4 Tricks Executive Search Consultants Dont Want You to Know

4 Tricks Executive Search Consultants Don’t Want You to Know Executive search, in general, is a much higher level of service than your average recruitment  process. Its focus, thoroughness and complexity is aligned to the significant level of  investment involved in recruiting high calibre, senior and executive roles. Here are  some tricks of the trade that top executive search consultants follow for success. 1) Research: Research is fundamental and the key to a successful executive search project. Market  insights enable consultants to find the best candidates for their  clients, focusing  research to really understand their client, the role, the industry sector and the pool of target  candidates. For best results, its important to implement a process that includes thorough industry intelligence and research to not only  discover who your  client is and what they are all about but also their industry competitors. 2) Consultative approach: To really excel within executive search, a consultative process is paramount. This  means becoming fully immersed in your clients’ company cultures, becoming their trusted  advisor, being passionate about their challenges and dreams and striving to achieve success  together. Your  approach should be all about proposing data backed solutions, working together to understand  obstacles and working creatively to remove them. Become an extension of your clients,  carrying out employee benchmarking to ensure you really understand their superstars. This is  invaluable when assessing potential new employees. 3) Body language: Understanding body language is one trick of the trade that can’t be missed out of this blog  post. By investing time to meet with potential candidates face to face, you can gain  a better understanding of them. Seeing the whites of someone’s eyes and “pressing the  flesh” cannot be substituted if you really want to get under an individual’s skin. By reading  body language, you  can assess how suitable a candidate is for a role, whether they will  integrate well to your client’s culture as well as understanding their confidence in their own  abilities. 4) Building relationships: Building strong relationships with your clients is crucial, as success comes from the journey you provide your candidates. Appointing a senior executive is a significant investment for both parties; for the  client because the success of their business relies on getting the recruitment right and for  the candidate because the move has to align with their career goals. Being a successful executive search consultant means going above and beyond what’s  expected. These ‘tricks of the trade’ aren’t really tricks at all, but proven, thought out  processes driven by a passion for our work. Author: With over 17 years’ experience in headhunting, Doug is the founder of Collingwood Executive Search, a business that is reshaping the perceptions of senior level recruitment.   Doug and his team know that finding talented individuals who fit an employer’s vision, culture and aspirations means more than simply filling a job role.  

First Job, First Day

First Job, First Day Five Ways to Prepare For Your First Day on the Job As new graduates prepare for their first career positions after graduation, guest blogger Katheryn Rivas, an English Major at the University of Texas, offers this advice to her fellow students on success.  Youve navigated the complicated and sometimes frustrating process of applying for a position, survived an interview, and waited anxiously for news about the position. Now that youve responded to the offer letter, its time to prepare for your first day on the job. If this is your very first job, here a few things to consider as you prepare for your first day. Establish Your Work Routine Once you find out that youve received the position, you should begin to acclimate yourself to the standard nine to five routine, especially if you have been unemployed for a while. Take a few days to wake up as if you were about to go to work. Spend your morning and afternoons tidying away any last-minute responsibilities or tasks that you have but might not be able to get to once you are working forty hours each week. The routine you begin to follow before you start will help you adjust more quickly once you are on the job. Research Your New Company Most likely you already took this step when you prepared for your interview, but it couldnt hurt to research the company with fresh eyes (now that you’re an employee.) This time, pay attention to profiles of your supervisors and company leadership and recent news regarding your new companys brand. You should also review your companys mission statement and any other information on their website that will help you understand and begin to internalize the company’s values. Familiarize Yourself with the Industry While you research your new company, you should also widen your research to consider recent trends within the industry. Look at industry blogs and news sites. If applicable, take stock of the latest trading news for other companies in the industry. Doing this homework will help you start to think about challenges and opportunities your company may be facing. Be Ready for the First Day Tasks  Before you leave for work on the first day, make sure you have with you two forms of identification, which you’ll use to fill out your I-9 form. Bring a voided check so that you can set up direct deposit with payroll.  You’ll be asked to fill out tax withholding and select a benefits plan option, so think about your needs in advance.   Make sure you have a sufficient work wardrobe for the first couple of weeks  and at least one outfit that will work as business casual attire. And ask ahead about your parking situation, if you plan on driving. Taking care of these things as quickly as possible will help you focus your energy on your first task at work. Make a Good First Impression Finally, you worked so hard to impress the people who  interviewed you, so make sure you make a good first impression on your co-workers as well. Act professionally, dress smartly, and do your best to remember everyones names.  Bring a pad of paper to write your co-workers names and a few details to help you remember them; you’ll also need to record important details and assignments.   Don’t rely on your memory for the first few weeks; you’ll be overwhelmed with information and be glad you took notes.  Whatever you do, don’t get roped into any office gossip on your first day.   Stay focused on your job and becoming competent as quickly as possible.  This guest post was submitted by  Katheryn Rivas, who regularly writes for  online universities.   She welcomes your comments:  katherynrivas87@gmail.com.

5 Ways to Fool Your Brain into Saving More Money

5 Ways to Fool Your Brain into Saving More Money In talking with friends about future plans and money, a surprising number of us joked about a long term strategy that involves scratch off lottery tickets. Sure, it would be great to win the lottery. But it doesn’t constitute a reliable or realistic financial plan. Saving money is not nearly as fun or glamorous as spending it. But without intentional budgeting, cost-cutting and a close eye, there won’t be much money left to spend. Even if you’ve had an allergic reaction to budgeting in the past, there are ways to make this project fun and trick yourself into enjoying financial responsibility. Here are five ways to fool your brain into saving more money. Automate Your Savings and Payments Perhaps the most basic way to fool your brain into saving is to never see that money in your checking account to begin with. Instead, set up automatic payments and automatic transfers to your savings account. Have retirement money taken directly out of your paycheck. The math is the same. Either way you were going to put $500 toward savings, retirement and debt. But when that extra $500 is sitting in your bank account, it’s tempting to spend it on something else. Look for Recurring Savings Sure, trimming your expenses is a way to “find” money in your budget. But dissecting every blessed charge is enough to turn anyone off from budgeting. Instead, look at larger, regular charges to see if there’s room for savings. For example, you may forget about car insurance because you only pay the bill twice a year. But see if you qualify for car insurance savings to “find” more money. Stretch your dollar by looking into your health insurance benefits, as many policies include discounts on that monthly gym membership fee. Instead of looking for one-time savings, think of recurring charges that will reap benefits repeatedly for a bigger savings without as a much work. Award Yourself for Achieving Goals Saving money seems to mean sentencing ourselves to a lifetime of austerity. For some, that means they completely fall off the wagon the first time they splurge, thinking to themselves, “Well, I’ve already ruined the budget, so I might as well get these new shoes as well!” Instead, know thyself. Which splurges will motivate you to keep saving? If you pay off that credit card bill in full, you can go out to a champagne brunch next month. If you pack your lunch for work every other day of the week, you can participate in food truck Fridays. Dangling a carrot in front of yourself can help you stay motivated and keep the unrealistic austerity away. Get Visual with your Future Numbers, spreadsheets and calculators aren’t exactly motivating for most of us. But Pinterest boards of a future vacation or a refrigerator photo of your dream car can certainly remind you of the reasons for your saving habits. So once you set your goal, post inspirational images where they’re most likely to remind you of it. If your budget buster is ordering takeout food, stick your images on the fridge. Put a photo of your cute nieces at Disney last year in your wallet, so you’ll see it before you take out your credit card. This will remind you that you’re saving up to go with them this year. Use Competitive Motivation Some of us thrive on competition, and that can be applied to our financial lives as well. Challenge a friend to see who can pay off more of their student loans in the next year. Set the goal to move from an average to good credit score within the next six months. Save to beat the current national averages of retirement savings for Americans in your age group. Saving is important in its own right, but sometimes we need a little rivalry to compel us to get moving. Oftentimes we sabotage ourselves with impulse spending, poor planning or inaction. By using these easy tactics, we can practically trick ourselves into saving money. How do you trick your brain into saving money? Leave your tips in the comment section below!

5 Steps to Owning a Solid Online Reputation

5 Steps to Owning a Solid Online Reputation We live in a world where your online reputation can literally make or break your career. Success and opportunity is no longer based on who you know but much more on whom knows you. Googling someone is standard practice. We all do it, and what shows up strongly influences the decisions we make about others: Should I hire this person? Is he the right match for our team? Should I date her? Research shows that over 1.5 billion names are being Googled every day!  Therefore, it goes without saying that you are being googled by others on a regular basis, perhaps right now! How do you show up on Google? What are people actually seeing about you when they search for you online? Search results for your name can be categorized in the following ways: Digitally Disguised   Nothing shows up when someone searches for you online. You essentially dont exist! Sad, but true. Digitally Dissed   You exist on the web but not on page one.  Even if you show up on page 2 or 3 of search results, you might as well be invisible as most people do not go past page 1 to find information about you. Digitally Disastrous   A lot of information does show up for your name, but it is either negative or worse yet about someone with a bad reputation or criminal record who happens to have the same name as you! Digitally Dabbling   There are some on-brand results for you and it accurately reflects who you are, but more information is needed to truly compel others to engage and do business with you. Digitally Distinct   This is where you want to be. There is a lot of relevant information about you on page one of search results and beyond. You are sending out the right message and even others are talking about you online building your visibility and credibility. Over 75% of US adults feel that they are not accurately represented on their search results clearly the need to be more proactive in managing our online reputations is required. How to proactively build a good online rep: Follow these 5 steps to proactively build a good rep online (even if you have a bad rap!): 1) Be content with content: (Yes, the stress goes on the second syllable in the first content!) One of the best ways to make sure accurate, positive, and credible information shows up online about you is to actively generate new content on a regular basis. Share your thought leadership and expertise by starting your own blog, guest blogging for others, posting comments on LinkedIn groups, etc. As a blogger you have complete control over all the content your publish which translates immediately into complete control over your online identity. 2) Set up Google Authorship: Creating content is one thing, but ensuring your authorship for this content is vital. Google allows you to verify your authorship to the content that shows up on Google search. Essentially what this does is link your content to your Google+ Profile. This means that your profile photo appears alongside search results attributed to you as all as a link to more content from you as the author. Even if you have zero interest in Google+, set up a G+ profile and link it to the content you create. This is one of the simplest and most overlooked ways to build your online reputation. To learn how to set up Google authorship  click here. 3) Set up Google Alerts: A fast and easy way to find out what is showing up online about you is to let Google tell you! By setting up Google alerts for your name, Google will email you on a regular basis every time you show up in search results. One thing to make sure to do is request Google to check all results and not just only the best results. This will ensure that anything and everything with your name will be monitored and reported back to you. RELATED:  How To Use  Google Alerts  for a Live Job Search 4) Choose your profiles wisely: Having an online presence in social media is a great way to increase your online reputation, but with so many networks out there it can be a challenge figuring out which one is best for your needs. One place you need to have a presence is on LinkedIn it  ranks higher than all other social networks on the first page of Google search results. Keep in mind that simply opening a LinkedIn page for Google ranking and leaving it blank can actually be damaging to your reputation. Take the time to create a complete LinkedIn profile with the branded presence that compels people to connect with you. READ MORE:  How to Create the Perfect  LinkedIn Profile 5) Manage your rep: Your online reputation is a living, growing creature. Simply doing the 4 steps above and expecting to be digitally distinct forever is a recipe for failure. Eventually, your good rep might disappear. Managing your reputation with a handful of different online reputation management tools will ensure you will not be digitally dissed, disastrous, or disguised. Three leading tools I often recommend include Brandyourself.com, Vizibility.com, and Reputation.com. Each one offers a variety of services, free and paid, to meet your needs. The key here is to take ownership in managing your online presence all of the time. Even a small investment upfront in a reputation management tool can save you more than just money down the road. Any other tips? Let us know in the comments below!

How to Power Nap During Your Work Day - CareerMetis.com

How to Power Nap During Your Work Day Source : Pixabay.comWe’ve all experienced the dreaded afternoon slump. A few minutes or a couple of hours after lunch, you start feeling sluggish, unable to focus on work. Words and numbers start swirling around, and your eyes begin to feel heavy. This is your body telling you that you need a nap â€" a power nap.How long should your power nap be?Experts suggest a shuteye no longer than 30 minutes. Nap longer than that and you risk entering a deep sleep stage, which can make you groggy upon waking up. For many, a power nap of 10 to 20 minutes is enough to recharge their bodies and refresh their minds.evalLet’s take a closer look at the benefits of taking a power nap and how to incorporate it into your work day.The case for napping at workevalIn some cultures, napping during the day is an accepted and even encouraged part of daily life. The Spanish take asiestaafter the midday meal.A study done by the Spanish Society of Primary Care Physicians showed that a 30-minute nap after lunc h can help in improving memory and alertness as well as in reducing stress.The Japanese also take work day naps seriously, and even have a word for sleeping at work. “Inemuri,” which when translated roughly means “sleeping while present.” In most other countries however, sleeping on the job â€" or simply being drowsy on the desk â€" is often taken as a sign of laziness and weakness, of poor time management, of the inability to cope with the demands of work.In the American culture for example, people believe that productivity is a result of effort â€" work hard enough and you will become productive. However, according to psychologist Ron Friedman, the reality is that humans have a biological or innate need to rest, the same as our need for food and water.Fortunately, recent studies are now showing how restorative napping can be.evalPower napping during the work day has been found to improve performanceand increase productivity, prompting companies to put on-the-job snoozing i n a more positive light.Companies such as Google, Nike, Zappos and Huffington Post even have designated rooms for sleeping. By being open to the idea that a power nap can contribute to increased productivity, these companies are now starting to eliminate the stigma around napping at work.Let’s hope that other companies would soon follow suit.Is napping during the day necessary?No, but there are cases when taking a power nap can help improve performance.evalFor example, if extreme drowsiness is preventing you from focusing on a really important task, then it makes sense to get a few minutes of shuteye.According to medical professionals, humans have a natural tendency to get drowsy in the afternoon â€" it’s part of our circadian rhythm. This feeling of midday fatigue can be worsened by poor quality sleep at night. This means that if you don’t get enough nighttime sleep, feeling drowsy during midday or the early afternoon is a more likely occurrence.On the other hand, if you get enough sleep at night, you’re less likely to itch for a nap during work hours.Benefits of a power nap at workRestoration of energy levelsIncrease in staminaSharpened motor skillsA reduction in stress levelsIncreased productivityImproved memory recallBetter emotional controlHigher level of alertnessImproved concentration and cognitive performanceHow to power nap at work1. Look for a quiet and private spotPower napping at work is a practice that has not yet been widely embraced by most companies, so if your office doesn’t have a designated “nap room,” it’s up to you to find a place where you can doze off undisturbed.The space you choose should be isolated so you don’t get woken up by people passing by, and it should be relaxing so that it won’t be hard for you to fall asleep. It can be your own private office, a conference room that’s not being used, a nearby library or in your parked car.2. Try to fall asleep quicklyThe sooner you fall asleep, the faster your body can recharge. Some people find it easy to fall asleep as soon as they close their eyes, while others need a little more time before they can really let their body relax.If it takes a bit of time for you to fall asleep, try wearing an eye or sleep mask and ear plugs to block out the brightness and noise from your surroundings. You can also put earphones on and listen to white noiseor soothing music to mask distracting sounds.3. Turn power napping into a routineLike sleeping at night, it’s important to establish a napping routine at work. Nap at the same time and at the same place while listening to the same audio to train your body to rest in the middle of the day. Over time, this routine will make it easier for you to get your midday zzz’s in.4. Put together an office napping kitFrom jackets with inflatable hoods to sleep pods, we are now seeing a wide variety of products being marketed as accessories that make napping at work more enjoyable. But you don’t really have to spend mu ch, if at all, on an office napping kit.evalYou just need to make sure you have something comfortable to sleep on (like an ergonomic chair), something to support your head and neck (like an inflatable neck pillow), something that makes it easier for you to sleep (like a travel blanket or oversized sweater) and something to block the light and control the noise.5. Get your boss on your sidePerhaps the best thing you can do to really enjoy a power nap at work is to have the go signal from your boss. Not only that, it would be great if you and your workmates are able to convince management of the benefits of sleeping breaks, which can lead to your very own in-office napping facilities.Many companies already have wellness programs in place, so it’s just a matter of presenting managers with hard scientific data about how naps help in making people perform better and become more productive. Cite how the biggest corporations in the world have embraced power naps, and your pitch may just earn you the nod to nod off at work.

Making the switch - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Making the switch - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Im writing this blogpost on my laptop in the Firefox browser as usual, but this time ITS RUNNING ON LINUX. Penguins rejoice! Ive been wanting to install linux on my laptop for a while because lately its been running slower and slower a typical syndrome for PCs running Windows. All the usual windows remedies gave only short term improvements. So friday I installed Ubuntu Linux (probably the most user friendly and easily installed flavour of Linux), and Ive spent the weekend trying it out and getting stuff to work. The installation was really easy once I figured out how to install it on my laptop which doesnt have a CD-rom drive. Importantly, all the major stuff worked right after installation and the Ubuntu installer correctly recognized and configured my hard disk, keyboard, trackpad, wifi, etc A few things didnt work or werent installed by default, and in each of those cases, Ive been able to find excellent online resources giving step-by-step instructions. Some major victories: * Getting my online bank to work * Getting my Palm Treo to sync with the Evolution calendar application included * Migrating all my mails and bookmarks from Windows Woo-hoo :o) My overall impression is paradoxical: Windows XP Professional Edition which Ive been running so far is made by a huge, succesful corporation and sells for a lot of money. Linux is made by passionate amateurs and professionals around the world, loosely organized in an open source Community. The version Im using is not only free, they actually go to considerable lengths to give it away, eg. by mailing people free install CDs. And yet Ubuntu Linux feels like a more professional, finished and complete product than Windows XP, which has always struck me as half-baked. There are solid practical reasons why I think Linux is preferable to Windows: * Price/value Hey, its free and just as good (at least) * Free appplications Ubuntu comes with the Openoffice.org office suite and many other great applications. * Speed/performance Applications run faster than on Windows * Security Linux is less vulnerable to viruses, adware and other attacks than Windows * Stability Windows is famous for crashing or needing rebooting often. Linux is famous for being stable. Also, there are two fluffier reasons for me to choose Linux: * Ideology Ubuntu Linux is committed to an ideology which is Free Software. This is free as in freedom not free as in gratis, meaning: * The freedom to run the program, for any purpose. * The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs. * The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help others. * The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that everyone benefits. Microsoft on the other hand is comitted to Microsoft. Time and again they make business and technology decisions that clearly favour their bottom line rather than their customers. I dont blaiming them, most businesses (but not all) choose this approach. Its just not a philosophy I favour or want to support more than I absolutely have to. Does values and philosophy matter when choosing products? It does to me, and while the Free Software philosophy doesnt make the product any more useful to me, I believe that these principles will create better IT solutions for all of us. * Technology base Linux has a better technological base than Windows quite simply, its built on a better foundation. Again, this may not make much of a difference for me here and now, but in the long run it definitely pays to build on solid ground. PS. Mygdal suggested I should switch to Apple, but while the Apple OS is certainly a better product than Windows, Apple falls short on values. Apple is Microsoft with better design. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

What You Need To Know About A Freelance Graphic Designer Resume

What You Need To Know About A Freelance Graphic Designer ResumeFreelance graphic designers may be thinking of including a resume with their work. Resumes for freelance graphic designers are the same as resumes for any other type of designer. As the job market for designers continues to grow, the number of freelance designers seeking resumes is expected to increase as well.You need to be able to present your freelance graphic designer resume in a way that will best draw attention to your skills you have for developing graphic designs. The best way to do this is to include your job objectives and details of your previous work history. You should also mention any special skills you have, such as knowledge of computer software and programs, programming skills, knowledge of web design, or other expertise you possess. It is important to be specific in describing the most important qualities you possess.When it comes to your resume, you want to make sure it reflects the type of work you wil l be doing for the target audience. This means that while you may think of yourself as a freelance graphic designer, your resume should highlight your experience and skills related to creating magazines, brochures, posters, or other printed material. If you have designed ads for commercial ventures, then you want to make sure that your resume includes examples of these items. Your resume should not only reflect what your skills are, but it should also highlight your abilities to achieve the goals you have set out to accomplish and provide your objectives as the steps you are taking to reach your goals.If you are applying for a position where you will have the ability to produce graphic design in house, you will want to include several samples of your past work. You can use them to put together a short portfolio. This will allow the hiring manager to see exactly what type of projects you have completed. They will also have an idea of what kind of projects you can complete if you were hired for the position.Ifyou are a freelance graphic designer, you will want to be able to explain the steps you take to complete your design assignments. This includes explaining what materials you use, how you create them, and the results of the projects you complete. You will want to mention the name of any sub-contractors you used, how many pages were produced by them, and how much the project cost.Freelance graphic designer resumes should also include references. A reference list is helpful because this list can include everyone you worked with when you were designing the graphics for a project. If you are working with another company while you are preparing your resume, this list can provide references to that company that can help with your success.If you are applying for a position as a freelance graphic designer, it is a good idea to include information about your education. If you are currently in school, this can provide you with more options. A graphic design degree wil l give you additional qualifications. If you are not currently in school, you should make sure that the company you are applying for has sufficient experience to offer you employment.As you can see, a freelance graphic designer resume should have some key components. Freelance graphic designers should include details of their prior work history, plus details of their qualifications and their capabilities. They should provide references and be detailed in explaining the steps they take to complete their design assignments.