Are You Feeling All Doom and Gloom Or Is The Time Ripe With Opportunity

Are You Feeling All Doom and Gloom Or Is The Time Ripe With Opportunity Last week I blogged that whether this is a technical recession or not, it sure feels like a recession.   I knew WaMu was letting a bunch of people go at their Seattle HQ, but didnt think about the people across the world that would be impacted by their downsizing. Cheezhead, and HR and recruiter blogger, wrote desperate times = desperate measures, where he talks about the troubles job boards are going through. Job board owners are talking about 25-40 percent decreases in postings. Stories of layoffs at boards big and small abound. And it’s only November. December should be worse. Wait, did I say should be? I meant will be. Will be? I dont follow things like he does, but I dont doubt his prediction.   But I love how he sums up his post, because this is something Ive been thinking about for months: The good news? Historical flipside says a downturn will once again give berth to a better species. Keep in mind, 2003 and beyond gave us Indeed.com, JobCentral and Simply Hired. It spawned LinkedIn and gave rise to Craig. I expect 2010 to do the same. It’ll just kinda suck till then. Were do companies come from?   Market opportunities, forward-thinkers, risk-takers, lucky people, right? Yeah, sure, I agree with all of those. I think companies, great companies, also come from times like this.   If there are tens of thousands of finance professionals getting dumped on the streets, dont you think some of them might have had brilliant ideas that they never had time to work on before?   What about all of the IT professionals, programmers, business analysts, product managers, etc? I believe there are many people who are anxious to get their next steady paycheck, but will eventually see opportunities to do things they never had time to do before.   Companies will be born, millionaires will be created, products and services will surface. I was scared to death to start my own thing, and didnt think anything new could be invented.   There was no better mousetrap all the good ideas were already taken (like Amazon, Google, eBay, wordpress, youtube, etc.) And then I found myself with time, and found some investment money, and a very cool job search tool was put into my brain, and my job search ended. How many others will end their job search and take a plunge that was impossible before?   I expect this recessionary time to catapult a bunch of businesses and entrepreneurs.   Will you be one of them? Are You Feeling All Doom and Gloom Or Is The Time Ripe With Opportunity Last week I blogged that whether this is a technical recession or not, it sure feels like a recession.   I knew WaMu was letting a bunch of people go at their Seattle HQ, but didnt think about the people across the world that would be impacted by their downsizing. Cheezhead, and HR and recruiter blogger, wrote desperate times = desperate measures, where he talks about the troubles job boards are going through. Job board owners are talking about 25-40 percent decreases in postings. Stories of layoffs at boards big and small abound. And it’s only November. December should be worse. Wait, did I say should be? I meant will be. Will be? I dont follow things like he does, but I dont doubt his prediction.   But I love how he sums up his post, because this is something Ive been thinking about for months: The good news? Historical flipside says a downturn will once again give berth to a better species. Keep in mind, 2003 and beyond gave us Indeed.com, JobCentral and Simply Hired. It spawned LinkedIn and gave rise to Craig. I expect 2010 to do the same. It’ll just kinda suck till then. Were do companies come from?   Market opportunities, forward-thinkers, risk-takers, lucky people, right? Yeah, sure, I agree with all of those. I think companies, great companies, also come from times like this.   If there are tens of thousands of finance professionals getting dumped on the streets, dont you think some of them might have had brilliant ideas that they never had time to work on before?   What about all of the IT professionals, programmers, business analysts, product managers, etc? I believe there are many people who are anxious to get their next steady paycheck, but will eventually see opportunities to do things they never had time to do before.   Companies will be born, millionaires will be created, products and services will surface. I was scared to death to start my own thing, and didnt think anything new could be invented.   There was no better mousetrap all the good ideas were already taken (like Amazon, Google, eBay, wordpress, youtube, etc.) And then I found myself with time, and found some investment money, and a very cool job search tool was put into my brain, and my job search ended. How many others will end their job search and take a plunge that was impossible before?   I expect this recessionary time to catapult a bunch of businesses and entrepreneurs.   Will you be one of them? Are You Feeling All Doom and Gloom Or Is The Time Ripe With Opportunity Last week I blogged that whether this is a technical recession or not, it sure feels like a recession.   I knew WaMu was letting a bunch of people go at their Seattle HQ, but didnt think about the people across the world that would be impacted by their downsizing. Cheezhead, and HR and recruiter blogger, wrote desperate times = desperate measures, where he talks about the troubles job boards are going through. Job board owners are talking about 25-40 percent decreases in postings. Stories of layoffs at boards big and small abound. And it’s only November. December should be worse. Wait, did I say should be? I meant will be. Will be? I dont follow things like he does, but I dont doubt his prediction.   But I love how he sums up his post, because this is something Ive been thinking about for months: The good news? Historical flipside says a downturn will once again give berth to a better species. Keep in mind, 2003 and beyond gave us Indeed.com, JobCentral and Simply Hired. It spawned LinkedIn and gave rise to Craig. I expect 2010 to do the same. It’ll just kinda suck till then. Were do companies come from?   Market opportunities, forward-thinkers, risk-takers, lucky people, right? Yeah, sure, I agree with all of those. I think companies, great companies, also come from times like this.   If there are tens of thousands of finance professionals getting dumped on the streets, dont you think some of them might have had brilliant ideas that they never had time to work on before?   What about all of the IT professionals, programmers, business analysts, product managers, etc? I believe there are many people who are anxious to get their next steady paycheck, but will eventually see opportunities to do things they never had time to do before.   Companies will be born, millionaires will be created, products and services will surface. I was scared to death to start my own thing, and didnt think anything new could be invented.   There was no better mousetrap all the good ideas were already taken (like Amazon, Google, eBay, wordpress, youtube, etc.) And then I found myself with time, and found some investment money, and a very cool job search tool was put into my brain, and my job search ended. How many others will end their job search and take a plunge that was impossible before?   I expect this recessionary time to catapult a bunch of businesses and entrepreneurs.   Will you be one of them?

Online Inspiration Could Fitness Vloggers Improve Your Workout

Online Inspiration Could Fitness Vloggers Improve Your Workout Since YouTube first launched millions of people around the world have uploaded videos.   Videos of one type or another, from makeup tutorials, to game walkthroughs and, of course, fitness workouts. In some cases the digital platform completely changed their lives, or gave them a cult following.   In the case of Superwoman, or Lilly Singh her comedic skits, guides and videos earned her a whopping $2.5 million last year. However, can you become fitter from watching fitness gurus online? Hardcore gym bunnies would say not after all how fit can you be lying in your bedroom watching videos? You’re certainly not out exercising unless pressing keys count and you’re not using any muscles. However, a healthy lifestyle is far more than just blind activity and by picking up different techniques, cooking new recipes and even meeting different people you may just find yourself subscribing. They Practice What They Preach Most online fitness enthusiasts are not professionals; you do get the odd personal trainer, nutritionist or bodybuilder setting up channels but it’s mostly amateurs. But before you dismiss the idea, many of these people have spent years eating healthily, many are in fact vegetarian, pescatarian or vegan and have a good grounding in basic nutrition. They take natural supplements, boost their levels with energy building smoothies and try to learn as much as they can from people who are industry professionals. By appearing online live, or as close to live a video as possible users can can assess how healthy vloggers actually are. Note, not how slim they appear but instead how good their hair, skin, and body look and  how happy they seem. It’s important for users to learn to trust their instincts so if you believe a blogger is too good to be true then they just might be. Carefully posted Instagram pictures,    or obviously photoshopped poses are a clear sign that things might not be what they seem. Videos, despite editing software, are harder to fake than images and if the individual has a good following, regularly chats to fans and appears to know what they’re talking about, then that’s a good sign. There Are Endless Recipes Available Simply typing in the word salad online will give you over three million hits. Now obviously, not all of these results will be recipes, ideas or tips about salad but probably around half of them will be. By having a quick online at the digital cookbook, you’ll be able to find numerous different ways of cooking something, ingredient swaps, and even healthy eating challenges. You’ll also be able to view step by step guides on how to prepare foods such as rice, quinoa, and lentils without having to read the same line of instructions twice. Fitness enthusiasts also like to swap junk food items for more healthy version so by checking out a video on say how to make sweet potato chips; you’ll still be enjoying a quick salty snack but cooked, prepared or finished in a positive way. You Can Follow Free Workouts Many vloggers or at least those who are serious about exercise, healthy living and making body positive choices will have lots of videos. These can range from eating tips, exercise equipment reviews to, of course, the workouts themselves. Workout videos can range from easy to difficult, incorporate gym equipment and be targeted at particular users. As always, before commencing any workout warm up and consider what level you’re honestly at. There are also a wide variety of types of fitness programs available.   From online Barre training to pole dancing, theres something to please practically everyones preference. The upside is that most of these workouts are free, easy to follow and if you get lost you can just go back to the start. The downside, however, is that unlike in a gym, sports center or fitness class there arent staff to keep an eye on you, adjust your position or make sure you’re not pushing yourself too hard. This is why its crucial that you choose the level, video or plan that is suitable for your own fitness otherwise you could end up seriously hurting yourself. It’s A Lifestyle Movement, Not A Diet Try to stay away from those vloggers, bloggers and youtubers that keep talking about diets, short term fixes, and little black dress solutions. They’re often misinformed, talking about diet products which can have harmful effects on your health or are simply following a new celebrity trend. For example, Grammy Award winner Beyonce swears by the cayenne pepper and maple syrup diet but these types of diets are not meant to be followed long term. Those that do try them regularly could be putting themselves in danger. See how many videos, followers or comments a particular blogger has as those with only one or two videos, few comments and less than a 1000 views could be spam accounts. These look to target people into buying health-related products that they don’t need. A good, well-known vlogger will have plenty of subscribers, lots of views and hundreds, if not thousands of comments. Not to mention they will often mention others in the industry, do collaboration videos, or hold regular QA’s. Lastly, their other social media channels will give you a final clue as many reputable vloggers are active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and encourage users to leave feedback such as reviews for bbg workout, while some have websites of their own Vloggers Are People Too Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we can struggle to eat the right foods, exercise enough or even make mindful choices. When things arent working a good vlogger, or any online blogger will admit as much and try to explain why. Its comforting to see that not even the golden skinned, blue eyed elite of the LA fitness movement can’t always manage to stay active. On the other hand, when it does go right, you can see the results in front of your eyes. You can experience for yourself just how awesome a superfood smoothie is, not only does good progress boost your confidence, self-esteem and passion for healthy living but you’ll also feel like sharing it with other people both online and in the real world. Title Image Courtesy of Keith Allison

Your ideal career or not

Your ideal career or not In a perfect world, you understand your skills, your strengths and your motivations. You do some research on jobs, you find the one which fits best, make a compelling application and hey presto, you’ve embarked on your ideal career.    Sadly, it doesnt always work like this. These things are important, but sometimes life just seems to get in the way. Are these dilemmas familiar? 1. You have been unwell and your marks have suffered as a result. Someone has told you that you can’t get a graduate job without a 2:1, which you are unlikely to get now. 2. You want a job which would require more study, but you can’t afford it at the moment. 3. You want be close to your boyfriend/girlfriend/Mum/utterly adorable baby nephew, but he or she lives on the tiny Scottish island of Ulva, and you were rather hoping to start a career in the City. 4. You are a mature student. You want to work full-time but the eldest of your three children has only just started school, so you have child-care responsibilities which you can’t avoid, (and certainly don’t want to). 5. You hate this whole capitalist consumerist profit-making nonsense and want no part in it, but you don’t much like the idea of moving back with Mum and Dad either. Theres no magic solution! Although these are invented examples, all of us in the team of career consultants regularly have these kinds of conversations with students and recent graduates. If you’re hoping there’s a nice easy solution coming up in the next sentence or two, then â€" spoiler alert â€" there isn’t. But my experience of conversations which go beyond simple careers queries suggest there are two things which it might be helpful to share: Dont assume that something is impossible. Sometimes people make the assumption that things are impossible, often without even checking whether their assumptions are accurate.  â€˜Difficult’ is not the same as ‘impossible’! Of course you have more work options with a 2:1, but in fact it’s only the largest and most popular companies which insist on it. Even many of those will be sympathetic if you can provide evidence that illness affected your grades. Any assumption that a 2:2 is valueless is simply wrong. (Nows  the time to read our post on what to do with a  2.2). Once you’ve got a few years of successful work experience behind you, employers are unlikely to pay much attention to your degree classification. Meanwhile our parent has obligations, but we don’t know whether  he or she  has considered all the options. Does the work have to be full time?   Who else might share the child-care? Our anti-capitalist  may have to work hard to find a suitable job in a non-profit making organisation,  but such opportunities do exist. She or he may well be able to earn enough  to live independently.   There are students who achieve just that, every single year. Decisions have consequences. There is no such thing as a decision which has no consequences, and even avoiding a decision turns out to have consequences, but careful consideration of the consequences may help to clarify which decision looks right. Simple approaches can be powerful. Divide a sheet of paper in half lengthways. Write your equivalents of ‘Move to Ulva’ and ‘Move to London’ on the top of each half. Fold it in half the other way and label ‘Advantages’ and ‘Disadvantages’. Which list is the longer? Which of the (dis)advantages do you feel most strongly about? The only person who can make decisions, such as whether being geographically close to people in their life that they care about is more important than a lucrative career, is the person affected. Fortunately, we will never know whether life would have been better or worse if we’d made a different decision! But making sure that you are aware of the full range of options, and are going into any decision confident that you have considered the likely consequences, may help to move things forward. You may find that arranging a discussion with a careers consultant can help you put your own priorities and ideas in order. Just in case you were wondering. You  may not need to know this, but for your information Ulva is 7 ½ miles long and 2 ½ miles wide and a few hundred metres by ferry from the Isle of Mull. The Isle of Mull is 338 square miles and a 45 minute ferry ride from mainland Scotland. Mull has a population of 2,800 and Ulva a population of 11. The most successful  Ulvan was probably Lachlan MacQuarie, who became the first governor of New South Wales.

Personal Branding Interview Steven Levy - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Interview Steven Levy - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today, I spoke to Steven Levy, who is the author of In The Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives. He is a senior writer at Wired, and was formerly senior editor and chief technology correspondent for Newsweek.  In this interview, Steven reveals some secrets from one of the most prize companies in the world, Google. What got you so interested in writing about Google for your new book? I had been covering the company since its early days, and always felt it was important. In the Summer of 2007 I tagged along with a group of young Google managers as they literally went around the world to visit Googles offices overseas. Spending 24/7 time with them for two weeks woke me up to how different Google looks from the inside it made me see things from the point of view of people who are shaping our future. So I set out to write a whole book that told that story from the inside. Can you give a few inside secrets that we might not know about Google? The book is full of themlike the way Google secretly set up its data centers, how the search engine works, whats in the black box' of its ad program and why the system requires hordes of statisticians and engineers. Also, no one has really written previously about the internal management structures whereby Googlers set measurable goals. What aspects of Google have helped lead to its success? Larry and Sergey grasped the key elements for success in the Internet eraspeed and scale. Larry in particular realized that the Internet was a platform where ambitious reaches could be rewarded. Do you think that Facebook will eventually overthrow Google or that they can both live in harmony? Its not a death match--both are great companies that can coexistbut Google is worried that Facebook will use its assets to compete in areas where Google now dominates. The best outcome would be competition that makes both firms work overtime to lure usersbut if part of the competition means that people must choose one company only for their social activity, thats bad for us. How does Google go about selecting talent? How important is talent to their overall strategy? Talent is essential to Googleit is very serious about wanting a company where everyone is off-the-charts smart. Google has very high standards for hiring, and begins by requiring data in the form of ones SAT scores (IQ) and college grade point (achievement). If someone has unique accomplishments that helps. Engineers take coding auditions, and there are many interviews and data packets compiled by hiring councils. Steven Levy is the author of In The Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives. He is a senior writer at Wired, and was formerly senior editor and chief technology correspondent for Newsweek. He is the author of six previous books, including Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution, which was voted the best sci-tech nonfiction book of the last twenty years by readers of PC magazine, and Insanely Great, the definitive account of the Macintosh computer. A native of Philadelphia, Levy lives in New York City with his wife, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Teresa Carpenter, and their son. His website is stevenlevy.com.

Professions Of The Future That Have Not Yet Become Popular

Professions Of The Future That Have Not Yet Become Popular Photo Credit â€" unsplash.comToday in the world of careers it can be hard to figure out exactly what you want to do. That’s why we’ve curated a list of some of the most unknown professions that will make a major difference in the future.While these jobs are currently not as popular as they will be, by getting your foot in the door early, you’ll be one step ahead of the game and the competition.Each of these professions will become extremely popular in the near future, they will make a difference in the creative, marketing, and online worlds.evalThese professions will be what sets you apart from all the rest when it comes to your experience.Below we’ve included a wide variety, but the majority of these career opportunities focus around technology because tech is the future of all business and brands.We’ve also included excerpts from experts in all of these fields so you’ll be getting first hand advice from those who have been studying and participating in these career path s.Let us know which career option you’d love to learn more about or possibly even be involved in!1. Food StylistevalFood Stylists are actually a best kept secret of the art and food industry, but in recent years they have been on a steady incline in popularity. They could very much be a normal career choice later on in a few years.A food stylist has an attention for detail, they pay attention to every little thing in front of them. They work hard to make sure that a dish of food looks fantastic for the photographer.evalWhether they’re photographing the food for a menu, cookbook, or advertisement, the food needs to look perfect.There are actually a ton of ways that food stylists have made their food look too good to be true. Often times many food stylists won’t even use edible things to style the food. By using glue, toothpicks, shoe polish, anything to get the shot.According to The Art Career Project a food stylist by definition is: “Food styling is the art of arranging food so that it looks tasty and fresh. This is important in a number of situations, particularly when the food is being photographed. For instance, the pictures of food that you see in cookbooks, magazines, advertisements, and menus have been styled.”2. Chief Listening OfficerevalA chief listening officer is one step above a social media manager. They’re someone that pays close attention to the world around them. They not only manage social media for companies, but they also pay very close attention to what people are saying and sharing about the company.They closely monitor social platforms and various conversations to make sure that they can bring the best information to the company they are working for.They work hard to make sure that anything that is being said about the company is used in a way that will make the company better in the long term.A chief listening officer is extremely aware of how important this kind of information is to a company, because in most cases companies are shut off from feedback in their retrospective communities.By having an employee that is a chief listening officer you’ll be getting the feedback in a way that will help boost the company.Brazen goes into detail about this career opportunity by explaining: “This job is extremely newâ€"according to Forbes, the first-ever Chief Listening Officer position was created in 2010. But it’s on the rise. As more organizations rely on social media for market research and customer service, the position of CLO will only become more important.”3. Market Research Data MinerData Miners are hired to do one thing, to learn more about the customer for any particular brand that they are working for.Companies will most likely hire this individual because they want to know how they can market their services or product to better fit the needs of the potential customer.evalWhile some people highly disagree with these methods, it doesn’t necessarily reveal all personal information, it just all ows you to be marketed things you would actually want to buy.This new job on the market is a career path that takes a ton of work but it’s extremely useful to companies who want to expand and increase their profits.This change in a company can be the difference between a failing business because of the lack of interest from the customers and a booming success for the future growth of the company this individual works for.The official definition of a Market Research Data Miner according to Investopedia.com is: “Data mining is a process used by companies to turn raw data into useful information. By using software to look for patterns in large batches of data, businesses can learn more about their customers and develop more effective marketing strategies as well as increase sales and decrease costs.”This technology career is rapidly growing and is quickly becoming the future.eval4.Millennial Generational ExpertMillennial Generational Experts are literally experts when it comes to millennials. You might be thinking that there is no point to a career like this, but that’s not true. This career can be extremely important when it comes to companies today.Many brands and companies, even the big ones, are having a very hard time understanding what the new generation wants. Many companies are lost on how they should market what they have to offer to younger individuals.With a millennial generational expert on your team, you’ll have someone who is in touch with the younger community and someone who will know exactly what you should do to market to individuals who are from a different generation.According to a leading professor in this field, Dan Schawbel had this to say: “If you aren’t constantly speaking with millennials, then how do you know what they want, what they buy and what companies they want to work for? Millennials typically have more friends who are millennials than older generations do and the average millennial is connected to at least seven h undred other millennials through Facebook alone. If you only surround yourself with older generations, you won’t be as reputable in the millennial space.”5. FuturistevalA futurist is an individual who uses their ideals and understandings of market trends for the future to better benefit the companies they are involved with.They are someone who is well versed in a variety of trends and they have a very deep understanding of the current culture. By hiring a futurist, you’re going to be hiring an individual that will only pay attention to the future and how they can turn that into something that will create a huge benefit for your company or brand.By doing this your company or brand will be much more ahead of the curve than many others that you’re in competition with.According to an expert in this career choice, Ross Dawson tells us all about the facts behind being a futurist and how those individuals are the biggest upcoming career choice you haven’t even heard of yet.“Alt hough increasing numbers of futurists are studying and teaching futures programs, the game changer for most futurists is their career development. Major fields that futurists emerge from include science and technology, marketing and trends, social studies, anthropology, and the environment and sustainability.”6.Chief Productivity OfficerA chief productivity officer is exactly that, an officer that makes sure that the individuals in your workplace are being as productive as possible. They have training in a ton of different areas that can help with this motivation.From encouraging a more healthy lifestyle in the office, to making sure your coworkers get up and move throughout the day to keep their energy up.This job might not seem necessary when it comes to your company, but the moment you bring one of these individuals on board you’ll not only be investing in a better future, but you’ll also have a much happier and positive workspace that can allow for some fun.According to Mo nster.com this job entails: “Driving efficiencies will be vital at individual, departmental and organizational levels, and the officer-level position will be important at companies of all sizes”says Raj Narayanaswamy, co-founder and co-CEO at Replicon, a company that specializes in cloud-based timesheet management headquartered in Calgary, Canada. “People in officer-level positions must be comfortable working with data and offering recommendations on how to improve productivity,” he says.

See me speak at The Global Summit in London - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

See me speak at The Global Summit in London - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog I have just agreed to speak at The Global Summit in London on August 16 a conference devoted to Uniting people hands-on, and online in shaping solutions to the issues that most affect them, by advancing a whole system approach to social, economic and environmental change. Check out the program and sign up here. 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

Is It Professional To List Ghost Writing On A Resume?

Is It Professional To List Ghost Writing On A Resume?Is it professional to list ghost writing on a resume? This is a question that I've been asked by several employers who may be hiring for a part time position. They are either really curious or they want to see if I am familiar with some of the procedures involved in hiring ghost writers. Either way, this is one of those topics that is not easy to answer.The first thing to know is that many people will call this a 'professional' job, and then wonder why they should or shouldn't list it on their resume. You'll find yourself in some sort of a discussion over whether or not it is professionally appropriate to list a writer on your resume, but that's a discussion for another time.There is no such thing as a 'professional purpose' in the world of freelance writing. Some people work from home, some people work from the office, and some people run their own business from home. What you are really trying to do is to get a job that's suited to your level of experience and skill set.For the sake of this article, we're going to assume that you've got a professional, professional purpose in mind. So, if you know of a web site or freelance writer who fits the bill, the next step is to make contact with them. It would be a great idea to show your resume to your contact, explain what you're looking for, and have them read through it to see if you really have what it takes.If the potential employer is not happy with what you wrote, there is little point in doing business with you. The person you're calling may be happy with your resume, and not want to waste time on you. If you haven't done anything to the job, you will likely be considered an on-the-job candidate. This makes it tough to get the job, so your resume has to be unique and to the point.Some sites are 'genuinely' paid for by an employer, others require that you have proof of a previous job or a legal guidelines. When you have the required proof, or documentation, you'll need to get the information into your online personal profile. This is the point at which you can begin your task of developing your skills, since any professional CV will state your knowledge and experience.At this point, you'll have your resume out to a prospective employer, and you'll need to make sure that you list all the job references you've got. This is where the practice of 'flagging' comes in. This is where you put a link back to the website and the person whose resume you're flicking through, and that's where the real work begins. There are many available resources for you to use in flicking through your past jobs.Is it professional to list ghost writing on a resume? While it's a bit of a catch-22 situation, many employers will make it sound like a more difficult process than it actually is. Just don't underestimate how important it is to bring your past writing up to date.