The Importance of Developing Your Career in a Smart City Building Your Future Now

The Importance of Developing Your Career in a Smart City Building Your Future Now Many cities throughout the world are currently developing advanced technological ecosystems into order to facilitate and prepare for the constant population growth. According to several sources, by 2050 more than 60% of the worlds population will be living in urban centres. Thats an incredible amount of people living and working in these areas. That means that career-focused individuals have a lot of opportunities to develop exciting careers in multiple disciplines in these smart cities! Whether it be in Asia, Europe or North America smart cities are truly the wave of the future when it comes to helping populations to developing a better quality of life index. A major way is through new job creation and building on existing jobs based on technology development and advancement. There will be a multitude of amazing opportunities not only for professionals, but for entrepreneurs to seize expanding areas in IoT, Machine Learning, 5G technology, AI and data capture/application advancement. It is definitely an exciting time to start planning for your career in a smart city. If yout city isnt really there yet be a leader and get things startedlearn more about the importance of having a smart city and what exceptional benefits it can have in respect to garnering more professional talent, building a safer/efficient city and developing an urban area ready for the future! Image: Tumisu

Fall Job Search Fresh Start or Frantic Fail

Fall Job Search Fresh Start or Frantic Fail With the turning of the leaves many organizations lumber out of a summer lull to kick off a peak recruiting period, surprisingly still unknown to many job seekers. According to Lisa Switzer, a Recruitment and Careers Consultant, there are indeed: “cyclical times where recruiting hits a peak across many industries”, including the fall.Lisa explains that: “the majority of organizations run their business on yearly bases that are then divided into quarterly chapters. This impacts recruiting because budgets are reviewed and money is either allocated, increased, decreased, or erased completely, and many of these budgets include an analysis of projects, where current attrition rates sit, what new positions are required, and how quickly they need to be filled. Lisa further stresses that the start of this season means the 3rd quarter is wrapping up and what was left “on hold” over the summer is kicking back into high gear â€" including recruitment.”Yet many job seekers are slow out the starting gates and are drastically unprepared for the sudden peak in activity, feeling more than the crunch of fall leaves. Does this include you? Here are some tips that will get you in top job searching mode so you don’t miss the perfect opportunity: • Get ready, well in advance of peak recruiting periods. Don’t wait for the right opportunity to pop up before taking action. Application times may be short and rushing to get materials together runs the risk of sloppy presentation. September is aptly International Update Your Resume Month, which  nicely coincides with the upcoming recruitment surge.   Yet waiting until September to get started might be too late! • Update *all* career documents. Not just your resume. You must have a complete application package which includes: a comprehensive cover letter, a tailored resume, a references list, an active and complete LinkedIn profile, a thank you letter, and possibly even an executive biography. • Hire professional assistance if you are struggling to update or compile your career material on your own, but remember that qualified professional resume writers can take a lot of time to create custom materials.   During peak periods demand goes up, so you may have to wait.causing you to miss out! • Brush up on your interview skills. Again, do this before the dream job calls you in! If you haven’t interviewed for some time you need to prepare with current interview trends and value stories.   An interview coach can give you the most up-to-date tips and help guide you through some tough questions to get your communication skills polished up. • Know who your references are going to be. Speak with these people in advance and find out what they are going to say about you. If the person seems nervous or not forthcoming on their opinions of your work, ask someone else. Learn more in my article Keep Your Employment References Up to Date. • Get your messages in sync across all medians. This includes social media (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook), your career documents (cover letter, resume, biography), your personal business card, your personal website, and/or your blog. If an employer does a sudden search for you online, what will they find? Hopefully not a jumbled mess of mismatched thoughts and details that are long neglected. Instead, ensure that your unique value proposition is highlighted and strategically aligned throughout all supporting materials. The message is clear; prepare in advance! Now that you know more about peak recruiting cycles don’t fall victim to the frenzy. Instead, go nail your fresh start with confidence this season!

Education 2.0 Whats most important to do in college today

Education 2.0 Whats most important to do in college today I wrote an article for Wired, about some of the fastest growing jobs and how to prepare for them in college. Part of this Education 2.0 package was an article by Natali Del Conte about which social networking tools students should use. In general I think college kids should prepare for the work world by learning to make friends with a wide range of people on campus and lay off the books. But maybe thats because I found that the time I was getting straight As in college was the time I was learning the least. Ode magazine has a great little article this month about the importance of generosity. A study that has been following people since the 1920s reveals that your ability to give to others is a big indicator of how happy your life will be. (Paul Wink of Wellesley College, oversees the study today, and he wrote a book about it, In the Course of a Lifetime.) One of the most interesting findings is that teens who scored high on generosity were healthier and happier half a century later. So the best advice about what to do in college might be to develop a strong ability to give. Like all positive traits in this world, we think we have more of it than we do. (A great example of this phenomenon: Business Week reports that 90% of young workers think their performance is in the top 10% of all workers.) These are five traits that people who are givers usually exhibit: 1. A sense that you can make a difference in the world 2. Empathy that enables you to truly feel the suffering of others 3. Belief that you are someone who can get things done 4. Spiritual faith in the world -either traditional religion or an eclectic altruism 5. A focus on doing good that endures beyond your lifetime Even if you dont have these traits, the good news is that you can just start giving, and you might get these traits as you go. Try doing five acts of altruistic giving in one day itll shift your outlook, according to Sonja Lyubomirsky, professor of psychology at University of California at Riverside, So maybe the best thing college kids can do for themselves is go to class less and help people more. And this is probably true for those of us going to work each day, as well. After all, when it comes to crafting a life, spending time on what really matters is half the battle.

10 Ways to Secure More Sales - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

10 Ways to Secure More Sales - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career 10 Ways to Secure More Sales Entrepreneurs who are unfamiliar with sales struggle with remaining in business. And some professional salespeople who solely focus on the sale itself, to meet their numbers, also face a difficult road ahead. Sales are based upon the client seeing you as believable and they trust that you will deliver on their behalf. 1. Goal Focus Everyone feels pressure to make their sales numbers. However, once you are in communication with the client, the focus needs to move from your own purpose to their goals. Prospective clients want to know you have their interests in mind first before they willingly invest their money with you. 2. Omit “Quick and Easy” A quick and easy sale is a rarity. Homework needs to be done upfront. This usually consists of researching the prospective client company. Become well informed about the company, their employees and the industry. Compare notes between your prospective client and their competitors. Lastly, strive to understand how the business news of the day may be affecting your client-to-be. As your conversation takes hold, the client will duly note you did your homework. It is a requirement for earning the sale. 3. Balance Give and Take If your eyes ever glazed over trying to listen to another talk about how fantastic their product is, you will know not to do the same. A much better route is to ask questions to learn more about the interests of your client-to-be. Strive to get the entire picture upfront by listening carefully. Clarify anything not understood by asking  additional questions. The balance of talking and listening carefully primes the conversation for earning the right to speak about the benefits of what you have to offer. 4. Welcome Objections Objections are usually expressed when the client does not entirely understand everything you shared. Use this as an opportunity by asking why the objection is being made. Doing so brings to light the missing points and usually saves the sale. 5. Eliminate Excuses Although unforeseen circumstances occur that drive delays, excuses never work. Ask for permission to continue. Be certain to provide a new estimate that allows more than enough time for delivery. 6. Down the Road Not everyone is ready to buy even though you may be ready to sell. Simply ask when a better time might be. Put the suggested date and time on your calendar. 7. Follow-up Without follow-up there is no chance of getting the sale. Be bold enough to follow-up yet be diplomatic in conversation. For example, “You suggested I contact you today, is this still a good time?”   The question will produce a friendly conversation. 8. Follow-through Annoying requests are usually made upfront. These are to test your actual client service. Take the requests seriously and deliver on time. 9. Don’t Close “Close” sounds as if you will take the money and run. Instead, open the door for a long-term relationship. Ask when the client would like to get started. Deliver well, and check in, according to their preference, after the sale. 10. Develop Loyalty The friendly conversations and excellent service will groom a loyal clientele. Your personal brand will become highly admired. Testimonials and referrals soon follow. These ten steps will lead you to the Smooth Sale!

#19 - Career Expert Series Wendi Weiner from The Writing Guru

#19 - Career Expert Series Wendi Weiner from The Writing Guru The Career Insider Podcast Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | TuneIn | RSSFor This Episode of The Career Expert Series â€" we will be hearing from Wendi Weiner from The Writing Guru.Wendi Weiner is an attorney, 4x Certified Executive Resume Writer Career Transition Coach. She is a Board Member of the National Resume Writers’ Association,member of the Forbes Coaches Council, and also Career thought leaders. She regularly contributes to The Huffington Post, Forbes and CareerRealism.evalThis interview is part of the “Career Expert Series“.Episode SummaryevalWendi Weiner shares her experience on how she successfully transitioned from an Attorney to an Executive Resume Writer. During the interview, she shares tips, ideas on how to write compelling resumes. She also shares ideas on creating a strong LinkedIn profile.Here are some of the topics we covered:1. The importance of having a Branding Statement in your resume. Have a Professional Summary that hi ghlights your credentials and value as a candidate.2. Your LinkedIn profile is more compelling than your resume.3. What does a Powerful LinkedIn profile look like?4. How to prepare for an interview. Also learn how to make an impact during the interview. The importance of the perfect interview attire.eval5. When to bring up salary during the job interview process.6. Dress for the job you want, not for the job you have.7. Treat applying for a job as a full-time job. This mindset is key in helping you secure your dream job.Links and ResourcesTo learn more connect with Wendi Weiner â€" you can reach her through her LinkedIn account, Twitter or Facebook. You can also learn about her work on Wendi Weiner’s website.Intro Music provided courtesy of Accelerated Ideas Ending Music provided courtesy of Accelerated Ideas (www.accelerated-ideas.com). Soundtrack â€" No Need to Rush