Eight tips to help you get a career in digital marketing

Eight tips to help you get a career in digital marketing by Michael Cheary It’s official: digital marketing jobs are on the rise… And with government investment in digital jobs predicted to increase by over £120 million in the next three years, there’s never been a better time to get into the industry.To find out more, we spoke to Nell Campbell of the Learning People, one of the UK’s biggest providers of digital marketing qualifications, who gave us her top tips on impressing potential employers:Be informedDon’t know your SEM from your SEO? It might be time to brush-up on your acronyms.Being able to discuss digital marketing strategies clearly and concisely is vital, and will help build your credibility amongst industry professionals. So always get to grips with the lingo (PPC/ROI/CPC etc.) before sending off any applications.Be analyticalDigital marketing is more data driven than you might think.Using freemium services such as Google Analytics will help you acquire information about how users interact with your site, no t to mention analyse how each marketing channel has performed.Having the right metrics in place will also allow you to pinpoint areas to improve â€" and demonstrate to your prospective employer your potential to deliver a positive ROI.Be specialistJust because there’s a lot of areas to learn, it doesn’t mean you have to be an expert in all of them.Whether you’re passionate about paid search, SEO, social media, or another area of marketing, playing to your strengths and specialising in a particular field could make all the difference.So don’t just build the foundations â€" find your niche.Be sociableNever underestimate the influence of those around you.Surrounding yourself with innovative industry experts â€" and don’t be afraid to network. Attending conferences and industry meet-ups as regularly as you can, for example, is a great opportunity to build offline relationships that you can develop online.Still not convinced? Two words: free Prosecco.Be presentIf you’re looki ng to show an employer that you can increase their company’s visibility, then building your own personal brand is vital.Think of it as an extension of your CV â€" and another way that you can practically showcase your skills. Blogs or profiles with a clear vision tend to be more successful, so find a subject you love and run with it.Be relevantDigital marketing is an industry which is always evolving.Keeping up-to-date with the latest trends is a great way to ensure your knowledge and recommendations are current. And sometimes it’s as simple as following digital marketing sites and key influencers on social media.Good examples include Distilled, Moz and  PPC Hero, but there are plenty out there of others out there to help you get to grips with your pandas and penguins.Be agileStructure and creativity aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive.A career in digital marketing could see you in the office one day, and off to an international conference the next but you’ll always need to plan ahead. To help get a better handle on your time and resources, try incorporating agile practices into your team, which will enable you to manage your digital projects in the most effective way possible.Remember: organisation isn’t a dirty word.Be certifiedFinally, if you really want to get noticed â€" a professional qualification is a great place to start.A digital marketing certification will help build and perfect your skills, and provide you with the practical evidence you need to help back them up. It’s also a really effective way to demonstrate to potential employers that you can hit the ground running, and let you learn more about something you’re passionate about.It’s pretty much win-win.The Learning People are one of the UK’s leading eLearning providers, specialising in world-class certifications in project management, IT and digital marketing. To find out more about getting certified, talk to the Learning People today.Find a job What Where Search JobsSi gn up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the

Barista Cover Letter Sample - Algrim.co

Barista Cover Letter Sample - Algrim.co Barista Cover Letter Template Download our cover letter template in Word format. Instant download. No email required. Download Template Related Hiring Resources 5+ Best Barista Interview Questions Answers Barista Job Description Sample

Dear Santa, All I Want for Christmas Is...

Dear Santa, All I Want for Christmas Is... Ho ho ho! It is that time of year again where blogs all over are being written to reflect the seasonal mood out there.  Lots of reflections over the year, in fact, this blog almost became a look back over 2013 how it compared to what I had planned back on Jan 1st 2013 and what I had achieved versus those goals. But then I thought, actually, as much as we should reflect on our set goals, I prefer to look ahead and plan what I can do in the future. Therefore, I thought I would take this chance to write an open letter to Santa (other mythical or religious figures are also available but he seemed the most obvious one to ask at this time of year!) to ask him what I could wish for over the forthcoming 12 months. I am not greedy I only have a few requests! Honesty: Yes, that old chestnut (I love my own puns, sorry, naff I know!). I want YOU, my customer whether you are an existing client, live candidate, a potential candidate, reader of blog, advocate of my business, referrer or just acquaintance to please just tell the truth. Don’t withhold vital information from me. Don’t play me off against your current employer. Don’t misguide me during an interview process so my candidate is at a disadvantage by harbouring doubts. I am super honest (diplomatically and otherwise) and I ask for, nay, demand the same in return. Candour equals better results for all parties, I promise. Respect: Respect for a process; respect that I also have a job to do; respect the discretion that I may impart to you, my client by proxy for my candidate. Life can be hard enough without blatant disrespect for the etiquette rules we have as Best Practise guidelines. So please, don’t cancel an interview an hour before. please turn up when you say you are going to.please don’t lie to me about your situation.please don’t secretly ask Bob in the other division what he thinks of my confidential candidate before you have offered them.. get it? Less media gossip: My husband and I are resolute about what news channels/newpapers we allow into our house. Dependent upon which political sway of the said media, will influence whether you believe we are still in a recession (slit your wrists time) or whether, we are in recovery and the jobs market is actually looking very healthy (hooray, crack open the Moet or Real Ale in our house..) We had a blackout of news for a while and we missed nothing major thanks to Twitter (I am not joking). And we stayed very focused and upbeat and optimistic all by ourselves. And drank lots of real ale well, my hubbie is a brewer (really) Failure for the cowboys: Boo hiss! We hate our competitors. Well, as you all know, I don’t actually and with some (other good guys), I have formed collaborations (those who are located elsewhere in UK and abroad). However, I wish the cowboys who create so much bad publicity and experiences for customers could fail abysmally and be forced to close down and have to go and do something else for a living (I don’t want to insult any other professions, but selling your granny off a market stall?) I have had enough of poor R2Rs spreading shame and misery across the sector and recruiters generally who leave such a sour impression upon our wonderful and privileged industry. Old-skool mentality: What’s wrong with being a little old fashioned in your approach? Yes, I do embrace social media as a means to promote my business and hopefully get the message out of what I do and whom I am looking to assist. But NOTHING replaces good honest meeting and speaking to people in person. So I would wish for an emphasis on quality over quantity- why make 100 calls a day when 10 fab calls may result in success; meet just 1 great candidate and place them rather than 10 shoddy ones; have just 20 clients on your portfolio who are all exclusive rather than 200 who can’t remember your name- make sense? And finally Time: I would like some TIME please. Yes, time. As much as what I profess is urgency (it is even one of the abbreviations in my company name), don’t rush me. Don’t panic me, Mr Client, otherwise I may fear that you just want a bum on a seat; Ms candidate- I do share your burden that you hate it where you are, but if we panic, you will not make the right judgement. Oh and I would like some time just to reflect (and write blogs LOL) too. is that such a bad thing? We don’t need to be 100 miles an hour for 12 hours a day do we? Thank you, Santa. (My other letter asks you to grant world peace, an end to poverty, imagine all the people. Oh, and maybe another diamond wouldn’t go amiss!) Merry Christmas to you all and thanks for reading and sharing my blogs this year. Let me know what YOU wish for from Santa (or whoever!) and I look forward to writing for you all again in 2014. Lysha RELATED:  Recruiters: How to Survive the Holidays

67% of Employers Plan to Increase Hiring Soon - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

67% of Employers Plan to Increase Hiring Soon - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career It’s about time that job seekers, and economists alike, heard some good news about hiring particularly in light of this month’s unemployment figures with an unemployment rate of 9.2% and a mere 18K new jobs, 92K less than expected. According to Jobvite, the leading recruiting platform for the social web, 67% of companies will increase hiring in the next 12 months, a 12% increase from 2010. This figure, along with the basis of those in this blog, was just released today as part of Jobvite’s annual survey result and the timing couldn’t be better. Where the hiring happens: Social Networks 55% of survey respondents plan to increase their investment in social recruiting in the next year, up from 46% last year, said Anne Murguia, Vice President of Marketing for Jobvite. She went on to say that multiple social networks are where the action is at, “Linked In is the strongest and is used by 87% of the people. 64% use two or more utilities which I found fascinating.” With 80% of today’s hiring done via networking, it makes sense that social networking has such a place in today’s hiring practices. Jobvite’s Survey showed that Linked In, Facebook and Twitter and leading the social recruiting pack with Linked at the front. 87% of respondents use it for recruiting (95% yielded hires from it) followed by Facebook used 55% for recruiting, yielding 24% of hires. If you’re job seeking and not on Linked In, it’s time to build a high quality profile. Competition heats up As these social recruiting practices emerge more, so does the competition from both the employer and job seeker perspective. The survey found that 78% expect hiring competition will increase in the next 12 months. I know that sounds scary; I spend 10 hours/day coaching candidates currently looking for new careers and it’s already competitive. This simply means your job search approach needs to be more strategic, focused and clear. Who said tenure pays? Many clients these days come to me after successful careers with the same company for over 10, 15, 20, and 25 years. This is the way ‘we’ were taught to approach a career. Today’s new generation looks at a ‘JOB’ as an opportunity to get the most and move on. Apparently so do employers now. Jobvite found that 31% expect employee’s tenure to be less than 2 years or less, and 14% expect a new employee will stay more than 5 years. As a career coach, that’s great news (read: recurring clients) but as a business owner that’s bothersome on a variety of levels. Number one way to get hired Referrals are the best source. 70% of respondents said referrals are a better fit with the company culture and values than candidates from any other channel and 67% said recruiter referrals are faster making referrals the highest rated source for candidate quality. How do you ignite a referral through your social network? Employees (your friends, family, alumni) come with built-in social networks and they spread the word through those social networks about job openings. As Anne Murguiasaid, “It’s a powerful way for companies to get in front of potentially talented prospects.” Author: Adriana Llames is a veteran career coach and acclaimed author of Career Sudoku: 9 Ways to Win the Job Search Game, released with top book seller Amazon.com. She is creator of   “HR In-A-Box,” a Human Resources software product helping small businesses across America and a professional keynote speaker motivating and inspiring audiences with her focused programs on “9 Ways to Win the Job Search Game”, “Confessions of a Career Coach” and “Nice Girls End Up on Welfare.” For more information, visit www.adrianallames.com

7 Effective Ways to Personalize Your Home Office

7 Effective Ways to Personalize Your Home Office Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comThe environment you work in has a big effect on your productivity levels, especially when you work from home. It can be tough to stay focused when you work and sleep in the same place, so you need to create a work area that feels separate from the rest of your homeâ€"ideally, itsown room.?Simple furniture and décor adjustments can make a big difference in how efficiently you work, as can the technology you use. And with the following seven tips, you can create your perfect home office.1. Decorate IntelligentlyStudies show that the addition of even a few houseplants to an office can make employees up to38% more productive, as the flora psychologically engages people and helps them feel happier. And, ultimately, feeling happier can make them better workers.eval?Plants also improve the air quality of a room, so it’s worth filling your office space with some foliage. Opt for low-maintenance plants like succulents if you’re bad at keeping plants alive, and watch how your mood improves while you work.Having a space where you can pin your current favorite images, quotes, and other inspirations is another great way to boost your mood while working. These kinds of decorations help your workplace remain fresh and vibrant, therefore helping you be more productive.?When you look at the same wall décor all the time, you become desensitized to it and it no longer gives you the mental boost it used to. Putting up a pinboard of some sort allows you to constantly switch up the mood of your office environment, helping you stay motivated and avoid the boredom of looking at the same thing every day.2. Put Your Desk by a WindowWorking by a window in your own space rather than in the drabness of an office cubicle can significantly improve your well-being. Thanks to its regulating effect on your Vitamin D, serotonin, and melatonin levels, natural light can boost productivity, increase creativity, reduce stress and the likelihood of sickness, and promo te healthy eye development.Positioning your desk somewhere that gets a lot of daylight may also improve the quality of your sleep at nightâ€"the exposure to the sun’s movements helps regulate your body’s circadian rhythm. One study even shows that people whosat by a windowwhile working got an average of forty-six more minutes of sleep than those who didn’t.3. Equip Your Space ProperlyWhen you work from home, you’re completely in charge of office supplies, so make sure you’ve got everything you need before you get to work. A good computer with all necessary software is an obvious must, and so are pens, notepads, file organizers, printing materials, envelopes with stamps, and whatever else you might use.Your needs will vary based on the type of work you do, so spend some time determining what supplies to equip your space with. If you’re going to have a lot of conference calls with video, for example, make sure your setup includes a good camera and microphone, and consider equipping your office with its own phone and number if you don’t want to use your personal cellphone or landline for work.4. Make Things ComfortableevalYou’re probably going to spend a lot of time in your home office, so having comfortable seating options is crucial. Don’t sacrifice comfort for style when designing your workspaceâ€"make sure your desk chair is suitable for hours of sitting.?Back pain is a common problem for most people who work in offices, and it can easily distract you from what you’re supposed to be working on. Try to prevent it by choosing a chair with adequate lumbar support.?You could also consider having a more lounging-suitable seating option, like a couch, for when you have multiple calls to make and want a break from sitting at your desk.5. Avoid ClutterIf you’re using a spare room in your home as an office, it can be easy for clutter to build up. This can cause your mind to become cluttered too, so try to avoid it at all costs.eval?The Princeton Neuroscience Institute found thatclutter competes for attentionin our brains, shifting our focus from what we’re supposed to be working on to the mess surrounding us. Treat your home office like a real office and don’t let junk pile up just because it’s in your home.?Wall-mounted storage is a great way to keep office stuff organized in limited space, andPinteresthas some handy tips for office organization.Digital clutter can also wear down your mental faculties and make it more difficult to work. By keeping the files on your computer properly organized and being strict about deleting files you don’t need, you’ll free up both time and hard drive space.?Your emails should also be well organized, so make use of features like Gmail’s auto-filter, or use a third-party organizer like Newton to really stay on top of your seemingly endless inbox.6. Don’t Skimp on Internet SpeedMake sureyour internet speedis up to scratch. It can be difficult to have an efficient conference cal l, for example, when one person keeps freezing or cutting out due to a poor connection. Dealing withtechnology issues while trying to work from home is far from ideal, and you won’t have the support of an IT team like you did while working in an actual office. Paying for reliable speed and connection can mitigate any issues you might have.The nice thing about this upgrade is that you can enjoy the benefits of a faster, better internet connection when you’re not working, so you won’t have to deal with constant buffering if you’re trying to unwind with a movie after work.7. Avoid MonotonyOne of the major perks of working from home is an increased degree of freedom, so make the most of it. However perfect your home office setup is, you may find that working there all the time gets a bit stifling. When that happens, be prepared to get outside of your usual work environment and head to a coffee shop or other new location.?This different environment will boost your creativity and motivation like adding plants and rotating décor does. While routine can be an important part of a healthy work life, you shouldn’t feel so married to yours that you’re reluctant to get outside of it occasionally.evalWorking from home comes with its own set of challenges, but if you do it right and cultivate a suitable working environment for you, it can be incredibly rewarding. It might take a bit of time for you to figure out what your ideal workspace looks likeâ€"be mindful of what seems to be working and what doesn’t, and make changes accordingly.

How to prepare for illegal interview questions

How to prepare for illegal interview questions 1 Flares 1 Flares While I believe ample time should be spent practicing popular interview questions, its also smart to know which questions are illegal and should never be asked.  Well trained HR folks have been brain washed into knowing every painful legality of interviewing, and pass that information over to hiring managers.  Sadly, some hiring managers just dont get the message.  Its possible they were sleeping during the illegal interview questions presentation, or maybe they just dont believe in what HR has to offer.  No matter the reason, when interviewers are ignorant to laws surrounding illegal interview questions, it becomes very dangerous for the company. Illegal interview questions come in a number of categories.  To help you remember these categories just think of DARN SCaR: D isability A ge R eligion N ational Origin S ex or Sexual Orientation C olor R ace/Ethnicity Interviewers should be  trained  to keep questions JOB-RELATED. Thats in bold because its crucial to the interview.  Keeping an interview job-related seems obvious, but far too many interviews utilize illegal questions.  Just last week I read a story from  COTJ fan through email.  She told me about a friend of hers that recently went on an interview.  The first questions out of the interviewers mouth were, Are you married, single, and how many kids do you have?  Holy pancakes, that hurts.  Those questions directly relate to the Sex or Sexual Orientation category, and are very well known illegal questions.  Not all illegal questions are as cut and dry, it can actually become quite confusing.  Here are more illegal questions from each category: Disability How did you get that scar? When did you lose your leg? Have you ever had a drug problem? Do you have the HIV virus or AIDS? Age How old are you? You seem to be in good shape for your age, are you? Religion Do you believe in God? Do you go to church on Sundays? What is a Bar Mitzvah? National Origin What kind of name is Kunis? Where did you grow up? Where were you born? Can you show me your green card? Sex or Sexual Orientation Are you married or single? Do you have children? Do you live with a man or woman? Color and Race List all the clubs or organization to which you belong to Please attach a photograph to your application What is your race? What is the name and address of a relative to be notified in case of an emergency? 99% of the time interviewers are simply ignorant to illegal questions.  Their objective is to screen out a candidate quickly by asking what they feel is a question relating to the job requirements.  Many times there is an even more direct way to find out if a candidate can meet these requirements.   Here are some examples: Illegal How old are you?  You seem to be in good shape for an old man, or woman. Legal This job requires you to lift 75 pounds daily.  Can you meet this requirement? Illegal Do you have children? Legal This job requires you to be at work by 7:30 each morning.  Can you meet this requirement? Illegal Show me your green card. Legal Are you authorized to work for any US employer? Illegal Do you go to church on Sundays? Legal This job may require some work on Saturdays and Sundays.  Can you meet this requirement? Illegal Have you ever been arrested? Legal Have you ever been convicted of a felony? What to do if asked an illegal question? Dont answer the question.  Keep in mind that your interviewer may not have been properly trained and their intent is not to discriminate. Tell your interviewer in a polite way that the question might be illegal, or even try to change the subject.  Ask  your interviewer how the question relates to the job.  For instance, if you are asked if you have children.  Ask him/her why that question is important to the job, or how it relates to the position.  A common response might be, Id like to know if you can arrive at 7:00 each morning.  Their response is now the question.  State if you can be in work by 7 AM each morning, and then move away from it completely.  If illegal questions persist, or if you feel youve being discriminated, then maybe you should file a claim against the company. How do you file a claim? If you feel youve been discriminated against in any of the categories listed in DARN SCaR, then you may file a charge of discrimination with the  U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).  To file a charge, contact your local EEOC office.  Click here to view local EEOC offices If you have any questions surrounding illegal interview questions please contact me at CornOnTheJob@gmail.com

References On Your Resume: What Is Important To Include?

References On Your Resume: What Is Important To Include?The information found in the References section of your resume is vitally important and will have a direct effect on the success of your application. So you would naturally want to ensure that you provide as much detail as possible on this section of your resume.This section of your resume should be brief and professional and should be accompanied by a cover letter or CV with this information. There are many reasons why it is important to add a good references section to your resume:A good references section will give a reader a great deal of information about you and can save time for them. A references section is an indication of how motivated you are to get a job and how willing you are to work hard to get it. This also provides an opportunity to provide important details of previous jobs and companies to help the reader decide whether you are the kind of person they would want to hire. A references section is also a good ind icator of how you feel about the organization.A good references section should also feature the name and contact details of your references. If you have multiple employers, these should be kept as current.In addition to this, it is also worth noting that a references section on resume is one of the best ways to build the trust that is required when you are interviewing. Asking for references from a previous employer is always a good idea, but if you really want the interview to go well, you should ask them about their previous work and if they can put you in touch with their references. It can help you get to know them and can keep the interview short and pleasant. This is especially important if you are interviewing someone who has a reputation for going out of his way to help people.It is important to make sure that your references section on resume includes all of the information they provide, which means they must be able to talk about their experiences. These are then bound to be very helpful in your application. However, you should be careful that you do not fill in the references section with any irrelevant information. You should also be cautious about ensuring that the information is accurate and that you provide complete and honest information.Finally, the best thing to do is to ensure that you make the section on your resume stand out from the rest of your resume. However, if you simply want to find references for a specific position and not necessarily to give a full profile, you may not have much to worry about. Just make sure that you keep the section short and professional and you will have no problem in finding references.