LinkedIn Profile Pictures 3 Reasons Having a Photo is Essential

LinkedIn Profile Pictures 3 Reasons Having a Photo is Essential LinkedIn is an essential component of your professional life. leid only can it serve as an important tool if you are conducting a job search, but it can also help you with personal branding, professional networking, and maintaining your business identity. Often, recruiters use the platform to identify potential candidates for a position, and hiring managers may take a look at your profile along with (or even instead of) your resume to better understand your background, skill set, and work history.Tzu siche are many crucial elements of your profile, but your LinkedIn prestige is one of the most important. It showcases you and your expertise. If you dont have a profile photo on your LinkedIn page, you could seriously be missing out. For starters, people are mora likely to click on and view your profile if you have a picture there.Wondering why a picture is essential for your LinkedIn profile? Here are three reasons why you should add a photo or update your current headshot.1. A LinkedIn profile photo helps you showcase your personal brand.Set yourself up to get the kind of job or professional opportunities you want by figuring out exactly what it is that you want first. Your professional goals and ambitions are part of your personal branding.Take a moment and do a brain dump of what your ideal job or work opportunity would look like, feel like, or sound like. Write down what the various components of your ideal workday would be from beginning to end, and think about how these elements would look, feel, and perhaps sound. Be as detailed as possible, taking into account the kinds of experiences you want to have, ideas you want to cultivate, and workload that would suit you and your personality best.Through that lens, choose or take a profile image that captures your personal brand.This exercise offers a shift in reasoning as to why you must have a LinkedIn profile photo. Shifting from a reactionary ima ge (passive) to an intentionally focused, action-driven image will draw to you the best opportunities for you. The profile image you put forth to the world will draw certain kinds of people from specific industries to look at it and come to your profile.2. It helps you set a clear professional intention.In 1908 Rev. Fred E. Marble delivered a speech, which included the now famous quote, First I tells em what I am going to tell em, second I tells em, and third I tells em what I told em.Decades later, this age-old advice is still relevant for cultivating a public imageand for your LinkedIn profile photo.Your profile picture is an opportunity to set the tone for your profile. It is your chance to make a good impression. As Shannon Dalton Giordano of Serendipity Social Media Inc. shares, Your LinkedIn profile photo should reflect who you are and how you like to interact with the world. The key is that it should be professional, but it also must let your personality shine through. The be auty is that you can use this photo across multiple social platforms and your followers and friends will know theyve found you.That means you can use this image for your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram profile as well. Another benefit in using your picture across social media platforms is that it will help your other profiles come across as more professional, so if a hiring manager, client, or colleague sees it, it will align with the professional image you put forth on your LinkedIn profile and in your working life.3. Consistent messaging, including through a profile photo, makes you more recognizable.We all agree that consistency is key across social media platforms and imperative within your messaging of your ideal job opportunity and connections. Be sure to make consistent messaging part of your professional intentionthis is essential for cultivating and maintaining your personal brand, identity, and image.Just like a flashing neon sign, a quality LinkedIn photo is your first i mpression. As Jake Belcher, of Jake Belcher Photography, Boston shares, From my experience working with clients in a social media driven job market, your professional headshot is your first impression and recommend working with a professional photographer. Before you get started with your photo session, let your photographer know about your brand and branding goals, make your photo session a collaborative experience, and always stick with clean backgrounds. If you can do all three of these things, your message about who you are and what you represent will be clear to your audience.So, take a few pictures and try different poses to see if they are in line with your intention. Before you actually take your photo with a professional photographer, you might try out these poses with a friend and have her snap a couple pictures to help you see how the various poses and expresses come across through the camera lens.Working with a professional photographer will ensure you are portrayed in a light that reflects what your personal job intention is. It can also help you avoid disappointment and missed opportunities, since a professional headshot is more likely to attract and impress the people who look through your profile, and they will see that you are taking your professional image seriously.Make sure you dress in a professional, appropriate manner that reflects your personality and the image you want to put forth. Make sure you dont put on too much makeup, too. While a little is okay, try to keep it subtle. A smoky eye is better left to a party or social event. Your photographer can probably offer some tips for how to best dress and prepare for profile photos as well most likely, this is not her first go around with creating LinkedIn profile photos.Stay focused while prepping for your LinkedIn profile. Think thoughts that will keep you calm and help you project an image that captures your professional persona and your genuine personality. You want the world to see th e real, professional you.--Kristen Darcy is an author speaker and emotional recovery coach who help her clients get to their clear intentions and how to manifest the life that is best for them. Visit www.kristendarcy.com.

The Fight Against Writing a Resume after Military

The Fight Against Writing a Resume after Military Getting the Best Writing a Resume after Military Yur Military Resume Writer will check with you throughout the resume preparation procedure to make sure your most relevant abilities and qualifications arrive at the forefront. If youre utilizing the USAJOBS program, all you have to do is definitely log in the machine and click the Application Position connection. Empire Resume cares about assisting you to secure work and ensuring your transition goes smoothly. Why it is crucial to maintain a Construction Worker Resume even as you work. Browse our military resume examples today to learn how we can assist you, or contact our team directly to learn more. In some cases, it might draws in a couple hundred resumes. Thus, take into consideration the following advice on how to create military to civilian resume. Military to civilian transitions are among the specialities theyve listed on their site. What You Dont Know About Writin g a Resume after Military The target of your resume is to secure you the interview. Applying with the work targeted resume for each job is a superb practice rather than sending same resume for every single job. Include volunteer experience if its related to the job. Saves Time whenever youre looking for an excellent job, its always great to have a separate resume for each and every job. Key Pieces of Writing a Resume after Military Writing resumes can be challenging for some folks, and thus dont be scared to find some assistance from the experts. Free Resume Templates offers you the very best solution along with quick fixes to your resumes. Writing resume with the assistance of resume templates readily available on the world wide web has become the most effective method of writing resumes that ensure that youre using the perfect format and correct information that is fit for the job youre applying for. The writers that are appointed to draft the resume templates are selecte d on account of their proficiency. The most recent tool to utilize for writing a good resume is the template which is readily available online and for free in plus-rechnen to paid versions. A free resume template is a kind of basic sample for a resume that an individual might want to develop. A proper resume template can let you stick out among the competition. Resume is not merely a document. however, it defines you and is the very first important key that ensures your prospective employer takes interest in you. What military veterans should avoid when writing a resume Here are simply a few elements that veterans want to be careful about when creating their resumes, and a few practical counter-strategies. Resumes often begin with a very simple summary statement by means of your career intentions and have a tremendous section specialized in a synopsis of your work history. A functional resume might not incorporate an individuals work history whatsoever or might have a conci se collection of prior jobs at the base of the document. Naturally, youre permitted to tweak your existing resume, but you should make sure youre sending a unique resume to every job youre applying for. Writing a simple resume is an obligation for every single man or woman who would like to get the wanted job. You dont need to be worried about having a resume writer whos unaware of the role that youre applying for. There are various ways to organize your resume. If you need a job outside the military, you will have to use different language and even a different format to draw attention. Your resume should be formatted in an easy, professional method.

3 Ways to Avoid Recruiting Burnout - Spark Hire

3 Ways to Avoid Recruiting Burnout - Spark HireRecruiting is stressful. Ask anyone in the industry and they will agree. This is one of the reasons why the recruiting industry has a high turnover. Many new and experienced recruiters simply burnout. If you are new to recruiting, or even a senior recruiter, there are several things you need to be doing in order to avoid burnout.1. Manage your timeFirst and foremost, you need to have excellent time management skills in recruiting. Lets face it, you have multiple job openings to work on, job postings to create, candidates to source, candidates to interview, and hiring managers to keep in contact with. On top of all of that, you are receiving numerous phone calls each day from candidates who are looking for work or want to touch base on a position.Figure out what is most important to your success. Make a list and tackle each item on that list, marking it off as you complete each task. platzset aside specific time during the day to work on certain items. Perhaps first thing in the morning, you work on job postings and source. Maybe in the afternoon you call top candidates and then return calls and emails later in the day.Figure out what works for you and stick to it. You will quickly burnout if you are not able to manage your time wisely.2.Leave work at workWhen its time to leave the office, whether you are working from home or in an actual office building, you need to find separation. Set boundaries between work and home. When you are at work, stay focused on recruiting. When you are at home, stay focused on your personal life and leave all recruiting matters in the office.I know, I know. You are immediately thinking that recruiting is not an 8 to 5 job. I agree 100%. However, you need to put in allowances for that. If possible, plan to work different hours on different days in order to be able to make those candidate calls in the evenings or early mornings.Whatever you do, do not get caught up in todays new technolo gy, checking emails all hours of the night and taking candidate phone calls whenever they come in. I guarantee you that when you have this personal time away from recruiting you will be able to rest better during your off time, which will allow you to perform at your best the next day.Bottom line, dont be pressured to ALWAYS be on the recruiting clock. You need your down-time in order to avoid burnout.3.Take time offIn the past, it welches so difficult for me to understand that taking time away from work was actually beneficial to me and made me much more successful in the long run. Its difficult in recruiting to take time off right in the middle of a candidate search or during final rounds of interviews. However, you need to put a plan in place for these situations and make sure that you are taking your time off.Taking a few days, a week, or even just a half a day can sometimes be enough to recharge your battery. Dont avoid taking your vacation or holidays off and leaving your work at the office.What are some things you do in order to avoid recruiting burnout? Please share your suggestions in the comments below.Images Yastremska/BigStock.com

Preparing the Grid to Deal with the Heat

Preparing the Grid to Deal with the Heat Preparing the Grid to Deal with the Heat Preparing the Grid to Deal with the HeatMany areas of the US and the world in general have experienced periods of hotter-than-usual weather recently, but how those changes will affect the electricity grid within urban areas hasnt really been studied.Until now.As it stands, urban energy grids face significant challenges and uncertainties, including the increased frequency and intensity of heat waves and droughts, says Kristen Cetin, an assistant professor of construction engineering at Iowa State University. No one wants another blackout, much less the specter of commonplace blackouts as grids become overloaded in hot weather.To help cities prepare for increased demand on the electric grid, researchers at two universities recently began collecting and consolidating electricity-use data from areas close to their homes, Cetin says. Shes the principal investigator on the project.In August, researchers at bo th Iowa State and the University of Texas-Austin began sampling consumer data from municipalities in Des Moines, IA, and Austin, TX.The researchers models bring together disparate sources, including historical observations. Cetin and her fellow researchers have collected about 60 years of historical weather data for the areas studied as well as current global and regional climate models.Kristen Cetins research on energy production would impact power plants during times of peak usage. Image Kate Tindall / Iowa State UniversitySynthesizing the data should help them understand what the weather will be like in these locations in the future.You can look at different emission scenarios of the future that have been developed and understand what weather would be like for different locations, Cetin says.Then, theyll produce climate models of extreme conditions those areas could face, she says. The models will depict how an areas power plants will be affected by weather in the future.While cl imate models exist on a national and global scale, few climate models have been created for smaller, more specific areas such as cities. But cities experience unique climate anomalies. Urban heat islandslarge, paved areasdemonstrate how parts of a city can experience vastly different temperatures, Cetin says.The models the researchers will build with the information theyve collected can give a citys energy providersthe types of information they need to make plans for their grids, she adds.A challenge that cities face when you have these extreme weather events is trying to maintain reliability of the electric grid, Cetin says. If youve got uncertainties associated with certain scenarios, theres a higher risk of there being an issue with your grid.Utilities must balance electricity production and consumption at all times, she says. And for that, they need to be prepared for how to respond to times of peak use. If you have higher energy consumption and lower production thats where ther es an issue, she adds. The teams findings and the models they create could significantly impact the way cities and electric utility operators manage electric grids in extreme heatand drought, Cetin says.Utility companies could use the models as an assessment tool to look at the issues they anticipate happening and what they need to plan for, she adds.Todays electrical providers use a system called demand response that adjusts the demand for power rather than the power supply. One of the demand-response techniques involves building owners allowing the electric company to remotely operate thermostats in return for reduced energy costs. During times of peak energyuse, utilities can remotely turn up the thermostat for a certain amount of time.After the researchers city models are complete, a second stage of the project will allow utilities to simulate different demand response scenarios in response to climate forecasts, Cetin says. The utilities can then choose ahead of time how to resp ond to peak energy use, and to heat that could last for longer periods of time than it does now.Utilities may look at raising rates during peak times to discourage energy use, for example.Or maybe theyd look at energy storage, where they store some of the energy prior to peak time and use it to cool the building where they want to consume less electricity form the grid, she adds.Maybe if a utility company was going to raise rates during peak-use times, that would change how a building owner would operate their building.Prof. Kristen Cetin, Iowa State UniversityWhile the project starts with Des Moines and Ames, Cetin hopes models like these will be created for other cities across the United States, Cetin adds.And because Cetins work in general focuses on building and construction, shes thought about how the models will impact building owners as well as utility operators.Maybe if a utility company was going to raise rates during peak-use times, that would change how a building owner w ould operate their building, Cetin says.Utilities cant shy away from the problem of prolonged periods of heat. It needs to be addressed head on. And simulation and modeling gives energy companies a tool to do just that.Jean Thilmany is an independent writer. For Further Discussion

Conformity Assessment Shows Support to Certificate Holders thr...

Conformity Assessment Shows Support to Certificate Holders thr... Conformity Assessment Shows Support to Certificate Holders thr... Conformity Assessment Shows Support to Certificate Holders through Certification 360 WorkshopsASMEs Conformity Assessment department will host three ASME Certification 360 Workshops (go.asme.org/cert360) in 2016. The first will be offered in Shanghai, China (go.asme.org/cert360shanghai), on April 11 and 12, to be followed by workshops in Columbus, Ohio, from Aug. 9 to 12, and Bergamo, Italy, from Sept. 26 to 30.Intended for ASME certificate holders, authorized inspection agencies, government agencies, and companies that are interested in becoming certified, the workshops have been designed to help attendees understand the certification and renewal process, interact with ASME Conformity Assessment representatives, and network with certificate holders and others in the field who are dedicated to ensuring public safety. The workshops also offer attend ees the opportunity to learn the roles of the major players in the certification process and to enhance their standing within the certification community. We created these workshops because we value our certificate holders and want to provide them better support and guidance in the areas where they live, said ASME Director of Auditing and Inspection Paul Lang. Its important that we work together to apply ASME best practices, efficiency, and sustainability - with the overall goal of enhancing public safety.The program for the Certification 360 Workshop in China, to be held at the Parkyard Hotel Shanghai, will be comprised of three sessions an informational session, ASME Standards and You a second session consisting of three workshops addressing requirements for welding and non-destructive evaluation, boilers and pressure vessels, and the ASME Section III Nuclear Code and a final segment concentrating on the conformity assessment process. For more information and to reg ister, visit http//go.asme.org/cert360shanghai. Workshops will be customized according to issues relevant at each particular geographical region. For more information on the ASME Certification 360 Workshop program, visit http//go.asme.org/cert360 or contact Bibi W. Rahim, manager, Conformity Assessment Operations, at (212) 591-7575 or by e-mail at caasme.org.

When to Submit DOC or PDF Resumes

When to Submit DOC or portable document format ResumesWhen to Submit DOC or portable document format ResumesYou see the selection offered on almost every online job application,Submit yourresume as a DOC or PDF.Most people have a copy of both a DOC and PDF resume. You probably do as well, so how do you know which one is best to submit?The answer is a little more complicated than most realizeReasons for submitting a PDF resumeA PDF resume removes the possibility of your resume accidentally being altered by unknown parties during the application process. You do not want to give strangers the ability to edit all the hard work you put into your resume. This way, people who receive your resume will get the polished resume you want them to see all of the time. In addition, a PDF resume will guarantee the formatting and design of your resume will remain unchanged.Reasons for submitting a DOC resumeIt is hard to argue with any reasoning based on fear of what strangers might do with your resu me, but there are reasons to use DOC files, too.Most importantly, applicant tracking systems have an easier time scanning all the words in DOC files. Some ATS software may have a difficult time scanning your PDF file, which means your PDF resume may fail to reach an actual person. Of course, as software improves this will no longer be an issue but for now, the problem still exists. Only about 80% of all ATS software can handle PDF while nearly 100% can handle DOC files.ConclusionIt is a good idea to have a PDF and DOC version of your resume. PDFs will be better for sending to people you know, will be virus-free and much better looking in format than a DOC file. PDFs are great resumes to send to referrals and they will look the same each time.A DOC file is a better choice when using online applications that will go through an ATS of some kind. You want to make sure all the important keywords are scanned properly. DOC files are also size-friendly for those online job application websi tes that have size limits on file attachments. If your PDF is too big, it is great to have the same resume on DOC. At the end of the day, you are going to need both because finding work requires a combination of networking with people and applying through online job applications.

Flexible Work Schedules Are the Future - The Muse

Flexible Work Schedules Are the Future - The MuseFlexible Work Schedules Are the FutureSeveral months ago, I was talking to a college senior about her career plans. She wanted a job with flexible hours, and I asked why. The young woman said she wanted the freedom to take a short nap right after lunch when her energy flagged the most and the ability to work late at night when her brain was sharpest.If I had made a comment like this when looking for my first job 16 years ago, I would have been laughed out of the room. But coming from a college student today, the request doesnt sound all that strange. According to a new study by Bentley University, 77% of Millennials say that flexible work hours would make the workplace more productive for people their age. Given their comfort with digital technology that allows them to work anytime and anywhere, this statistic hardly comes as a surprise. But as the Millennial generation becomes the majority, we can expect flex time and telecommuting to become a common workplace practice rather than a special privilege.In fact, by around 2030, the Millennial majority will likely have done away with the 9-to-5 workday entirely. Here are four key reasons why Millennials will insist that flex-work hours happen sooner rather than later. 1. Work-Family BalanceLeslie Doolittle, assistant dean and director of academic support services at Bentley University, has found that work doesnt define Millennials as much as it does older generations. Doolittle says family, friends, and making a difference in the community are more central to Millennials than they are to older people. Given this, demands on Millennials personal time are bound to increase as they balance work commitments with raising young children. And, as they are closely connected to their parents, they are likely to be personally involved in caring for them as they age. The trade-off, of course, is catching up on email at 10 PM or finishing a project on a Saturday morning to make up the time, but in my experience, thats one that most Millennials are fine with making. 2. Continuing Skills EducationAccording to research conducted by The Hartford, 50% of Millennials desire training and development from their employer. And companies are listening. Bersin by Deloitte said that U.S. spending on corporate training grew by 15% in 2013 (the highest growth rate in seven years).In addition, many companies are fulfilling the Millennial desire for experience-hopping through leadership rotation programs that allow them to test out different areas of a company. The renowned General Electric rotation program is a great example, which allows young employees to experience various functions within GE, such as finance, sales, manufacturing, and engineering. In any case, Millennials will be spending time taking classes and working additional jobs to skill up, and some of this activity is bound to occur during the classic workday.3. The Disappearing Corporate OfficeBy 2030, prof essionals will work mostly from home using super-fast data terminals. Most companies will have nixed their permanent physical office locations in favor of chains of interconnected hubs with different plans for individuals to access space. Meetings will routinely occur virtually and across geographies and time zones, rendering air travel to visit clients or partners unnecessary. And if the office isnt necessary- why are set office hours?4. The (Companys) Bottom LineThe fact is, Millennials are right- flexible work hours do make employees more productive. Research by Stanford professor Nicholas Bloom found that working remotely increases productivity, overall work hours, and employee satisfaction. Over a nine-month period, Bloom observed 250 employees at Ctrip, a Chinese travel website. Half of the employees worked from home, and half worked in the office. Turns out, removing the time it takes to physically commute to work and the distractions of the in-office environment made a huge difference The telecommuters completed 13.5% more calls than the office workers, performed 10% more work overall, left the company at half the rate of people in the office, reported feeling more fulfilled at work, and saved the company $1,900 per employee.Evolving to a Flexible WorkplaceWere not there yet- so what will the transition look like? My guess is that well start with easier to swallow flex-work arrangements, such as job-sharing (two employees split the workload and time commitments of one 40-hour per week job), day shifting (some employees work from 7 AM to 3 PM while others work from 10 AM to 6 PM), and on-peak/off-peak work schedules (employees work more hours during their busy season and vice versa). In the meantime, more and more people will convince their bosses the let them work from home one or more days a week.With Millennial employees entering the workforce in droves, the momentum behind making flex-work a reality for all will grow. Is your company ready?Photo of man with computer courtesy of Shutterstock.