Why Good Grammar (and Teeth) are Important for Getting a Job

Why Good Grammar (and Teeth) are Important for Getting a Job Earlier this week, the online dating website Match.com released the results of a study on what singles look for in potential dating partners. The results weren’t particularly surprising, but the prioritization was. Number one on the list â€" nice teeth. Number two â€" good grammar. It makes sense. A first date is an introduction to what could possibly (and for some, hopefully) be a long-term relationship. And who wants to spend the next several years of their life with someone who sounds uneducated…or who has bad teeth? It’s not hard to make the analogy to a job interview. Again, we’re talking about an introduction that could potentially lead to a long-term relationship between an employer and employee. Granted, nice teeth will probably not get you the job (though we have established that appearance does play an important role in the workplace). Grammar skills, on the other hand, are essential! There are a number of reasons why someone may use poor grammar. Whether it be cultural background, educational background or simply not knowing the difference between good or bad grammar, here’s an important piece of advice when interviewing for a job: learn the difference in good and bad grammar, and know when to use it. Every good performer knows his or her audience, and plays to it. No matter how talented a pop or hip-hop artist may be, they know that their music probably would not be well received by the audience at a Royal Philharmonic Orchestra concert. When interviewing for a job, the interview is your stage, and your potential future employer is your audience. Give them the show they came to see, and if you do well, you’ll be invited back for an encore. Now, I know there are plenty of exceptions to every rule. If I were interviewing with Citibank, the way I presented myself would be very different than if I were interviewing with Wu-Tang Corp., and grammar would be no exception. But my advice remains the same â€" know your audience, and play to it. Keep in mind that grammar isn’t limited to verbal communication. Most of the time, a candidate’s resume is the first contact he or she has with an employer. Obviously, I shouldn’t have to stress how important spelling and grammar are on a resume. One of the most overused descriptors when describing oneself to a prospective employer is “detail-oriented.” What better way to disprove that than applying for a job with a resume full of grammatical errors? I know, some will say that unless you’re applying for a writing or editing position, a lack of grammar skills doesn’t inhibit your ability to do your job. But I beg to differ. EVERY job requires attention to detail in some aspect. Bad grammar shows a lack of it. Lack of attention to detail translates into mistakes, regardless of industry, and no employer wants to hire an employee who requires damage control. So before you ask a potential employer to entrust you with confidential company information or thousands of dollars o f company equipment, you should prove you know the difference between “you’re” and “your.” In addition to screening applicants’ resumes by spelling and grammar, some employers will go as far as issuing a grammar test to prospective employees. Online repair community iFixit and software company Dozuki are two such companies. According to the companies’ CEO Kyle Wiens: Grammar signifies more than just a person’s ability to remember high school English. People who make fewer mistakes on a grammar test also make fewer mistakes when they are doing something completely unrelated to writing â€" like stocking shelves or labeling parts. In the same vein, programmers who pay attention to how they construct written language also tend to pay a lot more attention to how they code. All applicants say they’re detail-oriented; I just make my employees prove it. Of course, exceptions can be made for those who are not native English speakers. But for those who are speaking their native tongue, consider the learning curve you’re demonstrating to employers. “You’ve been speaking the language how long? And you still haven’t mastered it? Is this the same learning curve we can expect when taking on a new assignment, or learning our company’s products?” Make no mistake, if you aren’t detail-oriented, your interviewer will be. With all the preparation that goes into a job interview and all the skills you’ve worked to acquire that led to your being offered the interview, don’t eliminate yourself because of something as fundamental as grammar.

Evaluating My First Social Media Class at UCLA - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Evaluating My First Social Media Class at UCLA - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Let me begin by thanking Dan for the opportunity to participate in the Personal Branding Blog. Ill be posting on Tuesdays and thought Id start by discussing my experience in creating the Social Media Marketing course. The goal was to develop a course syllabus that discusses a set of emerging marketing tools, targeted at professional adults and international students, that educates and informs, and above all is relevant to the business experience. Overwhelming continuing education I have been teaching Executive Marketing courses at the UCLA Extension since 2001. The first course I taught was a course I developed on Competitive Marketing. I had be come frustrated with some of the available continuing education for business people and decided that, given the chance, I would write a course I would take myself. I used Michael Porters classic book Competitive Strategy and Sun Tzus The Art of War as course textbooks. That first semester was a huge success in fact, one of the highest rated courses that fall. Fast forward to 2008 and I am pleased to say that Karl Kasca, my co-instructor, and I successfully launched Social Media Marketing on November 5. Putting together the course materials was daunting. Presenting emerging trends, technologies, and concepts to a broad audience is no easy task. The phrase drinking from the firehose doesnt begin to cover it. Not only that, the popularity of the topic attracted over 50 students right of the bat. We capped it there and actually turned away about 15 potential students. Blogging as a teaching tool Based on a best practice from another Extension instructor at the UCSD Extension, Karl and I developed the Teaching Social Media at UCLA blog and the rest is history. The blog became a teaching tool as well as a resource location to supplement other class materials. The second homework assignment was for students to create a blog. For social media practitioners, this may seem elementary. But the fact is that most businesses and business people are just now warming up to social media as a serious tool in the marketing mix. I decided to ramp up my Twitter presence at the beginning of the course as well. I think I had about 30 followers in November. Im close to 1,000 as I write this post. I decided to use the SMMUCLA blog and Twitter as personal branding tools because my personal goals are to ensure that 2009 will see a combination of revenue from consulting, teaching, writing, and speaking. The blogs and Twitter have helped push my profile to a wider audience and I have provided a role model to the students on the power of social media. Gold star resources One of the key signatures Karl and I bring to the classes we teach is a list of gold star guest speakers. My extensive business network and Karls market intelligence network enable us to take our classes to a new level via the relevant experience of speakers who are living and breathing the topics we are discussing. The Social Media course was no exception. We had Ethan Bauley from M80, Carrie Wilkerson The Barefoot Executive, Rodney Rumford of FaceReviews, and Nic Adler to discuss The Roxy on Sunset case study. Turned out this was the best ticket in town! The next class I teach is Global Marketing and Strategy in Spring 2009. Social Media Marketing will run the last 6 weeks of the Spring semester and Karl and I look forward to another great lineup of speakers and Ill be posting about them here and on the Teaching Global Marketing at UCLA blog. Author: Beverly Macy is the Managing Partner of YM Partners and teaches a social media class at UCLA. YM just launched the Pay it Forward 2009 project.

Best Day To Apply For A Job (Online Or Offline) Find Out Here - Algrim.co

Best Day To Apply For A Job (Online Or Offline) Find Out Here - Algrim.co Want to know when the best day is to apply for a job? We’ve got the answer and it might simpler than you think. Whenever there’s a job opportunity posted online, there are over 30 candidates sending replies within the day. The demand for jobs is increasing. And that means HR departments are becoming busier. For hiring managers, posting a job online can be a nightmare. It means they have to sift through hundreds of applications and try to decipher the 5-10 candidates who are going to process onto pre-screening interviews and then phone interviews. It can take a considerable amount of time for them to scour through the resumes and cover letters. A simple trick is to try and get your resume and cover letter in front of them when no one else is. That way, you increase your odds of your resume and cover letter is seen. So how might you do that? Well, sending in your application at the most ideal day of the week might help. That day of the week is Monday. It sounds simple, right? Send your resume into the interviewer on a Monday morning. But it works. The reason why this works is that Monday mornings are when all of us are most active on our email accounts. We usually get a few emails over the weekend or are trying to pick-up work where it left off on Friday afternoon. Monday Is The Best Day Yes, Monday. And Monday morning if you can. Most job listings are posted in the middle of the week. Between Tuesday and Thursday. So you may not be the first applicant. But that’s okay. Most of the initial applicants are going to be examined as equally as those who are sending in their application after a few days. If you can, choosing Monday morning will ensure that you are top of the list in terms of most recent emails the hiring manager is receiving when they are most active on their email platform. The worst time to send your application is over the weekend. And this would make sense considering most other applicants are using free-time away from work to send their applications. Don’t follow them. Avoid sending on Saturdays and Sundays if possible. What Is The Best Day To Apply To A Job In Person? One of the best days to apply for a job in person is still Monday. Though, if you have the opportunity, be sure that you scout out the location and ensure that you are submitting your application during a time of the day when the manager isn't busy. By doing this, you can submit your application during a time when the manager or HR manager might want to ask you a few questions on the spot. Which can give you a tremendous advantage to receiving a call to interview. How Many Days After The Job Is Posted Should I Apply? If you are wondering how many days after the job is posted should you wait to apply? The answer is that you shouldn't wait. Some of the earliest application submissions will be the ones that are viewed the most. But if you can time the application up with the best day of the week to apply, that's the best. For instance, if the job is posted on Friday, submit your application on Monday. Though, it doesn't hurt to apply as soon as you can. What Months Do Companies Hire The Most? Traditionally, companies would plan their hiring resources on an annual basis, meaning towards the first of the year they would post a significant number of jobs and you'd have the opportunity to make a transition in your career at that point. But, due to the job market changing dramatically over the past 20 years. Primarily in the sense that there is more frequent movement of employees between companies and positions, this has caused employers to constantly be evaluating their resources and footprint. Meaning, there isn't a special month where you have a better chance of getting employed any longer. It will be year-round! More Resources on Timing Learn when the best time and the worst times are to interview for a job - Best Time To Interview And The Worst Time To Interview Learn when the best time and the worst times are to interview for a job - Best Day To Apply For A Job (Online Or Offline)? Find Out Here

Your Guide to Co-Worker Gifting This Holiday Season

Your Guide to Co-Worker Gifting This Holiday Season With the holiday season well underway, stocking stuffers and gifts for workplace parties are on the minds of many. Recently, Office Depot conducted a survey about holiday gifting to co-workers, revealing that 85% of workers enjoy exchanging gifts with their colleagues. Eighty-two percent of respondents will invest effort in picking out a gift for their colleagues, but 40% of them will likely re-gift another colleague. The infographic below illustrates all the survey findings in detail: According to the survey, 25% of workers intend to purchase a playful gift this season. In addition to the survey data, Office Depot and OfficeMax recently announced the Co-Worker Collection. Featuring a wide array of everyday office gear with a tongue-in-cheek twist, the Co-Worker Collection takes typical co-worker quirks and turns them into gifting opportunities. From the “stop asking to resend files” flash drive, the “we get it, it’s yours” label maker and more, workplace colleagues can ring in the holiday season with gifts from the Collection, injected with a humorous and personal touch. Happy gifting!

How SEO Is Affecting Your Career CareerMetis.com

How SEO Is Affecting Your Career â€" CareerMetis.com Photo Credit- unsplash.comIt’s no secret that recruiters are under pressure to bring the best candidates to the right companies. Many users search on Google, Linkedin, and other social media sites to find the best talent.So, if you would like to be one of these ‘head-hunted’ individuals companies are desperate to hire, read on and find out how SEO could be affecting your career prospects. 1) Building Your Social Media ReputationevalevalIf you have a publically listed social media profile, bear in mind that it can be spotted by anyone. Your dream boss could see it and choose to offer you a high-profile job role or pass you by.Make sure you ‘scrub up’ your past posting history by investing in a social media audit. You can conduct these checks online, and receive a list of ‘risque’ posts you can choose to keep or delete.Look to all of your existing accounts and find ways to optimize your profile to tie in with your life ambitions. Just like the old saying goes,‘Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.’ Make sure your LinkedIn and other networks ‘look the part’:Update your profile information and optimize it for a recruiter’s eyesChange your profile picture to a professional-looking imageAdd connections associated with your dream positionRegularly contribute stories and comments to get noticedEach social network will have it’s own best practices for optimizing profiles to attract the right following. However, your LinkedIn profile is the most crucial.Message your existing contacts and get them to send you endorsements for your career skills. If you have any past managers or bosses in your network, approach them for a positive testimonial. Word of mouth referrals has a powerful influence on people.Within the space of 24 hours of posting, you could potentially have these comments seen by thousands of LinkedIn users. Perhaps your skills are just the talents these connections need?2) Making The Most Of Google SearchevalEveryone has se arched their name in Google and ranked each of the results on a scale of ‘one’ to ‘cringe’ on the embarrassing meter. There may be some results you can get removed or delete yourself. However, in the cases where that is not possible, you will have to do your best to push them down to decrease their impact.Replace them with high-quality content instead.3) Your Blog Should Act As Your ‘Shop Window’ OnlineIf you haven’t done already, you will need to set up a personal website including a blog and portfolio of your best work.You can use a subscription-based web builder with a basic, customizable template. Don’t worry if you have no design experience, you can get up-and-running fast.evalIf you have some cash to invest, hire a designer to make a logo, and a copywriter to help you write a stunning pitch.Concentrate on setting up your About page to emphasize your best skills and career attributes. Aim to include around 800 words. Go into great detail about how you got to whe re you are today, your future ambitions and the motivations that drive you.When it comes to your portfolio section, aim to include around ten pieces, across a range of styles and disciplines. If you are a tad short on content, approach your friends and contacts to see if you can get some pro bono work.Alternatively, create some pieces ‘on spec.‘ If you decide to offer out your skills for free, get testimonials and words of praise for your website.4) Helping Others Can Bring You Great RewardsUse keyword research planners to help you find the terms a recruiter or client would use to find a professional like you. Include these long-tail search queries into your homepage text and page titles. You can also use a keyword search to help you identify questions your clients and possible recruiters might ask you if you were invited to attend a meeting.For example, if you are a web developer that has solved a particularly tricky problem with a site’s UX, write a blog post about it. Anybo dy who is searching for that particular term could find your post and approach you in the future with an opportunity.Take the time to seek out career-related forums and contribute useful answers to the queries people leave. Do your best to engage and start threads on the sites that draw the most interaction.High authority forums carry some SEO clout. So, make sure you research and craft multi-paragraph responses. If you post a link to a related blog from your site, you can also draw in page views and boost your site’s traffic.eval5) Regularly Updated Content Will Set You ApartDeveloping a blogging content strategy will help bring in business and build your online influence. Follow thought leaders in your industry and search for inspiration on blog topics to cover within your posts.evalCould you offer an intelligent response to an article, in writing? Can you uncover a different angle on the same subject matter?You can batch-write a list of blog posts and schedule them to publish i nstallments. Or, you can keep track of what’s going on in your industry and create content that could fit into the news cycle. The secret to getting blogging right is writing regularly, sharing across networks and building backlinks from other trusted sites.Find fellow bloggers and publications in your area and contribute guest blog posts in the hopes that you can attract a larger online following. Building a guest blogging relationship takes time and patience. Start by following the publication and getting a feel for their style, before sending off your article pitch.If you want to use guest blogging as a career opportunity, get in the mind of an industry recruitment specialist and write a blog post about hiring talented people who work in your profession.There is the chance a recruiter might read and share it on their broader network. Even the number of likes and reposts will count towards your name becoming known in the right circles.evalIn a world becoming increasingly reliant on an internet search, building a name and presenting yourself as the ideal candidate can land you your dream job role.Pay careful attention to your personal brand and social media reputation and do your best to build strong bonds with your networks. Build up an online hub to showcase your work and employ SEO tactics to attract the right kinds of opportunities to your door.

INFOGRAPHIC 6 Strategies for Answering Interview Questions - Sterling Career Concepts

INFOGRAPHIC 6 Strategies for Answering Interview Questions INFOGRAPHIC: 6 Strategies for Answering Interview Questions Last week we reviewed what not to talk about during an interview. Let’s focus now on what you are going to talk about. Today’s infographic offers you six strategies to keep in mind as you prepare for your interview.

Resume Writing Service - Finding the Right One For Your Needs

Resume Writing Service - Finding the Right One For Your NeedsIf you're looking for a resume writing service in Santa Cruz, California, then there are plenty of different companies that can help. So, how do you go about finding the best fit?There are lots of people who are looking for a resume writing service Santa Cruz and there are plenty of options that you can look into. All you need to do is research which service you want to use and which you are going to need to have done, to make sure that you find the best possible fit.The first thing you will want to consider is whether or not you will be able to find someone who can do the work. It is very important that you only take on someone who has a good reputation in the industry. You should also make sure that they know how to make the resume work for you and what to include so that it will be as professional as possible.Also, you should make sure that you know how long it will take to make a particular resume. Each company will hav e different turnaround times but make sure that you're willing to pay a little bit extra to ensure that you get the job done quickly.Lastly, you should look into whether or not they can offer you any bonuses or incentives if you decide to hire them for your job search. This is a great way to ensure that you get your money's worth.Make sure that you research each company carefully and that you're ready to deal with the entire process from start to finish. It will take time but it's well worth it to ensure that you can get your work done quickly and that you can get a job done in a timely manner.When you use a resume writing service that specializes in Santa Cruz, you'll be sure to find something that's perfect for your needs. From the person who you are going to need to take care of your resume to the entire process, you will want to ensure that you make the right choice.Being able to land the job that you want is important, so make sure that you're going to take the time to make sur e that you pick the right person to help you out. You will also want to make sure that you're going to hire the right one so that you don't waste any of their time.