to questions you probably have: What’s a Typical Job Description? Specifics will vary depending upon the type of industry or governmental agency, but the basic duties and responsibilities of all compliance officers are similar. In general, they are: Analyze and understand the current regulations and ethical standards in the industry, and interpret them as to how they fit into the business operations of the company. Understand the underlying values of the company, establish and implement standard policies and procedures, communicate them to company employees via training and other educational programs, oversee their compliance and resolve violations of those procedures and practices. Continually review procedures, practices and documents to assess current and prospective risks facing the company, as well as the procedures to reduce that risk and effectively manage it. Collaborate with human resources, internal audit, legal and other departments for investigation and resolution of compliance issues. Serve as staff to top management and boards of directors or trustees to keep them informed and provide guidance on matters of compliance. Where Are the Jobs? Compliance officers are particularly in demand in financial institutions and within the federal, state and local governments. But working environments can vary greatly, from office settings to offsite fieldwork in outdoor and industrial plant settings. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, locations with the highest number of compliance positions are in the New York metropolitan area, the Washington, D.C. area and the Los Angeles metropolitan area, followed by the Houston, Chicago and Atlanta areas. Topping the salary scale are compliance jobs with tech firms in Silicon Valley. What Education Is Required? A bachelors degree is the minimum requirement for any job in compliance, but advanced degrees are generally required for positions other than entry-level. While an MBA or even a JD are appropriate grounding for the field, an alternative you may not be aware of is the master of legal studies (MLS). Offered by accredited schools like Santa Clara University School of Law, the MLS program is designed for people who want to learn the law but don’t want to become attorneys. It’s a course of study that combines broad legal knowledge with competency-based skills training and business ethics and is tailor-made for people who want to pursue careers in compliance. What Are the Personal Requirements? Above all, an excellent compliance officer is ethical and principled. Professional recruitment firm Robert Walters describes the quintessential personality of a compliance officer this way: Fair and modest. Willing to scrutinize all the facts without making a snap judgment. Intelligent and willing to keep learning. Most industries that employ a compliance officer are subject to constantly changing legislation, so staying on top of things is vital. Level-headed, clear communicator. One aspect of the job is communicating often confusing or abstract compliance-related issues across all divisions of an organization, so a compliance officer must have great people skills and be able to communicate up, down and across the employee chain. A compliance officer must be willing to see an issue through to resolution. Every time. A strong constitution and extra conviction. Solid backbone and the strength to stand by difficult decisions and be more influenced by right versus wrong than by relationships. Willing to take the lead in setting the tone for corporate integrity. Theres a great future in the field of compliance.   And its a career that is both challenging and rewarding.

Social Media ROI Is It Worth the Time - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

Social Media ROI Is It Worth the Time So much has been written and said about whether social media brings enough return on time invested. The key to getting value is choosing a few platforms and leveraging them well. We can easily get consumed and overwhelmed by dabbling in too much social media  , and making an impact with none. Running my business is similar to running an executive job search campaign. I tell my c-suite clients that, just as I do, they need to think of themselves as a company of one â€" Brand You â€" and determine what differentiates them from their competition, then promote that unique value they offer. Using social networks and social media helps you (and me) uncover opportunities, build community and brand evangelism, make connections with potential employers hiring decision makers, and demonstrate your thought leadership and subject matter expertise. In my opinion (and that of just about any career professional), executive job seekers MUST get involved with , at a bare minimum, just to keep pace with their competitors in today’s job market. But is that one channel enough? How many are too many? And how much time should you spend on each? It’s all about creating a realistic strategic plan, and understanding that social media has a cumulative impact. It takes time for your efforts to gain traction. Don’t expect too much to happen until after several months or more, depending upon how active you are and how quickly you build connections, followers, visitors, etc. Blogging, and Twitter are my social media of choice â€" the biggest pieces in my online brand communications plan. Here’s a taste of the ROI value of each for me: BLOGGING No question, most of my business comes through my blogsites. They are the single best tool for marketing my brand and the services I offer. I write a total of 2-3 new posts  each week on my two active blogsites, Executive Career Brand and Executive Resume Branding. By concentrating on SEO (search engine optimization) â€" using enough relevant keywords in the right ways and places, frequency, and building back links from sites with good Google juice â€" I’ve been able to maintain strong search results for the keyword phrases that prospective clients use to find careers industry professionals like me. Because my profile lands at the #2 or #3 spot in Google search results for my name, many click through to my profile and assess whether to do business with me based on what they read in my profile. And, many of my clients are members who find me through a search of relevant keywords. I keep working for me by: Making my professional headline SEO-friendly â€" it contains the keywords my target potential clients use to find people like me. Integrating my blog posts with , so that new ones are automatically posted to my profile. Staying active with the Groups my potential clients are active in. Growing my number of good quality connections, so that I have that many more second and third degree connections. Keeping my connections updated on my latest activities. TWITTER Twitter does require diligence and an active presence, but I happen to really enjoy keeping up with it. Good networking on Twitter, just as in real-life or on any social media channel, is all about giving to get. Ive built professional friendships with all kinds of people (other career professionals, executive job seekers, social media experts, entrepreneurs, etc.) with whom I’ve formed alliances. We help each other promote our brands and businesses. Ive supported my Twitter friends by retweeting them, tweeting their blog posts, spreading the word about them and referring them to good-fit clients. Theyve reciprocated by referring potential clients to me and referring me to their contacts in the media who are looking for career experts to interview and/or to contribute to their publications. About 10-15% of visitors to my blogsite come from Twitter. Those are people who probably otherwise wouldn’t visit my site. Every visitor is a potential client or may know someone who is. Here’s some of my Twitter strategy: Tweeting several times a day (except Sundays, and sometimes Saturdays). Making sure that the 4 most recent tweets in the Twitter stream shown on my blogsites are no more than a day old. Integrating my blogging with Twitter, driving more visitors to my blogsites. You can see that my choice of social media channels and strategy have great value in building my business. Similarly, as an executive job seeker, your own well-planned strategy can help you get the word out about your unique promise of value to the companies youre targeting and those who have first and second degree connections to hiring decision makers at those companies. You may not choose the same mix of channels I did. Find what works for you, create a realistic strategy and stay with it until things start to stick. Another benefit to your  efforts is that you will be positioned as up to date and  social media savvy  â€" qualifications more and more companies are seeking. You’re probably wondering why

Online vs. Traditional College How They Stack up - CareerAlley

Online vs. Traditional College How They Stack up - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Online education no longer seems like a scam or a joke. So many legitimate schools offer online courses free and tuition-based that students need not worry whether they are truly enhancing their future by enrolling in an internet-based program. Even so, the preference for a so-called traditional college education is high. Though more than one-third of all current college students have taken at least one online course, two-thirds are enrolled in exclusively in-person, on-campus programs. Students prefer to be inside classrooms but is there any real benefit to physically going to class? Might online education be more effective at conveying course materials while also offering convenience, flexibility, and affordability to students? This updated guide to online vs traditional college finds out. Benefits of Traditional Education It should hardly be surprising that there are benefits to this mode of schooling, seeing that it has morphed through the years to adequately address both student and teacher needs and is so widely popular around the world. Here are a few common advantages to traditional education: Hands-on instruction. When sharing space with their instructors, students can be physically directed in their lessons. This is especially useful in physical trades, like cooking or architecture. Collaborative learning. It is much easier to recognize, form relationships and work together with peers when students see and interact with fellow students in person. This might also bring a sense of belongingness, which can help engage students in their courses. Accountability. For some students, the inflexibility of traditional education seems advantageous because it eliminates the need for them to plan their week or the risk of procrastinating schoolwork. Physically seeing and speaking to peers and professors often forces students to be more accountable for their education. Studies show that having more control over the pace and environment of your learning can have very positive effects. For example, your ability to retain information diminishes after 25-30 minutes. And something as simple as changing scenery improves retention when studying. So the freedom to study when and where you want isnt just convenient its a grade booster. New York Post Benefits of Online Education Many of the benefits of online education are already well-established in other online articles but that doesnt make them any less true. Here are the widely recognized advantages of eLearning as well as some boons you might not have known about: Flexibility. Though some online programs follow a rigid schedule, most allow students to log on and learn at their convenience for a certain period. That means students can largely maintain their normal lifestyle full-time work, family activities, etc. while earning an online business certificate or other degrees. Lower cost. Generally, tuition for online-only programs is lower and online course fees rarely exist because universities save money when students learn over the web. Additionally, students can avoid the costs of relocating near a campus and commuting to classes. Greater engagement. Because professors cannot count heads in an online course, many require digital discussions or assignments to prove students are watching lectures and engaging with course material. This compels students to learn actively and interact with peers when they might have been more passive in a traditional classroom. Better outcomes. In a study by MIT, researchers found that online courses can be more effective than traditional education. Because online classes utilize multiple forms of learning, they help all levels of learners improve their knowledge and skill. Earning a degree online offers a high degree of flexibility. Deadlines for assignments, tests, and quizzes will be set usually in stone, and you will be expected to meet them accordingly. Tweet This LinkedIn Learning Price: LinkedIn Learning provides over 10,000 business, technology, and creative skills development courses designed for in-depth instruction and just-in-time microlearning Enhance Your Skills We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. Detriments of Traditional Education Everything that online education does well, traditional education does poorly. Thus, these downsides of in-person classes might look familiar: High cost. Between 1988 and 2018, tuition costs grew 213 percent which is more than double the inflation of all consumer items. Traditional education is costly, requiring physical space, energy, and supplies, but schools can obviously charge much more than that. Authoritarianism. Often, in-person classrooms develop an authoritarian atmosphere, where students come to rely heavily on the teachers assistance and the teacher refuses to accept student input. This stifles growth and creativity. Rigidity. The rigidity of traditional education precludes many would-be students from bettering themselves. Because certain programs only occur during certain times of the day, week or year, many students simply cannot make time to earn the credentials they want and need. source Detriments of Online Education Online education is new, so it should hardly be surprising that online programs still have a few kinks to be worked out. Fortunately, they are relatively minor, such as: Risky quality. Though the vast majority of online programs are legitimate and offer high-quality education, some are still scams. Students must be aware of the warning signs of dishonest programs. Intensity. Online programs are rigorous. They demand self-discipline and impeccable time management, and even so, they push students to their academic limits. While students can often float through traditional education passively soaking up knowledge, eLearning requires consistently active participation, which can be tiring. Hey Tutor Price: Learning is difficult sometimes. HeyTutor gets that. That’s why we need tutors. Finding the right tutor can be hard though. So HeyTutor decided to make things easier. Their website helps you connect so that you can focus on learning. learn new skills We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. Conclusion Though traditional education has had millennia to refine its format, newer and more advanced online learning platforms seem to offer greater opportunities for student success. Students should weigh their options before committing to any type of program to ensure they are doing whats right for their future. FutureLearn Price: Defy Expectations in IT and Computer Science. Who says you won’t make it in tech? Don’t let yourself fall behind the tech revolution. Defy expectations We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to launch your career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

Resume Writing Tips For Pittsburgh Business Analysts

Resume Writing Tips For Pittsburgh Business AnalystsResume writing is a very necessary process to land a job as a Pittsburgh Business Analyst. Business analysts are required to be creative and skilled in solving the questions asked by prospective employers. If you're looking for a job as a Pittsburgh Business Analyst, you'll have to write your own resume for each of the business settings that you apply.It's important to understand the process of resume writing Pittsburgh if you plan on applying for a position that requires this type of resume. This information will be helpful for you as you build your professional profile and further your career goals.A business analyst is responsible for researching and analyzing business management issues in their companies. You'll work closely with the senior management team to prepare these reports and then submit them to management-led groups. To help you prepare for this process, there are several factors that you should consider when creating your resume. In this article, we will discuss these factors and what they mean to you and your future employer.The first step in your Pittsburgh resume writing process is to make sure that you accurately identify your strengths and the goals that you'd like to achieve. Review your skills in the job profile section and make sure that they match what the employer expects from you. You can even do an assessment of your current skills to find areas of improvement.Next, review your qualifications for consideration in the Job Objective section of your CV. Be specific about the skills that you have and how you use them in your professional life. Then go on to provide a brief description of your experiences in your professional life. This section should also be extensive, but be sure to tell the potential employer what you have done in your career and your accomplishments.Youshould also take the time to address your leadership style when preparing your Pittsburgh business analyst resume. Th is section of your resume should reflect the decision-making process that you utilize when presenting ideas to the board of directors. Use examples of your leadership to help express how you could be an effective leader in the business setting.Finally, review your professional experience. List all of the jobs that you've held and any awards or achievements that you may have received. These details should be included as part of your key skills section. Include any reference numbers that are available and make sure that they accurately represent your professional history.If you've read this article, it means that you are ready to develop your own professional profile for your Pittsburgh business analyst resume. Now you can begin to research and organize your information to put your career in a positive light. Take the next few minutes to edit and create your first Pittsburgh business analyst resume.