More Prizes for the 5th Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest

More Prizes for the 5th Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest 12 As the countdown continues until competition begins on August 1, some new sponsors have joined the contest, bringing new prizes with them. Don't miss the important contest update at the bottom of the article. New prizes! New prizes! Thank you to our Silver Sponsor: Freelancer.com Freelancer.com is the world's largest outsourcing site with over 2.6 million registered professionals from over 234 different countries and territories. Through our website, you can hire freelancers to do work in areas such as software, writing, data entry and design right through to engineering and the sciences, sales and marketing, and accounting legal services. The average job is under US$200, making outsourcing for the first time extremely cost effective for small businesses. Simply post your first project for free and watch all the freelancers bid to do your work. A second early bird prize US$50. Sponsored by Freelancer.com. ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT: There are now 2 early bird cash prizes that will be chosen at random from all the contest submissions received before Monday August 1st, 2011.eval We've now doubled your chances of winning money if you get your entry in by next week. As the old Nike tagline goes, JUST DO IT.eval Thank you to our Bronze Sponsor: Recruiting Animal Animal is the host of a rowdy online call-in show about recruiting and careers. In April 2006, he founded the Recruiting Animal blog, then, in March 2007, he started The Recruiting Animal Show, the only online call-in show about recruiting in world history. In addition to over $2500 in other prizes, as the first grand prize winner you will earn the chance to appear on Animal's popular show, if you can handle the heat. Announcing the Judges' Choice prize US$100. Sponsored by Freelancer.com. The Judges' Choice prize will be the overall favorite guest post as voted by the contest judges (who will be announced later), regardless of how well the guest post performed in competition for the other prizes. The idea behind this prize is that sometimes the contest has great posts that for whatever reason don't perform well, and this is a way one of them can still get some recognition. Thank you to our Bronze Sponsor: Jason Alba and JibberJobber “So what is JibberJobber? Is it a job search tool? Is it a networking tool? It is more like a personal relationship manager that allows you to do everything you need to do to manage a job search and optimize your network relationships â€" for the duration of your career!” The first grand prize winner will win free access to Jason's paid webinar “Blog Marketing 201-501”, about how to promote your blog (a US$100 value) and a copy of his upcoming book, 8 Lunches. Guest blogging contest update There are less than 15 spots remaining to compete for over $4000 in prizes. However, at least 5 different people have told me that their article is being worked on so you have less time than you realize. Get cracking. ENTER NOW (will open in a new window/tab so you can still enjoy the gallery of business cards)

How to Write a Resume

How to Write a ResumeResume writing is a critical element of being hired for a job. Your resume is the first thing an employer sees when they go to review your qualifications. If you are hoping to land a position with a company that is actively seeking new employees, it is essential that you follow certain steps in writing a good resume.Prior to beginning your resume, you need to ensure that you have the proper information on hand to begin with. Not having all of the correct information will cause a lot of wasted time and potentially end up with a poorly prepared resume. With this said, you will want to make sure that you already have a complete understanding of what your job duties and responsibilities will be, as well as what skills you have.To get you started, there are a few things that you should be prepared to know regarding how to write a resume. It is imperative that you understand the correct format for each section. If you are unsure of what to put in what specific sections , then do not worry about it as there are many great online tools that can guide you in developing your resume.The first step to how to write a resume is outlining. Your outline will help you organize your resume by categorizing everything that you have listed. Be sure to make every section concise so that it flows well and is easy to read. A well-organized resume will be easier to read and understand.The next step is to break down your resume into sections. You will want to put the most important items first so that you can be sure that they are included in your resume. This helps to make it easier to read and understand.The third step is to create a table of contents for your resume. This will keep the sections of your resume straight and will make them easier to navigate through. Additionally, it will also help you remember what each section is talking about.Lastly, you will want to include your contact information, education, references, as well as work history on your resume. Y ou should always list them on your resume as well as in the appropriate spaces at the top of the document. The contact information can come in a variety of ways. You can include a mailing address, phone number, email address, or even a business phone number.The above are just a few tips on how to write a resume. While you may find that it is a somewhat time consuming process, you will find that you will be able to write a great resume much faster if you write it yourself. However, if you do not feel comfortable with this, you can always hire a professional to write a great resume for you.

10 Office Snacks That Can Keep You Motivated

10 Office Snacks That Can Keep You Motivated The infamous  mid-afternoon energy lull effects even the best of us. A study has shown that the least productive time of day is 2.55pm (which ironically is when cat video views boom!) and lethargy and tiredness creeps in. This is the time you need to get up from your desk, move your feet, grab a drink, and more importantly eat some brain food! So what are the best things to eat when you encounter this dip in motivation? Read my  list of top 10 office snacks that can get you back in the zone to  take full advantage of your last few hours at work: 1) A banana: Ahh, the old classic office snack, the banana. The banana is 100 calories of goodness, and perfect for getting your through the afternoon. Bananas are a very good source of vitamin B6 and a good source of manganese, vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, potassium, biotin, and copper. Why WOULDNT you eat a banana? 2) Almonds: As well as being darn  delicious,  almonds  are equally as nutritious!  Almonds can actually reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease, and they can lower your cholesterol. Almonds  are packed full of Vitamin E, which  is proven to boost brain power and can even prevent Alzheimers. They are also the perfect snack to keep at your desk as they cant go bad or go stale. 3) Carrots and hummus: This one takes a bit of preparation, but is definitely worth it! Carrot and hummus is a healthy snack that will tide you over until hometime, or it could even be a part of a balanced lunch!  Carrots will leave you feeling refreshed and the hummus is protein rich so will keep you fuller for longer. 4) A cheesestring: As well as being an incredibly fun, handheld snack, cheesestrings are crammed full of calcium and protein. Cheese also contains an amino acid called tyrosine, which is actually proven to make us feel happier! Wooohoo for cheesestrings! 5) Biscuits: Its all well and good eating healthy food in the office, but sometimes biscuits are the only answer. Keep a biscuit tin full of your favourite sweet snacks and have one when you need a pick-me-up. Dont eat them all at once though! 6) Yogurts: Im sure youve all heard about the benefits of eating yogurts from the dancing ladies on TV adverts, but ill tell you all once more! Yogurt is packed full of protein and calcium and includes nutrients such as vitamin B-2, vitamin B-12, potassium and magnesium to name a few. Its an easy snack to keep in the office fridge and snack on when youre peckish. Just dont forget your spoon! 7) Dried strawberries: If youve never tried dried strawberries before, you are missing out!  When buying dried fruit, make sure you check the ingredients as sometimes unnecessary ingredients are added for taste. Dried strawberries are particularly nice, and perfect for those with a sweet tooth! 8)  Seaweed: This is definitely more of an unusual choice but is becoming more and more popular with the health conscious. Snack packs of dried seaweed are  now widely available in supermarkets and grocery stores. They are high in fibre and protein and a whole packet is usually only about 25 calories! 9) Fruit and nut bars: If youre looking for a mid  afternoon pick-me-up, fruit and nut bars are a great option!  There are so many options to choose from when buying your bars but, but why no make your own?  This way you can add all your favourite things but still monitor the ingredients that go into your bars. You can find two great healthy fruit and nut bar recipes  here and here. 10)  Blueberries: Its official, blueberries  = brain food! Why not keep some blueberries on hand to ease your  hunger? Its scientifically proven that blueberries can improve your memory and keeping it stronger for longer.  Some researchers have even claimed that eating blueberries can even reverse some age-related memory loss. Get yourself  some blueberries, pronto! Have you got any other office snacks youd recommend to others? If you do, make sure you let us know!

How to Create an Impressive E-mail Signature

How to Create an Impressive E-mail Signature Creating an e-mail signature may seem like an easy task, but when you sit down to actually get to it you find out that it can be rather confusing.   You may start adding so many things that you end up having a signature that could be even longer than some of your e-mails.   Having such a signature would be detrimental to your career as some people would rather not look at long e-mails, and that would have them not seeing the information you would want to provide, such as a sales quote or a partnership request. To help you avoid the above scenario, here are a few tips that you can use when creating an e-mail signature: 1. Keep it short: The acceptable number of lines for a signature is 4 lines.   You may do less, but do not do more.   Remember that you can use colons or pipes to separate text and indicate that the next set of words are a different idea or item already. 2. Use HD graphics: If you do decide to use a logo, do your best to find the best copy.   If it is to be scanned, go for the higher dpi and then just scale it down to size. This would make the logo look sharp and you would be able to avoid pixilation should that logo to blown up somewhere. 3. Contact information: A lot of people get confused in this area, so there would be a few sub tips under this: Do not add your actual mailing address unless absolutely necessary. In this day and age, not all people would go to your office for a face to face meeting. Your contact information would suffice. Do not place multiple phone numbers and e-mail addresses, as this could confuse people.   They would want to have the contact information that would get the fastest reply.   Choose the best way to contact you for each medium (if you have multiple e-mail addresses, get the one you monitor the most.   The same goes for phone numbers). Some people include their Skype and IM details in their signatures. That is fine only if you monitor those two methods of contact constantly, and you expect to get calls through them.   If not, then do not include them in your signature. 4. Web addresses: Avoid hyperlinks, as they would no longer work in some instances.   There are mobile devices that would not recognize them, and you would want these “clickable” by anyone.   Expand to the full URL as much as possible. 5. Formatting: Be careful when you use special formats, even HTML.   These do not translate properly on some devices.   You can stick with plain text (though most prefer not to).   If you do go for HTML, be sure to test out your signature on multiple e-mail clients.   What translates well on outlook would not necessarily look good for others. RELATED:  What Is the Best Resume Font, Size and  Format? 6. Quotes: you might want to attach an inspiring quote or one that helps you get through the day, but it would not be recommended.   Although you find the quote really positive, others may take offense for one reason or another.   To avoid that, just skip the inspiring message. RELATED:  The Best Career  Quotes  of All Time Do note that in the age of the Internet, lengthy does not necessarily translate into something positive.   With the number of mail that people send and receive daily, they would be really appreciative of concise messages.   The same would definitely go for the e-mail signature.   One glance and they would see all they need to see.   The experience would just get better when they find out that all the information they see on the signature, they can use.   So think things through, have the best signature and impress your clients and colleagues.

What Order Should You Put Related Experience When You Are Writing a Resume?

What Order Should You Put Related Experience When You Are Writing a Resume?Resumés that ask the question, 'In what order should you put related experience when you are writing a resume?' are usually seen in places where hiring managers get a glimpse of their past employment records. A resume with the correct chronological order is essential in both the initial hiring process and also during the hiring process to build a good working relationship with potential employers.Even after you have finished your work for the day, a resume can often be seen being sent in for review and approval before it will be distributed and used by potential employers. Resumes can be viewed for any number of reasons, but sometimes the initial look is just to be able to make sure that your past records match the current work that you have done and not to make sure that all of your work is fair game for the selection process.If you find yourself asking this question as part of the resume writing process, th en it is important to know that the time to answer the question is when the resume is first being drafted. The reason for this is that employers are likely going to be viewing your previous work on a work history side-by-side with the resume itself. The best idea is to start the placement process by showing how all of your related experience was part of the resume.One reason why you might be asked the question in what order should you put related experience when you are writing a resume is because there are times when certain resumes are sent to the same job position. It is quite common for the hiring manager to request that you submit a resume for the opening in which you want to apply. In many cases, the hiring manager wants to review a few different resumes to ensure that the person who is applying for the position has the qualifications necessary to fill out the position.The best idea when answering the question, 'In what order should you put related experience when you are writ ing a resume?' is to provide a sample resume. When showing the resume to potential employers, include a sample that is arranged in a chronological order based on the specific job position that you are applying for.When filling out your resume, you can answer the question, 'In what order should you put related experience when you are writing a resume?' By giving potential employers a glimpse into the job and education that you have completed, employers can make a determination as to whether or not you are a good fit for the job opening that you are applying for.Another reason why the question, 'In what order should you put related experience when you are writing a resume?' is so important is because it helps to keep the job searches that are submitted to the employer's general pool organized and manageable. If an applicant fills out several different resumes and then only includes a small portion of the information in one of them, it is going to create a disorganized job search and s ome applicants might even be passed over completely due to this organizational problem.When filling out a resume, it is easy to get caught up in the details and it is easy to forget to include pertinent information about yourself. With a job search that is arranged in a logical and orderly manner, you will be able to display more of the information that you have accomplished over the course of your career, which is what potential employers look for in a resume.

Finalist for COTJ Mascot Naming Contest Revealed Vote For Your Favorite!

Finalist for COTJ Mascot Naming Contest Revealed Vote For Your Favorite! 8 Flares 8 Flares Wow.  Thats about all I can say after reading through  your suggestions for COTJs new logo.  I thank you, and so does our soon to be named Corn on the Cob guy.  We thank you, from the bottom of our stalks Lets get down to bizzy, shall we? The Finalist! While there were so many fantastic name suggestions, Ive selected four that I like best.  Please leave your vote in the comment section, and help one of your Corn Heads win $50!  Here are the finalist! A. Bob Submitted by Jonathan Hyland B. Cornelius Submitted by Lindsey Tramuta C. Dale Submitted by Marian Schembari D. Colby Submitted by Anna WINNER CORNELIUS!!! Congratulations to Lindsey Tramuta for suggesting the winning name!   Out of 33 total votes, 29 of them belonged to Cornelius!   Thank you to everyone who participated!

9 Achiever Capabilities You Need To Keep Advancing In Your Career

9 Achiever Capabilities You Need To Keep Advancing In Your Career As you come across Career Gates â€" those times when you need to show you’ve “got what it takes” in order to keep advancing â€" what’s the “right mix” of capabilities you need to “Learn, Do and Show” to others? All of us achievers want to know the answer to that question. And it’s important to keep asking it because the answer changes over the course of your career. However, the right answer is hard to come by. Sometimes, people fob you off with “just keep doing what you’re doing” (which is the worst career advice of all) because they’re too busy focusing on their own careers, or don’t want to risk offending you with the truth. Well-meaning people can give conflicting advice. And in the end, it also needs to be tailored to your own unique set of attributes, assets and abilities. To make matters more complicated, it’s not something we can easily see for ourselves because we’re so close to the situation. Three dimensions to help you find your answer Well, over the years through my own 24-year career and now through helping my coaching clients navigate their leadership and career challenges, I’ve come to see that there are three main categories of capabilities you need to “Learn, Do and Show” you’ve mastered for the role and level you’re aspiring to: Working with People â€" the way you interact with others matters since none of us succeeds on our own Working on the Business â€" the ability to deliver results matters whether you’re in a business, non-profit, higher education or government setting Working on Your Self â€" your most important asset is you, and the investments you make in this category is completely portable and therefore never wasted And across those categories, I find there are 9 capabilities that can make the biggest difference. Before we move on to the specifics of the 9 Capabilities, it’s important to note that these three dimensions â€" People, Business and Self â€" are all equally important, and you’ll want to make sure you’re building your career muscles in all three. While one of the categories will come more naturally to you than others, don’t fall into the trap of becoming lopsided in your approach. Being over-reliant on just one or two aspects has stopped many achievers from advancing beyond a certain point in their careers. For example: Don was a commercial animal. He delivered results like no one else. Yet, he was a terror to work for and chewed through junior associates. He aspired to run bigger parts of the business, but ultimately topped out because he was seen as a lone wolf producer who couldn’t lead a team. Jean was all about her team and taking care of her people. But management worried that she was so nurturing that she wouldn’t make the tough decisions or have the commercial drive to deliver on the numbers for a larger unit. Would her concern for people completely overshadow the ability to deliver results through those people? Was she even focused on results? Bob had great business acumen and showed he could lead a high performing team. However, as his business unit became more and more successful, his previous confidence now came across as arrogance. This lack of self-awareness was what ultimately brought his career to a plateau. So, don’t let that be you! 9 Achiever Capabilities That Will Serve You at Any Career Stage Working on these 9 Achiever Capabilities will stand you in good stead no matter what your role, industry or career stage. And working on them will put you in a much better position to pass through your Career Gates whether or not you’re aware they’re there. Think of these Achiever Capabilities as muscles that you need to continually use and keep in shape. These aren’t like school papers that you turn in and never look at again â€" they’re living, breathing capabilities that you need to keep fresh. In fact, these are “evergreen” capabilities you’ll want to return to over and over again to develop in an increasingly advanced and nuanced way because they will help you keep progressing to higher levels of excellence as you advance in your career. And the more you work on them, the better you’ll become, the more natural they will be, and you’ll be on your way to creating a virtuous cycle that can lift your career onward and upward. Working with People: Stakeholder Management â€" building relationships with key people who have a say in your business in order to get the backing you need without being “political” Team Leadership â€" becoming a great leader who is a talent magnet and builds a strong bench of leaders around you so that you can achieve greater results and make a positive difference in the organization and in the lives of your team Communication & Influence â€" being clear, engaging and effective in getting your point across, and having the versatility to influence in different situations and in different ways so that you can get things done when you lack or want to preserve authority Working on the Business: Vision and Strategy â€" developing a bigger vision for what your business could be beyond what it is now, and having a strategy for owning that “space” so that you can produce better results and earn a seat at the table with senior management Decision-Making â€" preserving your decision-making capacity so you can crisply make the ones that really count, learning to frame the key decisions to get to the best outcomes so that you can be seen as a decisive leader with good judgment who is worthy of advancement Creating New Business â€" being a “rainmaker” who delivers commercial results and grows the pie regardless of where you sit in the organization so that you can contribute to driving the business forward and earn greater opportunities for advancement and recognition for you and your team Working on Your Self: Self-Awareness â€" being attuned to how you come across and able to self-manage in order to achieve the results you want Presence and Profile â€" managing your brand, reputation and visibility so that you increase the likelihood of getting opportunities to put your best abilities to work in arenas where you can make a difference, advancing your business and your career, and providing greater opportunities for your team Building Your Network creating a group of people where there is mutual trust, respect and support, including mentors, sponsors, and raving fans, so that you can be in a position to be your best self and make the difference you were meant to make in the world Focus On The 1-2 That Matter Most Right Now Now, it’s hard to work on 9 things at the same time and, frankly, I don’t recommend it. Instead, it’s about identifying the one or two that will make the biggest difference to your progress if you were to focus on them right now. You may know intuitively what they are, or perhaps you’ve been told in your latest performance review. If you don’t, then asking a few people you trust will help reveal them. So, take a look at these capabilities and identify which ones are your strongest, your most challenging, and the single most important one for you to work on right now to advance your career. And by the way, the one to work on right now is the one that gives you the biggest boost â€" it may not be the area that’s weakest or most challenging for you. It may even be your strength that you need to lean into. It’s the one that will most move the needle for you now and in the future. Where do you get the greatest benefit from investing your energy to improve? To use a sporting analogy, these days, careers are more like a decathlon than a single athletic event. You’ll have a better chance of winning when you engage in cross-training and working on multiple dimensions in combination, whether that’s strength, endurance and agility in the fitness world, or People, Business and Self in your career context. If you’re an achiever who wants to advance in your career then you’ll need to equip yourself with the skills, experiences and capabilities needed to succeed at every stage. Which ones are most pressing for you to address right now?