July 08 Personal Branding Winner of the Month Norman Reiss

July 08 Personal Branding Winner of the Month â€" Norman Reiss Norman Reiss is a non-profit professional.  Want to know how good he is? Want to know how much he knows about and thinks about the non-profit space? All you have to do is check out his blog.  You get a good sense of his depth (how well he knows certain topics), breadth (how many topics he knows about in this space), and professional passion. Normans blog is excellent it puts his brand out there as a subject matter expert and a though leader in the non-profit space.  His tagline is Bridging Technology, Communications Development to Implement ePhilanthropy Strategies for Nonprofit Organizations, and all of his posts are so on-brand its awesome.   Here are some recent posts, and my comments on how/why they really show Normans brand: Mistakes Nonprofits Cant Afford to Make shows he is a thought leader and if he is YOUR nonprofit executive, you know hes strategy-minded. More ePhilanthropy Ideas from Around the Web keeps up with industry chatter and ideas remains current. Examples of Nonprofit Excellence in this post he has suggestions for the org that recognizes the excellence hes thinking about how to improve whats already there. Integrated Fundraising No Longer Optional understands industry issues and transformations. Notes from Fundraising Day, ePhilanthropy Symposium he works to stay current on industry trends, affairs, news, etc. Blackbaud to buy Kintera, but understanding of the technology issues in fundraising   Seriously, Norman gets it.  Ive been impressed for a long time, and Im happy to give him this award! Norman Reiss, congratulations!  You join a special group of professionals and have earned a coveted link from my monthly winner’s blogroll area (on the left), six months of  premium JibberJobber  (you can transfer/award this to someone else), and a cyber-high five! And, a  new addition to the prize list  is the  two hour (!!)  minute recording of Blog Marketing 201 501 (part of the  CEO Training for Me, Inc.   listed at $49.95 (but much more valuable than that!). Feel free to post the  You Get It award  on your site! Here are the past winners: September 2006  ClickDave    my review October 2006  Kent Blumberg    my review November 2006  Heather Henricks    my review December 2006  Adelino de Almeida    my review January 2007  Rob Humphrey    my review January 2007  Ariel Meadow Stallings    my review February 2007  Mike Schaffner    my review March 2007  Susan Johnston    my review April 2007  Thomas Clifford    my review May 2007  Rob Frankel    my review June 2007  Trent Hamm    my review July 2007  Katie Konrath    my review August 2007  Robb Hecht    my review September 2007 OOPS! I took this month off and didn’t realize it! Lucky me   October 2007  Tanya Ferrill    my review November 2007  Sean O’Donnovan  my review December 2007  Andy Shaindlin    my review January 2008  Kate Herrick    my review February 2008  John Halamka    my review March 2008 another OOPS! April 2008 another OOPS! May 2008  Morty Schiller    my review June 2008 Heather Gardner my review July 08 Personal Branding Winner of the Month â€" Norman Reiss Norman Reiss is a non-profit professional.  Want to know how good he is? Want to know how much he knows about and thinks about the non-profit space? All you have to do is check out his blog.  You get a good sense of his depth (how well he knows certain topics), breadth (how many topics he knows about in this space), and professional passion. Normans blog is excellent it puts his brand out there as a subject matter expert and a though leader in the non-profit space.  His tagline is Bridging Technology, Communications Development to Implement ePhilanthropy Strategies for Nonprofit Organizations, and all of his posts are so on-brand its awesome.   Here are some recent posts, and my comments on how/why they really show Normans brand: Mistakes Nonprofits Cant Afford to Make shows he is a thought leader and if he is YOUR nonprofit executive, you know hes strategy-minded. More ePhilanthropy Ideas from Around the Web keeps up with industry chatter and ideas remains current. Examples of Nonprofit Excellence in this post he has suggestions for the org that recognizes the excellence hes thinking about how to improve whats already there. Integrated Fundraising No Longer Optional understands industry issues and transformations. Notes from Fundraising Day, ePhilanthropy Symposium he works to stay current on industry trends, affairs, news, etc. Blackbaud to buy Kintera, but understanding of the technology issues in fundraising   Seriously, Norman gets it.  Ive been impressed for a long time, and Im happy to give him this award! Norman Reiss, congratulations!  You join a special group of professionals and have earned a coveted link from my monthly winner’s blogroll area (on the left), six months of  premium JibberJobber  (you can transfer/award this to someone else), and a cyber-high five! And, a  new addition to the prize list  is the  two hour (!!)  minute recording of Blog Marketing 201 501 (part of the  CEO Training for Me, Inc.   listed at $49.95 (but much more valuable than that!). Feel free to post the  You Get It award  on your site! Here are the past winners: September 2006  ClickDave    my review October 2006  Kent Blumberg    my review November 2006  Heather Henricks    my review December 2006  Adelino de Almeida    my review January 2007  Rob Humphrey    my review January 2007  Ariel Meadow Stallings    my review February 2007  Mike Schaffner    my review March 2007  Susan Johnston    my review April 2007  Thomas Clifford    my review May 2007  Rob Frankel    my review June 2007  Trent Hamm    my review July 2007  Katie Konrath    my review August 2007  Robb Hecht    my review September 2007 OOPS! I took this month off and didn’t realize it! Lucky me   October 2007  Tanya Ferrill    my review November 2007  Sean O’Donnovan  my review December 2007  Andy Shaindlin    my review January 2008  Kate Herrick    my review February 2008  John Halamka    my review March 2008 another OOPS! April 2008 another OOPS! May 2008  Morty Schiller    my review June 2008 Heather Gardner my review July 08 Personal Branding Winner of the Month â€" Norman Reiss Norman Reiss is a non-profit professional.  Want to know how good he is? Want to know how much he knows about and thinks about the non-profit space? All you have to do is check out his blog.  You get a good sense of his depth (how well he knows certain topics), breadth (how many topics he knows about in this space), and professional passion. Normans blog is excellent it puts his brand out there as a subject matter expert and a though leader in the non-profit space.  His tagline is Bridging Technology, Communications Development to Implement ePhilanthropy Strategies for Nonprofit Organizations, and all of his posts are so on-brand its awesome.   Here are some recent posts, and my comments on how/why they really show Normans brand: Mistakes Nonprofits Cant Afford to Make shows he is a thought leader and if he is YOUR nonprofit executive, you know hes strategy-minded. More ePhilanthropy Ideas from Around the Web keeps up with industry chatter and ideas remains current. Examples of Nonprofit Excellence in this post he has suggestions for the org that recognizes the excellence hes thinking about how to improve whats already there. Integrated Fundraising No Longer Optional understands industry issues and transformations. Notes from Fundraising Day, ePhilanthropy Symposium he works to stay current on industry trends, affairs, news, etc. Blackbaud to buy Kintera, but understanding of the technology issues in fundraising   Seriously, Norman gets it.  Ive been impressed for a long time, and Im happy to give him this award! Norman Reiss, congratulations!  You join a special group of professionals and have earned a coveted link from my monthly winner’s blogroll area (on the left), six months of  premium JibberJobber  (you can transfer/award this to someone else), and a cyber-high five! And, a  new addition to the prize list  is the  two hour (!!)  minute recording of Blog Marketing 201 501 (part of the  CEO Training for Me, Inc.   listed at $49.95 (but much more valuable than that!). Feel free to post the  You Get It award  on your site! Here are the past winners: September 2006  ClickDave    my review October 2006  Kent Blumberg    my review November 2006  Heather Henricks    my review December 2006  Adelino de Almeida    my review January 2007  Rob Humphrey    my review January 2007  Ariel Meadow Stallings    my review February 2007  Mike Schaffner    my review March 2007  Susan Johnston    my review April 2007  Thomas Clifford    my review May 2007  Rob Frankel    my review June 2007  Trent Hamm    my review July 2007  Katie Konrath    my review August 2007  Robb Hecht    my review September 2007 OOPS! I took this month off and didn’t realize it! Lucky me   October 2007  Tanya Ferrill    my review November 2007  Sean O’Donnovan  my review December 2007  Andy Shaindlin    my review January 2008  Kate Herrick    my review February 2008  John Halamka    my review March 2008 another OOPS! April 2008 another OOPS! May 2008  Morty Schiller    my review June 2008 Heather Gardner my review

How to Write a Resume For a Career Change Objective

How to Write a Resume For a Career Change ObjectiveWhen thinking about how to write a resume for a career change objective, it's important to remember that a resume is a tool that allows you to market yourself effectively. Having an objective on the resume will allow the employer to identify with your potential and guide them in what you have to offer them.An objective is important because it helps in narrowing down the types of skills you possess and the kind of work experience you are willing to talk about. The objective will also help in establishing the skills you have in a particular field that you are interested in. It will also help in developing a concrete roadmap on where you would like to head. Thus, it can make your career move a lot easier.Thus, one of the best ways to write a resume with your specific career objectives on it is to list out the desired objectives that you want to achieve before starting a new job. Include them in an outline format so that they can be foll owed while completing the resume.A resume is a document written to bring about specific results. So, it would be a great idea to include all your desired outcomes in the objective section. You can write down an example in a table format.A career objective should be concise, to the point and easy to read. You should be able to put all the data needed and at the same time, make the objective very personal. Personal details should be a part of the resume writing tips.One of the best resume writing tips for a career change objective is to use paragraphs that are focused on your particular objective. This will provide a lot of benefits to the employer who will see your resume as a means of communicating what you want from the new employer.However, if you don't need to put in the required amount of details, you can just emphasize on the first sentence. You can also use bullet points that will help you add more information on the resume. As a result, you can avoid the added extra paper cos ts of additional paragraphs and bullets.It's not enough that your resume is just short and concise. It's also important that you hire the services of a professional resume writer who will be able to guide you through the process of getting your career change objective written. Also, the same professional will be able to ensure that your resume is comprehensive and that it highlights your abilities.

How to start a quality conversation with someone you dont know

How to start a quality conversation with someone you dont know One of the hardest social situations to face is starting a conversation with someone you know very little about. You might already understand that the key to being a good conversationalist is to be a good listener; You need to ask questions that will get to the interesting part of someone, and then be truly interested in listening. You dont need to be extroverted to be a great conversationalist; you need to care about other people. You need to trust that you will find other people interesting because you are a curious, engaged person. The good news for introverts is that this means working a room doesnt require comfort with crowds as much as it requires comfort with yourself. The problem is that its hard to figure out how to get to that interesting part of someone. But heres some encouragement: Forty percent of young people think they are shy, and the percentage gets higher over time. However most people do not have a shyness disorder to overcome, they just need a little more practice. For example, Most socially confident people deliberately learn specific skills, like understanding the predictable format of a conversation with new people, and focusing on the topic rather than on how one is being perceived, according to Erika Casriel, writing in Psychology Today. So I found someone who is in this situation a lot, and actually gets paid for it: Moira Gunn, author of the book Welcome to Biotech Nation. Her radio show, Tech Nation, is known for introducing hard-core scientists to people who arent especially interested in science. She finds a lot of people to interview by going to the International Biotech Conference, and she does the interviews herself even though she knows very little about biotech. The way that Gunn gets such fun and interesting interviews out of her subjects is by not having a preconception of what theyll be talking about. She wants to find that spot where they are engaged and knowledgeable, because anyone on any topic will be interesting if they have that. She says the key is to be open to where the other person wants to go, and to listen. Its Gunns job to figure out a way to connect with these scientists and part of the fun of the interviews is hearing her do that, because its what we have to do all the time when we make small talk. Yes, the scientists are extremely smart, but Gunn says the hard part is to get them to the point where they are talking about something comprehensible. This is not about all the science someone needs to know. This is about what really connects with people, says Gunn. I have a rule. You get one strange word a segment. Whats an example? Nucleotide. One of Gunns favorite interviews was with a food safety researcher who ended up talking about mussels. He told her that you are only supposed to eat them in months that have Rs in them, because in June, July and August the water is warm and bacteria levels go up, and muscles are basically filters. Gunns favorite part of this interview wasnt even the science. Mr Food Safety is a vegetarian. Gunn laughs out loud when she tells me. She is great at small talk because she can go to the International Biotech conference and find comedy. Gunn has done interviews with difficult people for years, and by now she is able to get even the worst conversationalist into territory where he is interesting. But shes had a lot of practice. You have to practice making conversation if you want to be good. Building confidence is like learning to swing a golf club. It boils down to knowing what the critical skills are and practicing them. Even Tiger Woods still practices for hours every day, says Bernardo Carducci, director of Indiana University Southeasts Shyness Research Institute (also in Psychology Today). Of course, in order to practice this you have to open yourself up for some awkward situations. But there is no way to grow without being awkward at first, so try it. It feels good to be able to find the interesting thing about anyone you talk with. I find the more confident I am in my ability to do this, the more open I am to the whole world. After lots of practice I have a deep belief that everyone has something to offer if I can just get the guts to start the conversation.

How to Be Constructive Confident Without Getting Labeled Office Bitch

How to Be Constructive Confident Without Getting Labeled “Office Bitch” Unfortunately, most women in the workforce know all too well how difficult it can be to find your voice. Even the most powerful professional women struggle to speak up, share their ideas and assert themselves at work. While some may genuinely lack confidence, many are actually quite sure of themselves, but fear their confidence will be perceived as a bit “too much,” and they’ll be labeled as aggressive.  Virtually every professional woman faces this dichotomy: how not to be perceived as difficult or a doormat. It’s extremely frustrating, considering that our male counterparts don’t have this problem. When men communicate, it’s acceptableeven desirable and influentialfor them to be assertive and self-confident. It’s considered an attribute, rather than a flaw. But, women who don’t balance their confidence at work with healthy dose of modesty often face a backlash effect where they’re perceived as less likable â€" a  negative reflection on their personality. When we’re asked to provide feedback about our peers, our supervisors or organization, this can feel especially daunting because we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings or come across as mean.  But, we must overcome the fear of being seen as “bitchy” simply for being honest and genuine in our opinions. Instead, we must learn to give feedback in a confident, constructive manner, in a way that inspires positive change, without downplaying our own role or diminishing that of others. Here are some tips: Be direct, but also constructive. This is the difference between saying, “That was an awful presentation,” and “That presentation was really unclear and needs a lot of work.” Being upfront and honest are important.   But it does no one any good to be hurtful when it in no way helps the situation. The goal of giving feedback is for the individual to improve. But if your feedback doesn’t leave room for improvement, they’ll feel demoralized rather than motivated. Ditch the compliment sandwich. I’m on a personal crusade to end this practice of tucking a complaint between two compliments because it’s ridiculous. We’re all adults, and we don’t need to be soothed and coddled. The compliment sandwich doesn’t make the recipient feel any betterit makes YOU feel better.  Often the recipient misses your constructive criticism altogether, or they dismiss it because you said other, nice things, so it must not be that big of a deal. Cut to the chase and be clear. Give feedback frequently. Just like riding a bike, the more you give feedback, the easier it gets. Especially if you’re in a leadership role, make sure that your employees know where they stand on a day-to-day basis. Ask yourself: if an employee were to ask for a raise and you’d decline, would they know why? If the answer is no, you’re not doing a good enough job at giving feedback. Everyone deserves to know about their strengths, what they can work on to improve and to have a trajectory for continuous growth. When women feel forced to stifle our opinions or to temper our presentation out of fear of being labeled as “mean,” we undermine our own ambition and likelihood of success. And, any workplace culture that allows this dichotomy and double-standard to persist is robbing itself of valuable insight that could have a substantial impact on business performance. Women must feel comfortable giving feedback, and confident that their input will be heard and not ignored. Otherwise, companies risk losing out on the engagement and impact of a potentially very large segment of their workforce. No company can afford to sacrifice that competitive advantage. Your feedback is vital to the success of your peers and your employer. Finding your voice and learning to give constructive, honest input makes you a better employee and a valuable asset in your company’sand your ownfuture. This guest post was authored by Carley Childress Carley Childress is CEO of  Macorva. Carley comes to field of employee engagement from an engineering background focused in  software development and business management. Having worked for companies both big and  small, she is passionate about bringing startup levels of engagement to established companies  by developing software solutions that bring together global engagement strategies and local  action.  

BDO Profession Levels - Tips on How to Gain XP Quickly

BDO Profession Levels - Tips on How to Gain XP QuicklyThe BDO profession levels have become one of the most talked about issues in the community. For those who are new to the game, it is natural that they would be concerned about this issue and their profession progress. What exactly does this mean and how can you avoid this problem?When you reach level 10 you will be given three skill ranks that you can use to enhance the weapons you build for your character. For each skill rank you get, you will gain a skill point that you can use to buy an option or skill from a skill tree. This is a little different from the usual game where skill points are the equivalent to dollars in order to buy a skill. Here we are going to talk about the different skill trees and how they work.There are actually two profession trees to look at. The first is the melee tree and the second is the caster tree. These two trees are very different and each has specific options. However, as you make more skill rank s you will eventually want to expand into the other trees and be able to do certain tasks such as kill mobs for loot.The melee tree has options to build professions around war machines. These include swordsmen, axe wielding warriors and so on. They may also want to use ranged professions for hunting down rare monsters. Both classes have the use of a shield in order to block attacks.The caster tree is for the rogues who may want to explore professions that focus on evading enemy attacks. There are a few classes in the game that specialize in this type of combat such as monks and wizards. Having the ability to heal will be helpful when using melee professions but more importantly to the assassin, which will allow him to evade attacks easier.Two very useful professions are the gunslinger and the rogue. Using these will help you build up their strengths while focusing on dodging attacks and finding weak spots on enemy mobs.The trick is knowing when to use what trees. For example, having enough skill points in the caster tree may allow you to build some really good armor for your character. It will be nice to have a lower skill point in this tree though since it will be used for gathering resources instead. The only thing to remember when using this strategy is that you will need to build up to the skill rank for that profession before expanding on the next skill rank.These are just a few things you can do to avoid losing experience while leveling up in BDO career levels. There are several more things you can do but this is a very simple way to avoid losing your own skill points. It will also allow you to gain more XP faster in the long run if you want to be a specialized character that is focused on melee.

Writing Resume Goal Statements

Writing Resume Goal StatementsPeople who are looking for a job with an accounting firm may find that they have to write resume goal statements. The goal statements are actually very common with many companies, but if you know how to write them, you may find that it is easy to get the job.One of the best ways to do this is to organize your goals in a logical manner. You do not want to just come up with something at random and call it a goal statement. It will be much better if you write out your plan.Before you start thinking about writing your goals, you should decide what you really want to achieve. This can be difficult because of the amount of stress we place on what others think we should do. However, you should keep your goals in mind while you write them. If you begin to see your life in a different light than you originally thought, you will have difficulty staying motivated. This can prevent you from reaching your goals.The first goal you want to focus on is to improve your c urrent knowledge about accounting. After you determine your goal, you will need to choose the type of subject matter you will cover. You may write about an aspect of the firm's practices, or you may even find a book that you would like to read about.Once you have decided on your topic, you will want to find the most important goals that relate to your topic. They will help to tell the reader what you will cover. Then you will be able to put together a coherent statement that will be useful to the employer.The next goal you will need to focus on is the progress that you have made in the last year. What you will do during the next year is important. Even if you have started to work full time, you still have not met your goal of being fully employed. You should write about the progression you have made in the past year.Another important part of goal statements is the time frame you are going to cover. By doing this, you will be able to include things that are going to happen in the fut ure. It is good to use past and future statements together to make a single statement that describes your career goals. You should also give a date that you think will be when you will reach this goal.If you find that your goal statements are confusing, it is possible that you need to look at other sections of your resume. Instead of going back and forth on what you should say, you should ask someone else to do it for you.

LinkedIn Invites When a Potential Connection Quickly Becomes a Disconnect

LinkedIn Invites When a Potential Connection Quickly Becomes a Disconnect I receive a lot of invitations on LinkedIn and while I am happy to accept most of them, sometimes the invite process is so poorly managed that the last thing I want to do is connect. Since I seem to see the same LinkedIn  networking mistakes  repeated over and over, I decided to post them here. Here are my top four.Not enough information. I recently received an invitation from someone that read I would like to introduce myself. That was it. I searched their profile but all that was listed was company names, job titles, and employment dates. Please do not make me work so hard. Just give me the facts. Create a branded, detailed profile and explain to me what possible synergies we might have.Expecting too much too fast. Sometimes I receive invitations from people asking me if I know of any job openings. I dont even know you yet. If you take the time to get to know me first and prove your value to an employer I will certainly open up my network and help you if I can.Just plain laziness. Frequently I receive invitations that were simply copied and pasted from a LinkedIn boilerplate template. How can you send me an invite that reads you are someone I know and trust when I have never met you? Please respect me enough to send me a personalized invitation that explains why we should connect.Unwillingness to share. Some people send me invitations to connect so they can mine my database, yet their contacts are protected. I think the concept of  sharing  was covered in kindergarten. If you have no intentions of creating a reciprocal relationship, dont bother sending me an invitation.Two great books for understanding the mechanics and nuances of LinkedIn are  Im on LinkedInNow What???  and  42 Tips for 24 Hour Success on LinkedIn.  Study up and create a LinkedIn strategy that includes thoughtfulness, respect, and fairness and in no time you will be increasing your network exponentially and building meaningful connections.

4 Tips for Landing Your Dream Internship - Career Advice Blog for Millennials

4 Tips for Landing Your Dream Internship - Career Advice Blog for Millennials 4 Tips for Landing a Great Internship Internships can be incredibly important for a college student. If you’re an intern at the right place, you’ll gain experience you can’t get in a classroom setting. Securing a paid internship is even better it’s hard enough to make money as a college student, so earning money and gaining relevant job experience is a double win. Personally, I’m a huge advocate of internships: My editorial internship during my last year of college helped me land an amazing job right after graduation. Luckily, I had other relevant work experience prior to submitting my internship application. But what if I didn’t? 4 Tips for Landing a Great Internship If you don’t have prior job experience, it doesn’t have to be a dealbreaker. Here’s how to apply for and land your dream internship. 1. Tailor Your Cover Letter and Resume Yes, it’s still possible to personalize your cover letter and resume even when you don’t have tons of on-the-job experience. When it comes to a cover letter, each paragraph needs a main focus. In the first paragraph, talk about yourself: who you are, where you’re studying, how you found the job and mention any connections you may have to the company or internship. For the second paragraph, talk about why you’re a good fit for the company and internship. Incorporate key responsibilities and requirements listed in the job posting and connect any personal experience you have in the field. In the third and final paragraph, talk more about your own personality traits and skills and how they benefit you in the workplace. End the cover letter with your contact information and when you’ll get in touch. When creating a resume, keep in mind any of your important classes, volunteer work or extracurricular activities. Write down why you pursued them and what you learned from each experience. It’s also important to tailor your resume to the internship you’re applying for. Your resume for a social media internship would look much different than one for a financial firm regarding what relevant experience you’d want to include. 2. Make the Most of LinkedIn LinkedIn is a social network college students can easily overlook. Building a strong LinkedIn profile can help you stand out among your classmates. If you haven’t already, create a free profile and make sure everything is up to date. Include any relevant career experience, whether it was a paid job or not. You could also list relevant coursework or skills you learned in college, such as your proficiency with certain programs. In need of a professional headshot? Whatever you do, don’t use a selfie as your profile picture. Have a friend take one for you, or see if your school’s career services center offers a free headshot service mine did! Now that your profile is updated, it’s time to make connections. Start with fellow classmates, professors and any co-workers, then look for companies you’re interested in and follow them. It’s important to build out your network with connections you already know before adding connections you’ve never met before.   Introduce yourself to anyone you haven’t actually met with a brief message on why you want to connect. 3. Research the Company Interviewing for an internship requires a little bit of research beforehand. Look into the company you’re interviewing with know its basic information, goals, values and culture. When researching the company, come up with a few questions to ask. This could be anything from what the company’s strategy is, to examples of projects past interns worked on. Take note of the environment too. If you’re interviewing with a casual startup company, you might not want to go decked out in your finest formal business attire. When I was interviewing for internships, I had multiple different outfits depending on the company. I had my business outfit for formal workplaces and a more casual, yet still professional, dress and flats for more laid-back companies. Showing up with the right outfit on shows you’re on top of your game and know how to fit in.   4. Always Follow Up I learned this lesson the hard way. I went on an interview that went really well but waited a few days to follow up I was told they were choosing another candidate because I had waited too long. After that, I made sure to follow up with anyone I interviewed with on the same day. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated just send a quick email thanking them for their time and that you look forward to hearing from them. This gesture is small, but so important. Similarly, a lot of people apply to jobs on LinkedIn and other job board websites, and never follow up. If you submitted an application online and didn’t hear back, try to find out who the hiring manager or human resources person is and contact them via phone or email. It could mean the difference between getting called in for an interview or not.   Armed with these tips, you’re ready to apply for your dream internship. Good luck! Jacquelyn Pica is a writer at The Penny Hoarder. Find her on Twitter @JacquelynTPH.